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Page Last Updated:
Friday, 3 August 2012 |
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News>Mayoral Column - 30 July 2012
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MAYORAL COLUMN
30 July 2012
Plan for the year is set
Loddon Shire Council held a special meeting last Friday to formally adopt Council’s budget for the 2012-13 financial year.
This followed many months of work by Councillors and staff in sifting priorities and balancing options and resources, plus four weeks of public consultation to allow the community to have its views heard.
I believe the course we’ve set will deliver the best possible result for the Shire’s long-term future.
In the next 12 months, we will be investing heavily in capital works, in community planning, our home care services and in our economic development initiatives.
Thanks to generous flood restoration funding from federal and state governments, we have been able to allocate more than $33 million to capital works, including almost $27 million on roads and close to $6 million on land and buildings.
Community Planning gets a new look, with $50,000 allocated to each of the Shire’s five new wards, after last year’s Victorian Electoral Commission review led to changes in the municipality’s ward boundaries.
On top of that, there will be a one-off allocation of $40,000 per ward to help with the transition to the new program, which includes a $500,000 allocation to the Strategic Fund.
Then there’s a further $200,000 to be made available through the Shire’s Community Grants Program.
People expected that services would be maintained at their present level, at least, but I believe we have gone beyond that.
We are making a strong investment in local roads and their maintenance, boosting spending on information technology and putting more resources into township street improvements and community projects.
I’m confident this budget is a sound and financially responsible document which responds in full measure to the expectations of the Loddon community.
Still running on water
Loddon Shire is continuing to make its voice heard on the critical issue of the proposed Murray-Darling Basin Plan.
The latest move came two weeks ago, when the Murray River Group of Councils – of which Loddon Shire is a member – was invited to Canberra for talks with the Murray Darling Basin Authority on the recent recommendations of the states’ Water Ministers.
In essence, the Ministers urged the MDBA to share the downstream contribution among the states, remove a formal review point in 2015 and establish an automatic mechanism to adjust the water targets for efficiency gains.
MRGC chairman (and Campaspe Shire Mayor) Cr Kevin Simpson said the meetings provided an opportunity to “roll up the sleeves” and work through the finer details of the recommendations.
For more details on what the Water Ministers had to say, visit www.mdba.gov.au
Help for candidates
A briefing session at Inglewood next month brings a not-to-be-missed opportunity for potential candidates in this year’s municipal elections to find out all they need to know about the roles and responsibilities of councillors.
The meeting, which will take place on Wednesday 15 August, from 6.30pm to 9pm, at Inglewood Senior Citizens Centre, will be run by the Municipal Association of Victoria.
It will be the only MAV session in Loddon Shire before the elections are held in October.
Voters may need to be reminded that things are changing this year, with Loddon Shire moving from a four-ward structure to five.
The Boort, Terrick and Wedderburn wards continue, though there has been some movement of their borders.
The Kooyoora ward, however, has gone, to be replaced by two new wards, Inglewood and Tarnagulla.
There’s no need to register for the session at Inglewood – everyone is welcome.
All Council seats will be declared vacant and nominations for Council will remain open until noon on Tuesday 25 September. Election day is Saturday 27 October.
Sheep Show a winner
With more than 5000 farmers involved, the best fleeces in the country and 28 different breeds of sheep, goats and alpacas, the 135th Australian Sheep & Wool Show couldn’t help but be impressive.
And it was, making for a great day out for us in Bendigo last week.
There was certainly plenty to see, with sheep judging, Women of Wool events, fashion parades, cooking demonstrations, live music, shearing, sheepdog trials, a photography competition and much more.
There were 2500 sheep entries and 250 sheepdogs competing in the trials – record numbers in both cases. The Australian Fleece Competition, too, was an outstanding success, with 472 fleeces entered.
It was great to see a number of faces from Loddon Shire, both as competitors and spectators, at what truly was an outstanding event.
Keep this in mind
A four-week course planned for Loddon Shire next month aims to help people with vital first aid skills when dealing with others experiencing mental health problems.
The Mental Health First Aid Course will run at Durham Ox Hall on Wednesdays 8, 15, 22 and 29 August, from 6pm to 9.30pm.
Organised by the Northern District Community Health Service at Kerang, the course will cover such mental health issues as depression, anxiety, substance abuse, suicidal behaviours, panic attacks and aggression.
Cost is $15 and the deadline for enrolments is Friday 3 August. To book your place or find out more, phone NDCHS on 5451 0200.
Netballers’ treat
I was at Newbridge last Sunday (29 July) to watch the sporting action as the Worksafe Country Netball League staged its latest “Game of the Month” at Riverside Oval.
The league hosts four of these game days each year around Victoria – Newbridge is sharing the honours in 2012 with Bonnie Doon, Elmore and Tatyoon.
Melbourne Vixens captain Bianca Chatfield and team-mate Tegan Caldwell were there to run a clinic and four netball matches were scheduled during the day.
Lunch was provided, with 10-year Australian netballer Shelley O’Donnell as MC, following which Bianca and Tegan coached opposing sides in an A-Grade game.
It was a great thrill for our local players to have these stars of the game visit and we express our appreciation to Worksafe and Netball Victoria for bringing such an exciting event to the Shire.
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MAYORAL COLUMN
30 July 2012
Plan for the year is set
Loddon Shire Council held a special meeting last Friday to formally adopt Council’s budget for the 2012-13 financial year.
This followed many months of work by Councillors and staff in sifting priorities and balancing options and resources, plus four weeks of public consultation to allow the community to have its views heard.
I believe the course we’ve set will deliver the best possible result for the Shire’s long-term future.
In the next 12 months, we will be investing heavily in capital works, in community planning, our home care services and in our economic development initiatives.
Thanks to generous flood restoration funding from federal and state governments, we have been able to allocate more than $33 million to capital works, including almost $27 million on roads and close to $6 million on land and buildings.
Community Planning gets a new look, with $50,000 allocated to each of the Shire’s five new wards, after last year’s Victorian Electoral Commission review led to changes in the municipality’s ward boundaries.
On top of that, there will be a one-off allocation of $40,000 per ward to help with the transition to the new program, which includes a $500,000 allocation to the Strategic Fund.
Then there’s a further $200,000 to be made available through the Shire’s Community Grants Program.
People expected that services would be maintained at their present level, at least, but I believe we have gone beyond that.
We are making a strong investment in local roads and their maintenance, boosting spending on information technology and putting more resources into township street improvements and community projects.
I’m confident this budget is a sound and financially responsible document which responds in full measure to the expectations of the Loddon community.
Still running on water
Loddon Shire is continuing to make its voice heard on the critical issue of the proposed Murray-Darling Basin Plan.
The latest move came two weeks ago, when the Murray River Group of Councils – of which Loddon Shire is a member – was invited to Canberra for talks with the Murray Darling Basin Authority on the recent recommendations of the states’ Water Ministers.
In essence, the Ministers urged the MDBA to share the downstream contribution among the states, remove a formal review point in 2015 and establish an automatic mechanism to adjust the water targets for efficiency gains.
MRGC chairman (and Campaspe Shire Mayor) Cr Kevin Simpson said the meetings provided an opportunity to “roll up the sleeves” and work through the finer details of the recommendations.
For more details on what the Water Ministers had to say, visit www.mdba.gov.au
Help for candidates
A briefing session at Inglewood next month brings a not-to-be-missed opportunity for potential candidates in this year’s municipal elections to find out all they need to know about the roles and responsibilities of councillors.
The meeting, which will take place on Wednesday 15 August, from 6.30pm to 9pm, at Inglewood Senior Citizens Centre, will be run by the Municipal Association of Victoria.
It will be the only MAV session in Loddon Shire before the elections are held in October.
Voters may need to be reminded that things are changing this year, with Loddon Shire moving from a four-ward structure to five.
The Boort, Terrick and Wedderburn wards continue, though there has been some movement of their borders.
The Kooyoora ward, however, has gone, to be replaced by two new wards, Inglewood and Tarnagulla.
There’s no need to register for the session at Inglewood – everyone is welcome.
All Council seats will be declared vacant and nominations for Council will remain open until noon on Tuesday 25 September. Election day is Saturday 27 October.
Sheep Show a winner
With more than 5000 farmers involved, the best fleeces in the country and 28 different breeds of sheep, goats and alpacas, the 135th Australian Sheep & Wool Show couldn’t help but be impressive.
And it was, making for a great day out for us in Bendigo last week.
There was certainly plenty to see, with sheep judging, Women of Wool events, fashion parades, cooking demonstrations, live music, shearing, sheepdog trials, a photography competition and much more.
There were 2500 sheep entries and 250 sheepdogs competing in the trials – record numbers in both cases. The Australian Fleece Competition, too, was an outstanding success, with 472 fleeces entered.
It was great to see a number of faces from Loddon Shire, both as competitors and spectators, at what truly was an outstanding event.
Keep this in mind
A four-week course planned for Loddon Shire next month aims to help people with vital first aid skills when dealing with others experiencing mental health problems.
The Mental Health First Aid Course will run at Durham Ox Hall on Wednesdays 8, 15, 22 and 29 August, from 6pm to 9.30pm.
Organised by the Northern District Community Health Service at Kerang, the course will cover such mental health issues as depression, anxiety, substance abuse, suicidal behaviours, panic attacks and aggression.
Cost is $15 and the deadline for enrolments is Friday 3 August. To book your place or find out more, phone NDCHS on 5451 0200.
Netballers’ treat
I was at Newbridge last Sunday (29 July) to watch the sporting action as the Worksafe Country Netball League staged its latest “Game of the Month” at Riverside Oval.
The league hosts four of these game days each year around Victoria – Newbridge is sharing the honours in 2012 with Bonnie Doon, Elmore and Tatyoon.
Melbourne Vixens captain Bianca Chatfield and team-mate Tegan Caldwell were there to run a clinic and four netball matches were scheduled during the day.
Lunch was provided, with 10-year Australian netballer Shelley O’Donnell as MC, following which Bianca and Tegan coached opposing sides in an A-Grade game.
It was a great thrill for our local players to have these stars of the game visit and we express our appreciation to Worksafe and Netball Victoria for bringing such an exciting event to the Shire.
| |
|
MAYORAL COLUMN
30 July 2012
Plan for the year is set
Loddon Shire Council held a special meeting last Friday to formally adopt Council’s budget for the 2012-13 financial year.
This followed many months of work by Councillors and staff in sifting priorities and balancing options and resources, plus four weeks of public consultation to allow the community to have its views heard.
I believe the course we’ve set will deliver the best possible result for the Shire’s long-term future.
In the next 12 months, we will be investing heavily in capital works, in community planning, our home care services and in our economic development initiatives.
Thanks to generous flood restoration funding from federal and state governments, we have been able to allocate more than $33 million to capital works, including almost $27 million on roads and close to $6 million on land and buildings.
Community Planning gets a new look, with $50,000 allocated to each of the Shire’s five new wards, after last year’s Victorian Electoral Commission review led to changes in the municipality’s ward boundaries.
On top of that, there will be a one-off allocation of $40,000 per ward to help with the transition to the new program, which includes a $500,000 allocation to the Strategic Fund.
Then there’s a further $200,000 to be made available through the Shire’s Community Grants Program.
People expected that services would be maintained at their present level, at least, but I believe we have gone beyond that.
We are making a strong investment in local roads and their maintenance, boosting spending on information technology and putting more resources into township street improvements and community projects.
I’m confident this budget is a sound and financially responsible document which responds in full measure to the expectations of the Loddon community.
Still running on water
Loddon Shire is continuing to make its voice heard on the critical issue of the proposed Murray-Darling Basin Plan.
The latest move came two weeks ago, when the Murray River Group of Councils – of which Loddon Shire is a member – was invited to Canberra for talks with the Murray Darling Basin Authority on the recent recommendations of the states’ Water Ministers.
In essence, the Ministers urged the MDBA to share the downstream contribution among the states, remove a formal review point in 2015 and establish an automatic mechanism to adjust the water targets for efficiency gains.
MRGC chairman (and Campaspe Shire Mayor) Cr Kevin Simpson said the meetings provided an opportunity to “roll up the sleeves” and work through the finer details of the recommendations.
For more details on what the Water Ministers had to say, visit www.mdba.gov.au
Help for candidates
A briefing session at Inglewood next month brings a not-to-be-missed opportunity for potential candidates in this year’s municipal elections to find out all they need to know about the roles and responsibilities of councillors.
The meeting, which will take place on Wednesday 15 August, from 6.30pm to 9pm, at Inglewood Senior Citizens Centre, will be run by the Municipal Association of Victoria.
It will be the only MAV session in Loddon Shire before the elections are held in October.
Voters may need to be reminded that things are changing this year, with Loddon Shire moving from a four-ward structure to five.
The Boort, Terrick and Wedderburn wards continue, though there has been some movement of their borders.
The Kooyoora ward, however, has gone, to be replaced by two new wards, Inglewood and Tarnagulla.
There’s no need to register for the session at Inglewood – everyone is welcome.
All Council seats will be declared vacant and nominations for Council will remain open until noon on Tuesday 25 September. Election day is Saturday 27 October.
Sheep Show a winner
With more than 5000 farmers involved, the best fleeces in the country and 28 different breeds of sheep, goats and alpacas, the 135th Australian Sheep & Wool Show couldn’t help but be impressive.
And it was, making for a great day out for us in Bendigo last week.
There was certainly plenty to see, with sheep judging, Women of Wool events, fashion parades, cooking demonstrations, live music, shearing, sheepdog trials, a photography competition and much more.
There were 2500 sheep entries and 250 sheepdogs competing in the trials – record numbers in both cases. The Australian Fleece Competition, too, was an outstanding success, with 472 fleeces entered.
It was great to see a number of faces from Loddon Shire, both as competitors and spectators, at what truly was an outstanding event.
Keep this in mind
A four-week course planned for Loddon Shire next month aims to help people with vital first aid skills when dealing with others experiencing mental health problems.
The Mental Health First Aid Course will run at Durham Ox Hall on Wednesdays 8, 15, 22 and 29 August, from 6pm to 9.30pm.
Organised by the Northern District Community Health Service at Kerang, the course will cover such mental health issues as depression, anxiety, substance abuse, suicidal behaviours, panic attacks and aggression.
Cost is $15 and the deadline for enrolments is Friday 3 August. To book your place or find out more, phone NDCHS on 5451 0200.
Netballers’ treat
I was at Newbridge last Sunday (29 July) to watch the sporting action as the Worksafe Country Netball League staged its latest “Game of the Month” at Riverside Oval.
The league hosts four of these game days each year around Victoria – Newbridge is sharing the honours in 2012 with Bonnie Doon, Elmore and Tatyoon.
Melbourne Vixens captain Bianca Chatfield and team-mate Tegan Caldwell were there to run a clinic and four netball matches were scheduled during the day.
Lunch was provided, with 10-year Australian netballer Shelley O’Donnell as MC, following which Bianca and Tegan coached opposing sides in an A-Grade game.
It was a great thrill for our local players to have these stars of the game visit and we express our appreciation to Worksafe and Netball Victoria for bringing such an exciting event to the Shire.
| |
|
MAYORAL COLUMN
30 July 2012
Plan for the year is set
Loddon Shire Council held a special meeting last Friday to formally adopt Council’s budget for the 2012-13 financial year.
This followed many months of work by Councillors and staff in sifting priorities and balancing options and resources, plus four weeks of public consultation to allow the community to have its views heard.
I believe the course we’ve set will deliver the best possible result for the Shire’s long-term future.
In the next 12 months, we will be investing heavily in capital works, in community planning, our home care services and in our economic development initiatives.
Thanks to generous flood restoration funding from federal and state governments, we have been able to allocate more than $33 million to capital works, including almost $27 million on roads and close to $6 million on land and buildings.
Community Planning gets a new look, with $50,000 allocated to each of the Shire’s five new wards, after last year’s Victorian Electoral Commission review led to changes in the municipality’s ward boundaries.
On top of that, there will be a one-off allocation of $40,000 per ward to help with the transition to the new program, which includes a $500,000 allocation to the Strategic Fund.
Then there’s a further $200,000 to be made available through the Shire’s Community Grants Program.
People expected that services would be maintained at their present level, at least, but I believe we have gone beyond that.
We are making a strong investment in local roads and their maintenance, boosting spending on information technology and putting more resources into township street improvements and community projects.
I’m confident this budget is a sound and financially responsible document which responds in full measure to the expectations of the Loddon community.
Still running on water
Loddon Shire is continuing to make its voice heard on the critical issue of the proposed Murray-Darling Basin Plan.
The latest move came two weeks ago, when the Murray River Group of Councils – of which Loddon Shire is a member – was invited to Canberra for talks with the Murray Darling Basin Authority on the recent recommendations of the states’ Water Ministers.
In essence, the Ministers urged the MDBA to share the downstream contribution among the states, remove a formal review point in 2015 and establish an automatic mechanism to adjust the water targets for efficiency gains.
MRGC chairman (and Campaspe Shire Mayor) Cr Kevin Simpson said the meetings provided an opportunity to “roll up the sleeves” and work through the finer details of the recommendations.
For more details on what the Water Ministers had to say, visit www.mdba.gov.au
Help for candidates
A briefing session at Inglewood next month brings a not-to-be-missed opportunity for potential candidates in this year’s municipal elections to find out all they need to know about the roles and responsibilities of councillors.
The meeting, which will take place on Wednesday 15 August, from 6.30pm to 9pm, at Inglewood Senior Citizens Centre, will be run by the Municipal Association of Victoria.
It will be the only MAV session in Loddon Shire before the elections are held in October.
Voters may need to be reminded that things are changing this year, with Loddon Shire moving from a four-ward structure to five.
The Boort, Terrick and Wedderburn wards continue, though there has been some movement of their borders.
The Kooyoora ward, however, has gone, to be replaced by two new wards, Inglewood and Tarnagulla.
There’s no need to register for the session at Inglewood – everyone is welcome.
All Council seats will be declared vacant and nominations for Council will remain open until noon on Tuesday 25 September. Election day is Saturday 27 October.
Sheep Show a winner
With more than 5000 farmers involved, the best fleeces in the country and 28 different breeds of sheep, goats and alpacas, the 135th Australian Sheep & Wool Show couldn’t help but be impressive.
And it was, making for a great day out for us in Bendigo last week.
There was certainly plenty to see, with sheep judging, Women of Wool events, fashion parades, cooking demonstrations, live music, shearing, sheepdog trials, a photography competition and much more.
There were 2500 sheep entries and 250 sheepdogs competing in the trials – record numbers in both cases. The Australian Fleece Competition, too, was an outstanding success, with 472 fleeces entered.
It was great to see a number of faces from Loddon Shire, both as competitors and spectators, at what truly was an outstanding event.
Keep this in mind
A four-week course planned for Loddon Shire next month aims to help people with vital first aid skills when dealing with others experiencing mental health problems.
The Mental Health First Aid Course will run at Durham Ox Hall on Wednesdays 8, 15, 22 and 29 August, from 6pm to 9.30pm.
Organised by the Northern District Community Health Service at Kerang, the course will cover such mental health issues as depression, anxiety, substance abuse, suicidal behaviours, panic attacks and aggression.
Cost is $15 and the deadline for enrolments is Friday 3 August. To book your place or find out more, phone NDCHS on 5451 0200.
Netballers’ treat
I was at Newbridge last Sunday (29 July) to watch the sporting action as the Worksafe Country Netball League staged its latest “Game of the Month” at Riverside Oval.
The league hosts four of these game days each year around Victoria – Newbridge is sharing the honours in 2012 with Bonnie Doon, Elmore and Tatyoon.
Melbourne Vixens captain Bianca Chatfield and team-mate Tegan Caldwell were there to run a clinic and four netball matches were scheduled during the day.
Lunch was provided, with 10-year Australian netballer Shelley O’Donnell as MC, following which Bianca and Tegan coached opposing sides in an A-Grade game.
It was a great thrill for our local players to have these stars of the game visit and we express our appreciation to Worksafe and Netball Victoria for bringing such an exciting event to the Shire.
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