Council Update August 2022

Message from the Shire President

New Elected Member – Cr Alex Pearse

As no nominations were received at both the October 2021 Ordinary Local Government Election and a subsequent Extraordinary Election for an Elected Member vacancy on the Shire, Council has appointed Alex Pearse, upon his acceptance, to this position. This appointment was undertaken in accordance with the procedural requirements of the Local Government Act and associated Regulations. Council welcomes Cr Alex Pearse to the team.

 

Community Scorecard (Survey)

Council was presented with the outcomes of a recent community survey (MARKYT Scorecard) undertaken by Catalyse, an independent consult. The results of the survey were informative and thought provoking, with a strong emphasis on the need for the Shire to improve its communication with its constituents. The Shire will be looking at ways to improve communications with one suggestion being a monthly newsletter drop to constituents.

 

2022/2023 Budget Adopted

Council recently adopted the 2022/2023 Budget with following key points:

  • Increase in general rates of 6%, resulting in a reduction in the rate in the dollar for UV rates of 11.93% and an increase in the rate in the dollar of GRV rates of 3.46%
  • Increase in GRV minimum rates of 4.95% and in UV minimum rates of 5.03%
  • Fees & Charges increased by 5% in line with Rates increase (rounded to nearest $5)
  • Only one loan with WATC remaining, being for the new grader, final payment in September 2026. The Shire low loan portfolio is a result of prudent financial management in the past. This position allows the Shire to now look at undertaking future projects prioritised by the community.

Council extends its appreciation for the efforts of Jeremy Clapham and staff for producing a very detailed Draft Budget for Council to consider.

 

Appointment of Chief Executive Officer

Council has formally endorsed the appointment of Matt Fanning to the position of Chief Executive Officer with for Shire of Mingenew.

Matt is anticipated to commence in the position in mid-October 2022, with Maurice Battilana acting in the Chief Executive Officer role until then.

 

– Cr Gary Cosgrove, Shire President

 

CEO Updates

Shire Projects and Development Update

Council and staff continue to work on many major projects including (yet not limited to) the following:

  • Mingenew Tennis Club – Clubhouse Repair/Replacement Concept Plans
  • Housing requirements in Mingenew Townsite – Concept Plans
  • Daycare Centre Upgrades Concept Plans
  • Recreation Centre Upgrade Concept Plans
  • Future of the Mingenew Town Hall
  • Mingenew Airstrip Upgrades
  • Yandanooka North-East Rd – Upgrades & Junction Realignment
  • Skate Park and Cecil Newton Park – concept for completion of BMX track, turf, shade, and gardens

 

Local Operational Recovery Plan

Following Tropical Cyclone Seroja in April 2021, the Shire has actively been advocating for support and resources to stimulate community recovery and resilience. To assist with this effort, we have been working on the development of a Recovery Plan that identifies the damages and impacts faced by the community in order to determine what needs to be achieved and what operational strategies are required to achieve them.

 

A community workshop was held in April 2022 at which key recovery stakeholders and community members established the groundwork for the development of the Plan. The Draft Plan was subsequently reviewed by the Local Recovery Coordination Group (LRCG) and recommended through the Local Emergency Management Committee (LEMC) for adoption by Council.

 

The Plan sets a number of recovery objectives, including:

 

  • Building Resilience
  • Supporting volunteers and community groups
  • Mental health and wellbeing
  • Support for vulnerable community members
  • Economic infrastructure and planning
  • Attraction and retention strategy
  • Recovery of biodiversity
  • Access and enjoyment of natural spaces
  • Management of pests, hazards, and diseases
  • Rebuild support
  • Recreation facilities
  • Utilities
  • Insurance advocacy

 

A copy of the Shire of Mingenew Local Operational Recovery Plan is available at https://mingenew.wa.gov.au/public-documents/local-operational-recovery-plan/.

 

The Plan was jointly funded through the Commonwealth-State Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements.

 

Shire of Mingenew 10 Year Shared Pathways Plan

Council has formally adopted a 10 Year Shared Pathways Plan that:

  • identifies and reviews the existing pathway network within the townsite boundaries
  • identifies key facilities, locations, and areas within the Mingenew townsite that warrant pathway connectivity
  • identifies any gaps in the existing pathway network with respect to providing connectivity to key families, locations, and areas within the townsite
  • provides high-level details on a possible implementation strategy for the pathway network upgrade.

 

We recognise that the community would like to see improvements in this area and establishing this Plan places us in a good position to receive funding for pathway infrastructure projects.

 

The adopted Plan can be found at https://mingenew.wa.gov.au/public-documents/

 

Council meeting dates for 2022

Council Meetings are held at 5pm on the third Wednesday of every second month and below is a list of remaining dates for 2022:

 

Council Meeting Dates 2022
January 2022 – Nil
16 February 2022
March 2022 – Nil
20 April 2022
May 2022 – Nil
15 June 2022
July 2022 – Nil
17 August 2022
September 2022 – Nil
19 October 2022
November 2022 – Nil
14 December 2022

 

 

Council Meetings provide up to 2 minutes for Public Question Time, and members of the public are welcome to attend and participate. If you have always wondered how this process works, check out our Council Agendas, which include a preamble on Public Question Time and protocols for the meeting (page 3 of each Agenda) – https://mingenew.wa.gov.au/council-agendas/

 

Council also holds an open session during its Concept Forums, between 5-5:30pm which members of the public are also encouraged to attend. Whilst this is a less formal setting for discussion than Council meetings, it also means that Council do not make decisions at this meeting

 

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