It was a pleasure to join with fellow council representatives from across Australia at the Australian Local Government Association’s (ALGA) National General Assembly held in Canberra recently, where we also took the opportunity to continue our important advocacy work. The annual forum is a great opportunity to connect with other councillors and officers and develop knowledge and skills that help build better regions. Australia’s councils are committed to facilitating more affordable housing, reducing local emissions, building healthier communities and reducing cost-of-living pressures for families. We have all seen the impact that climate change and natural disasters are having on our economy, which only further highlights the urgent need for mitigation through planning for natural disaster resilience.

Financial stability is an ongoing concern for many councils, particularly those in regional areas. We will continue to support the work of the ALGA, who are advocating for a phased increase in the value of Financial Assistance Grants in the lead up to October’s Federal Budget, to ensure every council is sustainable and every community is liveable.

While on the topic of funding, Council recently received a $44,000 grant through the Preparing Australian Communities Grant Stream. With this funding, we will develop a Crisis Management Framework and Plan, a Workforce Management and Emergencies Policy and Training Guidelines. We were also recently awarded a $25,000 grant to support Community Resilience and Disaster Recovery Planning, funded through Bushfire Recovery Victoria. This funding will provide targeted training to community groups and residents to support constituents to build resilience through better planning, preparation, and response to emergency events across the Shire. These initiatives will assist in supporting the community of Bass Coast to become safer and more resilient in times of crisis.

Moving on, it was exciting to hear that our Team at Bass Coast has won an Excellence Award, for Employer of Choice in the Public Sector and Not for Profit category, at the 2022 Australian HR Awards. This acknowledgment on a national scale, is validation for the work that we are doing for our people in the organisation, including our sector-leading paid parental leave policy, flexible work arrangements, and gender equality. The awards will be celebrated in Sydney in September.

Lastly, I would just like to remind everybody that engagement on our draft Tracks and Trails Strategy is closing on Friday, 1 July at 5.00pm. If you would like to provide your feedback on the draft Strategy, please visit www.engage.basscoast.vic.gov.au/ttstrategy and fill in the survey.