Council & Business
6 November, 2023
Highlights and challenges reflected in council’s annual report
The past year in the Central Goldfields Shire has been underscored by a range of highlights and challenges — with the latest annual report detailing the outcome of council’s efforts in 2022-23. At a special meeting held last Tuesday, councillors...
The past year in the Central Goldfields Shire has been underscored by a range of highlights and challenges — with the latest annual report detailing the outcome of council’s efforts in 2022-23.
At a special meeting held last Tuesday, councillors unanimously adopted the Annual Report 2022-23, which provides an overview of the shire’s operations and achievements for the same period.
According to the document tabled at the meeting, included in the rundown of the past 12 months, is a summary of activities undertaken across council’s four strategic objectives — Our Community’s Wellbeing, Our Growing Economy, Our Spaces and Places and Leading Change.
The report also notes that major capital works were delivered in the 2022/23 financial year with completed projects including but not limited to the Central Goldfields Art Gallery, Carisbrook Recreation Reserve, Skate and Scooter Park, Carisbrook Levee and Whirrakee Rise.
In the same time, the shire also went through some major changes including the review of its electoral boundary, which took place in March this year — the outcome of which is still pending.
Other than notable events, the report states that the region also faced major challenges during the October 2022 deluge, the impact of which was felt throughout the shire — especially in Carisbrook, after the town’s residents had to be evacuated due to rising water levels.
Speaking at the meeting, Cr Chris Meddows-Taylor said that the report showed the community had progressed on multiple levels.
“The annual report enables everyone to compare public authorities and look at their performance and look at their financials in a comparative way,” he said.
“In relation to our annual report 2022-23, it shows an organisation, I think, that has achieved a great deal.
“I think it’s a credit to all, it’s a credit to the officers who have worked hard to deliver and I think councillors can be pleased that the objectives we committed to our community, have been well advanced.”
Mayor Grace La Vella reiterated the sentiment and said the “year has certainly been one to remember” for the shire.
“We’ve experienced the delight and celebration that comes with the completion of a number of major infrastructure projects,” she said.
“Whilst it was fabulous to enjoy these milestones, our community was also faced with the challenges of a significant rain event in October 2022. It is with gratitude that the community of
Carisbrook was saved from the destruction that a flood can bring but the impact was still significant enough to cause much distress to so many in our community — not just in Carisbrook but across our townships.
“The damage to our council managed infrastructure was significant and it has been pleasing to see works to restore our road network program continue to make good progress.
“[Reflected in this report is that] one of our greatest assets here in the Central Goldfields is our active, engaged and collaborative com-munity. Seeing the way our council staff partner with community groups and organisations has also certainly been one of the rewarding parts of my role as mayor.”