Mayor Beresford’s September 2022 Council Meeting Wrap-up

Mayor Beresford’s September 2022 Council Meeting Wrap-up

Councillors and executive staff travelled to Wyandra for the September Council meeting and prior to dealing with the meeting agenda, held an informal discussion with residents who attended. As a Council, we appreciate hearing directly from residents and listening to their concerns. Being in Wyandra provided the opportunity for Councillors to visit the local depot and other Council sites within the town.

During the meeting, Council approved the following applications for in-kind and/or financial support -

• Care Outreach – use of Wyandra Hall for Christmas for the Bush Bash
• YOMCSI – assistance with the installation of new toilet/shower blocks on the free camping area at Yowah
• Cunnamulla Little Athletics Group – use of John Kerr Park to run a fundamental skills program in affiliation with Little Athletics Qld.
• Cunnamulla Cricket Club – use of Council’s Communities bus for upcoming 2022 cricket season
• Cunnamulla Blue Light Committee – Shire Hall for Halloween Dress-up Disco

Many thanks to the large number of people who completed the online survey relating to the use of Yapunyah Lodge as an aged/disabled accommodation facility in Cunnamulla. Results have been collated and show a need for the Lodge to reopen. Council was advised that a submission has been forwarded to the Minister for Health and Aged Care, the Hon. Mark Butler MP seeking the re-allocation of the 12 aged care funding packages previously provided to the facility together with additional support to ensure viability for the first two or three years. If approved Council will then endeavour to engage an accredited service provider to re-open Yapunyah Lodge.

Lots of activity on the construction site for the Hot Springs & River Walk project with the construction of the building progressing well. At the meeting, Council endorsed the Steering Committee’s recommendation to enter into contract negotiations with Peninsula Hot Springs as the preferred operator of the facility. The outcome of those negotiations together with any other relevant information will be reported back to a future Council meeting for final endorsement.

Repair of flood damage to shire roads continues to be carried out by local contractors. Completion of some of the flood damage work has been impacted by wet weather, causing delays, however this work will continue and it is expected that all flood damage for prior years will be finalised by the end of October 2022. Data on damage caused during the January 2022 weather event has been collected and submitted to the QRA for approval. The total value of the work is $11M which is subject to QRA review and assessment. It was noted that damage caused by vehicles driving on shire roads in wet conditions is not generally considered flood damage.

Planning is underway for the Shire’s festivals for next year, both the Outback River Lights Festival and the Cunnamulla Fella Roundup. Greg Grainger will be filming an episode of Travel Oz in the Paroo Shire featuring the Outback River Lights Festival held in April next year and the episode will air sometime after that.

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