Welcome to the Mayoral Moment for March.
The Council meeting held on March 26th dealt with the usual
statutory matters as well as leave of absence for two councillors. One of the statutory matters was the
Determination of a Code of Conduct that had been lodged against me in relation
to a planning matter that we dealt with almost a year ago. I have accepted the Panel’s determination,
but moving forward I welcome the Office of Local Government’s review of the
Code of Conduct provisions that hopefully will provide some clarity around the
declaration of a conflict that is non-pecuniary in the context of Councillors
involvement in community groups.
The questions on notice section provided some interesting reading, particularly in relation to the question around the costs of planning appeals held over from the February meeting. Council welcomes questions from the public and encourages people to lodge them as ‘on notice’ so that a response can be provided in the agenda.
Council was pleased to support some event funding for Bicheno Beams and the Van Dieman’s Band as well as a community small grant for the Spring Bay Maritime and Discovery Centre. It is becoming a very popular experience in Triabunna for locals and visitors alike.
The Swansea Court House Management Committee provided their annual report to Council. This group has done an amazing job caring for what is one of our most precious historical buildings.
Have you caught up with the surveys from Council in recent times. The surveys are very important in that they provide us with a snapshot of the community and your expectations. There is considerable value in the surveys as we move into the budget discussions for the coming financial year. Council has had some early discussions around potential rates increases. I would like to assure you that we have listened to your concerns about the current economic climate and as we head into the last quarter of this financial year, we will work closely with staff on budget matters.
In recent weeks I have had conversations with various stakeholders about the need for a Food Hub in Orford/Triabunna. It had been identified by a concerned Triabunna resident that some members of that community have been travelling to the Brighton Food Hub. Have you experienced times when you have had difficulty providing a meal? Have you accessed a food hub or other charity? Do you have concerns about feeding your pet? There will be an anonymous survey done during April both electronically and paper based to gather the data to establish the need. It is not intended that the food hub would be Council run but rather a collaboration amongst the wonderful volunteer organisations, charities, and churches in our area. Some of those groups are already providing some food relief but have offered their support to what has become known for want of a title as ‘The Mayor’s Food Hub Project’. It maybe you or your neighbour or the person down the road that needs assistance so please reach out confidentially to me at cheryl.arnol@freycinet.tas.gov.au if you would rather not speak in person to one of the other stakeholders when the survey is released.
Till next time, take care and stay safe.
Cheryl Arnol
Mayor
