The first Ordinary Meeting of Council for 2020 was held at the Bannockburn Shire Hall last night, Tuesday 25 February, with all Councillors except Cr Des Phelan in attendance. Despite the absence of any public questions, it was great to see a full public gallery.
Citizenship Ceremony
The meeting began with a citizenship ceremony, with three residents taking the oath to become Australian citizens. Mayor Cr Sharkey presided over the ceremony and presented Martin Gilfoyle from England, Rubilyn Douglas from the Philippines and Hugh Russell from Scotland with their new citizenship. Congratulations Martin, Rubilyn and Hugh!
Citizen Recognition
There was also a special presentation to recognise the fantastic achievements made by two young residents. Chloe Weiler received a Citizen Recognition Award for her achievement in sport. Chloe, from Bannockburn, is 13 years old and will be competing with the Victorian State Team at the Special Olympics Junior National Games, which will be held in Tasmania in October. Anastasia Young of Teesdale has spent the past four years competing in cheerleading and her next contest is the Australian All Star Cheerleading Federation Cheer and Dance National Championships in November. Congratulations Chloe and Anastasia!
Planning Application P19-244
Following a couple of procedural reports, Councillors then moved on to discuss the four planning permit applications. The first application was for a two lot subdivision at 59 Tolson Street, Teesdale. It was referred to Councillors due to a number of objections around drainage, and one of the objectors presented their concerns to the Chamber. After discussion, Councillors supported the granting of a planning permit.
Planning Application P18-005
The second planning application was for a multi-lot subdivision at Lomandra Drive, Teesdale. The application for 37 lots on the undeveloped parcel of land, was referred to Councillors in their role as delegated planning authority due to objections raised by residents. As the subdivision was considered to be in accordance with the Planning Scheme, Councillors supported the granting of a planning permit.
Planning Application P19-294
Councillors then considered a planning permit application for a two lot subdivision at 153 Burnside Road in Bannockburn. As with the other planning applications, this proposal was deemed to be in accordance with the Planning Scheme, and Councillors supported granting a permit.
Planning Application P19-063
The final planning application was for a mobile rock crushing plant next to Tawarrie Estate on Bannockburn-Shelford Road, Teesdale. The application has been referred to the Council Meeting for determination due to objections to the application. With stringent conditions, Councillors supported the planning permit, following an amendment.
Councillor Conversation Posts
After dealing with the planning permits, Councillors then discussed their ongoing commitment to engaging with the community for the remainder of the council term. Based on the success of the 2019 Councillor Conversation Posts, Council agreed to hold the following conversation posts:
- Smythesdale Country Market – 18 April
- Draft Budget Consultation in Bannockburn – May
- Linton Progress Association – 14 May
- Golden Plains Farmers’ Market – 6 June
Meredith Interpretative Centre Lease
Following a call for Expressions of Interest, Council agreed to award a draft lease to CLAW Enterprises Pty Ltd for the provision of a creative social enterprise at the Meredith Interpretive Centre. Council approved the Draft Lease and a business plan for the Centre, and public notice will now be given of Council’s intention to enter into a lease agreement.
Community Grants Review
Following consultation, Council recently conducted a review of the Community Grants Program. The review concluded that the program faced limitations due to the fact there is only one round a year. Council proposed introducing Rapid Response Grants of up to $1,000 and have two funding rounds a year, with multiple streams. The amount of grants would also be increased from $5,000 to $10,000 with matching funding or in-kind contributions. Councillors endorsed these changes to the program.
Maude-She Oaks Road Widening Tender
The Maude-She Oaks Road upgrade is Council’s largest road project this year, which will include intersection upgrades at Steiglitz Road and Sharps Road, and widen and seal 3km between Strong Road and Mountain View Quarry entrance. Following assessing the tenders received, Council agreed to award the tender to Bitu-Mil Civil Pty Ltd for $1.4 million.
Councillors then discussed a number of regular and procedural reports, including the Quarterly Finance Report, Council Plan Implementation, Local Government Performance Reporting Indicators, the Audit and Risk Committee report, and the Instrument of Appointment and Authorisation – Planning and Environment Act 1987. Councillors also adopted new policies on the Civic Collection and Information Privacy, as well as approving the rating mechanisms to be included in the Rating Strategy for the draft 2020/21 budget following a review.
Finally, Council formally received a petition regarding the closure of Golden Lake Road Bridge in Piggoreet. The petition will be considered and a report on the petition will be presented at the next Ordinary Meeting of Council.
Thank you to all community members who attended the meeting. The next Ordinary Meeting of Council will take place on Tuesday 24 March 2020 in Linton.
Watch the video update from Mayor Cr Owen Sharkey with highlights from the February 2020 Ordinary Meeting of Council.