SShhiirree ooff MMeerrrreeddiinn Heart of the Wheatbelt Annual Report For the Financial Year ending 30 June 2012 1 Index Ø Shire President’s Report Ø Chief Executive Officer’s Report Ø Plan for the Future Ø Overview of Activities Ø Local Laws and Council Policies Ø National Competition Policy Ø Freedom of Information Ø State Records Act Ø Disabilities Services Plan Ø Councillors Remuneration Ø Shire Community Facilities Ø Governance Ø Financial Statements Ø Auditor’s Report Shire of Merredin PO Box 42 MERREDIN WA 6415 Email:
[email protected] Phone: (08) 9041 1611 Web: www.merredin.wa.gov.au Fax: (08) 9041 2379 2 Shire President’s Report Council I feel very privileged to have been elected Shire President in October 2011 and am pleased to present this report. The October 2011 Local Government Election saw some changes to the Council. We welcomed four new Councillors Tracey McFarlane, Dionne Hayes-Thompson, Bradley Anderson and Debbie Morris and saw the re-election of Ken Hooper and Mark Crees. We also farewelled Councillors Julie Townrow, Pam Forbes, Asha Carr and Maria Young. Planning for the Future In August 2010, the Minister for Local Government introduced regulations which establish new requirements for the Plan for the Future under the Local Government Act 1995. Under these regulations, all local governments in Western Australia will be required to have developed and adopted two key documents by 30 June 2013: a Strategic Community Plan and a Corporate Business Plan. These plans will drive the development of each local government’s 2013/14 Annual Budget and will ultimately help local governments plan for the future of their communities.