2017/18 Annual Report Kentish Council Kentish Council Annual Report 2017/18 | 1 Kentish Council PO Box 63 (69 High Street) SHEFFIELD TAS 7306 P: 6491 0200 F: 6491 1659 E: [email protected] W: www.kentish.tas.gov.au Front Cover: Kelly Slater Kentish Council Annual Report 2017/18 | 2 WELCOME CONTENTS THE YEAR IN REVIEW 4 The Kentish Council proudly presents the Mayor & General Manager’s Welcome 5 2017/18 Annual Report to the Community. Performance at a Glance 6 Kentish Profile 7 The Annual Report highlights Council’s A Year in Kentish 8 performance against the 2017/18 Annual Plan Activity Overview 9 and Budget. Financial Overview 14 OUR PERFORMANCE 23 The Annual Plan and Budget sets out 18 strategic Infrastructure 25 objectives grouped under four categories: Economic & Community Development 34 1. Infrastructure; Governance & Organisational Development 40 2. Economic and Community Development; Planning & Development 48 3. Governance and Organisational Development; and GOVERNANCE 54 4. Planning and Development Corporate Governance 55 against which Council’s performance is measured. Our Councillors 61 Our Organisation 65 Section 72 of the Local Government Act 1993 Our Staff 67 requires all councils to prepare an Annual Report Our Volunteers 69 including prescribed content. Workplace Health & Safety 70 Legislative Reporting 71 As well as meeting this statutory requirement, General Reporting 77 Council sees the Annual Report as a great opportunity to keep residents and stakeholders FINANCIAL REPORT 79 informed about its performance and future direction. The report demonstrates the breadth of Council’s operations and identifies achievements and challenges during the 2017/18 financial year. The Annual Report also provides a comprehensive and externally audited financial report. Feedback Feedback or questions relating to the annual report are welcome. Email: [email protected] Post: General Manager Kentish Council PO Box 63, SHEFFIELD TAS 7306 The Annual Report is available in a range of formats and can also be viewed electronically on Council’s website www.kentish.tas.gov.au Kentish Council Annual Report 2017/18 | 3 The Year in Review Kentish Council Annual Report 2017/18 | 4 Mayor and General Manager’s Welcome This Annual Report was finalised after the council elections in October 2018 and reflects the time of former Mayor, Don Thwaites. Newly elected Mayor, Tim Wilson endorses the report. There was sense during 2017/18 of Council picking up where it left off in progressing many long-term goals and projects after the interruption caused by the June 2016 floods. Tenders were called for the first stage of construction of the Wild Mersey Mountain Bike Trails, work began on the Sheffield Recreation Ground change room extensions and planning and design work continued for the provision of a long-term, fit for purpose road access to the Lorinna community. Work also continued, to progress the preparation of Kentish local provisions for the Tasmanian Planning Scheme. Council continued to engage with its communities through twice-yearly community information meetings for the Sheffield, Railton, Wilmot and Acacia Hills areas. Issues consulted on during the year included concept designs for a Wilmot Streetscape redevelopment and review and refinement of the “Sheffield Refresh” township enhancement report. Financial results for the year were sound with Council achieving a small underlying surplus and overall performing favourably when compared to budget. Council’s longer-term management indicators show that, based on a goal of maintaining the current service levels, council expects to meet or exceed benchmarks set by the Tasmanian Audit Office regarding council’s asset management plans and long term financial plans. Community groups and volunteers again contributed strongly to the municipality in 2017/18 and Council greatly appreciates their involvement in events like the new Feed Your Senses pop-up event held during the Australian Masters Games in October 2017 and again in conjunction with Sheffield in Colour in May 2018, in addition to regular events such as Mural Fest, Steam Fest, Taste of the North West, Christmas events and the Tasmanian Medieval Festival. Council continued to embed resource sharing with Latrobe Council into its operations through a restructure of the inside staff of the two councils and by progressing implementation of common systems and new common ways of working across the two councils. Thank you to staff for their ongoing support and commitment during this period of significant change. Finally, thank you to the Councillors who served the community of Kentish during the 2017/18 financial year, you can be proud of the achievements detailed in this report. Don Thwaites Tim Wilson Gerald Monson (Mayor during 2017/18) (Newly elected Mayor) (General Manager) Don Thwaites Tim Wilson Gerald Monson Kentish Council Annual Report 2016/17 | 5 Kentish Council Annual Report 2017/18 | 5 Performance at a Glance Achievements Challenges Year Ahead Infrastructure . Extended footpath in Giblin . Council resources . Extend parking on Street, Railton by 460 metres were stretched High Street. from Ennis Avenue to Foster throughout the year . Construct stage 1 of Street. due to a large number the Wilmot . Renewed the Careys of projects deferred to Streetscape Project. Road/Dasher River Bridge, the 2017/18 year as a . Construct stage 1 of Dawkins Road/Minnow River result of the June 2016 the Kentish trails in Bridge and Jacksons floods. the Wild Mersey Road/Minnow Tributary Bridge. Mountain Bike Trails. Economic and . Contributed towards the . The growth of the Air . Contribute towards Community regional hosting of the 2018 BNB listed properties Kimberley Trail and Development Australian Masters Games. in the municipality has Bell Mountain Trail . Supported the Fire and Light resulted in less rental upgrades. Festival proposed by Kentish accommodation being . Purchase land to Arts Commerce and Tourism. available which is a enable expansion of deterrent for larger the Redwater Creek business Railway site in establishment. Sheffield. Governance . Supported the retention, . Recruitment of staff . Expand and embed and upgrading and increased for specialised resource sharing Organisational flights to Devonport Airport. positions has been with Latrobe Council. Development Provided regular public difficult due to a small Implement common forums within the Council pool of qualified enterprise software area to obtain local input into applicants and with Latrobe Council. decision making. competition for the . Upgrade Council’s . Examined specific delivery applicants from other website. options between Council and organisations. other providers. Planning and . Prepared a Kentish Council . Amendments to the . Develop Strategic Development Municipal Health Report. Building Act 2016 Development Plans . Promoted responsible dog required Council staff for key localities ownership including to make considerable within Kentish. compliance with the Dog changes to their . Finalise the local Control Act 2000. processes and planning provisions . Co-ordinated school-based administration to for the Tasmanian immunisations. meet the Planning Scheme. requirements of the legislation. Kentish Council Annual Report 2017/18 6 Kentish Profile The Kentish Municipality is located inland on the eastern end of the North-West Coast of Tasmania bordering the municipal areas of Latrobe, Devonport City, Central Coast, Meander Valley, West Coast and Waratah-Wynyard councils. Kentish is known as ‘Tasmania’s Outdoor Art Gallery’ for its beautiful countryside, majestic mountains and its three themed townships: Sheffield - Town of Murals, Railton - Town of Topiary and Wilmot - Valley of Views. Kentish has a population of 6,128, comprised of Our Localities 51% males and 49% females with a median age of Kentish’s localities include Sheffield, Railton, South 47 years. Spreyton, Acacia Hills, Barrington, Lower Barrington, Nook, Nowhere Else, Merseylea, Overall, 80% of Kentish residents were born in Sunnyside, Stoodley, Beulah, Lower Beulah, Australia. Paradise, Claude Road, Gowrie Park, West Kentish, Roland, Staverton, Promised Land, Lower Wilmot, The three biggest industry employers in Kentish Wilmot, Erriba, Moina, Lorinna, Middlesex, are Accommodation (4.4%), Aged Care (3.7%) and Cethana and Cradle Mountain. Road Freight Transport (3.2%). Fast Facts Median employee income for Kentish residents is Area 1,187 sq km $51,740 per annum. Road Distances 471 km Sealed 273 km Source: Census 2016, Australian Bureau of Statistics Unsealed 198 km Number of Bridges/ Major Culverts 104 Our History Rateable Properties 3,666 Nathaniel Kentish was appointed as a contract surveyor in 1841 to survey areas on the North- Value of Properties (AAV) $44.87M West Coast of Tasmania and in August 1842 he Number of Electors 4,816 discovered a large grassy plain which later went on Operating Expenditure $9.63M to be known as ‘Kentish Plains’. Businesses 555 Visitors to Sheffield 145,951 In the early years, Road Trusts were the main form Visitors to Cradle Mountain 242,339 of Local Government in Tasmania. In 1908 the five local road trusts of Kentish Plains, Barrington, Beulah, Wilmot and Sheffield merged to create the Kentish Council. Kentish Council Annual Report 2017/18 | 7 A Year in Kentish July 2017 School Holiday Activities March 2018 Steam Fest August 2017 Gowrie Park Rodeo Event Strategy launched for public feedback Kentish Endurance Ride Lions Music Hall Nic’s Cradle Challenge Railton