City is heading in the right direction

If City of Mount Gambier Mayor Lynette Martin had to single out one achievement from the last 12 months, it would be the creation of Mount Gambier 2035 – the community vision document central to all future council plans.

“The community panel worked so hard on this,” Mayor Martin said. “The passion that the community panel showed during the process demonstrated how invested they were in their role. The end result is absolutely fantastic, it’s really powerful and they should be very proud of themselves and what they have done for the future of Mount Gambier.”

That blueprint has now been fed into council’s 2025-2028 strategic plan.

“Council did undertake that we would take their vision and weave it into our strategic plan which we have now done,” Mayor Martin said. “Council is a dynamic organisation and it’s important that we provide orderly development for our city so that we create an environment to attract investment and promote social and economic growth.”

“I think Mount Gambier is really reinforcing our position as the largest regional centre in South Australia.”

Two years down the track, Wulanda Recreation and Convention Centre is proving to be the community asset, council always hoped it would be.

“We are really please with how the community is embracing Wulanda,” Mayor Martin said.

Initial forecasts and benchmarks set for attendance was 120,000 a year and that is already close to 170,000, taking into account only the patrons who swipe into the facility and not the countless events that have been hosted and regular tenants like the Pioneers.

Operational costs are also well and truly making sense – the former aquatic centre had a bill of around $750,000 per annum and the vastly expanded facilities of the Wulanda complex is just over one million.

Learn-to-swim classes are as popular as ever and wrinkles in management continue to be ironed out to ensure the community always has a smooth and enjoyable experience at the facility.

“I just can’t imagine Mount Gambier without Wulanda,” the Mayor said. “In fact, I couldn’t imagine Mount Gambier without our wonderful library and the services they provide for the community.”

Waste management has been a focus of 2024, as council continues to look to reduce just what we send to landfill and the numbers continue to be promising.

The Waste Transfer Station saw 5500 customers this year, taking in 11 tonnes of polystyrene and recycling 128 tonnes of metal.

The ReUse market saw 8800 patrons, diverting 161 tonnes of product from landfill.

“It’s really important our community understands waste management and the importance of diverting waste from landfill,” the Mayor said.

The development of the Education and Training Precinct and the proposed accommodation on the former Banner site are all positive outcomes from the year.

Then there’s the less quantifiable achievements, including the staff that take the 1500 calls a month to provide assistance and advice to the community and the more than 4500 new items on our library shelves and the success of the new tourism hub and spoke model that sees Visitor Information Services in the Main Corner in the CBD with Umpherston Sinkhole; Engelbrecht Cave and the Blue Lake all playing a role.

“It attracts people to our CBD which is in line with council’s CBD activation,” Mayor Martin said. “A vibrant CBD is the economic heartbeat of a city – it’s exciting for our city. To keep the CBND vibrant will, in turn, attract future investment and provide employment.”

The evolution of the Rail Lands with the Learn-to-Ride Community Streetscape has also been important and already well-utilised.

And 2025 will be all about planning with the CBD Masterplan; with similar blueprints for Umpherston Sinkhole and Vansittart Park also on the to-do list.

“We want Mount Gambier to be socially and economically sustainable.”

Getting a fit-for-purpose public transport system continues to be a campaign council will continue to pursue.

“We will continue our advocacy to ensure we have a public transport service that is contemporary and meets the needs of our community,” Mayor Martin said.

She believes that are still around 30 destinations that should be added to the service.