The annual report shows service performance indicators for the Statutory Planning Department over the last 4 years. For the 3-year period leading up to the removal of Councillors, there was a slight increase in the time taken to determine planning applications from 62 in 2017, to 72 in 2019.
The Annual Report submitted to the Sept Council meeting showed that during 2019/20 year the Administrators approved the cancellation of the following projects. The reasons stated for cancellation of project is as indicated by Council in the report.
Victorians are being given more opportunities to prepare for the reopening of licensed venues with the Responsible Service of Alcohol (RSA) program to be available online.
Council has a 4 year plan that informs the CEO of the program to be delivered over the next 4 years. The CEO is then responsible to staff the Council to fulfil the plan. Throughout the 4 years of the plan some minor staff fluctuations occur as is normal in the operations of large organisations such as council.
Dear Editor,
Thank you for the article covering the cost to the ratepayers of the South Gippsland Shire Council’s administrators, seems the 3 part-time workers cost more than all the councillors for the previous year $576,396 to $445,626.
BJ of BJ Earthworks had his team of workers at the northern end of Bair Street (Sept 29th) completing some underground services work. A couple of digging machines were on hand and lots of tools around abouts needed to cut up the road, locate the pipes and at the time, new gravel was being compacted into the hole dug earlier that day. Quite a bit of work in a small area of busy Leongatha but all the required safety measures were in place. Man at each end of road, work areas taped off and all good.
Danny Obrien was in Mirboo North Tuesday 29th Sept conducting a “listening to the community” session. Danny has been unable to get out and about due to covid rules so was happy to be chatting to locals in Mirboo North.
Regional Victorians will now be able to book new licence test appointments more than a month earlier than anticipated following the resumption of testing last week.
VicRoads are now taking appointments for new licence tests in regional Victoria.
Seven weeks ago, our average case numbers were peaking at more than 400 every single day. Today, Melbourne’s rolling case average is 22.1. It’s a remarkable thing – and an achievement that belongs to every single Victorian. Because with grit and with guts and with heart – we are beating this thing. We are driving it down. We are winning.
The first market day in Mirboo North since non-food stall holders were allowed back post covid restrictions was greeted by quite a bit of wet weather as well. A reasonable number of stall holders turned out and a good crowd considering the inclimental weather was in attendance.
The Wednesday Warriors were conducting a raffle for a trailed load of firewood. Hopefully, the weather will return to nice Spring warmth before too much more word is needed to keep us warm. Good to see everyone wearing the new mask fashion and keeping safe whilst enjoying the chance to get out and see others again.
OSMI are pleased to announce they have secured office space at 52 Ridgway in Mirboo North (the old newsagency) and so their reopening will be in this new location. They are giving it a bit of a spruce up first and are hopeful they can move in around mid-October.
Medicare have extend funding for bulk billed Telehealth consults with your regular GP for eligible patients until 31st March 2021.
However from 1st October Medicare will cease their current incentive payments to GPs to support patients at risk of COVID being bulk billed. Therefore our usual out of pockets fees for non concession card holders and over 18 year olds apply to patients seen in our clinic from that date.
Concession card holders and under 18’s will continue to be bulk billed by our GPs for all Medicare re-bateable services, whether these be via telehealth or ‘in person’ consultations.
Stony Creek Racing Club will soon have safer and more accessible horse stalls, thanks to a funding boost from the Victorian Government.
Council awarded contracts to three companies to fix the landslips which occurred in South Gippsland Shire over 12 months ago in September 2019. The three slips were located on Wild Dog Valley Road near Amiets Road, at Mount Eccles Road near Mount Eccles, and on Griggs Road in Hallston.
A public meeting in Hallston Hall organised by local residents at the time requested the attendance of the then Acting CEO Mr Bryan Sword but Mr Sword did not attend.
Centrally located and nestled among Tarwin Lower’s miscellaneous shops along the stately Tarwin River, is a somewhat camouflaged jewel.
The Annual Council Report shows the actual direct costs of the three Administrators who replaced the 9 Councillors in June 2019.
Councillors cost a total of $445,626 in 2018-2019 but the three Administrators come in at $576,396.
The individual Administrators “allowances” is shown in the table below.
The Nyora Development Plan has now been passed at Council meeting on September 23rd, 2020. The location of the 4ha of public open space reserve was relocated after concerns raised through the exhibition process. The open space had been located over an existing dam and in an area that is partially vegetated so therefore would not provide 4ha of active open space.
This morning, NSW Nationals leader John Barilaro capitulated on a threat to tear apart the state government over new koala protections. For now, the government remains intact. However the Nats’ campaign to loosen environmental protections that affect farmers will continue to destabilise the Coalition in the longer term.
The impact of social distancing, mask wearing, increased hand hygiene and people staying at home has resulted in no deaths across Australia associated with influenza this winter. This information is according to the Australian Influenza Surveillance Reports issued fortnightly by the Department of Health.
A leisurely stroll through Mirboo North’s native bushland this season will reveal a kaleidoscope of colour, whether it be an extended tour through Lyrebird Walk, a walk along the many bush tracks behind the pumping station, or a shorter walk on sandy tracks through the lowland forest off Riccardo Road.
Indian is a very unique cuisine with a melding of colonial cultures, British, Italian Dutch, Portuguese and French combined with strong regional influences across India itself. Traditionally like most cultures, recipes were not written down but handed down as a part of oral tradition.
Virtual events and projects that help LGBTIQ Victorians connect to each other and experience pride and belonging are set to be held across the state, with support from the Victorian Government.
Administrators Cancelled the Shared Services Program back in May 2020 and give up the anticipated savings of $2-3 Million-but staff jobs are safe.
Ten thousand years ago, the first domestication of plants and animals marked a pivotal point in human history. For the very first time, humans began breeding plants and animals to eat and put to work. These were wild macro-organisms, ranging from cows and sheep to wheat and barley.
As we welcome warmer temperatures to defrost our bones, it’s also time to keep our wits about us to avoid undesirable experiences. Swooping magpies injuring our scones or being stung by angry bees isn’t much fun … nor is wrestling snakes.
Latest and past issues available now
Learner permit and licence testing including drive tests are set to resume across regional Victoria in line with the Victorian Government’s roadmap to reopening.
Minister for Roads and Road Safety Ben Carroll said licencing operations will resume in regional areas from Monday 21 September now that regional Victoria has progressed to the Third Step along the path toward COVID Normal.
The first priority under the staged resumption will be to re-book tests for those in regional Victoria whose appointments were postponed in March due to the initial coronavirus restrictions.
Council has recently confirmed its support for proposed community garden beds in Sandy Point.
South Gippsland Shire Council is seeking Expressions of Interest to design and deliver a ‘sculptural marker’ for Van Cleef Reserve, Venus Bay.
A sculptural marker is now required for the south-east corner of Van Cleef Reserve (cnr. April Ave and Lees Rd).
The sculptural marker will function to;
– Replace the existing Council signage that is now in place
– Provide a visual marker for the Reserve
– Communicate the unique character of the Reserve
An earthquake magnitude 2.1 was felt just east of Meeniyan early this morning at a depth of 10km.
No damage was reported.
At the commencement of term one this year, I had big plans to return to yoga to pursue the ancient spiritual science, incorporating mind, body, and spirit. Corona then rudely got in the way.
‘Yoga is the journey of the self, through the self, to the self’ – The Bhagavad Gita.
The first round of South Gippsland Shire Council’s COVID-19 Community Grants and Community Support Program Grants have been awarded. Both funding programs will remain open until the funding has been exhausted.
Important elective surgeries will resume across Victoria’s regional public and private hospitals as soon as Thursday September 17th and in metropolitan Melbourne from the end of September.
Thanks to the efforts of every Victorian, we’ve reached our very first target.
Having reached a 14-day average of 3.6 and with no mystery cases, regional Victoria has reached the necessary “trigger point” in our roadmap – meaning our public health experts have advised that we can take this next step.
Between April and November each year, Australia’s southern and eastern coastlines blossom with magnificent displays of playful, acrobatic, humpback whales.
Having fed on krill during summer in Antarctic waters, these beautiful, majestic creatures begin their migration north, traveling up to 10,000 kilometres in search of subtropical waters to feed, mate and give birth.
$3 billion in cash grants, tax relief and cashflow support will be delivered to Victorian businesses that have been most affected by coronavirus (COVID-19) restrictions. The package will help businesses survive and keep Victorians in jobs.
Thanks to the enormous efforts of Victorians in following the rules and driving down case numbers, we will take the first of our cautious and careful steps towards a COVID Normal tonight.
The numbers are falling but we need to keep it that way – ensuring we can continue to open up safely and sustainably – based on the data, the science and expert public health advice.
Last week, Council awarded the $3.5 million construction contract for the Bair Street development to a local firm, BJ Earthmoving. This is an amazing achievement for the local firm and is a win for the local community. Council has awarded 38 contracts worth a total of $25 Million of works since Jan 2018 and BJ Excavations has remarkably won 7 of those with a total value of $6.3 Million or 25% of the total value on offer.
South Gippsland Shire Council have announced the newly appointed members of the Economic Development Strategy Advisory Group (EDSAG) and the Visitor Economy Strategy Advisory Group (VESAG).
The Covid-19 pandemic presents an opportunity for residents who are keen to get together when
Vietnam’s first domestic car manufacturer, Vinfast, said on Wednesday it had bought GM Holden’s Lang Lang Testing Centre in Australia, as part of its efforts to expand internationally. Established in 1958 on an 872-hectare site on Westernport Bay, 90 minutes’ drive south-east of Melbourne, Lang Lang’s 44km of test roads includes a 4.7km high-speed oval and a 5.5km ride and handling course. The site also includes an emissions laboratory. It was most recently upgraded in 2018.
A slightly modified version of the famous SA Premiers’, Don Dunstan’s Cookbook 1976 recipe for Osso Bucco. A classic cookbook in a barren culinary era. Don was a flamboyant and brilliant politician with his penchant for pink short pants and safari suits in parliament and his pre poll driven visionary leadership years ahead of his time. His electorate in Norwood was a hotspot of Italian and Greek migrants, cultures and new culinary adventures. I fondly remember going through the old antique (junk) shops on the parade with my older sisters and being introduced to real coffee. What an adventure!
We are hearing increasing talk about a trans-Tasman “travel bubble”, which could see Australia and New Zealand open their borders to each other. New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern was a special guest at Australia’s national cabinet meeting on Tuesday, which discussed the possibility of setting up a travel safe zone.
Although I diligently wear a mask when necessary these days, I can’t say I’m accustomed to it, nor will I ever want to be.
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