Newsletter Feb 20
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
MOUNT ISA NEWS February 2020 Your community newsletter Phone 07 4747 3200 | email [email protected] | www.mountisa.qld.gov.au | www.facebook.com/MountIsaCityCouncil/ MAYOR’S DESK... There are plenty of exciting projects and initiatives on the boil currently, and we are receiving lots of positive feedback from the community, which is terrific to see. In saying that though, we also want to hear about things you want to see improved, and projects you think should be considered. Our recently launched Budget Survey is the perfect forum for council to collate the community's wish-list and acts as a terrific community engagement tool that allows Council to see where community feedback aligns with project proposals and report back to the community with these findings. We're extremely proud of the recent work at the Cemetery gates to tidy up the entrance and highlight the Defence Force Memorial, the Sunset Oval Lighting Project, the official opening of the Animal Management Facility, and the plans for the Mount Isa Motorsport Advisory Committee. The lighting project comprising Captain James Cook Park and Sunset Oval will introduce a total of 12 strategically placed, 100-lux LED lights - six each per oval - on 25m-tall poles, enabling the introduction of club-level competitions, training and practice sessions, while being suitable for the facilities' locations in residential areas and adjacent to busy local roads. This is a terrific step forward for sport in Mount Isa and we are delighted to have enabled the project. The recent opening of the Animal Management Facility saw around 140 residents come through the facility tour, and all left with a greater understanding of the issues around animal management in Mount Isa and how Council and community will now be more equipped than ever before to care for our lost and abandoned animals. This month we also look forward to the launch of the 2020-25 Mount Isa Tourism Development Strategy. The Strategy has been developed to provide strategic direction for Council, tourism industry stakeholders and the local community to plan for the sustainable development and marketing of Mount Isa's tourism sector over the next five years. The Strategy was developed by using a “community-wide” approach, with key stakeholders and business owners throughout the region assisting with each step of the strategy's development. We recognise and appreciate that developing and growing the local tourism industry in a sustainable way can also contribute to improving the livability of the city, and this strategy is a great step in the right direction towards making that objective a reality. Our recent Expressions of Interest for a North West Motor Sports Complex Advisory Committee saw more than 100 people put their hand up for a place on the committee, which will have a very important role in providing vital advice and information to Council that will help inform on the viability of the project, as well as researching funding opportunities - both Government and non-Government - that will enable it to become a reality. We also look forward to one of the city's most popular council events - Welcoming Babies Day. The birth rate in Mount Isa is consistently high and we look forward to meeting all the registered babies born in the past 12 months. Another celebration to look forward to mid-year will be the re-opening of Riversleigh Fossil Centre, which after the incredible current revitalisation project is complete, will be sure to impress and delight residents and visitors alike, and throw the well-deserved spotlight back on the Riversleigh World Heritage Area, which will be a terrific boost for tourism opportunities in Mount Isa and the region. We have a very exciting few months ahead with the rollout of these events and projects and I look forward to sharing them with you. Her Worship Joyce McCulloch Mayor of Mount Isa Joyce McCulloch Mayor of Mount Isa [email protected] Phone 4747 3200 (Office) Councillor Peta MacRae Councillor Phil Barwick (Deputy Mayor) Portfolio Portfolio Community Development, Youth, Finance & Administration Sport & Recreation Email Email [email protected] [email protected] Councillor Jean Ferris Councillor Paul Stretton Portfolio Portfolio Beautification & Library Environmental Management Email Email [email protected] [email protected] Councillor George Fortune Councillor Mick Tully Portfolio Portfolio Development & Land Use Works & Camooweal Email Email [email protected] [email protected] Carpark at Mount Isa Cemetery Gets Facelift Council has undertaken an upgrade of the carpark at the main entrance of the Mount Isa Memorial Cemetery, including refreshing the RSL monument near the entrance by constructing a concrete base for it. The works have been made possible thanks to $600,000 in funding from the State Government's Works for Queensland program. The work was part of Council's Mount Isa Memorial Cemetery Upgrade project, which entailed improving the car parking at the main entrance - including resealing work, installing traffic islands and completing new line-marking - as well as sealing internal dirt paths within the traditional section of the cemetery. The work around the RSL monument is also part of Council's upgrade of the cemetery's entrance. As well as completing the internal sealed roads, Council will soon construct a columbarium, a secondary carparking area along Commercial Road to service the existing cemetery area and the new extension area near the northern fence, and complete a tidy- up of the grounds with landscaping. CEO’S DESK... We've had a terrific start to the first quarter of 2020, with an excellent show of community at our first events of the year - the Australia Day Awards and Citizenship Ceremony, the Sign on Expo, and the Animal Management Facility open day. These events really give us the opportunity to meet more of the community, and understand their needs, and what council services they really value. There is currently a wide variety of Council works being undertaken, including the Mount Isa Memorial Cemetery upgrades which once complete will see reconstructed pavements, additional parking, islands to separate and organise traffic flow and upgrades to the entrance. Sunset Drive/Traders Way intersection will undergo upgrades to improve traffic flow and safety; commissioning of Reservoir 3A is almost complete, and routine maintenance of the Camooweal Aerodrome has continued with scheduled weekly recorded inspections being carried out as per CASA requirements, and reports show that the recently installed upgraded runway solar lighting is working well. We've had positive feedback in the two months since launching the Mount Isa Wet Season Campaign, which was extremely timely coming in just before the rains. The key points of the campaign focus on safety around flood water, how to avoid panic buying by being prepared, and preparing for safe travel during wet season. Our Water Wisa campaign is also being rolled out through the community. Following the changes to the water charging methodology in recent years, Mount Isa is now in line with the recommended approach under National Water Reform initiatives, so rather than paying for a flat 950kL allocation in your rates notice, you are now only charged for what you use, giving you more control over what you pay. The Water Wisa campaign includes a series of social media and website content, as well as brochure mail outs, with messaging around water wastage reduction, smart ways to save water and money, and the benefits of saving water. In Waste Management news, a funding application under the Federal Government Building Better Regions Infrastructure Stream Round 4 has been lodged for Mount Isa, and if successful, the city will be in the position to build its own Material Recovery Facility (MRF) and recycling infrastructure. This will provide the Mount Isa community with its first yellow-top bin recycling service as well as green waste/timber mulch, commercial and industrial, and construction and demolition processing, and recycling initiatives. The outcome of the funding will be known in June, and we remain hopeful. We are certainly heading into an exciting and productive 2020, with many more projects, events, campaigns and initiatives and we look forward to sharing them with our community. Sharon Ibardolaza Chief Executive Officer PROUD to be your Council People, Culture and Safety Council's People, Culture and Safety Department comprises (pictured, from left) Work Health and Safety Coordinator Katreana Cunningham, Manager Fran Marshall, Human Resources Officer Kirsten MacLeod, Support Officer Maddie Gray, and Work Health and Safety Officer Jodie-Lee Wagner. The role of the People, Culture and Safety team is to provide an end-to-end solution for servicing the needs of Council employees, from engagement throughout the entire employee life cycle. The team has responsibility for delivering core functions to the organisation that underpin and guide leaders through all human resource and safety activities for better managing our resources and promoting a safe work environment. Their responsibilities include accepting and processing job applications, updating Council’s website with new job vacancies, organising and helping to conduct job interviews, and carrying out safety inductions and training for Council employees. IN THE NEWS Lighting Installation Works for Parkside & Sunset Ovals New lighting that will ensure two Mount Isa multi-use public sporting ovals in Parkside and Sunset are able to be utilised for more hours of the day, all year round, started being installed earlier this month. The work is being carried out by local business Mikkselsen Electrical Contractors, which was awarded the Council contract after the project went up for tender last year. The lighting, at Captain James Cook Park and Sunset Oval, comprises a total of 12 strategically placed, 100-lux LED lights - six each per oval - on 25m-tall poles.