Council Update August 2020

Message from the Shire President

The weather has been very kind to us this August – with recent rainfall boosting the outlook for our farmers and sustaining this year’s wildflower season. Whilst the grain is still some way from being in the silo just yet, the coming run of cool weather bodes well – particularly after last year’s disappointing season.

Our town has also been very busy with visitors lately, which is fantastic to see; with a recent exhibition from the Mingenew Painting Group, agricultural displays at the Mingenew Irwin Group office, the opening of Hinterland Collaborative in the former bank building and the various community and Shire projects aimed at improving the look and feel of our town there is a lot on offer – and that’s before you even consider the wildflowers.

The last month saw two significant decisions made by Council; the first was to do away with our Rural and Town Wards. Council decided that the ward system did not deliver any meaningful benefit to our community and, over the coming election cycles, we will move (as many of our neighbours have) to a single electoral district.

The other decision made was to release several blocks of lands for sale in the Mingenew townsite. You can expect to hear more about this once the marketing process commences, but we will be prioritising buyers that we believe will build and contribute to our town. It is part of Council’s efforts to address our declining population and add to our community.

This month has also seen the release of the Final Report from the State Government’s Local Government Review Panel. In the review – designed to assist with the development of a new Local Government Act, the Panel has proposed some bold recommendations for the Local Government Sector – which could have far-reaching implications for small, regional Shires like ours. It is something my sector colleagues and I will be discussing in the coming weeks and months as the legislative process progresses.

– Cr Gary Cosgrove, Shire President

Roads

The recent rainfall has, as always, created a few maintenance issues on our roads and held up our construction program. It has, at least, provided some time for minor maintenance works across the Shire and we have been working on fixing a few potholes, rectifying some roadside signage and tidying up around our bridges.

As things dry out, we will resume our construction program.

Ward and Representation Review

Following the recent public consultation process, Council has concluded its review of our ward system. At its August Ordinary Meeting the decision was made to abolish the Town and Rural wards. Councillors currently serving in wards will continue to do so and this change will take effect over the next two election cycles.

Project Update

The Shire has obtained funding from a number of sources to assist with the delivery of over $850,000 of new projects in the coming financial year. These will include:

  • A major upgrade of the skate park area, including addition of new playgrounds and a pump track
  • An upgrade of Mingenew’s Child Care facilities to facilitate services five days a week with a larger capacity
  • Restoration of the Mingenew Railway Station
  • Upgrades to the water storage and reticulation at the Mingenew Recreation Centre
  • Installation of solar power systems at the Mingenew Recreation Centre and Shire Office
  • Installation of a fixed wireless repeater near the Mingenew townsite to provide faster and more affordable connectivity for our town
  • Resealing of Phillip Street, with parking improvements for the Silver Chain
  • Repairs to town carparks
  • Further works at the Mingenew tip to transition it to a transfer station
  • Mingenew Hill walking trail improvements
  • Creation of a co-working space in Mingenew
  • Infrastructure installation at the Yandanooka Astrotourism site
  • Installation of remote tourism cameras at some of our tourist sites to allow people to visit them virtually
  • Minor works at the bank building and Tourist Centre
  • Improvements to the sheds at the Shire Depot
  • Renovation works in the Council Chambers

In addition to the above, and our regular road program, we also have two significant transport projects which will commence this financial year, but finish in FY21-22:

  • Replacement of Coalseam Road Bridge
  • Realignment of the Yandanooka NE Rd / Mingenew-Morawa Road Intersection

Contact the Shire for more information on any of these projects.

Call for Contributions to Youth Precinct Project

The Shire is carrying out a major upgrade of the area around the Shenton Street Skate Park; including improvements to the skate park area, new playgrounds to cater to a wider range of children, and a pump track. You can view a draft design document below.

We have been fortunate to receive funding for our initial project scope but have been approached since to include a flying fox in the project. The cost of this is over and above the Shire’s project budget – however given community interest we would like to deliver it. To do this we will need some help.

Already, some community members and businesses have generously pledged to donate funds or in-kind assistance to make this project addition possible. However, there remains a funding gap, and our committee has suggested providing other community members the opportunity to contribute to this project, to make this addition possible.

All donations will be used directly on the upgrade of this precinct, which will provide an improved recreation and play area for our Shire’s children for many years to come. If you wish to contribute towards this project, please fill and return a Donation Form (below). All support received will be recognised on public signage.

For a copy of the form or more details about the project, please visit our website (here) or contact Margaret Rowe, Community Development Officer on 9928 1102 or cdo@mingenew.wa.gov.au.

Backhoe Tender (RFT1 20-21)

Tenders are invited for the supply and delivery of one (1) backhoe loader and for the outright purchase of one (1) 2010 JCB CX3 Backhoe Loader with approximately 5344 operational hours.

Proponents are encouraged to quote for:

  • The supply and delivery of a Backhoe Loader taking into consideration the trade value of a 2010 JCB CX3 Backhoe Loader, and/or
  • The supply and delivery of a Backhoe Loader on a no trade basis; and/or
  • The outright purchase of one (1) 2010 JCB CX3 Backhoe Loader with approximately 5344 operational hours.

For more information, visit our tenders page or contact Works Supervisor Rocky Brennan on works@mingenew.wa.gov.au or 0427 136 259. Tenders close at 5.00pm on Monday 7 September 2020.

Community Assistance Scheme (CAS) Grants

Council’s Community Assistance Scheme is open for applications. The current round closes at 5.00pm on Monday 14 September 2020.

If your community group has a project for delivery in the 20-21 Financial Year that will support the aims of Mingenew’s 2019-29 Community Strategic Plan, then we would love to help you make it a reality.

You can download all the documents here or obtain copies from the Shire office. For more information, contact Community Development Officer Margaret Rowe on 9928 1102 or email cdo@mingenew.wa.gov.au.

Road Condition Reports

As the wet weather comes in, the Shire will update the status of its roads on its our road conditions page  and Facebook page. You can also subscribe to be added to our text message service by completing the registration form at the Shire Office or downloading it here.

We ask that – when it is wet – motorists avoid non-essential travel on our unsealed roads, as this can cause damage to our road network, and diverts resources away from our ongoing road improvement efforts. Likewise, please try to keep heavy vehicle movements on wet roads to a minimum.

COVID-19

The Phase 5 relaxation of WA’s COVID restrictions has been further postponed to 24 October. As such, we are maintaining our level 4 measures. The Mid West has been incredibly fortunate during the COVID-19 pandemic, and we ask that people don’t become too complacent as a result of this. Please ensure you are maintaining appropriate social distancing and hygiene practices to help to build good habits to keep our community safe.

For further details on Council’s response to the COVID-19 situation, please check our website.

Mosquito Activity

Shire officers have been testing and treating standing water for mosquito larvae and fogging. If you are have issues with mosquitos at your property, please let the Shire know (visit the office, call 9928 1102 or email enquiries@mingenew.wa.gov.au) so that we can investigate and treat the issue.

Council Meeting Review – August 2020

Council’s August meeting covered two main items:

  • Ward and Representation Review (discussed above)
  • Authorisation of disposal of land; stay tuned for more information on this – in the coming weeks the Shire of Mingenew will be releasing several blocks of land for sale.

For all the details, you can check the minutes page on the Shire website.

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