GWYDIR SHIRE COUNCIL ORDINARY MEETING OVERVIEW 23 FEBRUARY 2023

Gwydir Shire Councillors convened for the Ordinary Council Meeting at the Warialda Council Chambers at 9:00am on Thursday 23 February. The following contains some substantive points of the meeting, but is not an exhaustive compilation of all matters dicussed.

Helen Thomas (Chief Financial Officer for Council) advised that interest rates are on the rise, slowly. Whilst good for Council in the short-term, significant loans will be required shortly, with correlating higher repayment rates as a result of higher interest rates. T-Corp have indicated that they are accepting borrowing applications from financially sustainable councils, so that is an avenue avilable for lending. Other avenues being considered are the Regional Australia Bank and the National Australia Bank.

An early intervention debt collector has been doing the rounds throughout the Gwydir Shire to residences where people have not responded to any correspondence from Council over the course of several months about accounts in arrears. This person will disclose no personal information to any enquiries, but will simply state that he is employed by Council.

Grants and funding being made available to Council is extensive. Whilst a boon to the Shire in terms of opportunities for improvements and new developments, the administrative work involved in the management of the grants can be overwhelming. That said, having funds to bring projects to fruition is a “nice problem to have”.

Cr Chris Matthews advised that an AED has been installed outside the Bingara Community Op Shop, Additionally, the GP Single Employer Model is not tenable in Bingara due to the current Medical Practice setup. First and second year residents cannot be unsupervised. It is more likely to be a model suited to bigger towns.

General discussion torned to the shortage of cleaners in Warialda - only one at Council’s disposal. As such, facilities which are seldomly used are not regularly cleaned, unless warranted for specific events.

The Warialda Mens’ Shed was commended for their fabulous work in their community. All efforts will be made to support them in a funding application for a dust extractor, as requested.

Cr Tiffany Galvin discussed Grazing on the Gwydir events and advised of street closures and stall activity during the first half of the day. The festivities will then move riverside, with more food and performances keeping attendees entertained until 6:00pm. Following on from that event is the Greek dinner at the Roxy Theatre. Given that the Roxy Café is now closed, it was suggested that Council produce business packages available to attendees at both events so that potential new tennants could be sourced. It was further suggested that members of the Greek community could run the café as an added offering during the Grazing on the Gwydir event. The general consensus was that very little was known of the Greek event to date, with minimal contact being made between Council and the Kytherian Society who are attending.

Cr Geoff Smith once again commended the use of the Council graders to contain a lightning-induced grass fire that had recently broken out, stating that containment lines were relatively easy to establish with their assistance.

Cr John Coulton implored all in attendance to promote the Council event being held on Friday 31 March in Warialda, called Mind the Madness with Darren Flanagan. It promises to be a fabulous family evening.

General Manager Max Eastcott and Cr John Coulton gave a detailed rundown of their attendance at a recent local government conference, followed by a country mayor event. Whilst both events had political undertones, there was the opportunity to discuss and be educated about various matters, including the importance of agriculture to the state’s economy, schooling issues, environmental matters and the real costs and benefits of itiatives such as the BASIX certificate.

Towards the end of the meeting, the hot topic of the Bingara Fire and Rescue station was raised. There has been another substantive call to recruit retaineD fire fighters. it seems there are more questions than answers, with differing points of view, dependent who one speaks with.

The next Gwydir Shire Ordinary Council Meeting will be held at 9:00am Thursday 30 March at the Warialda Council Chambers. Members of the public are always welcome to listen and contribute. If you are unable to attend the meeting, and would like to hear what is discussed, you can listen via YouTube. The Council account can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/@gwydirshirecouncil3477

Pacific Australia Labour Mobility Scheme

I had the privilege of speaking in Parliament in early March to support the motion of my friend and colleague the Hon Michael McCormack MP, Member for Riverina, to continue the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme. The PALM scheme helps to fill labour gaps in rural and regional Australia and agriculture nationally. It also allows Pacific and Timor-Leste workers to take up seasonal jobs in Australia, develop their skills and send income home.