Mayor's Message 5 July,2024

Today’s message is coming to you from Canberra where the CEO, Councillor Shepheard and I have been attending the National General Assembly of the Australian Local Government Association.

More than 1200 Mayors and Councillors from across Australia attend this annual event which provides a unique opportunity for our sector to engage directly with the Federal Government, to help develop national policy, and to influence the future direction of our councils and our communities.

Today, I along with other Mayors in the region met with the Federal Assistant Minister for Rural and Regional Health, Emma McBride MP. Our message was clear and well received, and that is the current plans to upgrade the existing Albury Wodonga Hospital at its current site, are quite simply, inadequate.

We’ve requested that all tiers of Government come together and work towards achieving the best health services for Albury-Wodonga and surrounding region, which includes our Shire.

We need nothing less than a single hospital built on a greenfield site, suitable to provide the health services needed right across our region well into the future.

I was fortunate to speak directly with the senior bureaucrat responsible for Australia Post about the current situation impacting postal services in Barnawartha in the hope of being able to expedite the return of normal services. We will follow up direct with the relevant Minister next week.

I also attended the Australian Council of Local Governments forum. The forum was attended by the Prime Minister, and many government ministers. We came together to discuss topics such as housing, communications, skills shortages, disaster recovery and resilience, climate change and renewable energy.

These important issues, common across Australia, resonate with issues we are facing in our Shire. It’s important that Mayors have these opportunities to interact directly with Ministers with the responsibility to effect meaningful change, and ensure they are aware of their impacts, and possible solutions, at the grass roots level.

We heard from Local Government Minister Catherine King MP who acknowledged the pressures local councils are under to fund roads and she spoke about ways the government can assist as well as outlining more information on community grants, housing affordability, and the Government’s current enquiry on the financial sustainability of Local Governments.

Closer to home, and next week we celebrate NAIDOC Week. This year’s theme, chosen by the National NAIDOC Committee, is Keep the Fire Burning! Blak, Loud & Proud. The theme honours the enduring strength and vitality of First Nations culture – with fire symbolizing the connection to Country, to each other, and to the rich tapestry of traditions that define Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Click this link to find out what’s happening for NAIDOC Week across the Shire.

Have a safe and enjoyable weekend.

Cr Sophie Price.