Shire of Esperance 2011/2012 Annual Report Our Vision
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Shire of Esperance 2011/2012 Annual Report Our Vision The spirit of Esperance is unique, we take pride in being a creative, caring, and supportive community. We live in a diverse and dynamic region with outstanding opportunities for all. As custodians, we are committed to protect our spectacular natural environment. Esperance has a sense of community ownership with a commitment to determine its own direction. We make it happen! Mission The Shire of Esperance will listen to its people and provide services in a caring, responsive and consultative manner through Councillors and staff that are well equipped to meet community needs, and show leadership in development at regional and higher levels. 2 Shire of Esperance 2011/2012 Annual Report Contents Shire President’s Report 4 CEO’s Report 6 Your Councillors 8 Executive Team 9 Executive Services 10 Community Services 14 Engineering Services 34 Development Services 36 Corporate Services 40 Annual Financial Report 47 3 Shire Presidents Report It is with a great deal of pleasure that I present to you the Shire of Esperance Annual Report for 2011/2012. Council elections held in October 2011 installed a new Council which I believe has operated as a strong dynamic team during the year. I wish to sincerely thank my fellow Councillors, the CEO and Council staff for their dedicated contribution to enable Council to achieve what it has over the 2011/2012 year. We are fortunate to have such an enthusiastic and professional team and I thank each and every member of our Council for their contribution. As we reflect on the year I would describe it as a year of steady achievement punctuated with some highs and a few lows. We have had a steady stream of good news stories which is always guaranteed to attract a politician or two. It’s even better if they come bearing a cheque which we have been able, “As we reflect on on each occasion, to put to good use. the year I would The year has been dominated by Esperance being describe it as a year selected as a SuperTown which presented an of steady achievement opportunity to compete for a share of an $85m pool earmarked for the nine SuperTowns. The Council punctuated with some worked frantically to prepare business cases for highs and a few lows.“ our prioritised programs. A collaborative effort and pooling of resources with the Goldfields Esperance Development Commission (GEDC) and Esperance Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ECCI) produced four very professional submissions. These were assessed by the SuperTowns panel and Esperance was very fortunate to receive the requested funding on three of the four projects. The number one community endorsed project which received $12.65m was the Esperance Waterfront Project (formerly called the Esperance Foreshore Protection and Enhancement project). 4 Shire of Esperance 2011/2012 Annual Report I know the community of Esperance will be delighted In addition Council has produced and endorsed, in to see this long awaited project commence and conjunction with the GEDC and ECCI, an interim hopefully resolve the erosion and other issues Growth Plan for the South East Region which will concerning on our foreshore. The Waterfront provide direction and strategic priorities for the region project will extend beyond the seawall and also for the next twenty years. The final Growth Plan will include foreshore landscaped park land and amenity be completed within the next few months. which will link the town centre to our foreshore. Our landscape planners were appointed in June The Shire has continued its good work in the 2012 and we look forward to community input in the asset management arena and now has a number finalisation of these project plans. of maintenance or management plans in place to preserve the value of our community assets Whilst on the subject of infrastructure development and extend their useful life span. Ongoing asset there is a lot either happening or about to happen. management plans will continue into the future until The State and Federal funded Port Access Corridor such time as we have a long term financial plan for project has commenced and on completion will all our community assets. make transport movement, not only to and from the Port, but traversing the railway line much more The Council has a goal to provide quality services user friendly. In addition the High School hostel and to the community at an affordable cost. With new Esperance Primary School developments have increasing utility and other costs, this has not been a commenced. Esperance Hospital upgrades have simple exercise. In accordance with the community’s been announced and we are exhausting all avenues expectations, Council has prioritised where to spend to obtain funding for the Greater Sports Ground its resources to achieve the most cost effective development. outcome and still provide a quality level of service. The Local Government Minister introduced the In closing I wish to acknowledge the input and interest Integrated Planning and Reporting Framework of our local community in all these developments requiring Council to prepare medium and long within our wonderful town. For Esperance to achieve term planning documents for implementation. A and continue to achieve a team effort is required refinement of our Draft Strategic Community Plan involving the community, Industry groups, Shire which summarises our community long term vision, staff, Councillors and our local Politicians. I am very values, priorities and aspirations for the next ten pleased to say, because of all these ingredients years is near completion and will be circulated for Esperance is a SuperTown and will continue to be comment to the community early in the next financial a safe and wonderful environment to visit or more year. We continue working on our Corporate Business importantly, to raise a family in. Plan (four year plan) so that both of these plans will I would like to thank our CEO Mal Osborne for his be ready for implementation by the deadline date of guidance, leadership and dedication during the past June 2013. 12 months. I conclude by saying that 2011/2012 was a watershed year and 2012/2013 will be even better. Malcolm Heasman Shire President. 5 CEO’s Report The 2011/2012 financial year The State Government’s Royalties for Regions has been especially rewarding program announced the SuperTowns initiative and for the Shire of Esperance due in early 2012 Esperance was selected as one of to the number of significant nine towns identified as future regional centres. projects and opportunities that The impact of the SuperTowns funding will be felt have become available to the positively throughout the community. We are now Esperance community. This able to begin work on the Esperance Waterfront, was achieved by the hard work and commitment which is a transformational project along the of Council and the staff, by the contributions of foreshore. Funding was also secured for Town our community organisations, by partnerships with Centre Revitalisation and Economic Development government agencies and the active participation of Projects, both of which look at social and economic our community members. drivers that will encourage investment and growth in a sustainable manner. Royalties for Regions has The October 2011 Local Government Elections saw also included funding for Esperance Residential a substantial change to the makeup of the Council. A College, Esperance Primary School and upgrades complete spill of all 11 existing Councillors occurred, to the Esperance Hospital. with 9 positions contested at the election. This was a recommendation by the previous Council to reduce Extensive work has been carried out within the Shire the number of elected representatives as part of the to develop the required plans under the Integrated State Government’s Structural reform process. The Planning and Reporting Framework. These plans are Esperance Community saw this as an opportunity to designed to assist in equipping our organisation to have their input with a record number of nominees respond to short, medium and long term community and voter turnout being recorded. The election requirements. The Strategic Community Plan is in saw 3 returning Councillors (Crs Rodgers, Stewart draft format and will be advertised as an overarching & Walker) and 6 new Councillors (Crs Heasman, plan that guides the future directions of Council’s Brown, Bowman, Griffiths, McIntyre and Mansell) policies, plans, projects and decision making over being elected to represent the Shire of Esperance. the next ten years to 2022. I would like to acknowledge the retiring Councillors, Asset Management Plans (AMP) have been further especially Ian Mickel, who was Shire president advanced this year with the majority of the Shire’s and Councillor for 22 years. 74 years of collective asset classes AMP’s now being completed. These Council experience was contributed by the outgoing AMP’s identify our current assets, current and Councillors. They are to be applauded for ensuring future expenditure requirements and the assets that Esperance continually embraced development condition. This information then feeds into our Long and reacted positively to change for the benefit of Term Financial Plan which will determine priorities the whole Shire. The time and energy committed and identify any funding shortfalls. The Long Term as elected representatives is greatly appreciated by Financial Plan needs to balance the services needed all members of the community. by the community with the resources available. I would like to extend a welcome to Cr Malcolm Drafts have been completed for the Strategic Heasman as our new Shire President and all current Community Plan, the Corporate Business Plan and Councillors, who as a whole, have challenged the the Workforce Plan. These documents are required status quo and encouraged fresh initiatives, whilst by the State Government to be in place by 1 July ensuring strong and visionary leadership within the 2013 under the Integrated Planning and Reporting community.