Mayoral Column 1 October 2018
Published on 01 October 2018
“Fee free” waste disposal days to continue
Following a decision at Council’s September meeting, “fee free” waste disposal days will now continue to be held one day per quarter throughout the year.
The decision to continue the program comes after a year-long trial which included four “fee free” waste disposal days at Council’s landfills and transfer stations in November 2017, and this year in February, May and August.
In total, 1293 customers took advantage of the trial, which collected 625.3 cubic metres of waste, 476 cubic metres of green waste, 56.6 cubic metres of recyclables and 145.4 cubic metres of steel. Thirty-seven white goods were also collected during the trial.
“Fee free” waste days enable community members to dispose of up to four cubic metres of general domestic waste free of charge, including green waste, mixed recyclables, general household waste and refrigerators, freezers and air conditioners.
Charges still apply for tyres, bricks and concrete, mattresses and e-waste. This is because these items have additional third party costs associated with their disposal.
Council will notify the community when the next “fee free” waste day is due to take place.
Community satisfaction survey closing soon
If you have received a survey asking you to provide your views and opinions about Loddon Shire Council, please ensure you return your survey by Monday 8 October.
The survey, which should take about 15 minutes to complete, is an opportunity to have your say on the Council services that matter most to you and provide feedback regarding Council and other issues. The input you provide is also valuable in terms of helping Council improve future service provision.
The survey is being undertaken on behalf of Council by Key Research Group and involves surveys to randomly selected households in the Shire.
Council will be conducting these surveys with different community members every quarter – this is to ensure we get a range of feedback from as many of our residents as possible. Therefore, you can expect to be asked to provide your feedback about once per year.
If your household has received a survey and you have any questions or feedback about the survey, please call Thinkfield on 1800 671 887.
The next survey will be conducted from Friday 30 November to Friday 21 December.
Volunteer Strategy out for comment
Council is asking for your thoughts on its draft Volunteer Strategy, which is now out for public comment until Sunday 28 October 2018.
This is the first strategy that Council has developed that focuses on the volunteer experience and a strategic approach to attracting, retaining, developing and recognising volunteers in our Shire. It was developed in consultation with the community, including surveys of volunteers and community workshops to gain feedback around volunteering in the Shire.
The draft Volunteer Strategy can be viewed on Council’s website at www.loddon.vic.gov.au. Copies are also available for viewing at Council’s Wedderburn and Serpentine offices.
For more information about the draft Volunteer Strategy call Council on 5494 1200.
Australia Day Awards nominations close 12 October
Finally this week, I’d like to remind our community that nominations for the 2019 Australia Day Awards close on Friday 12 October.
Nominations are open for the 2019 Citizen of the Year, Young Citizen of the Year and Community Group/Event of the Year awards.
If you know of someone or a group in our community who have made a significant contribution or have an outstanding achievement, please ensure you put their names forward for nomination.
Nominations are also still open for the 2019 Community Service Awards, which recognise the outstanding contribution to the local community during 2018 or noteworthy service to the local community over a number of years. An award is presented for each ward (Boort, Inglewood, Tarnagulla, Terrick and Wedderburn).
For more information or nomination forms visit www.loddon.vic.gov.au.
Forms and information are also available from the Wedderburn Shire office on 5494 1200, or by contacting Shannon Brown on 0429 380 465 or email loddonausday@bigpond.com.
Did you know?
While many of us know about the “roads, rates and rubbish” side of Council, you may not know that councils actually deliver more than 100 services (plus facilities) to communities.
For our Shire this includes outdoor pools, animal management, public health, immunisations, maternal and child health, kindergartens, recreation reserves, parks and playgrounds, public toilets, tourism services, economic development, emergency management, disaster recovery, aged and disability services, community grants – and more.
In fact, to get a good overview of Council, its services and facilities, I encourage you to read Loddon Shire’s 2017/18 Annual Report, which is available now from www.loddon.vic.gov.au or at Council’s Wedderburn and Serpentine offices.