From the Mayor's Desk - 8 March 2021
09 March 2021
Last Friday Stephen Glen, Interim General Manager and I, attended a Country Mayor’s Meeting in Sydney.
The two issues occupying the minds of my fellow Mayors were Health and a potential significant increase in the NSW Emergency Service Levies.
In the case of the NSW Emergency Service Levies, this could see Warren Shire Council’s contribution rise from $125,113.36 in 2018-19 to something in the order of $220,000.00 for 2021-22. This contribution comes directly from ratepayers in the rates that are paid to Council and goes directly to the State Government. An increase of the size anticipated has a real budgetary impact on services that Council can then provide from rate income. There is a view that a proposed Emergency Services Levy as suggested two years ago be re evaluated so that funding for the provision all emergency services is spread more equitably across all communities in NSW.
At the same meeting a presentation from Brad Hazzard, NSW Minister for Health, was well received. There seems little doubt that in a Federal sense, NSW has the best systems in place to both manage Covid 19 infections and at the same time minimise the economic fallout that occurs with the outbreak of clusters of the virus. Unfortunately there was little time available to pursue more general rural health matters except to say that the minister and his staffer were keen to listen to our concerns regarding on the ground issues. Further, I believe the Minister is one who checks that his department follows up on matters that are brought to his attention. We look forward to seeing what comes out of the Upper House Inquiry into Rural Health.
Stephen Glen completes his appointment as Interim General Manager with Warren Shire Council on Friday. From his arrival at the end of October 2020, Stephen has been generous in utilising the skill, experience and wisdom he has gained over many years with larger Council’s and at the highest levels of Local Government, in bettering Warren Shire Council in particular and more broadly, our community. I hope Stephen has enjoyed his time here and will look back fondly on his time in Warren, Nevertire, Collie and surrounds having gained a deeper understanding of rural life.
Gary Woodman begins his appointment as General Manager, Warren Shire Council on Monday 15th March. We look forward to welcoming Gary back to Warren having previously been our Manager of Engineering in the late 1990’s and early 2000’s.
Clr Milton Quigley
Mayor
8th March 2021