News
Golden Plains Shire News
Council is offering residents with unregistered pets an amnesty with ‘no questions asked’ during the month of July in an effort to encourage responsible pet ownership.
Pet registration is a legal requirement. It also helps owners to get their lost pet back quickly and can avoid unnecessary and expensive pound charges. Under State law, all dogs and cats over the age of three months are required to be registered with the local Council.
Pets must be micro-chipped before Council can accept the registration application. Registration fees are used for responsible pet ownership programs and animal management services including responses to nuisance barking and stray cat complaints, dog attacks and collection of dogs wandering at large.
From the end of July, residents detected with unregistered pets may be issued with a $244 penalty infringement notice for each unregistered pet on their property.
Parkers Road Bridge Replacement
The contractor has advised that he will commence on site works in July, with completion in September 2011. Precast work conducted off site is nearing completion.
State Cuts Funding to Occasional Child Care
The State Government has announced that they are cutting or discontinuing funding to several programs in the early years area. These include Occasional Childcare Services, the Kindergarten IT project and the young readers program.
Occasional childcare care costs may rise by 35% per child per day from $23 to $31. Unless families are able to absorb the fee increase, it is likely such a cut in State Government support would render services unviable. This situation may impact 80 families across the Shire. Loss of the local service would result in significant travel distances to Ballarat or Geelong, or joining the lengthy waiting lists for alternative care at Bannockburn.
The Kindergarten IT Project was established in 2003 and provides Information Technology infrastructure and helpdesk support, systems maintenance and internet connectivity to community based, not for profit, kindergarten programs and cluster managers. Funding will cease in December 2011. The original objective of the project was to reduce the isolation of kindergarten teachers and to promote the linking of kindergartens to other children’s services. The cessation of this project will have major implications for all kindergartens in the Shire.
Council continues to lobby State politicians on these matters.
Bannockburn Community and Cultural Hub
Plastering and painting in the library have been completed, while internal windows and lighting are progressing. The courtyard decking has been completed with hard landscaping (paving) being 90% complete. Plastering and painting in the Training and Meeting rooms have been completed and internal windows and glazing are progressing;
In the new Public Hall internal plastering and external decking is progressing and installation of timber flooring has commenced.
Drainage and storm-water works have been completed, the internal foyer area has been tiled, installation of concrete platform at foyer entrance has commenced and mechanical units on site are being installed.
New Public Hall under construction in Bannockburn
New Library for Bannockburn under construction
Bannockburn Playgroup
Bannockburn Playgroup is now offering a monthly playgroup on the last Saturday of each month, starting at 9.30am and finishing at 11am. Parents are invited to bring their baby, toddler and pre-schoolers to play together and to meet other parents in the area. The group is held at Byron Street, Bannockburn behind the new public hall.
This is an opportunity for children to develop their skills both physically and socially, make new discoveries, gain self confidence and make new friends. Playgroup also offers parents a vital opportunity to make new friends and gain parenting support. Playgroup is a vital link in the building of strong communities
Playgroup Building with playground relocated to front to allow for building of new Hall
Services at the Bannockburn Family Services Centre
Just a reminder that Carol Gaw, Community Health Nurse from Barwon Health, is available in the Bannockburn Family Services Centre on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Carol can provide assistance with asthma education, smoking cessation, better health self management and general health enquiries. Carol’s client list is growing each week with many referrals from individuals and the Bannockburn GP Surgery.
Council’s Health and Wellbeing team are also pleased to welcome a new speech pathologist from Barwon Health, Merryn Philpott. Merryn commenced on 14th June and is available to screen and provide speech therapy to children aged six years and under on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings from the Bannockburn Family Services Centre
Bannockburn Recreation Precinct
Contract works are complete on the new rec precinct site. The provision of water, power and sewerage to the site is also finished and will be commissioned by the water and sewerage soon. Power has been commissioned and power is available to the site.
Council Budget 2011/12
Council adopted its 2011/12 budget 28 June. Council’s rate revenue will rise by 7.2% to which must be added the State’s increase in landfill levy (over which Council has no control).
Council’s operating expenditure is expected to be $25.4M. Programs and initiatives include:
• $10m allocated to the construction and maintenance of road and street infrastructure;
• $6.1m in supporting and developing our recreation and community spaces and groups;
• $5.7m in human support services, including children, aged, disability and maternity support; and
• $3.2m in managing Council's environmental and land use planning responsibilities.
Council takes its legal responsibility to ensure sustainable financial management very seriously and has remained strongly committed to its long term financial plans to develop the annual Budget. Full details of the budget are available on Council’s web site.
Parenting Education Programs
Parenting education programs are being offered in Bannockburn during term three 2011. For more information about these parenting programs, please contact the Bannockburn Family Services Centre on 5220 7230.
My Contact Details
mobile 0427 680 901,
telephone 03 5265 1058,
fax 03 5265 1653,
e-mail dcotsell@bigpond.com
David Cotsell,
Councillor, Golden Plains Shire
