Mayoral Column 31 July 2017

Published on 31 July 2017

Community Grants Scheme funding

In some good news, Council’s annual Community Grants Scheme has allocated around $197,000 in funding to groups across the Shire for community projects, with 36 groups receiving full or partial funding.

This includes $10,000 towards an electronic scoreboard for the Newbridge Football Netball Club, $10,000 for a playground reinvigoration at Inglewood Kindergarten and $10,000 for a mower at the Boort Golf Club.

What’s more, it’s fantastic to see a range of groups across the Shire receiving funding. These groups include the Pyramid Hill and District Historical Society, Inglewood Riding Club, Serpentine Exercise Group, Boort Yando Cricket Club, Wedderburn Historical Engine and Machinery Society and many more.

The funding allocations I have mentioned are just a small number of the 36 groups who have been given a financial boost to get their projects underway.

Since the Community Grants Scheme started in 2000/01, Council has provided around $2 million to support almost 700 community-based projects, worth more than $5 million.

Works on our roads – some statistics

As we continue into 2017/18 financial year, I just thought it was worth noting some figures supplied by Council’s Operations Department regarding works carried out on our roads last financial year.

Among the capital works program was the completion of seven bridges, 11.2 kilometres of local road construction, 19 kilometres of local road resheeting and 7.1 kilometres of local road shoulder sheeting.

A total of 3,975 kilometres of roads were graded or inspected (including formed roads, gravel roads and minor gravel roads). This is a compliance of 94 per cent to the timeframes set in Council’s Road Management Plan.

In terms of maintenance, overall there were 8,808 defects completed – including local roads and our contractual obligations with VicRoads. This is a local road compliance figure of 99.2 per cent in accordance with the Road Management Plan, which is a great result.

Small Business Festival

If you have the opportunity, make sure you get along to one of the many, many events being run for this year’s Small Business Festival Victoria.

The festival, which launches on 1 August and runs until early September, has more than 500 events on offer, half of which are in regional Victoria.

One regional event will be a pop-up expo for microbusiness operators at the Bendigo Goldfields Library from the 25 to 31 August (from 9am to 6pm). If you’re a microbusiness operator looking to showcase your business, then make sure you take the chance to get along to this free expo.

Speaking of the Goldfields Libraries (and small businesses), if you’re a Goldfield Libraries member there are a number of resources for small business operators. In addition to free wifi, room hire, quiet study areas, copying, printing and scanning, you have access to the eLibrary, saving you costly subscription fees.

This free access includes Lynda.com – a great tool if you run your own small business. The site has thousands of video tutorials around business, marketing, office applications, professional wellbeing and development and more.

To find out more about the Small Business Festival, including what events are being held in the region, visit festival.business.vic.gov.au.

For more information regarding available resources at the Goldfields Libraries visit www.ncgrl.vic.gov.au.