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Message from the Mayor - July 2008
The Message from the Mayor is produced quarterley in the Newsletter and discusses a range of topics regarding the shire. A Message From the Mayor As this Newsletter goes to print there is some optimism that we can salvage something out of the drought although rainfall has been patchy and we need a lot more moisture in the ground for our crops to be successful. Loyal followers of Elders Weather Forecast who place great confidence in the accuracy of the predictions have had their allegiance tested and we need some good rain for the service to retain any level of credibility. One thing is for sure, we will take as much as we can get!! A brief summary of our major achievements over the last 12 months is: · Blokes Day. This was a great day and we had some very positive feedback from those who were in attendance. As a consequence of that event our Insurance Company has submitted an application on our behalf for an Excellence Award in Event Management due largely to the efforts of Kate Pitt of Utemuster fame who managed the event from start to finish in a very professional manner and whose expertise was paramount to the success of the day. We were all extremely pleased with the outcome and we put a smile on a lot of faces which was the whole aim of the exercise. We had wonderful support from the community and in particular we would like to thank Deniliquin Freighters, Decentralised Demountables and IGA whose generous support made the event possible. · Anzac Day at Wanganella – continues to attract a large patriotic crowd and the morning tea is something to behold. We always have a well known local serviceman as the Guest Speaker, Sing Australia and our very own Bush Poet Alec Allitt. Anzac Day does bring the community together and I hope the trend continues. · International Women’s Day – although not as big as blokes Day the ladies enjoy listening to our own high achievers from the community relate their stories while relaxing over a glass of wine and a nice meal. We must be doing something right as those in attendance generally book in for the next one 12 months in advance. · Shire Works Programme – we like to keep you up-to-date on what work we are undertaking around the Shire and we think we achieve a happy balance between private works that generate a good income while maintaining a high standard with our roads infrastructure. · Strategic Plan- our General Manager Barry Barlow is developing a Strategic Plan to improve the lifestyles of our community and prioritise our expenditure and we want you to have some input by filling out the questionnaire that has been mailed out to you. · Financial Management – we think one of our strong points is keeping a close eye on our finances and we do this by having regular meetings with our General Manager and in difficult times like we are experiencing at the moment we strive to ensure we keep our rate increases to a minimum. Following on from our Drought Busters activities we are mindful that this is the year when it needs to happen on the land for many farms to remain viable. We are currently exploring ways to secure food packages for those who are doing it tough and we will be utilising the services of a number of organisations who work directly with the rural community as a distribution outlet as well as planning a few social events around the Shire to maintain contact with you. Historically, people on the land are very proud of their heritage and some may need a bit of cajoling to accept any sort of a hand out but no-one should feel that way, given we have had 6 or 7 years back to back of extremely poor conditions with little or no return from our farming enterprises. If you know someone in your area that needs a bit of a hand please let us know so we can assist in any way we can. The opening of the Blighty Hall is a great opportunity to get out and mix with your communities and we encourage you to get off the farm for the day in a relaxed and welcoming environment. The new hall provides a great viewing platform for the game and it is a nice warm place to have a chat with your fellow ratepayers. Come and support the Redeyes on Sat 2nd August at the Blighty Football Club when they take on the Deni Rovers. Congratulations to those Councillors who make up the present Council. They are a gifted, dynamic and hard working team who are loyal and committed to represent the ratepayers in an effective manner by working closely with management and staff in a stable environment to achieve our objectives. We are fortunate to have a great Shire workforce with a strong work ethic and a fleet of plant and equipment second to none. Conargo Shire will continue to support our residents and ratepayers and the community through these extremely tough times. Hopefully the seasonal turn around is eminent and by the time you get this Newsletter you have all had a good drenching. Good luck! Cr Norm McAllister Contact details |
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© 2008 Conargo Shire Council |
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