Council

As more than 200 timber industry workers and supporters watched, Clarence Valley Councillors voted 7-2 at the October 24 meeting not to pursue a motion brought to council by its Biodiversity Advisory Committee calling for native forest logging on publicly owned land to be phased out.

Will Hunter. Granny flats across the state can now be rented to anyone, following recent changes to the State Planning Practice Directions. Minister for Planning Nick Champion wrote to the State Planning Commission to prompt changes which stopped councils from being able to limit the leasing of ancillary dwellings to immediate family members only.

Woodburn needs better solutions for its flood recovery, councillor Robert Hayes said. At Richmond Valley Council’s monthly meeting on Tuesday, October 17, Mr Hayes asked the council to write to the Minister for Planning and Public Spaces and the NSW Reconstruction Authority to express concern about the potential impacts of large-scale housing buybacks on the future of Woodburn.

Patrick Goldsmith. Recently released plans for a 30 metre Telstra tower on Blanche Street, Edithburgh, behind the post office, have sparked great concern among residents, with some adamant the project shouldn’t go ahead ... Telstra has said other options have been explored but these would result in a poorer product for community members, despite a report in the development application stating otherwise.

The next major step in delivering a long-term permanent water supply to Mount Morgan has been taken with Council announcing Haslin Constructions Pty Ltd as the successful tenderer for the construction works ... “As part of the tender, they also are committed to sourcing labour and materials for this project locally as much as possible which is another big win for our community”: Mayor of Rockhampton Region Tony Williams.

Barkly Regional Council (BRC) held its first Ordinary Meeting yesterday, chaired by Official Manager Peter Holt, after being placed under official management by the Minister for Local Government, Chansey Paech last week ... During the meeting, Mr Holt explained to the attending councillors what the official management meant for them.

Toowoomba Regional Council (TRC) has finalised its submission to the Queensland State Government on the draft ShapingSEQ 2023 Update, with housing diversity and the need for infrastructure key to the submission.

The big issues affecting the district will be spotlighted by the Naracoorte-Lucindale Council to the Premier and his ministers when the country cabinet visits the rural township this Thursday. Critical issues such as agriculture, education, roads, reliable high-speed connectivity, emergency health hub...

Telstra expects the SA Government will announce during its Country Cabinet meeting in Naracoorte a commitment to partially fund 27 mobile phone towers ... Telstra pushed for secrecy and closed doors during a presentation which rolled on for almost an hour at the October 13 meeting of the Limestone Coast Local Government Association (LCLGA) in Kingston.

Patricia Gill. Kingsley Gibson was elected unopposed as shire president at the Denmark Shire Council’s special meeting on Monday night. Councillor Gibson has served on the council for six years and for the past two years as deputy shire president to Ceinwen Gearon who did not seek re-election to the council. Jan Lewis is the new deputy shire president ...

The Southern Downs Regional Council encourages the agricultural industry to consider sustainable water management practices to protect the region’s waterways and wetlands.

In the fifth year of the Waveski Australian Open being held at Yamba the standard of surfing reached new heights in 2023, with several divisions coming down to the last wave of the final before the champion could be crowned ... “Rees Duncan, multiple world champion was a standout in the Open division...": Organiser and competitor, Dave Andrews.

West Wimmera Shire Council has named Harrow’s Ralph Zwar as the 2023 Senior Citizen of the Year ... Mr Zwar has worked with many different organisations and committees, making a significant contribution to the well-being of the Harrow and Edenhope communities.

The government has acted quickly to offer assistance to communities who experienced bushfires this month. The LGAs eligible for disaster assistance include Kyogle and Tenterfield. Bushfire impacted communities, landowners, farmers, and primary producers will be supported in the clean-up and recovery.

Sitting councillor Frank Peczka of Lancelin has won 21.13 per cent of the vote to keep his seat on the Shire of Gingin council for the next four years. This afternoon Mr Peczka said he was proud but humbled by the community support, which was reflected in his high first preference vote of 482.

Yanchep Community Men’s Shed is appealing to the City of Wanneroo to help find them a new home before their lease in Bracknell St runs out in February. Yanchep News Online understands Yanchep Community Men’s Shed (YCMS) also wants to contact Yanchep Beach Joint Venture (YBJV) chief executive officer Gin Wah Ang in their efforts to find some land for which they can pay a peppercorn rent or the use of an existing building for low rent.

Organisers of the all-new Bundanoon Folk Festival this November 24-26 say it’s heart-warming to see the village community rally to lend their time and skills to bring the Festival to life ... The vision is to build an annual Folk Festival unique to Bundanoon, that connects and showcases the village, supports local businesses, and creates gigs for regional artists along with crowd-pleasing national talent. Among fun live performances will be music, song and spoken word.

Lockyer Valley Regional Council says the integrity of the Insurance Council of Australia should be questioned, following months of unanswered correspondence from the region’s Mayor ... “Following the 2022 floods, the Insurance Council advised us they were willing to engage and could encourage insurers to undertake consistent and meaningful assessments for those impacted from flooding, but unfortunately it seems to have been empty promises": Mayor Milligan.

Minister for Local Government Chansey Paech placed the Barkly Regional Council under official management on Tuesday, and all elected members were suspended from office immediately. The Minister has made this decision because he is satisfied there are, or may be, serious deficiencies in the conduct of the Council’s affairs.

Opposition has been expressed by nearby residents regarding a proposed planning permit application for a 16-block subdivision in Maldon on land bordered by Lowther, Reef and Polsue Streets ... It is understood that their objections include the small size of some of the blocks and the inappropriateness of the development in relation to the surrounding area.

Reducing planning red tape was on the agenda at the Denmark October Ordinary Council Meeting, with two planning policies proposed to make life easier for building and business in Denmark. The review of the policies was brought forward in response to the community asking for less ‘red tape’ through Denmark’s Strategic Community Plan Our Future 2033, with both newly reviewed policies approved by Council.