MAYORAL MATTERS with Cr Massey

Our community engagement program reached the half-way mark when we met with Minyip residents on Wednesday 10 March. The majority of their concerns and discussions echoed those raised at our previous meetings held at Patchewollock, Warracknabeal, Lubeck and Hopetoun.

The key message coming from all communities is what is Council going to do to maintain the livability of their town especially as it relates to roads, empty shops, caravan parks, tourist amenities, children’s playgrounds, childcare, sporting facilities, signage and waste removal.

Sport and Recreation Officer, Rebecca Botheras, and Crs Corinne Heint], .arly .irk and Tom Hamilton joined me in a meeting of Grade 6 and

On Wednesday 10 March the new Minyip 24 hour fuel outlet was officially opened by Dr Anne Webster, MHR for Mallee. Council was able to contribute $100,000 from Round 3 of the Drought Community Program funding provided to Council in 2019 by the Federal Government. The Minyip fuel depot was only one of eleven projects throughout the Shire that received a share of the $1 million grant.

On behalf of Council, C(O -essie Holmes and myself were able to pitch our proposal to construct 14 affordable houses in five of our towns at a meeting with Housing Minister, Richard Wynne on 3 March. Our proposal seeks $3 million from the State Government’s Big Housing Build program that will enable these homes to be erected on land provided by Council. This is only part of a strategy that Council has that we hope will alleviate the shortage of accommodation in the Shire.

,n 2020 Wimmera Mallee Tourism received a grant from the Federal Government’s Building Better Regions Fund to employ consultants to draw up concept plans for the renovation of eight caravan parks. On 12 March David and Heidi from Thomson Hay Landscape Architects spent the afternoon inspecting Warracknabeal caravan park. Council has already received $185,000 from the State Government’s Great Outdoors Program to construct a new amenities block with all-abilities accessible toilet, shower and laundry facilities. The current amenities building will be dismantled and that area is proposed for the erection of three cabins. Cabins to be built in the caravan park has been a priority of Warracknabeal Action Group for some time and has been included as part of the three-part Wandering Warracknabeal project that Council submitted for consideration under Round 5 of the Building Better Regions Funding.