Councillor Report – Council Meeting 22 February 2017
Category : General News
Cr Cheryl Gaedtke – Ordinary Meeting 22 February 2017
Agenda Item # 5 Matters of Public Interest
23 February Linville Community Meeting
23 February Kilcoy Art Society Inc. Annual General Meeting
23 February Kilcoy Chamber of Commerce & Community Inc. Meeting
26 February Fireweed Workshop Marburg
27 February Kilcoy State High School Investiture Ceremony
27 February Mt Beppo Public Hall Committee Annual General Meeting
28 February Kilcoy Interagency Meeting
01 March Kilcoy Pony Club Annual General Meeting
03 March Summer Primary School Somerset Cup
Agenda Item # 35 Councillor Report
Meetings/Functions attended
8 February Somerset Art Society Inc. General Meeting – Esk
8 February Inspection of drainage & miscellaneous issues – Esk residence
10 February Kilcoy Art Society Artist of the Month – Ms Di Taylor
13 February Esk State School Induction of Student Leaders’ Ceremony
14 February Somerset Regional Council Tourism Advisory Committee Meeting
15 February Traffic Safety Advisory Committee Meeting
15 February Local Disaster Management Group Committee Meeting
15 February Kilcoy State High School Council Committee Meeting
20 February Toogoolawah State High School Student Leaders Investiture Ceremony
20 February Regional Arts Development Fund Committee Meeting
21 February Somerset Region Community Enterprises Ltd. Toogoolawah Project Bendigo Bank
Somerset Art Society Inc. General Meeting
The meeting was well attended by more than twenty members, and the main agenda discussion was based around the organisation of the Somerset Art Awards – 2017. Bendigo Bank has become a major sponsor of the event and will be offered naming rights. The meeting was introduced to Ms LeAnne Vincent, who is the awards’ event manager. A serious part of the meeting reflected on the forthcoming election of the executive, after it was announced that all positions will be declared vacant at the next AGM planned for August 2017. The organisation will need three interested persons to stand for election.
Kilcoy & District Community Bank Steering Committee
It is with some considerable disappointment that the committee, at this time, in conjunction with Bendigo Bank, has decided to cease its efforts to establish a Community Bank® branch in Kilcoy. This decision was not reached without extensive soul searching and was based on the belief that it is highly unlikely that it would be able to turn the project into a profitable one in a short enough time frame to satisfy all our stake holders. The committee has always been acutely aware that in raising capital to finance a Community Bank® it would be asking for people’s hard earned savings, and that any plan to proceed had to have a very high probability of being successful very quickly.
Banking is a very competitive business sector and is evolving very quickly. Currently we have a record low interest rate environment, placing additional pressure on pricing and reducing profit margins. In this environment, it was essential that the majority of the Kilcoy community wholeheartedly supported the project in order that the bank branch would be profitable in a short period of time. Sadly, this was not the case and as such the committee reluctantly decided not to continue.
Although the above issues present significant difficulties at this point in time, they do not diminish the committee’s belief in the community benefits to be derived from a Community Bank® branch. A change in circumstances, the growth of our district and a different financial climate could well mean that a future campaign may be successful and our community will enjoy the rewards.
Local Government News of Interest
Mayors and a number of local government leaders from across Queensland gathered in the iconic outback town of Winton on 14th February 2017 to discuss the direction of Queensland’s regional economies and the role local councils can play in developing the State’s prosperity. ‘It is meetings such as this that help to emphasise to our Policy Executive and the LGAQ the need for flexibility in how governments implement new legislation and programs so that the opportunities can be better captured by more councils’. Mayor Jamieson also said that local councils are often key drivers of economic growth in the regions and it was important that the local government sector was included in any strategy aimed at boosting growth and creating sustainable jobs in Queensland.
State Government News of Interest
MP Mark Furner is now the Minister of Local Government and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships. Local Government President Mayor Mark Jamieson is looking forward to working with Mr Furner to ensure the strong partnership between the two levels of government continues. Mayor Jamieson also looks forward to continuing the relationship with Deputy Premier Ms Jackie Trad in her role for planning and infrastructure as well as taking responsibility for the transport portfolio.
State Government has a multi-pronged strategy to tackle the evil of the drug ice (crystal methamphetamine) and plan to go to the heart of this growing problem by developing solutions directly with the communities battling the effects of the insidious drug. The draft plan would aim to break the cycle of drug use by attacking every aspect of the path to addiction and ruin. Summits will be part of the consultation on the draft plan.
