Mayoral Column 13 July 2015
Published on 13 July 2015
Roads funding injection welcomed
Loddon Shire Council has welcomed news of a funding boost to its local roads capital renewal and maintenance budget.
The funding allocation was a surprise to Council, which will receive the boost following the federal government’s decision to reintroduce CPI adjustment on the fuel excise and therefore raising revenue to be given to councils for road maintenance and renewal projects.
The increased national funding pool under the Roads to Recover Program will see Loddon Shire receive $5 million in additional funding spread over the 2015/2016 and 2016/2017 financial years.
This will increase Council’s total Roads to Recovery allocation under the 2014/2019 program from just over $10 million to more than $15 million.
The great thing about the additional federal funding is that it will coincide with, and offset, the recently discontinued state government Country Roads and Bridges Funding Program, which provided Loddon Shire with an additional $1 million per year for the last four years.
The funding will also provide assistance for Council to maintain its effort in local road maintenance and renewal with the pending rate capping next year.
It provides us with the ability to expend this additional funding on the delivery of important road infrastructure renewal and upgrade projects across the shire, which will somewhat address our backlog of road projects.
The infrastructure team is currently assessing projects which can be brought forward to utilise the next two years’ increased funding.
This funding is great news for Loddon in the short term financially and a significant boost to our efforts in maintaining the local road network.
Anzac Day on display
On Anzac Day, Loddon Shire Council marked the centenary anniversary of the ANZAC landing at Gallipoli with a shire wide service at Serpentine.
The event was the centrepiece of our Anzac Day services. To ensure the day was captured for attendees and the wider community, Council engaged with professional photographer Darren Roberts and film maker John Power to mark the special occasion.
The photographs and video footage can be viewed on Council’s website, at www.loddon.vic.gov.au/Live/Ceremonies/ANZAC-Day/ANZAC-Day-2015.
Those wishing to have a copy of a high resolution photo can email anzac@loddon.vic.gov.au, quoting the photograph’s number listed on the webpage. A Loddon Shire Council staff member will then contact you to send through a copy of the photograph.
This was an important event and one the whole community now has the opportunity to see.
Pyramid Hill to shoot hoops
Pyramid Hill will soon see the addition of a 10m by 10m recreational basketball court at Kelly Park.
The $25,000 project will be completed by October, in time for the town’s multicultural festival.
The court will be located on the site where the old skate ramp was. It is hoped that with the installation of both a basketball ring and netball ring on the court that Loddon’s youth with utilise the new facility.
The project is consistent with Loddon Shire Council’s youth strategy outlined in its Council Plan 2013/2017.
Call on pet owners
Council has thrown its support behind the 11th annual National Desexing Month in an effort to urge pet owners to neuter their animals and avoid unwanted litters of puppies and kittens.
The public awareness campaign, run by the National Desexing Network, involves more than 2200 veterinary clinics around the country, all councils and hundreds of community organisations.
Loddon Shire Council strongly backs the initiative, as unwanted cats and dogs soak up valuable time and resources.
For more details, visit to www.ndn.org.au.