Matt Fanning

Message from the Shire President
As a busy wildflower season slowly draws to a close, many in the community are looking ahead to harvest – and we are all optimistic that this year will be a bountiful one for our community.

I wanted to acknowledge the work of the Mingenew Midwest Expo team in their recent delivery of the Midwest Ag Industry Networking Event on September the 18th. In the absence of the Expo this year, it was good to see alternative formats being trialled to ensure that our agricultural community still have opportunities to come together to share ideas, stories and a few cold beverages.

I also recently attended the WA Local Government Association’s Annual General Meeting in Perth. This event too had been scaled down due to COVID-19, but – as it often does – reminded me that the challenges that our community face are felt across many other similar Shires in WA. There is growing pressure on all local governments to deliver more, both on behalf of the State Governments and to their communities. The growth of these devolved responsibilities and expectations far outstrip the growth in the resources made available to meet them.

As part of the event, I was able to listen to the leadership of all four of WA’s major political parties speaking about their vision for Local Government as we move towards the March 2021 State Election and, whilst some recognise the challenges faced by shires in rural WA more than others, there do not appear to be any great improvements in the complexity of our compliance framework or size of our funding opportunities on the horizon. There is a new Local Government Act currently in the works, and Council will be giving its drafts due consideration and clear feedback to try to ensure better outcomes for our communities – and others like us – into the future.

On a more positive note, I wanted to congratulate the town’s football and netball teams – all of whom made it through to this year’s grand finals, especially to our B and D Grade netballers who came away victorious. Even in a year marred by COVID, it’s fantastic that some of our teams were able to enjoy a season of competition, and a credit to everyone for performing as well as they did.
– Cr Gary Cosgrove, Shire President

Fixed Wireless Coverage for Mingenew
We are excited to announce that the Shire, with assistance from the Federal Government’s Drought Communities Program, has completed an upgrade of a telecommunications near the Mingenew townsite. This upgrade has made Node1’s Fixed Wireless internet service available to residents and businesses in town.

Fixed wireless broadband is already available to many in the rural parts of the Shire through the State Government’s Digital Farms program, which the Shire project built upon.
For more information, click here.

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 here.

We are over half-way towards funding the project, and calling for any others who wish to pledge to do so before 31 October 2020. If you can’t assist with cash, what we would really appreciate assistance with is the cartage of 200m3 of sand from Dongara to Mingenew. 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 Pledge Form (download here). All support received will be recognised on public signage.

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

Heavy Vehicles on Unsealed Roads
The Shire has been approached by some agricultural road users requesting seasonal speed reductions on some of our unsealed roads in a bid to improve safety and preserve the condition of our road surfaces.

Rather than mandating speed limits, we are asking all road users – particularly those in heavy vehicles – to ensure they are driving to the conditions and moderating their speed as possible on our unsealed roads, especially when cornering and passing other vehicles. Whilst the Shire can introduce speed restrictions on RAV vehicles throughout our road network, we would like to provide our road users with the opportunity to demonstrate their ability to take it easy on our unsealed roads.

Fire Season
With fire season approaching, please keep in mind these key dates:

Restricted Burning: 17 Sep – 31 Oct 2020 / 1 Feb – 15 Mar 2021
Permits are required for burning activities during these times.

Permit Issuing Officers:
Murray Thomas 9928 1122 | 0428 281 157
Nick Duane 9972 6058 | 0429 726 058

Prohibited Burning: 1 Nov 2020 – 31 Jan 2021
All burning is prohibited during this period.

Firebreaks: Must be installed on or by 1 October 2020 and maintained up to and including 15 March 2021 as per requirements of s33 the Bush Fires Act 1954.
For town blocks under 3,000m2 this means all flammable material must be removed from the whole of the land. For rural land, firebreaks must be provided not less than 2.5m in width inside and along the whole of the external boundaries of the properties owned or occupied. Where this is not practicable the firebreaks must be provided as near as possible to, and within, such boundaries. Failure to maintain firebreaks can result in fines of up to $5,000.

For more information consult the Firebreak Notice sent out with the annual rates notice and available online here or contact the Shire.

Tidy Blocks
With fire season approaching, in addition to ensuring your block is safe, it’s a great time to do some tidying.
Our Environmental Health Officer and Ranger will be conducting inspections to identify any locations which may harbour vermin, provide habitat for snakes or mosquitos. These blocks typically:

Contain debris or rubbish, including places where water collects and stagnates
Are overgrown or untidy

What will Council do?
We will contact property owners and request that they address any issues that are found. We can also help to discuss possible solutions. Council can assist with transportation of large items to the rubbish tip and with block slashing through private works arrangements. We may also be able to assist with the treatment of standing water to eliminate mosquitos.
In general, we much prefer to help owners tidy up rather than issuing infringement notices.

What can you do?
Store materials on your block in a tidy manner and tip out any standing water, reducing the places for vermin, snakes and mosquitos to live and breed

Remove debris/rubbish from your block
Keep the vegetation on your block trimmed so that it doesn’t become a home for vermin or, come the end of the rains, a potential fire hazard
Contact Council if you have large items, like car bodies, that you need help to remove

What is the outcome?

There are less places for vermin, snakes and mosquitos to breed
There are less overgrown lots and a smaller fire risk
Our town looks tidier and more appealing
Mingenew is a safer and more pleasant place to live and visit

We know that most of our residents work hard to keep their properties tidy, and we are confident that these are outcomes everyone would like to see. If you have any questions, please get in touch with us at the Shire and we will do our best to help.

Tourism WA Deep Dive Workshop
WA’s Wildflower Country Incorporated, a tourism-focused grouping of local governments – of which Mingenew is a member – is hosting representatives from Tourism WA as part of an interactive workshop.

In addition to outlining Tourism WA’s own vision for our state and region, the workshop will provide an opportunity for those engaged, or interested, in the regional tourism sector to provide feedback on the strengths, challenges and opportunities that exist in our local tourist industry.

The event will beheld at the Three Springs Community Hall (132 Railway Road, Three Springs) on Thursday 15 October from 2-4pm. Please RSVP to Sharon Bell at the Shire of Three Springs by emailing cdo@threesprings.wa.gov.au.

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 mosquitoes 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 – September 2020
Council’s September meeting was largely procedural in nature, with Council forming a position on several items for the WA Local Government Association AGM and selecting Councillor representation on the Community Assistance Scheme panel (thanks to Councillors Helen Newton and Robert Newton for agreeing to continue in their roles here).

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

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.

Message from the Shire President
The ongoing rain has been helping both our crops and wildflower come up, which is a great sign for both our farmers and our local tourism businesses. Let’s hope it continues!

You may have noticed that the Shire’s marketing for wildflower season is back underway. With folks unable to holiday over east or abroad this year, we are hopeful that we will get plenty of visitation – in spite of the challenges and limitations COVID-19 has created. I note that the current social distancing restrictions have made it difficult for our visitor centre to open this year, but that the volunteers have put together a range of information and materials for visitors to access all the same. It’s also great to see the museum open for visitation too – my thanks go out to everyone who volunteers their time and efforts to deliver these services.

July is always a busy month at Council as well, with the annual review of our Corporate Business Plan and adoption of the budget. These milestones completed, our staff are in a position to deliver another year of services and an array of great projects to the community that we serve.

Having adopted the budget, we will also see rates notices going out. Ratepayers will notice that the cents-in-the-dollar that Council uses to calculate rates has remained frozen at last year’s level. Despite advocacy from our Shire – and others – the Valuer General still undertook a revaluation of rural properties across the state. As a result, rural properties (UV Rates) whose valuations have changed will see a proportionate increase or decrease in the amount due on their rates notice. Properties in the townsites (GRV Rates) will be unchanged. Likewise we have frozen – and in some cases reduced – our fees and charges for the year. These were decisions taken earlier in the year to assist anyone who may be struggling as a result of COVID-19.

– Cr Gary Cosgrove, Shire President

Roads

With the adoption of the budget we are now putting our efforts into our FY20-21 Program. This includes:

Resheeting and widening the Shire of Mingenew section of Milo Road
3km of resealing an widening works on Mingenew-Mullewa Road
The realignment of the Yandanooka North East / Mingenew-Morawa Road Intersection
The repair and resealing of Phillip Street and several town carparks
The replacement of the Coalseam Road bridge is scheduled to commence around April 2021
Assorted re-sheeting works and ongoing maintenance grading around the Shire

COVID-19

As restrictions continue to ease, Shire facilities are continuing to open up in support of the growing range of permitted activities.

All playgrounds and the skate park are now open

We have developed COVID Safety Plans for the Rec Centre, Turf Bar, Autumn Centre and other public buildings; we ask that clubs and organisations contact the Shire to book and confirm use of any of these facilities so that we can ensure our cleaning regime is being kept up

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

2020-21 Budget

For the 2020/21 Financial Year the Shire of Mingenew has budgeted for a Total Comprehensive Income of $7.07m, comprising operating and capital grants (60%), Rates (28%), Transport Licencing (8% – offset by Transport Licencing Expenditure), Fees and Charges (3%) and Other Sundry Income (1%). Depending on the level of grant funding for any particular year, these percentages may vary significantly.

All of the Shire’s revenue is spent providing infrastructure and services to enhance the everyday lives for ratepayers and visitors. The Shire builds roads, maintains roads, does rubbish collection, maintains parks and gardens, provides leisure services, and community development projects. The Shire dedicates all of its resources into areas that aim to improve the quality of life for its residents and visitors.

Some of these areas include:

Transport – $5.65m is budgeted for the maintenance, renewal and upgrade of roads, bridges, culverts, pavements and footpaths
Recreation & Culture – $1.52m is budgeted for the provision and maintenance of recreational infrastructure
Economic Services – $0.38m is budgeted for the provision of services to the community and for tourism and area promotion
Community Amenities – $0.28m is budgeted for infrastructure, waste and other services
Governance – $0.34m is budgeted to meet Shire’s regulatory and compliance requirements
Other – $0.82m is budgeted for bush fire management & animal control, health, education & welfare, housing and other property and services

As a local government we also have significant compliance and governance responsibilities that we must carry out. This includes the development of various strategic and operational plans, providing reports and information to the State Government and other external agencies, and ensuring we have systems and processes in place for the sound management of public resources.

Rates Notices

With the adoption of the Budget, rates notices have been released. Rates are to be paid in full by making payment by 4pm on Friday 4 September 2020. Alternatively, if you wish to pay your rates by quarterly instalment (a service fee applies) you must pay your first instalment by Friday 4 September 2020.

For more details, please see your Rates Notice (they will be sent out in the last week of July) or contact the Shire.

Ward and Representation Review

Council is embarking on consultation around a review of its ward system. It is a process we are required to carry out at least every 8 years, and we want to hear from you. You can download the discussion paper from the Shire website or pick a copy up from the Shire Office.

Our discussion paper examines three potential options:

Adjust ward boundaries to capture more of the townsite in the Town Ward
Remove the wards altogether
Make no changes

You can make your submissions to us in writing, or by email to governance@mingenew.wa.gov.au. Submissions are due by 10 August 2020.

Road Condition Reports

As the wet weather comes in, the Shire will update the status of its roads on its website 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.

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 – July 2020

Council held both an Ordinary and a Special meeting in June to consider a number of items:

Adoption of a range of policies in support of our Disability Action and Inclusion Plan
Annual review of its 3-year Internal Audit Plan
Annual review of its 5-year Road Plan
Annual review of the Corporate Business Plan 2019-23
Endorsement of projects for Local Roads and Community Infrastructure funding
Adoption of the 2020-21 Budget

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

Pursuant to Regulation 12 (3) of the Local Government (Administration) Regulations 1996, notice is hereby given that a Special Meeting of the Shire of Mingenew Council is to be held on Thursday, 23 July 2020, commencing at 6.00pm in Council Chambers at the Shire Offices, Victoria St.

The purpose of the meeting is the adoption of the Shire Budget for 2020/2021.

The agenda will be available from the Shire’s website.

Message from the Shire President
The ongoing rain is encouraging for our growing and wildflower season (although we could’ve done without all that wind!) Hopefully everyone is getting their share.

As we head into the end of financial year, Council is giving consideration to its annual budget. We are fortunate to have received grant funding for a range of projects in the new financial year, and I am looking forward to seeing those delivered. We also remain hopeful that future State and Federal funding announcements continue to provide support to local governments in regional WA as the wider economy looks to open back up post-COVID.

I am also encouraged to see that COVID restrictions are continuing to lift, albeit with some delays, and life is returning to something closer to normal; there will be a winter sport season starting in July, this year’s Polocrosse event is going ahead, the pub is open again and the caravans are starting to find their way to our town as people venture back out. Again, we hope that our local businesses enjoy a busy season to offset the challenging period of the last few months; please don’t forget to get out and support them.

– Cr Gary Cosgrove, Shire President

Roads
We are preparing for our FY20-21 works program, which will be finalised as part of Council’s budget deliberations. Currently we are engaged in ongoing resheeting and maintenance works around Enokurra Road, as our maintenance grader heads north from Yandanooka.

COVID-19
As restrictions continue to ease, Shire facilities are continuing to open up in support of the growing range of permitted activities.

All playgrounds and the skate park are now open
We have developed COVID Safety Plans for the Rec Centre, Turf Bar, Autumn Centre and other public buildings; we ask that clubs and organisations contact the Shire to book and confirm use of any of these facilities so that we can ensure our cleaning regime is being kept up
From 27 June all restrictions on gathering size will be lifted, but the 2sqm per person rule will remain in place

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

Ward and Representation Review
Council is embarking on consultation around a review of its ward system. It is a process we are required to carry out at least every 8 years, and we want to hear from you. You can download the discussion paper from the Shire website or pick a copy up from the Shire Office.

Our discussion paper examines three potential options:

Adjust ward boundaries to capture more of the townsite in the Town Ward
Remove the wards altogether
Make no changes

You can make your submissions to us in writing, or by email to governance@mingenew.wa.gov.au. Submissions are due by 10 August 2020.

Community Resilience Scorecard
The MARKYT Community Resilience Scorecard has been launched to map community resilience, local government performance and community needs. Local Governments would like to hear from 10,000 residents across Western Australia.

The study is unique in its scale, reach and impact. The project sees the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries, 139 Local Governments and local communities collaborating to access timely and relevant information, with support from Local Government Professionals WA and CATALYSE.

The Scorecard is gathering baseline and informing data to help local communities evaluate symbols of recovery following the COVID-19 outbreak in Western Australia. It is helping local leaders and decision makers to understand how local communities are coping in relation to their health, social relationships and work and what local government needs to prioritise to support communities during the recovery phase.

To take part, you can pick up a hard copy of the survey form at the Shire office, or complete the survey online here.

Doctor Services
Mid West Aero Medical team have recommenced their weekly clinics in town. Doctor Rosie Stroud’s last clinic will be Wednesday 15 July. The following week clinic days will be moving to Thursdays with Dr Ben MacDonald taking over from Thursday 23 July.

On behalf of the Shire we would like to thank Dr Stroud for caring for our community over the last 18 months.

Telephone consultations are still also available and patients can still be seen in person in Geraldton if needed. Call Midwest Aero Medical on 9956 8999 to book in.

Road Condition Reports
As the wet weather comes in, the Shire will update the status of its roads on its website 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 from our website.

Council Meeting Review – June 2020
Council held both an Ordinary and a Special meeting in June to consider a number of items:

Confirming our support for, and involvement in, the State Government’s National Redress Scheme arrangements
Commencing the consultation process into the Ward and Representation Review (as discussed in more detail above)
Providing feedback to the Department of Local Government on the most recent changes to the Local Government Act: The Local Government Regulations Amendment (Consequential) Regulations 2020
Endorsement of maintaining the current bridge alignment for the new Coalseam Road bridge
Acknowledgement of some uncollectable debts, to allow us to remove them from our budget
Consideration of upgrading the proposed replacement to our semi water tanker from second-hand to new

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

Section 2.2 cl. 6 of the Local Government Act 1995 (the Act) requires local governments with wards to carry out reviews of ward boundaries and the number of Councillors for each ward from time to time so that no more than eight years elapses between successive reviews. The purpose of the review is to evaluate the current arrangements of the local government and consider if its system of representation best reflects the characteristics of the district and its people. Possible outcomes associated with a review include:

The creation of new wards;
The changing of ward boundaries;
The abolishing any or all wards;
The changing of the name of a district or a ward;
The changing of the number of Councillors; and/or
Specifying or changing of the number of offices of Councillor for a ward.

The Shire of Mingenew (the Shire) last undertook a formal review of its ward boundaries and representation in 2012. The outcomes of the 2012 review were:

The retention of the existing two Wards; [Town and Rural], and
The retention of the existing number of offices of councillor for each ward [being 3 Rural and 4 Town].

Given the length of time that has passed since the last review and in preparation for the 2021 elections, the Shire Council has resolved to undertake another review of its ward and representation system to comply with the requirements of the Act.

We would like to hear from you on this matter. Please click here to download a copy of the Discussion Paper, or visit the Shire Office at 21 Victoria Street Mingenew to obtain a hard copy.

You can make a submission in writing at the Shire Office, to PO Box 120, Mingenew WA 6522 or by email to governance@mingenew.wa.gov.au.

For more information, please contact the Shire on 08 9928 1102 or email governance@mingenew.wa.gov.au.

Submissions close 10 August 2020.

Pursuant to Regulation 12 (3) of the Local Government (Administration) Regulations 1996, notice is hereby given that a Special Meeting of the Shire of Mingenew Council is to be held on Thursday, 25 June 2020, commencing at 5.00pm in Council Chambers at the Shire Offices, Victoria St.

The purpose of the meeting is to consider a budget amendment and writing off a sundry debtor prior to the end of the financial year.

The agenda will be available from the Shire’s website.

The Shire of Mingenew community has been invited to take part in a state-wide collaboration.

This collaboration sees State Government and 139 Local Governments across Western Australia moving forward together. The study will gather and share baseline and informing data to help local communities like ours to recover and thrive following the COVID-19 outbreak in Australia.

This study will provide direct benefit to our community.
We will get robust data to share with you that lets us know how we’re coping, as a community.
We will prioritise our key focus areas to decide on our next steps, together.

Importantly, we will be able to see how we’re going compared to other local governments – to share our experiences and to learn from one another.

Where are we strong, and can help others?
Where are we having challenges, and who can help us?

With limited resources available to conduct studies like this, we are grateful to the following organisations for providing funding and pro-bono support to make this possible.

CATALYSE: Project Leader, Pro-bono supporter
Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries: State Government Partner, Funding provider
Local Government Professionals Australia WA: Industry Partner, Pro-bono supporter

Remarkable times call for remarkable collaboration. We are stronger when we work together.

This is where we need your help.

Please complete a confidential MARKYT Community Resilience Scorecard by between 8 June and 3 July 2020. To care for the environment and manage costs, please consider submitting your response online. Estimated completion time = 6-7 minutes.
Share with your family and friends. We’d like to hear from all residents aged 18+ years.

You can complete a scorecard online: www.research.net/r/MARKYT or contact or visit the Shire office to request a printed copy of the scorecard

If you have any questions about this study, please contact the Shire on 08 9928 1102 or enquiries@mingenew.wa.gov.au.

Message from the Shire President
May has brought with it some incredibly welcome rain (some less welcome wind), and some equally welcome funding boosts for the Shire.

At the May ordinary meeting, Council allocated $500,000 worth of project funds through the Federal Government’s Drought Communities Project and shortly thereafter we were awarded a further $243,000 of Local Road and Community Infrastructure funding. What this means is that the 2020-21 financial year will see a number of items in our project pipeline brought to fruition. Some of these include further growth of Child Care services in Mingenew, restoration of the Railway Station and revitalisation of the skate park precinct.

Whilst the shift towards normality continues – with Level 3 easing of restrictions to take effect shortly – Council remains aware of the potential risks that COVID-19 can present to our community, should any 2nd or future waves impact our region. As such, we have created a temporary Emergency Reserve of $80,000 (through a reallocation of some existing reserve funds) to allow us to respond quickly and meaningfully should emergency strike.

I am hoping that everyone is benefitting from the recent change in the weather – and that it will deliver both a strong harvest and impressive wildflower season.
– Cr Gary Cosgrove, Shire President

Roads

The Shire’s 2019-20 road construction program has been completed, with sealing works on the Coalseam Road, Mingenew-Mullewa Rd and Yandannooka North-East road finished. The remainder of the financial year will see our crews undertaking a range of maintenance activities, as well as some resheeting work.

This year saw a significant sealing program, with over 11km of the Coalseam Road, 3km of Mingenew-Mullewa Road and 1.5km of Yandanooka North East road widened and sealed.

COVID-19

As restrictions ease, Council is seeking to return to normal as best we can.

Shire staff, who had been working from home, are now back in the Mingenew office
From 6 June all playgrounds and the skate park will be open once again
We have developed COVID Safety Plans for the Rec Centre, Turf Bar, Autumn Centre and other public buildings; we ask that clubs and organisations contact the Shire to book and confirm use of any of these facilities so that we can ensure our cleaning regime is being kept up
Council meetings are once again being held in person

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

Doctor Services

Dr Rosie and Mid West Aero Medical team will be back in town for their weekly Wednesday clinic from 17 June. Telephone consultations are still also available. Patients can still be seen in person in Geraldton if needed. Call Midwest Aero on 9956 8999 to book in.

Road Condition Reports

As the wet weather comes in, the Shire will update the status of its roads online and through its 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.

Mosquito Activity

Council Meeting Review – 20 May 2020

The key item at the May Council meeting was the adoption of a prioritised list of projects for Council to submit for the Drought Communities Project; through this $500,000 of federal funding we are seeking to partially or fully fund the following items, taken from the Shire’s Strategic Community Plan 2019-29 and Corporate Business Plan 2019-23:

Upgrades to the water storage and watering system at the Mingenew Recreation Centre
Installation of solar power on the Recreation Centre and Shire Administration Office
Expansion of Child Care facilities
Upgrade of a telecommunication tower on the edge of the townsite to allow fixed wireless services to be delivered in town
Installation of remote cameras to support tourism
Restoration of the Mingenew Railway Station
Upgrade of the Mingenew Skate Park and Cecil Newton Park into a youth precinct
Creation of a co-working space
Development of an Astrotourism site and interpretive signage at Yandanooka
Minor upgrades to the Mingenew Tourist Centre
Upgrades to some Shire-owned housing

In terms of more procedural matters, the meeting also saw the creation of an $80,000 COVID-19 Emergency Reserve, annual review of the Shire’s Delegations Register and an amendment to organisational structure.

For all the details, you can check our online archive of meeting minutes.

Pursuant to the State Government’s easing of restrictions for public gatherings in response to COVID-19, from 20 May 2020 (inclusive) Council meetings of the Shire of Mingenew will return to being held in the Council Chambers at 21 Victoria Street, Mingenew commencing at 4:30pm in accordance with Council’s set meeting schedule.

Whilst restrictions to gatherings of 20 people remain, members of the public are encouraged to submit any questions in writing to the CEO at least 4 hours prior to the scheduled meeting commencement time. For further instruction on submitting questions or alternative methods of communication please visit the shire’s website here.

Message from the Shire President

April saw us hold our first Council Meeting with the assistance of video-conferencing technology. While it’s encouraging to see that our systems work, and we are able to do more with technology that we ever have before, many of us are still looking forward to a time when the risks of meeting face-to-face are lower.

At the meeting we passed a number of measures aimed at helping those ratepayers and community members who may find themselves in challenging situations as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak. This – among other things – includes a 0% rate rise for the 2020/21 financial year, as well as more flexible terms around payments for those experiencing hardship. Council will also be reviewing its fees and charges as it prepares next year’s budget with a view to giving relief to clubs and organisations who have been unable to engage in their usual activities and earn income as a result of the ongoing restrictions.

As the curve flattens nation-wide, I want to thank our community for their assistance by complying with the relevant social distancing and travel restriction rules. We have a relatively large vulnerable population, and protecting those people has to be our first priority – I am proud to say that, to date, we’ve done a good job in this area.
I am also regularly reminded how lucky we are to be in a region where the economy is driven by something as essential as agriculture. In spite of the numerous challenges the current environment presents, farming activities will (indeed, must) continue. This provides our local economy with a degree of security that is increasingly difficult to find in these times. To that end, like many of you, I am looking forward to a break in the season and strong year for our primary producers.

– Cr Gary Cosgrove, Shire President

Roads
The Shire’s sealing works on Mingenew-Mullewa Road should be completed by 21 April. Our crew will then commence several smaller re-sheeting jobs across the Shire.

COVID-19
As a result of the ongoing COVID-19 situation, Council passed a series of relief measures at their April Ordinary Council Meeting. These include:

A commitment to not increase rates for the 2020/21 financial year;
Waiver of any interest incurred on rateable property (rates) and sundry debtors for the remainder of the 2019/20 financial year, backdated to 1 April 2020;
Placing a hold on debt recovery activities for the remainder of the 2019/20 financial year and encouraging debtors to seek alternative payment arrangements where required (noting this does not relieve debtors of any existing debts);
Adopting a Rates Hardship Policy to provide greater clarity around assistance for those in financial difficulty;
Implementing business-friendly payment terms to support business cash flow;
A commitment to review fees and charges for the 2020/21 financial year, considering whether fees can be reduced, waived or deferred during the COVID-19 pandemic;
Investigating the establishment of an Emergency Relief Reserve for the purpose of funding critical response and recovery activities related to a state-declared emergency impacting the Shire of Mingenew;

Prioritising Local Government spending with businesses and contractors located within the Shire of Mingenew;

We are also actively advocating for measures to reduce the impact of State Government activities on our Shire and ratepayers, this includes:

Requesting no increase to street lighting and utility tariffs in 2020-2021;
Seeking a deferral of revaluations for the 2020-2021 financial year (but it is likely this will still occur);
Asking for a freezing of the waste levy for the 2020-2021 financial year.;
For further details on Council’s response to the COVID-19 situation, please check this web page.

Skate Park
Work has been continuing on designs for the revamp of the Skate Park, which seek to incorporate it and parts of Cecil Newton Park into a central recreation area for families and children of all ages. We are currently seeking feedback on our proposals. For more information, and to provide input, see this link.

Community Assistance Scheme Grants
Council has awarded a second round of Community Assistance Scheme grants. Congratulations to the following groups for their worthy projects:

Mingenew Golf Club, who will be installing a sea container at the Mingenew Sports Club
Mingenew Historical Society, who will be restoring and digitising a number of historical photographs and images from the area

The 2020/21 Community Assistance Scheme Grants will be developed as part of Council’s budget for next financial year.

Burning Permits
Restricted burning is in place until 30 April 2020. Please see this web page for details and request a permit for any burning activities. Open burning season will resume on 1 May 2020.

Flu Vaccinations
A visit from the Midwest Aero Medical team on April 15 saw 142 members of our community vaccinated against the flu. Whilst the vaccinations provide no assistance against COVID-19, they will help to reduce the severity of this year’s flu season in Mingenew and reduce the risk of people facing both diseases at the same time.

If you are interested in a vaccination, can still contact the Silver Chain on 9928 1043 or Midwest Aero on 9956 8999 to arrange your vaccination.

Doctor Services

Whilst the weekly face-to-face doctor visits are currently on hold due to COVID-19, patients are reminded that they can still have a phone consultation with Dr. Rosie and the team at any time during the week. Patients can still be seen in person in Geraldton if needed. Call Midwest Aero on 9956 8999 to book in.

Road Condition Reports

As the wet weather comes in, the Shire will update the status of its roads on this webpage and our 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 from this webpage.

Mosquito Activity

Council Meeting Review – 15 April 2020

The centrepiece of April’s Council Meeting was the Shire’s COVID-19 response package, outlined above. Council also formally endorsed a procedure for holding electronic meetings, and made some amendments to its procurement policy – both in line with recent changes to the Local Government Act and Regulations in response to COVID-19.

Consideration was also given to the recent tender process for the Transfer Station, with no tender awarded. Further procurement activities will be taking place in the coming weeks in this space.

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

Following input from the Community Working Group, we have progressed the design for the revamp of the Shenton Street skate park area. The over-arching plan is to create a more integrated play and recreation area – catering to a wide range of age groups – which incorporates the current skate park, adjacent land on Shenton Street and parts of Cecil Newton Park.

Before we move to a formal design process, we have prepared a rough layout of how this could look, and have some suggestions for equipment that could be installed. To assist with the process, we are seeking feedback from the community and end-users of this equipment.

You can download a copy of the feedback form here.

You can view the draft layout (not to scale) here.

You can see some of our suggestions for equipment here.

Please provide your feedback to the Shire either in hard copy, or by email to cdo@mingenew.wa.gov.au before 15 May 2020. Contact Margaret Rowe on 08 9928 1102 should you have any enquiries.

Message from the Shire President

Unfortunately, the ongoing COVID-19 situation is overshadowing all else at present. The Shire is closely monitoring events as it rapidly evolves and we are receiving regular updates from government and adjusting our operations accordingly. With events and activities cancelled for the next couple of months our thoughts now are firmly on the protection and support of our local community and businesses. We acknowledge and accept that the next few months will be challenging, but – like all things – this too shall pass.

Fortunately, the Mingenew Races were able to take place before the event ban was brought into effect and – given that it might be our last event for a few months – it’s a good thing it was such an excellent day out. Credit must go to the Mingenew Turf Club, many volunteers, and Council staff who helped to make this happen.

Through this challenging period, we encourage you to look after each other and to source your information from reputable outlets and keep an eye on the Shire’s communications to stay abreast of what changes may be happening in the local community. We also ask that you try to support local businesses as much as possible through this difficult period. Mingenew is a resilient community and together we will see this challenge through.

– Cr Gary Cosgrove, Shire President

Roads

Sealing crews have completed works on the Coalseam Road in the week starting 23 March and work has already recommenced on the Mingenew-Mullewa Road. This will be sealed around Easter – weather permitting.

COVID-19

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

Burning Permits

On 27 March 2020 the FES Commissioner of the Department of Fire and Emergency Services Gazetted the Bush Fire (Restricted Burning Times) Amendment Notice 2020 which places the southern half of the State of WA (including the Shire of Mingenew) back under Restricted Burning from 27 March 2020 to 30 April 2020. Please see our Fires and Emergencies page for details and request a permit for any burning activities.

Mosquito Activity

Following recent rain, Shire officers will be 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.

Scrap Metal Clean-up

The Shire is arranging for the free pick-up and disposal of any unwanted or abandoned vehicles, machinery or scrap metal. They don’t just look untidy, they also make great homes for vermin and breeding sites for mosquitoes. If you have some at your place, contact our CDO Margaret Rowe (9928 1102 or cdo@mingenew.wa.gov.au) for more information and to arrange a pick-up. (And if your neighbours have some, make sure they know about this service!)

Land and Housing Audit

Council is conducting an audit of available (for sale or rent) housing and land in and around Mingenew. If you own a house or land which is vacant, your input would be incredibly valuable. You can complete the survey online (click here) or pick one up at our front counter.

Road Condition Reports

As the wet weather comes in, the Shire will update the status of its roads on its website (here) 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 from our Resources page.

We also note that the section of the Coalseam Road servicing the Coalseam Conservation Park is currently open to local traffic only. This decision was taken as part of the Shire’s closure of campgrounds in late March.

Council Meeting Review

The Council Meeting 18 March 2020.

It included the adoption of a range of recent Committee Meeting minutes.

At our recent Local Emergency management Committee meeting we endorsed a proposal to seek funding for a new, larger fire shed.
At our Audit and Risk Committee we endorsed our annual Compliance Audit Return, triennial Regulation 17 Audit and – topically – the Shire’s Business Continuity Plan

Council also:

Endorsed (and gratefully accepted) the gifting of the Turf Club’s coolroom to the Shire. The coolroom will be available for hire along with the recreation centre and turf bar buildings; and
Endorsed a proposed regional road network upgrade plan from Main Roads WA; the proposal includes over $20m of upgrades to a number of Mingenew’s key grain freight routes and will be utilised in discussions with the Federal Government to see funding.

On March 26, Council held a brief Special Meeting in order to endorse some extra-budgetary expenditure to upgrade the Shire’s IT environment. This was requested in order to support Shire staff who are now working from home as a result of the COVID-19 situation.

For all the details, you can check the minutes on the Shire website (click here).

Following a meeting of the Mingenew Local Emergency Management Committee on 26 March, Council sought to reduce the amount of non-essential visitation and habitation in our Shire to improve the safety of our community – especially our more vulnerable residents. These measures were designed to support the regional movement restrictions that the State Government is implementing.

As these measures are starting to ease, we are also reviewing these measures with a view to reopening our Shire to visitors. We do ask all visitors to continue to observe social distancing measures, practice good hygiene and – if you are unwell – please refrain from visiting.

We do not make these decisions lightly. Mingenew – in a normal year – thrives on the many visitors that come to enjoy our wildflowers, beautiful breakaway country, clear night skies and welcoming locals. Fortunately, COVID-19 won’t impact our natural assets, and they will still be here as we emerge from this situation. The actions we are taking now are designed to ensure that our locals are protected. We want all of them to remain healthy, so that together we can welcome visitors back when it is safe to do so.

Author: Matt Fanning

Council Update September 2020

Council Update August 2020

Council Update July 2020

Notice of Special Council Meeting – 23 July 2020

Council Update June 2020

Ward and Representation Review

Special Meeting Notice – 25 June 2020

Community Resilience Scorecard Survey

Council Update May 2020

Council Meetings – Returning to In-Person Meetings

Council Update April 2020

Skate Park/Youth Precinct Input Sought

Council Update March 2020

Travel Restrictions and Social Distancing for the Shire of Mingenew

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