Council Update May 2020

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.

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.

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 – 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.

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