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CEO to Move On
Shire CEO Harry Hawkins is to move on when his contract
expires in December 2016 after 14.5 years with the Shire, 12
as CEO. Mr Hawkins said the stress of being in the middle of
a split Council is starting to take a toll on his health, work and
family so it is time to get out. This newsletter is not the forum
to make comment on any other issues relating to this so there
will not be any more said.
Draft Shire Budget Approved
The draft budget for 2016-2017 was presented to Council at
its June meeting and after a few changes to cut expenditure
to achieve a balanced result it was approved. The Statutory
Budget documents will be prepared by the Finance and
Administration Manager over the next month so the final
adoption can take place at the July 2016 Council meeting.
Full details of budget allocations will be released after the
adoption in July but the approved draft budget included a rate
rise of 4% which is unlikely to change.
CBH Proposal for Bin Road Calingiri
CBH representatives attended the June Council meeting and
made a presentation in support of their alternative proposal to
the $4m alteration to Bin Road. A compromise was reached
which will see Bin Road closed temporarily while half trains
are running as there is no possibility of rail crossings at both
ends of the bin being blocked at the same time. Council
asked if they would be able to make a comment to the arbiter
in the dispute between CBH and Brookfield Rail however
legal advice obtained by CBH says that is not possible.
Council also asked for a costing on the original proposal to
realign the Calingiri New Norcia Road further north which
CBH has agreed to supply. Councillors also asked for a
stronger assurance from CBH that the rail crossing would not
be blocked while half trains are running.
Long Term Financial Plan and Corporate Business Plan
In what was a busy June meeting ! Russel Barnes from
Charted Accountants Moore Stephens made a presentation
to Council on the 10 year Long Term Financial Plan which he
updated on behalf of the Shire. His presentation was
appreciated with many questions being asked by elected
members. Council then adopted the updated Corporate
Business Plan and the Long Term Financial Plan produced
by Moore Stephens.
Aged Friendly Community Plan
Council also adopted the Aged Friendly Community Plan
which has been prepared by consultants and the Shires
Community Development Officer using grant funding. The
plan will make it easier to obtain grant funding for aged
friendly initiatives in the future and make sure that looking
after our aged residents remains as a strategy in future
Community Strategic Plans. The working papers show that
Victoria Plains will have the 2
nd
largest increase (in % terms)
of people over 70 by 2027 of all Shires in the wheatbelt.
Change of Road Name
At the request of a ratepayer a proposal to change the name
of Golf Course Road to Field Road was considered by
Council. The Department of Lands who, through the
Geographic Names Committee advised that road names are
usually permanent and has advised that all affected land
owners need to be contacted for comment. Council resolved
that despite only affected land owners needing to be
contacted that the Shire would seek comment from all land
owners in Yerecoin. Yerecoin ratepayers will receive a letter
from the Shire asking for comment in the near future.
Australia Day Committee
Each year for some time now the Calingiri Progress
Association has been running an Australia Day Breakfast in
Progress Park next to the Shire offices. Unfortunately
Calingiri Progress Association last year found it difficult to get
enough volunteers to run the event which only went ahead
with the support of the Mogumber Outback Club. Council has
supported the breakfast financially and has used this event to
present the Premiers Australia Day Awards to the winners.
Council at the June meeting and at the request of the
Calingiri Progress Association decided to take over the event
and elected a committee comprising of one representative
from each ward plus the Community Development Officer.
The committee will also take over the selection of the winners
of the Premiers Australia Day Awards. It is hoped that
Community groups from all over the Shire will get involved
and that the event will move around to different towns each
year.
New Aged Persons Units in Calingiri and Bolgart
It has been quite some time since we announced the
approval of Royalties for Regions funding to build 2 new aged
persons units in both Calingiri and Bolgart along with units in
the Shires of Goomalling and Toodyay. These units will be
owned by the Shires with no involvement by Homeswest
therefore prospective residents do not need to qualify for
Centrelink payments to apply to live in one.
Visitors to Calingiri and Bolgart may notice that earth works
and retaining walls have been completed ready for
construction but as yet, no building has commenced.
As an update I advise that the delay has been the Shire of
Toodyay who are building their units in partnership with a
private provider which has caused some holdups. Due to
these ongoing issues the Shires of Victoria Plains and
Goomalling are now going to tender separately from the Shire
of Toodyay, who will tender at a later date. We expect then
that works will commence in the next few months.
As we are almost ready to commence building we would like
residents to reconfirm their desire to occupy one of these new
units so our waiting list can be updated. If you have
previously put your name down please do so again along with
anyone else who would like to move into a unit in the future.
The units referred to above are already funded and will be
built in the next 12 months but while we are waiting for them
Victoria Plains has joined with the Shires of Dowerin,
Goomalling and Toodyay in another application for additional
Royalties for Regions funding for 2 units in Calingiri, Yerecoin
and also Bolgart if there is enough demand. If you are not yet
ready for a unit but think you may be in the next few years I
encourage you to put your name on the waiting list so that we
can show demand to increase our chances of getting this
additional funding.
NEWS FROM THE CHAMBERS