Another step for Batesford land sale – Golden Plains Shire council meeting briefs

A STRIP of Golden Plains Shire-owned land at Batesford’s Dog Rocks North Estate was deemed surplus during council’s regular meeting on Tuesday night.

The decision was made following a community consultation period which saw 15 responses with nine people against the sale and six for it.

A report is expected to come to council at a later meeting on the conditions of sale for the nearly 250-square-metre space, which is currently deemed unutilised public land.

Cr Owen Sharkey supported the motion and said the land can serve no purpose.

“It’s an odd parcel of land. It’s never been utilised by the community,” he said.

“It can’t be a playground, it’s too narrow. It is bad planning. This was to connect down to the Redgum Reserve, of which doesn’t exist anymore.

“We aren’t making a final decision. It’s just the next step in this process.”

An alternate motion from Cr Gavin Gamble to instead consider the space’s use as an environmental or community space was shot down by councillors, with only Cr Gamble voting in favour.

“Once it’s privatised, once it’s sold, it won’t be able to get back,” he said.

The original motion was passed, with Cr Gamble voting against.

 

Expenses laid bare

The municipality’s draft expense and support policy will go out for community feedback following an alternative motion brought forward by Cr Sharkey.

With council originally set to adopt the draft policy, previously called the Councillor Expenses and Entitlements Policy, Cr Sharkey said the document’s public exhibition would be important for continued transparency.

“We got out for community engagement on so many other things, I only feel it is completely warranted to go out and ask what their thoughts are,” he said.

He also said community input into the expense policy might attract more people to run for council themselves.

Cr Helena Kirby spoke against the alternate motion, and said the policy was straightforward and unlikely to draw in future councillors.

“At the moment there’s money allocated for any female or male who has children, they can access childcare fees if they wish to become a councillor,” she said.

“Other than that, I can’t see any other real areas we should be looking at, and if we come back with a lot of submissions, where’s this money going to come from?”

The alternative motion passed with Cr Kirby voting against.

 

Grants given

This year’s first round of the municipality’s Community Strengthening Grants for 2023 have been allocated with more than $30,000 spread among eight groups.

Following nine applications in March, the funds were split across three of the municipality’s four grant streams.

More than $13,500 went towards health, sports and recreation projects while $12,000 was spent on arts and culture initiatives and $4700 went to environmental efforts.

 

Town drained

Councillors voted unanimously to improve Inverleigh’s drainage capabilities following reports of flooding late last year.

The move came following a report into Inverleigh’s drainage with municipality staff to look into lowering the town’s Argyle Court and Faulkner Road intersection and increasing flood basin sizes.

The projects are initially estimated to cost nearly $1.5 million.

Cr Kirby said the decision shows the community that plans are in motion to safeguard against further flooding.

“It’ll be very pleasing for the residents of Golden Plains Shire to see council is active in doing something for them,” she said.

“[For people] to see their homes totally inundated with water and the mess they had to clean was, I think, very emotional for them.”

Similar studies are set to be received for Teesdale, and Bannockburn’s north and south areas.

 

Feds funding

The Slate Quarry Road improvement project is receiving an additional $769,000 in funding through phase four of the Federal Government’s Local Roads and Community Infrastructure program.

With additional funds of $1.3 million given to the municipality through the scheme, the project was identified as the highest-priority between three other projects at Cape Clear-Rokewood Road’s north and south, and Dereel-Rokewood Junction Road.

Cr Clayton Whitfield said the funding stream “has been and continues to be invaluable” for the municipality.

All projects will need to be completed by the end of June, 2025.

 

Turf tender

The nearly $390,0000 contract for sports ground turf maintenance was given to Turf Care and Hire for an initial three-year period with two 12-month extension options available.

The tender received three submissions, with the awarded company to carry out mowing, maintenance, spraying, and wicket cover laying and removals at ovals throughout the region.

 

Policy grows

Councillors unanimously voted to adopt their updated Tree Protection and Management Policy following public exhibition in March.

As well as bringing the municipality’s tree management approach to more modern standards, the document also outlines the need for a greater tree canopy throughout the region and the establishment of a tree inspection program.

Cr Kirby said the updated policy will provide a comprehensive approach to how the municipality manages flora.

“It gives a lot of different variation to different trees that can be planted,” she said. “We have to look at planting trees, not just removing trees as well.”

 

Plans parcelled

Councillors rolled their bureaucratic reports into one motion, noting the progress of their financial, audit and risk committee, and Council Plan 2021-2025 implementation reports during the first half of 2023.

The quarter three finance report, which ended at the end of March, noted four projects completed with all but one over budget, and nine projects carried over from the 2021/2022 financial year into 2022/2023’s.

Despite this, the finance report also noted the municipality made more than $44 million with a spending cost of more than $34 million, resulting in more than $10 million in surplus funds.