Mayor Beresford’s September 2023 Council Meeting Wrap-up

Mayor Beresford’s September 2023 Council Meeting Wrap-up

The September Council Meeting was held this week in Cunnamulla at the Civic & Community Enterprise Centre (CCEC).

Community grant applications that were approved at this month’s meeting were:

• Cunnamulla Amateur Swimming Club – waiver of hire fees for the Cunnamulla Pool on Swimming Club nights
• Cunnamulla & District Junior Rugby League – waiver of hire fees for the Cunnamulla pool for Junior League Presentation night
• Cunnamulla Cricket Club Inc. – waiver of hire fee for use of Communities Bus (excluding fuel) for the 2023 cricket season and fees for John Kerr Park for two home games.
• Sacred Heart Parish Church – waiver of hire fees for the Supper Room for trivia fundraiser in October.

Fossicking Initiative – Council will partner with the Department of Resources to identify land and areas appropriate to become specified fossicking areas under the Fossicking Act. The government supports small-scale mining and recognises the benefits it brings to many regions including the Paroo Shire. Fossicking is a popular recreational activity that offers individuals the opportunity to search and collect minerals and gemstones whilst at the same time positively contributing to tourism and economic development outcomes.

Training – Paroo Shire elected members and senior management have recently attended a training session presented by the Legal Support Officer of Workplace Health and Safety Queensland on industrial manslaughter and

due diligence for local government. The session covered understanding the legislation, what is criminal negligence and included a mock trial based on a hypothetical fatal accident which took place in the Cunnamulla Court House to make it more realistic.     A separate day’s training was also provided to Council Supervisors on active WH&S supervision.

Future Planning – Both the Corporate Plan 2023-2027 and the Operational Plan for 2023-2024 were adopted at the meeting. Extensive community engagement took place in relation to the development of the Corporate Plan which will provide strategic direction for Council over the next five years. The Operational Plan for this financial year together with Council’s budget are developed to ensure that specific objectives and actions from the Corporate Plan can be funded and progressed over the course of the financial year.

Memorandums of Understanding – Approval was given for Council to enter into MOU’s with the Bourke and Brewarrina Shire Councils. These documents have been developed  as part of the Border Regional Organisation of Councils (BROC) whose members have agreed to implement MOU’s between neighbouring Queensland and New South Wales Councils. The documents set out the Strategic Priority Areas adopted by BROC and agreement by both parties to collaboratively work together to achieve beneficial outcomes for all member Councils.

Christmas Closure – The following dates have been set for Council’s Christmas closedown:

• Operational (outside) staff – closure begins at 3pm Friday, 15th December 2023 and return to work Monday, 8th January 2024.
• Non-operational (inside) staff – closure begins at 3pm Wednesday, 20th December 2023 and return to work on Tuesday 2nd January, 2024.

Plant & Fleet – Council received $299,050 from the online auction sale of disused plant and fleet vehicles this month. The public auction facilitated by Ray White Nasco included a combined offering of Queensland Regional Councils plant and fleet vehicles and achieved competitive results. Council staff will now progress with the procurement of a replacement Backhoe however the wait time for large items of plant are estimated at 6 – 8 months.

Swimming Pool – The Cunnamulla Swimming Pool will re-open on Wednesday 27th September.  Shade shelters that were damaged in a wind storm are still being repaired but will be re-erected as soon as repairs are completed.

RADF – The first round of this financial year’s grant approvals for the Paroo Regional Arts Development Fund were approved by Council with grants totaling $13,920. The successful applications are:-

• Pastel Workshop – Cunnamulla                     $1,250
• Pastel Workshop – Yowah                             $1,350
• The Wood Alchemist                                      $3,000
• Silversmithing Workshop                                $4,140
• The Bee Story                                                 $4,180