Council
20 September, 2024
A successful term for C'mite council
AT a Special Meeting of Council held on Monday night, Corangamite Shire Council reflected on the last four years before entering caretaker period for the upcoming local government elections.
The meeting was held to allow some final decision to be made prior to the restrictions of the caretaker period, which started at 12noon on Tuesday.
A report looking back at the works completed over council’s four-year term was put before councillors, who all took a moment to speak on highlights and challenges faced during the term.
Councillor Laurie Hickey said despite the constraints imposed during the COVID pandemic restrictions and lockdowns of 2020 and 2021, Corangamite Shire Council had achieved a significant amount.
“When you look through the report, there’s no wonder we’re feeling a bit tired after the four years, because there has been a significant amount achieved and there’s just been a few difficulties over the four years,” he said.
“I must admit the face-to-face communication didn’t start off very well – we were all behind screens to start with, and that was not ideal.
“One thing that has really struck me is the fiscal discipline that is a culture within the shire, and something that I’m very proud to be part of as well.”
The pandemic resulted in a series of changes, including the livestreaming of council meetings and measures needing to be taken to support community events and festivals following the pandemic restrictions.
The term also saw a series of firsts for council, including the development of council’s first Gender Equality Action Plan, first Aboriginal Engagement and Participation Action Plan, and their first Climate Change and Emissions Reduction Action Plan.
Council also looked towards the future, developing a 10-year Roadside Management Plan and a new 10-year Environmental and Sustainability Action Plan.
Cr Hickey said local government was a sector which was quite often looked down on but is considered the “grassroots level of government”.
“When you look at the other tiers, we’re the ones who probably know most of our ratepayers and most of our constituents,” he said.
“We’re the ones who take those conversations to heart when we meet publicly and socially.
“Sometimes during the last few years it sometimes takes 20 minutes to buy a box of cornflakes, such is the interaction we have with our ratepayers.
“It’s something worth being proud of as well.”
Corangamite Shire Council also formed two new strategies during the term, developing the Grow and Prosper Corangamite and Grow Corangamite: Securing our Agricultural Future strategies.
Cr Hickey said he was amazed at the work done by council staff during the term and extending his gratitude to staff for the work they had put in to the various projects and plans council worked on this term.
“I’ve also learned that the council staff are just amazing and very capable,” he said
“Looking from the outside in, sometimes it’s not always obvious but I just want to call it out and say how amazing the staff really are.
“Councillors and the executive team are subject to governance - that certainly helps keep us on track.”
Other big-ticket works completed during the term included the formation of the Corangamite-Moyne Library Service and the facilitation of a new boat ramp at Lake Bullen Merri.
One of the largest changes made by council this term was moving away from providing aged care services directly, moving to instead take a community support role in positive ageing.
Cr Hickey said it was “pleasing” to see the many projects underway.
“It’s great to see the Camperdown Production Precinct actually come to fruition with the opening of the Enterprise Court,” he said.
“We’ve now got 12 sites down there open and ready for investment opportunities.
“The theatre development – it’s going to be great to see what happens with the new council in the next term, just how that comes about.
“The theatre building itself is 100 years old in a couple of years.
“The whole precinct’s getting a little bit dated, so it’ll be fantastic to see some development happen around there.”
Cr Hickey said another key project council has taken on is planning the redevelopment of Mockridge Park, with interest spiking in recent weeks.
“Mockridge Park, that’s a great one that’s coming around too with the impetus of Grace Brown’s gold medal in Paris and Penny Smith’s bronze medal,” he said.
“There’s been a little bit more focus on Camperdown and in the region as far as sporting goes.”
Advocacy had also been a big focus for Corangamite Shire Council, with state and federal road repairs among the highest advocacy priorities.
“I think, as a council, we’ve continually supported our agriculture in the region, which is our number one industry,” Cr Hickey said.
“It’s something we need to support too, whether it be the imposition of foreign investment taking valuable farmland for carbon credit uses to the very fact that we need to make sure that we’ve got washout facilities on the ground for our truck operators to make sure that they’re able to conduct their business throughout the region and make sure they can do it in a safe and environmentally sensitive area.”
Cr Hickey said, despite all the challenges around the COVID-19 pandemic and issues around cost-of-living and inflation, he was happy with how council performed this term.
“I’m very much proud to be able to say it’s been a very interesting four years of council, and I look forward to seeing whatever happens in the future,” he said.