Mayoral Column 7 December 2015

Published on 07 December 2015

Council calls for responsible cat ownership

With feral cat colonies costing ratepayers tens of thousands of dollars each year and peak cat breeding season upon us, I urge residents to take pet ownership seriously.

Hardly a day goes by when local laws resources aren’t dedicated to responding to feral cat complaints, with the number growing as a direct result of irresponsible pet ownership.

Cats come “in season” every two weeks between Spring and Autumn, so now is the time to have your cat de-sexed or vigilantly keep it indoors.

These simple steps will protect your cat from having an unwanted litter of kittens or being put at risk of being hit by a car or injured in a fight with a feral cat.

It’s also important to ensure your domestic cat is registered, microchipped and fully vaccinated.

This will enable our local laws officers to safely return your pet if it goes astray, and protect it from diseases spread by the growing stray cat population.

The severity of the feral cat problem within our Shire was highlighted recently when local laws officers trapped 76 feral cats over a two week period on a 20 acre property.

It was quite apparent that the eco-system of the bush block had been completely decimated, with the area being eerily quiet without a sign of wildlife in sight.

The final important point I would like to make, is that while feral cats are a nuisance to neighbours, threat to wildlife and costly to manage, many families within our Shire have well cared for cats which are much loved members of the family.

These pets place no burden on ratepayer resources and their owners are to be applauded.

New equipment saving time and money

Outdoor staff, and in turn ratepayers, are beginning to benefit from Council’s investment in new road construction technologies and systems.

Works staff have used a new automated guidance control system on a grader to reduce the time and labour required to reconstruct the Mincha West Road north of Pyramid Hill.

The innovative move achieved savings through the reduction of labour in the order of three days of onsite supervision and 10 days of construction works.

I’m pleased to note that the Mincha West Road construction is expected to see significant savings from its initial budget of $400,000.

Meanwhile, roadworks are underway at Rothackers Road near Serpentine, with the installation of culverts in preparation for reconstruction works to commence in the new year.

Council kicking-in for cool end to school

With the school year quickly drawing to a close, Council is helping kick celebrations along.

Our recreation team has been working with schools throughout the municipality to arrange swimming fun days to help wind up the school year.

The first event will be held at the Inglewood pool this Friday, 11 December, between 10.30am and 1pm.

Council is covering the costs of a barbecue lunch and bus transport, while teachers from schools in Inglewood, Bridgewater and Tarnagulla are coordinating a program of games and swimming races.

On Wednesday 16 December, the Pyramid Hill pool will come to life with a second end of year event featuring a jumping castle, snow cones, barbecue lunch, fun and games.

Young people are the future of our towns and it’s so important that we work together as a community to ensure they are provided opportunities to get together and let their hair down in a fun and safe environment.

While on this occasion our contribution is relatively small, we’re currently working towards taking a leading role in supporting an exciting range of youth focused events in the year ahead.

These include, but are not limited to, Melbourne street art tours, film production activities, the recording of a Kool Skools CD and participation in the FReeZa battle of the bands.

Cleaning up your recycling queries

In recent weeks we’ve received a number of queries about what products are accepted at waste and recycling facilities across the municipality.

To give an exhaustive list in this column is impractical, so I’ve decided to detail a number of products we commonly receive, to get you thinking along the right lines, and bring to your attention that a cost and/or cleanliness rule may apply.

It’s free to drop off to your local recycling facility products including green waste, scrap metals, domestic concrete and rubble, motor oil (no other oil), fluorescent tubes, paper, plastic containers, cardboard, glass and aluminium cans.

There isn’t a charge associated with drumMUSTER drums, silage covers and grain tubes, however cleanliness rules do apply.

Charges apply for items including televisions, computer screens, commercial concrete and rubble, batteries, tyres, domestic waste, domestic and commercial building materials, refrigerators, freezers and air conditioners.

For waste and recycling facility opening times, check our Council website at www.loddon.vic.gov.au or view signage located at the front of your preferred site.