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August 12, 2024 16 mins

Here is the Mayor on Air for 9th August for you to listen back to. 

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Episode Transcript

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Speaker 1 (00:00):
And it is that time of the week for Mere
on air this week and joining us on the telephone
to answer a question and also to bring us the
latest from the West Coast Council. It's good morning to
our Mayor Shane Pitt. Mate, how are you going? Good
morning you mane not too bad for a Friday. Just
still get naving over this little cold I've been had

(00:21):
for the last two weeks. But I think that's nearly
gone now, so fingers crossed.

Speaker 2 (00:27):
Yeah, hopefully you're all over that.

Speaker 1 (00:29):
Indeed. All right, Well we have a listener question. Wow,
So this listener wants to know other main park upgrades
still going ahead for Zeena and Queenstown. If so, when,
also what are the main changes to occur? Thank you
in advance for updates on this.

Speaker 3 (00:47):
Yeah, so the two park upgrades certainly will be going
ahead if listeners, remember that we were able to attain
a federal government grant with regard to them to playground.
So yes, they still going ahead. At this stage. We're
still working on when the successful contractor will be able

(01:12):
to attend to them to projects, but it certainly will
be going ahead. And as for the changes, there wasn't
a lot of changes from the original apart from some
of the things that the locals did want looked at,
and we did take that back to the engineers or
the consultants to make sure that they took all that

(01:33):
on hand as well. But well, I'll be able to
feedback a little bit more information next week on that scurvey.

Speaker 1 (01:41):
Excellent, all right, moving on, Obviously this is causing some
discussion at the moment, the twenty four to twenty five
rates update.

Speaker 3 (01:50):
Yeah, so there was a printing issue at the printers,
so it has played the distribution of the rate notices
for this financial year. And you know, we do understand
the importance of receiving these notices promptly and apologize for
that inconvenience with regard to that, but it was out
of our control with regard to the printed issue. But

(02:14):
in the meantime, if you have any urgent questions to
require assistance, please call the office and you work on that.
So I think people are a bit afraid that there
may be some fines or may be interest if people
are overdue, but yeah, please talk to the office because
there is They are working on some solutions around that

(02:37):
as well. So I certainly will not know there'll be
that thirty day period so you talk to the staff
will make sure that people aren't disadvantage in any way
and make sure they do get the timeframe they require
to pay that first installment of rates.

Speaker 1 (03:00):
Well, the big thing out at the moment is the
West Coast Community Plan for twenty thirty five. You're after
people to have their say yeah.

Speaker 3 (03:08):
So we've got the workshops have been announced for the
Community Consultation Plan, which is great to see. There's also
an online survey which people can undertake or of course
we can contact the project team for a paper copy
also for those that aren't on the computer or computer

(03:31):
literate as well, so you know there's plenty of options here.

Speaker 2 (03:34):
And also we'll be.

Speaker 3 (03:35):
Having some pop up sessions around our towns also for
people just to pop in and have their say yeah.
So that opens on Friday thirteenth or September so for
community consultation sorry until Friday thirteenth, Camber so it started
now and you know we've got the community workshops coming up.

(03:59):
Rosebury's out one on the fourteenth of August from six
pm to eight pm at the Memorial Hall over there
in Rosebery and then on Thursday fifteenth, we've got one
at the Gaiety Theater and Zoe from six pm to
eight pm. And then Tuller on Friday the sixteenth of
August from six pm to eight pm at the Taller

(04:20):
Community Hall. And then also in Strawn on Saturday the
seventeenth of August from mine am to eleven am at
the Strong Golf Club, so during the day there and
Strawn on Saturday. But hopefully people will be able to attend.
I know it is hard for people to attend on
weekends and we were trying to get these held during

(04:41):
the week after working hours, but it wasn't enough for
days in the week's goo I'll get you today and
then Trial Harbor as well Saturday the seventeenth of August
from ten am to twelve pm at Trial Harbor.

Speaker 2 (04:56):
They're also and the last but not.

Speaker 3 (05:00):
Those, Queenstown Sunday, the eighteenth of August from one pm
to three pm at the Council Chambers in Queenstown. So
plenty of opportunities there for the community to reach out
and with our community and.

Speaker 2 (05:16):
You know, hopefully if.

Speaker 3 (05:17):
People can't get to them workshops, there is the other
the online survey and also the pop up sessions and
of course you know contact the project team that I'm
sure they'll.

Speaker 2 (05:28):
Be happy to help out in any way.

Speaker 3 (05:29):
So just got a website there to visit West Coast
twenty thirty five dot com dot au or contact council.

Speaker 1 (05:42):
Yeah, yep, that's great, plenty of opportunities for people to
have their say. They're great stuff all right. Of course
the nature strip policy. Just want to remind listeners about that,
particularly if they're still not sure.

Speaker 3 (05:57):
Yeah. So the new policy came into effect on the
first of July, which brought us in line with all
other councils across Australia. So it gives to the residents
that primary responsibility for maintaining their nature strips and also
allows them to be able to use that for that
bit of space there for their own gardens if they

(06:18):
wish as well or parking as well. But there is
a few frequently asked questions on our website and also
notice boards around towns, some of the questions they've been
asked by residents with regard to that policy. Yeah, but
it is something which a lot of people in our
community are proud of their nature strips and it gives

(06:39):
them the opportunity to take the next step and use
that area for their own for their own use as well.
You know, noticing Hobart and that they allow people to
grow vegetables et cetera on their nature strip under some
rulings as well, which we have got in place as well.
So if they want to use that nature strip, need

(07:02):
to contact council just to get approval and make sure
that some of the things they're putting on the nature
strip do fit into that environment and aren't becoming a
hazard to other users and road users in the area.

Speaker 1 (07:18):
Okay, yep, good sounds good. All right, now dog registrations
reminded that they're in place.

Speaker 3 (07:25):
Yes, they've been issued and the due date is the
thirty first of all, so not long enough for that.

Speaker 2 (07:33):
For them to be paid up.

Speaker 3 (07:34):
So of course, you know, if people have changed their details,
please make sure they call counsel and let the office
know that the details have changed so.

Speaker 2 (07:45):
That we can make sure that they.

Speaker 3 (07:50):
Do need to send out the registrations to a different
address that we're able.

Speaker 2 (07:54):
To do so.

Speaker 1 (07:56):
Absolutely, this is the mayor on here. We've got Mere
Shape on the telephone at the moment talking about the
latest from the West Coast West Coast Council and of
course we've got the food license you'll reminder about that.

Speaker 3 (08:11):
Yes, mate. So if you are a food business and
have not renewed your food license for the twenty four
to twenty five season, it's now expired, so please get
in contact with council asap as. Yeah, we don't want
to get an infringement's notice out of people. Absolutely, you know,

(08:32):
it's that time of the you know, we're getting that
time of the year now that we've start seeing more
tourists coming into our community, So we don't want to
make we want to make sure all our food businesses
are available for our tourist industry when they start rolling
into our community.

Speaker 1 (08:49):
Absolutely. All right, Now you've got an update with your
policy in relation to financial and in.

Speaker 3 (08:55):
Kind yeah, so that has been revised recently and there's
there isn't a revised application form which can be found
on the council's website. So these changes are an effort
to make processes more efficient for the applicants and also
counsel and also enable counselor to make more informed decisions

(09:15):
on by considering applications together. So please contact counsel or
have a look on the website there and make sure
that people are aware of the changes with the in
kind and financial policy. So it's something which you know,
it's been a little while so since we've made some

(09:35):
changes to this SCERV and this something which you know
we'll see that we've had to raise rates in this
last financial year, and you know, this is one of
the if we hadn't have made some changes to this,
there may have had to be some more increases in
them rates rises. So we've certainly looked at everything we

(09:56):
could to reduce costs in council and this is one
of the ways we're looking at how we can reduce
their costs as well. So yeah, but of course we're
not removing this completely. We still believe that financial and
in kind for our community organization is required and certainly

(10:18):
we'll be moving along with that. But you know we
have made some changes to that policy.

Speaker 1 (10:26):
Okay, well I have pretender of course at the moment.
We mentioned this on last week's show. Strawed Waterfront.

Speaker 3 (10:31):
Yeah, so that's for the redevelopment down there, a straw
on the waterfront. You know, that's it is a big
project for counsel. We were able to attract the funding
from the state and federal government some years ago now
and it's finally come to fruition. It's been a little
while happening, but we need to make sure we get

(10:52):
it right. And you know, there was a few stumbling
blocks with regard to the port facilities there Strong which
we took over the lease of from Tasports and took
over ownership of that so that we can make sure
that we could get this waterfront development happening because it
was stalling when task Ports were part of that area.

(11:16):
So now, you know, we want to make sure that
this is you know, that area becomes a modern and
safe port precinct and also a vibrance space for for
our locals and of course on the back of that
tourist but the most important thing is.

Speaker 2 (11:30):
For our locals. You know, we need to make all
of that areas is a little.

Speaker 3 (11:34):
Bit more attractive for the local community down there at
Strawn in the West Coast, and that's we see it
right right across Australia, some of these port precincts have
been up done up recently and there have certainly some
nice places there to go and visit, so you know,
we want to make straw one of them also so
we can attract the tourists and also yeah, great place

(11:56):
for our locals to meet and greet.

Speaker 1 (12:00):
All right, Well, we've got an expression of interest in
relation to the removal of abatement use.

Speaker 3 (12:05):
Since yeah, so we're inviting expressions of interest for the
provision of services the removal of fire risk, which it
has been advertised quite quite a fair bit on seven
Excess Survey. So it's one of them things that we're
getting that time of the year now where we need
to make sure that our fire hazards mitigated, and one

(12:28):
way Council does that is through our abatement notice process.
A lot of our properties around the West Coast, especially
those that are are vacant, do get out over groined,
and we do abait these people, but we need the
service they are available so that we can when the
abatement notices are given out that if the proponents or

(12:51):
the owners don't take it on their own their own
back to go and clear the property, that we've got
someone that available to go and for us, and then
we can back charge the owners because you know, it
is risks to other people in our community and we
want to make sure that that risk is mitigated as best.

Speaker 2 (13:10):
As we can.

Speaker 3 (13:12):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (13:12):
Absolutely. And finally, position Vagane, this is a good opportunity
for a manager for infrastructure and operations.

Speaker 3 (13:19):
Yeah, mate, it is an ideal position for someone that
may be in that managing infrastructure operations. It's an ideal
opportunity for someone out that may be interested that's in
that line of work. So applications closed today Friday, the
ninth of August, So I've only got today to get

(13:40):
an application in with regard to that along with your resume.
So please if you are interested to get that into
the council.

Speaker 2 (13:48):
Or a SAP.

Speaker 3 (13:49):
I guess and yeah, it is a great opportunity there
for someone on the West Coast to become part of council,
which we see quite often now that the council was
one of the places where a lot of people like
to move given that they can see that it is
a job for life. I guess you could say, yeah,

(14:11):
a lot of cases. Yeah, So it's a great opportunity
for some local person who.

Speaker 2 (14:19):
Put the hand up.

Speaker 1 (14:20):
Absolutely, well, we hope we get that field all right. Well,
that's it for today. Mayor Shane Pitt, thank you very
much for joining us. With all that info and wish
you all the best for a great weekend and we'll
catch up with you next weekend next week.

Speaker 2 (14:34):
Yes, yeah no, that's all right mate, yeah no, And
I guess on closing, it is important that we do
get as many people in our.

Speaker 3 (14:44):
Community to these community workshops with regard to our twenty
thirty five plan. It's you know, if we look at
the twenty twenty five plan which was put together in
twenty fifteen, the numbers we had at them workshops and
forums was out this world. It was a mind blowing
to the consultants that were running them sessions that the

(15:07):
amount of involvement we have for the community. Over seventy
five percent of our residents we're involved in them workshops
and which is unheard of right across Australia.

Speaker 2 (15:18):
So, you know, great call out for our local people that.

Speaker 3 (15:23):
Do want to put some input into these sessions and
hopefully we can move forward with this twenty thirty five
plan as well in the same light that we did
in twenty fifteen. So we'll call out as many people
as possible to get along to these workshops and of
course if you can't, please go online and do the

(15:47):
survey or pop into one of the pop up sessions
will be around our towns.

Speaker 1 (15:51):
All right, there we go. That's me a shape joining
us this morning. Thanks mate, We'll talk to you next week.

Speaker 3 (15:57):
Yep.

Speaker 1 (15:57):
Thanks, okay and overget. If you want to register a
question for the mayor for next week's show, do so
at sevenexcess dot com dot are you where you will
find today's edition of Mere on Air uploaded very soon
and you can obviously listen back or recommend it to
a friend, whatever your situation is.
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