Cr Tim Overall, Mayor


Welcome to my column for the Jerrabomberra Residents Association Website. It is my hope to keep you abreast of issues and initiatives Queanbeyan City Council is undertaking which I trust will be of interest to you as readers.

All the best for Christmas/New Year


As this is the final Queanbeyan Age of 2011 I would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a merry Christmas and a safe and happy new year. The past 12 months have been very exciting for Queanbeyan with a number of important projects either being complete or commencing. In the first half of 2012 both the Crawford St Lifestyle Precinct and the Edwin Land Parkway extension will be complete and both will provide a significant benefit to the community. Council will be closed down over the Christmas break. The offices will close at 12 noon on Friday 23 December and will reopen on Tuesday 3 January. During this period essential services will be provided and if you have an emergency during this time call 6298 1234.

Googong takes a big step forward

On Monday the Joint Regional Planning Panel Southern Region approved the first development application for the new town of Googong. The first stage of the development includes 337 lots and the developer, CIC Australia, will be releasing more information on the sales process in the new year. The new town of Googong is one of the biggest and most exciting residential developments outside of Sydney and will not just create a new subdivision, but a new and largely self contained township. When completed, Googong will be home to about 16,000 people, living in 5,550 dwellings of varying sizes. To support the new residents and existing communities it will also contain about 18,000 square metres of retail/commercial floor space around the town centre, considerable physical and community infrastructure and about 183 hectares of open space including a major common area representing about 23% of the total site area. It is expected that Googong will be constructed over the next 20 years.

High honour for The Q

The Queanbeyan Performing Arts Centre has gone ahead in leaps and bounds since it opened its doors in 2008. The Centre has grown rapidly and in 2010-11 more than 25,000 patrons attended shows at the venue. A lot of the success of this centre can be attributed to the professionalism and dedication of The Q’s Program Manager Stephen Pike. Earlier this week, Stephen received the highest honour of his 30 year career when he received a Special Mention in the prestigious Manning Clark House National Cultural Awards for the direction and production of Blood Brothers. Just a few hours later Blood Brothers was nominated for 10 Canberra Area Theatre awards. Blood Brothers was an outstanding success in 2010 and as such it will be returning by popular demand for eight shows between 19-28 January. My recommendation: book your tickets now.

Gift and Carols by Candlelight this weekend

I look forward to seeing everyone at Queanbeyan Park this weekend with both the Queanbeyan Leagues Club Gift Carnival and Carols by Candlelight to be held. Some of the nation’s best athletes will be competing for about $40,000 in prizemoney at the Gift Carnival which will be held on Saturday. The Gift program commences at 10am with the final of the women’s Gift at 3.45pm and the men’s at 4pm. Carols by Candlelight will be held on Sunday, commencing at 5.30pm. There will be plenty of entertainment and carols throughout the evening and the highlight for the children will be a special visit by Santa Claus just after 7pm.




IPART sets rate peg at 3.6% for 2012-13


The Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) this week announced that its rate peg for NSW councils will be 3.6% for the 2012-13 financial year. The rate peg sets the amount Council can increase its rate base by and does not mean that everyone’s rates will increase by 3.6%. It is expected that the 3.6% increase will add around $30 a year to the average residential rates. IPART has included a 0.4% advance in the 2012-13 rate peg to assist councils cope with the introduction of the Federal Government’s carbon tax. The advance will be reversed over the 2013-14 and 2014-15 financial years. At this stage Queanbeyan City Council does not have a figure on what the carbon tax will cost the organisation. NSW councils have been calling on the State Government to abolish rate pegging as it restricts councils’ ability to raise revenue to cover escalating expenses and the infrastructure maintenance backlog councils face.

Maintaining our local roads

A number of deteriorating roads around Queanbeyan have been repaired as part of Council’s 2011-12 resealing and stabilisation program. The majority of the resealing and stabilisation program was funded by Council’s CityCARE program which was developed to fund urgent maintenance and renewal of Council’s roads, footpaths and parks and sportsfields. Without the CityCARE program we would have only been able to undertake a portion of the roadwork and those roads which would have missed out would have cost considerably more to repair in the future. The CityCARE program has been a great success since it commenced in 2010-11 and Council has asked IPART to review its application which was made in 2010. Council gained majority support from the community for an ongoing special rate variation to fund the program, however for unknown reason it was only approved for three years. Council is now seeking a review for it to be extended on an ongoing basis as intended.

Book now for Christmas Lights tour

The annual Mayoral Christmas Lights Tour will commence next week and I encourage you to make a booking now to avoid disappointment. The Tour caters for senior and disabled residents and those who take part will be picked-up from their homes in buses which will have volunteer assistants on board to help. The buses will then gather at The Q, Lowe Street carpark in Queanbeyan for Christmas Carols and light refreshments before commencing the Tour. Tours will be held on 15, 19 and 20 December and limited seats are available so please call 6285 6505 and leave a message which includes your name, phone number and the preferred date you would like to take the Tour. A Council staff member will call back as soon as possible to confirm your booking.

Queanbeyan Gift and Carols next weekend

Queanbeyan Park will be the centre of attention next weekend with both the Queanbeyan Leagues Club Gift and Carols by Candlelight to the held. The Gift has been rescheduled to Saturday 17 December following the washout in late November while the Carols by Candlelight will be held on Sunday 18 December. The Gift will run from 10am-5pm and the Carols will commence at 5.30pm and Santa will be arriving about 7.30pm just before sunset and the light–up of candles.




Traffic returns to Crawford St


Crawford St was reopened to one-way traffic on Tuesday 29 November as the contractors continue to make progress on the $4.45 million Lifestyle Precinct. The street was closed to through traffic on 27 October to allow the contractors to undertake vital work at the Morisset St intersection with Crawford St. It was estimated that the closure would last for 4.5 weeks and despite some rain delays the road was reopened prior to the 4.5 week mark. Two-way traffic and parking is expected to return to Crawford St by mid-December. Before that can occur the contractors have to finalise the intersection with Crawford and Monaro Sts, finish the parking bays and then lay the final seal along the road and undertake line marking. The project remains on target to be complete by May 2012.

Seeking funding for projects

Councils generally have to rely on external funding to allow major projects to be undertaken in their local government area. Council agreed at its meeting last week to submit applications to the Federal Government to undertake two important projects. Under the Liveable Cities Program Council has applied for assistance to undertake a feasibility study, design work and a quantity survey for the proposed Regional Sporting Complex. Council is also seeking funding under the Regional Development Program to relocate the bus interchange from its current location in Crawford-Morisset Sts and also establish a public transport Park and Ride facility at the Collett St  long-stay carpark. Council staff have been busy finalising both funding applications and we expect to hear the results in the new year.

Library preparing for new home

Queanbeyan’s Library has outgrown its current home and is moving to a bigger, more comfortable building - the former NSW Parks and Wildlife Building in Rutledge St. Refurbishment of the building has commenced and the contractors are expecting it will take 6-7 months. Work will include the removal of existing fit-out, construction of new internal stairs and ramp, installation of a lift including shaft, upgrade of mechanical lighting and the removal and replacement of floor coverings. When the move is complete, the vacant ground floor area of Council’s administration building will be transformed into extra office space with plans to create an integrated customer service centre, or one-stop shop, for all Council enquiries.

Gift rescheduled to 17 December

Last week’s heavy rain caused Council to cancel the Queanbeyan Family Fun Day and postpone the Queanbeyan Leagues Club Gift. The Queanbeyan Gift has been salvaged for 2011 and will be held on Saturday 17 December in Queanbeyan Park. Unfortunately it has not been possible to reschedule the Family Fun Day due to the substantial additional costs involved in restaging the event.

 




Council to consider payments for Crawford St businesses


Council agreed at its meeting on Wednesday to consider providing ex-gratia payments (up to $22,000 in total) to businesses in Crawford St which are more reliant on passing trade and have been affected by street closures during the construction of the Crawford St Lifestyle Precinct. Council received a request from a Crawford St business for a temporary reduction in Council rates, however there is no provision under the Local Government Act NSW (1993) for such relief to be made.  Under Section 356 of the Local Government Act NSW (1993), Council does have the authority to make an ex-gratia/act of grace payment. Council agreed to offer ex-gratia payments to those businesses within the Precinct that are considered to be more reliant on passing traffic.  In Crawford St there is a mix of businesses which own the property and some which are tenants of properties and therefore it was recommended that ex-gratia equivalent amounts be paid to the business occupying the relevant property and not to the property owner (the ratepayer). The eligible businesses are the Mid City Motor Inn, City Florist, Canton Chinese Restaurant, Continental Hairdresser, Bloom’s The Chemist, Punjabi Hut, Queanbeyan Health Foods, Dominos, Pizza Hut, Bells Dry Cleaners, Continental Cakes and Mirage Hair Design. The proposed ex-gratia payments should be considered for what they are – an act of grace by the Council in response to a particular request from a business operator for a reduction in rates due to a demonstrated impact of programmed council works.  It should not in any way be construed to be a compensation payment.

Council to seek IPART review

Also at Wednesday’s meeting Council agreed to ask the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) to review the application made by Council in 2010 for a Special Rate Variation to fund the CityCARE program of works. Following extensive community consultation in late 2009 and early 2010 Council applied for an ongoing Special Rate Variation of 5.8% and approval was given for a three-year period. At the time of Council’s application the authority for approval sat with the Minister for Local Government, however following the 2011 election this authority was transferred to IPART. Throughout the consultation in late 2009 and early 2010 Council communicated that it would be applying for an ongoing Special Rate Variation and the majority of feedback from the community was supportive of this application. Unfortunately the Minister only approved Council’s application for a three-year period. This effectively means that council would have to significantly suspend ongoing maintenance of community assets from 2013. The CityCARE program has been very successful since its implementation and in 2010-11 Council used the funds raised to repair 758 footpaths, reseal 17 roads, stabilise another three roads and upgrade five parks and sportsfields.

Queanbeyan Park the place to be tomorrow

Tomorrow Council will host Queanbeyan’s most popular community event with the Queanbeyan Leagues Club Gift and Family Fun Day to be held in Queanbeyan Park. This event has grown significantly over the past five years and for this first time the runners in the Les McIntyre Women’s gift will be running for the some prizemoney as their male counterparts. This increase makes the women’s race the richest of its kind in Australia, while the men’s event is the third richest. The Family Fun Day provides the community with a fun, free day out. All activities and entertainment are completely free so I encourage you to take advantage of this and get down to Queanbeyan Park between 10am and 5pm for a great day of fun and quality racing.




Fill in the Vision survey on our website


The next meeting of Council will be held at 5.30pm next Wednesday, 23 November in the Council Chambers at 253 Crawford St. Once again we are in for quite a busy night with about 25 items to be discussed. As with all of our meetings, members of the public are encouraged to attend and may make a presentation, either for or against, any item on the agenda. To do this you must register with the Meeting Clerk prior to 5.30pm on the day of the meeting. Presenters may speak for up to five minutes, however Council can vote to extend the time. The agenda/business paper is available from Council’s Customer Service Centre and Library, both at 257 Crawford St or Council’s website www.qcc.nsw.gov.au.

What’s your vision for Queanbeyan?

Last Thursday and Saturday a number of community consultation exercises were held to review the 2006 Queanbeyan Tomorrow Community Vision 2021. The attendance at the three public meetings and the Have A Say Day at the Riverside Plaza was a little below expectation, however it’s not too late for you to have an input into this review. A survey has been loaded on to Council’s website at www.qcc.nsw.gov.au and will remain there during November and December and I encourage you to log on and have a look. All of the information gathered from the public meetings, the survey and the targeted discussions the consultants undertook with community groups will be collated and the final document is expected to be presented to Council in April 2012. The Community Vision is one of the most important documents for this city as it outlines the community’s wishes and expectations for the future. Residents have the opportunity to become involved and help make a difference and I encourage you all to provide us with some input.

Rain causes some delays

The wet weather last week caused some delays to construction of the Crawford St Lifestyle Precinct, however the contractors expect to start sealing the road on Tuesday. Members of Council’s Water and Sewer team were scheduled to connect the new water main last Wednesday night, however the deluge we received put that on hold. With a dry site, the team was able to undertake the connections on Monday night with minimal disruptions to the water supply of Crawford St properties.

Aquatic Centre celebrates in style

I took the opportunity last Sunday to celebrate the Queanbeyan Aquatic Centre’s 50th birthday. About 800 people came along to the Aquatic Centre for a free day of fun and games and I thank all of those who helped us celebrate this occasion and the staff at the Aquatic Centre for putting on a great day.

Gift and Family Fun Day a week away

Speaking of free days out, the next one is just around the corner with the Queanbeyan Leagues Club Gift and Family Fun Day on Saturday 26 November in Queanbeyan Park. This is one of the best days of the year in Queanbeyan with a heap of free activities for all members of the family and some thrilling racing in the Queanbeyan Gift. The Gift and Family Fun Day kicks off at 10am and runs until 5pm so make sure you get down to the Park. For more information again visit Council’s website or call your Council on 6285 6000.

 




Your chance to shape Queanbeyan's future


Everyone has a view of the way they want this city to look and feel in the future and we want to hear your thoughts. Council is undertaking a significant community consultation exercise to review the five-year-old Queanbeyan Tomorrow Community Vision 2021 and I am inviting you all to come along and have an input. The activities commenced last night with forums being held for rural and urban residents. A number of targeted discussions were also held between the consultants Council has engaged and community groups. A number of other activities will be held over the coming weeks including:

  • Saturday 12 November: Have A Say Day at Riverside Plaza from 10am-midday.
  • Saturday 12 November: Community Summit at RB Smith Community Centre in Crawford St from 2.30pm-5.30pm.
  • Saturday 26 November: Have A Say Day at Queanbeyan Park in conjunction with Queanbeyan Gift and Family Fun Day from 11am-2pm.
  • An online survey will also be available for residents to fill out on our website at www.qcc.nsw.gov.au – should you have trouble accessing the survey contact 6285 6000.

So as you can see there are plenty of opportunities to become involved so please take the time to let us know your thoughts as the updated Community Vision will be the basis Council’s new four-year delivery program. Since the original Community Vision was adopted by Council in 2006 we have achieved some great results, including:

  • the CBD Master Plan
  • the Queanbeyan Pedestrian and Mobility Plan
  • the Queanbeyan Bicycle Plan
  • the Googong and Tralee Traffic Study (2031)
  • the Queanbeyan Residential and Economic Strategy 2031
  • the establishment of the Queanbeyan Development Board
  • the Queanbeyan River Restoration Project
  • The Q theatre
  • the Riverside Café and Crawford Street Lifestyle Precinct
  • $4 million funding secured to commence design and environmental studies on the Ellerton Drive Ring Road Extension and our future road network.

It is now time to review these achievements and refocus for next 10 years.

Free open day at Aquatic Centre

This Sunday is a special day for the Queanbeyan community as we celebrate 50 years since the Queanbeyan Aquatic Centre was opened. The milestone will be marked with a free open day which will include a free sausage sizzle, free face painting and balloons and much more. The Aquatic Centre has been a big part of Queanbeyan’s history so I encourage you to make your way to the Centre on Sunday for what promises to be a great day. Personally, I have some fond memories of the centre. In the early 1960s I competed in swimming carnivals and I was also a Royal Life Saving Society instructor for fellow school kids lining up for their Bronze Medallion. Queanbeyan Pool was the only pool in the Canberra district to allow life saving classes.

Nominations open for Australia Day awards

Has an individual, community group or community event impressed you over the past year? If so you should nominate them for an Australia Day award. Award nominations are now being called and they close on Wednesday 30 November at 5pm. Nomination forms can be obtained from Council’s Customer Service Centre and the Library both at 257 Crawford Street or the Queanbeyan Tourism Information Centre at 1 Farrer Place. Information in available by phoning 6285 6290 or emailing

conferencebookings(_AT_)qcc.nsw.gov.au

 




Tralee discussed with NSW Government


On Monday the NSW Premier and Ministers came to Queanbeyan to conduct a community cabinet meeting and to also meet with local groups and organisations. The three major points Council wanted to discuss with Ministers were Tralee, roads funding and flood clean-up funding. Below is the outcome of these discussions

Tralee
The Minister for Planning Brad Hazzard shed little light on the proposed development of South Tralee except to say that he continued to wait for clarity from the Federal Government regarding national aviation policy. Mr Hazzard was due to meet Federal Minister for Infrastructure and Transport Anthony Albanese on the site of the proposed development while in Queanbeyan, however due to the Qantas drama, that meeting was unable to happen. Mr Hazzard did however indicate he hoped to be in a position to make a decision in January/February. I also took the opportunity to discuss South Tralee with the Premier. The level of community support for the development was emphasised when a petition with more than 10,000 signatures was presented to Member for Monaro John Barilaro.

Roads funding
The NSW Government confirmed on Monday that it would provide Council with $3.5 million over the next three years to complete design and environmental studies for the Ellerton Drive Ring Road Extension and the upgrade of 13 intersections. With the NSW Government contributing $500,000 in the current financial year this brings the total to $4 million. Securing funding of these works has been a priority of this Council. I also briefed The Minister for Roads, Duncan Gay on the matter of the flood prone dip on the approach to Queens Bridge. The Minister confirmed he would take the matter forward.

Flood clean-up funding
The Minister for Finance Greg Pearce undertook to look into a $570,000 shortfall in Government Natural Disaster funding for the debris clean-up of the Queanbeyan River. Clean-up below the low level bridge is yet to be undertaken, but has been programmed.

Updating Queanbeyan’s community vision

In 2006 Council engaged a company to develop a community vision for Queanbeyan to 2021 and after some extensive consultation, the community identified a number of priorities. When this exercise was undertaken it was envisaged that a major review would be conducted after five years. In early October Council appointed People Place and Partnership (PPandP) to conduct the review and the majority of the engagement process will be undertaken during November. The success of this review is dependent on the community taking ownership for the vision and letting PPandP know how you want to see Queanbeyan in the future. Residents of the Queanbeyan Local Government Area are invited to attend and participate in the following events.
Thursday 10 November 6pm-8pm: Two simultaneous workshops will be held for both urban and rural residents. Rural residents can attend a workshop at the Fernleigh Park Community Hall. Whilst urban residents can attend a workshop at the Council Chambers in Crawford Street.
Saturday 12 November 10am-12 noon: A Have a Say Day will be held at the Riverside Plaza in Queanbeyan.
Saturday 12 November 2.30pm-5.30pm: A large community summit will be held at the Jim Snow Room of the R B Smith Community Hall, in Crawford Street and all local organisations, residents, business and industry are invited.
Saturday 26 November 11am to 2pm: A Have a Say Day will be held in conjunction with the Queanbeyan Gift and Family Fun Day at Queanbeyan Park.

Throughout November and December an online survey will be offered to residents via Council’s website at www.qcc.nsw.gov.au. All residents of the Queanbeyan Local Government Area are encouraged to participate in the activities and can obtain more information by emailing

qbn2021(_AT_)qcc.nsw.gov.au
or calling 6285 6000.

Free entry to races on Monday

On Monday, 7 November, all Queanbeyan residents will be able to attend the Queanbeyan races free of charge. Free attendance at two designated race meetings each year is in response to an ongoing sponsorship arrangement between Council and the racing club. The Queanbeyan Racing Club is an integral part of the community and for some years Council has been a sponsor of the Club. Gates open for the eight-race program at 11.30am.




Community Meeting on Thursday 13 October


Queanbeyan City Council will be holding a Community Meeting at the Jerrabomberra Community Centre on Thursday 13 October from 6pm-8pm. All residents are invited. Items on the agenda include:

  • Crawford St Lifestyle Precinct
  • Googong/Tralee developments
  • Council's Sustainability Policy
  • Responsbilities of dog owners
  • Road and other infrastructure projects
  • Cultural events - The Q and Markets

Residents will also be able to ask questions of Council representatives.




Working together with Crawford St businesses


Last Friday representatives from Council and Hansen Yuncken met with businesses in Crawford St to discuss the construction of the Lifestyle Precinct. Since their last meeting Council and Hansen Yuncken had been investigating a number of possible changes to the construction program which would deliver a time saving. The changed program was presented to businesses last Friday and it is envisaged it will trim about four weeks off the construction program. To achieve this Crawford St will be completely closed to traffic for about 4.5 weeks. The commencement of this closure can’t be finalised at the moment, but it’s thought that it will start during the week commencing 17 October. During this period two-way access will be provided to the Mid City Motor Inn and pedestrian access will remain open. While the street is closed the contractors will be able to install the remainder of the stormwater drain which runs from the eastern side of Crawford St to the western side. They will also be able to undertake kerb works and construct the road near the intersection. While Crawford St is closed to traffic Council will be trying to maximise the visibility of pedestrian access along Crawford St and is looking to bring down some fences as soon as possible. Updates on the street closure will be made available on Council’s website at www.qcc.nsw.gov.au, Facebook (Queanbeyan City Council) and Twitter (@Queanbeyancity).

High Court dismisses Council’s challenge

Council’s challenge against ACTEW’s Water Abstraction Charge and Utilities Tax came to an end during the week when the High Court of Australia dismissed our challenge against the Federal Court of Australia’s determination. In September 2010 the Federal Court of Australia found in favour of ACTEW in regards to both matters and Council appealed this decision to the High Court, but was unsuccessful. Council first challenged these charges in 2007 it was generally understood at that time that it would be finally determined in the High Court of Australia. Both the Utilities Tax and Water Abstraction Charges are not only levied on Queanbeyan City Council, but for all water consumers in the ACT. Annually the Water Abstraction Charge costs Council around $3 million and the Utilities Tax costs around $700,000. The cost of this legal action is totally funded from Council’s reserves in the water fund and the costs have not impacted on the service we provide for roads, parks and open spaces, drainage and other Council services. Council is up to date with payments to ACTEW for both charges.

Summer Sunset Markets return

The Summer Sunset Markets return to Queanbeyan today and I’m told this year’s version will be amazing. The Markets have a strong focus on supporting and encouraging high quality local handmade arts and crafts practitioners, local produce suppliers as well as providing an opportunity for local entertainers and performers to entertain marketgoers. The Markets will be held from 5pm-8pm on the first and third Friday of the month in the courtyards around the Conference Centre and Library in Crawford St, with outdoor and indoor Markets stalls and good parking nearby. The Markets will run each fortnight until 16 December before breaking for Christmas and they will return on Friday 3 February.


Council helps out local schools

At its September meeting, Council agreed to make donations to two of the city’s schools to assist with their participation in the Tournament of the Minds National Championships which will be held in Hobart in October 2011. Council agreed donate $2,000 to Queanbeyan Public School and $1,000 to Karabar High School to reduce some of the costs associated with the Tournament.




Cr Peter Bray elected Deputy Mayor


Congratulations to Cr Peter Bray who was elected Deputy Mayor at Wednesday’s Council meeting. Cr Peter Bray was elected to Queanbeyan City Council in September 2008. Cr Bray served in the Regular Army for some 40 years, retiring in 1996. Following his military career Cr Bray became increasingly involved in the disability sector at community and State levels. He has held appointments of Vice President Queanbeyan Special Needs Group Inc. and President Meals on Wheels Queanbeyan Inc. He continues to fundraise for local charitable purposes. Cr Bray's vision for Queanbeyan is to see area grow into a mature and vibrant place for people to live; a place that is safe and environmentally sustainable in a rural setting. Cr Bray will now serve as Deputy Mayor up until the Local Government Elections which will be held in September 2012. I particularly thank Cr Sue Whelan for her assistance over the past three years as Deputy Mayor. Cr Whelan is the longest serving Councillor on Council and continues to make a significant contribution to the community and its council.

BURRA’s push to join Queanbeyan

At our meeting on Wednesday night, Council agreed to initiate a review by the Minister of the Burra Urila Residents and Ratepayers Association’s (BURRA) submission for a boundary adjustment to enable the area of Burra, Urila and Royalla to be transferred to the Queanbeyan Local Government Area from Palerang. BURRA made an application to the Minister Local Government in 2007 to be transferred to the Queanbeyan Local Government Area, however the Minister rejected the claim in 2009. Council will now seek to initiate a review by the Minister of the local government boundaries that currently exist between Queanbeyan and Palerang that would allow the area identified in BURRA’s 2007 submission to be transferred to the Queanbeyan Local Government Area. Some of the reasons behind BURRA’s submission include
• community interest and geographic cohesion
• historical ties to Queanbeyan
• what they see as financial advantages due to Queanbeyan’s economy
• improved access to elected representatives
• likelihood of better services and response times.

Discussing future public transport

Council will hold a public forum on Thursday 27 October 2011 to discuss the city’s future public transport needs. The forum will assist Council in the preparation of a Queanbeyan Transport Strategy which will accommodate the previously adopted Googong and Tralee Traffic Study (2031), the proposed construction of Dunns Creek Rd and a number of other transport-related issues. The forum will allow the community and Council to explore roles, expectations and constraints in the provision of public transport. The forum will help determine strategies that Council may use to help the community better understand Council’s role with respect to public transport and inform the Council on community expectations around the provision of public transport and pedestrian facilities. Queanbeyan’s transport system will come under increased pressure over the next 20 years as the city’s population rises from 40,000 to around 70,000. Registration details will be advertised soon.

Aquatic Centre gears up for celebration

The Queanbeyan Aquatic Centre will celebrate its 50th birthday with a free open day on Sunday 13 November 2011. The Aquatic Centre, formerly the Queanbeyan War Memorial Olympic Swimming Pool, was opened on 11 November and will this year celebrate its 50th birthday. The Aquatic Centre is one of Queanbeyan’s most popular public facilities with more than 130,000 using the centre during the 2010-2011 financial year. To celebrate the Centre’s 50th birthday Council will hold a free open day at the Pool with a number of activities to be provided.




Come along to our next meeting


Queanbeyan City Council’s next meeting will be held this coming Wednesday, 28 September in the Council Chambers starting at 5.30pm. As with all Council meetings, members of the public are encouraged to attend and can make presentations to the Council on any item on the agenda. Persons wishing to address the Council should arrive at the Council Chambers before 5.30pm and register with the Clerk of Meeting. You can obtain a hardcopy of the agenda from Council’s Customer Service Centre and the Queanbeyan Library, both at 257 Crawford St or you can download a copy from Council’s website at www.qcc.nsw.gov.au.

Election of Deputy Mayor

The September meeting is always important as most councils across NSW elect their Mayor and Deputy Mayor. Here at Queanbeyan we only hold an election for the position of Deputy Mayor as the position of Mayor is determined by the community when the Council is elected and holds that position for the entire four-year term. That four-year term comes to an end in September 2012 when the Local Government Elections are held across NSW.

Celebrating Queanbeyan’s proclamation

Queanbeyan will celebrate the anniversary of its proclamation on Wednesday 28 September at 5pm in the Council Chambers Foyer with the cutting of the Proclamation Day cake. Queanbeyan has a long rich history, and one of the key events is when it was first proclaimed a settlement in 1838. Residents are invited to attend this small ceremony.

Crawford Street Lifestyle Precinct - update

Construction of the Crawford St Lifestyle Precinct is continuing to move along well and just recently myself and also a number of councillors have met with businesses in the affected area to talk about their issues. Representatives from Council and contractors Hansen Yuncken have since met to discuss the construction program and are considering an altered program of works aimed at reducing the construction timeframe wherever possible. This plan will be presented to businesses in the affected area at a special meeting. The details of this meeting are yet to be confirmed and businesses in Crawford St will be invited when it is finalised. It’s very important that businesses take the opportunity to come along to this meeting to have further input into the process.

More sporting success for Queanbeyan

The winter sporting season is now complete and once again Queanbeyan teams and individuals have sparkled. Below is a list of the winning teams from Queanbeyan – as there are quite a few it is possible that I missed one and I apologise if this is the case.
Rugby league: The Queanbeyan Kangaroos won their second straight Canberra Raiders Cup with victory over fellow locals the Queanbeyan Blues. The Roos under-18 team also tasted success in their grand final, also defeating fellow locals the Queanbeyan Blues.
In the junior rugby league Queanbeyan United was runner up in the under-16 Zone 2 competition, the Kangaroos won the girls competition, United Blue won the under-10 Zone 1 competition and United Black was runner up in the under-10 Zone 3.
AFL: The Queanbeyan Tigers reserve grade team won their third straight AFL Canberra reserve grade title.
Rugby union: The Queanbeyan Whites colts under-20s team defeated Tuggeranong in the grand final and the Queanbeyan Whites under-9s won the Canberra Cup. Individually, Jesse Collins earned selection in the Australian under-16 Indigenous rugby union team.
Basketball: The Queanbeyan Yowies women’s team made the semi-finals of the NSW State Waratah League competition.
Hockey: Queanbeyan United women’s teams won the under-13, under-15, division two and division seven grand finals in the Canberra hockey competition.
Netball: Waratah defeated Sunrise in the local netball competition.

Congratulations to all of these teams and individuals on their success.




Busy night for Council


Council had a very busy night in the Chambers on Wednesday night with 24 reports made to the Ordinary Council meeting. These reports ranged included policy reviews, donations, program updates and development applications. The minutes of this meeting will be available on Council’s website next week.

Community groups receive donations

One of the key items on the agenda on Wednesday was the distribution of funds under the General Donations Scheme. Each year Council puts significant funds in the Operational Plan to cover donations to community groups and organisations. This year there was $40,000 set aside in the budget for donations with $34,500 allocated for distribution and $5,500 set aside for emergency donations. This scheme is always very popular with Queanbeyan community groups and 2011 was no different with 27 separate organisations receiving funding to assist with the development of their group or to assist with the hire of Council facilities.

CityCARE program making a difference

Council received a report which updated it on the progress of the CityCARE works program which has now been in place for over a year. The CityCARE program was developed in 2009 to address a shortfall in the maintenance and renewal of Council’s roads, footpaths and parks and sportsfields. To fund this program Council undertook extensive consultation with the community and gained support to apply to the Minister of Local Government for a Special Rate Variation of 5.8%. The Minister approved this for an initial period of three years and work commenced in July 2010. This increase allowed Council to raise an extra $1.048million in rates for the 2010-2011 financial year. Of this amount, $64,000 worth of pensioner concessions were provided. The first year of Council’s CityCARE program resulted in 758 footpath defects being repaired, 17 roads resealed, three roads stabilised and five parks and sportsfields receiving much-needed upgrades. Council was unable to complete the resealing of a section of Wanna Wanna Rd during the financial year and it will be completed as part of the 2011-2012 resealing program. The original program for 2010-2011 included the upgrade of water supply at the Queanbeyan Showground. Due to some planning issues this was transferred to 2011-2012 and replaced with the installation of a shade structure in Queanbeyan Park which is complete. In 2011-2012 the Special Rate Variation will raise $1.011 million for Council to spend exclusively on the CityCARE program. The works program for 2011-2012 is as follows:
• Pavement rehabilitation of four sections of local roads - $350,000
• Footpath repairs - $196,760
• Bitumen resealing of around 10 local roads - $165,000
• Replacement of equipment and soft fall at Cassinia Park - $35,000
• Upgrade of water supply at the Queanbeyan Showground - $45,000
• Replacement of soft fall and upgrade of equipment at Railway Park - $45,000
• Upgrade of amenities at Blundell Park - $75,000
• Erosion control, grass cover on banks of Halloran Drive - $25,000
• Upgrade of lower amenities at Wright Park - $75,000

Council staff have already commenced work on the footpath repair program while the pavement rehabilitation and resealing of local roads is likely to be undertaken between October and December. Planning has commenced and quotes have been sought for the six projects concerning Queanbeyan parks and sportsfields.




Let's make the Queanbeyan Gift bigger and better


The Queanbeyan Gift and Family Fun Day is Queanbeyan’s most popular community event and Queanbeyan City Council is seeking the assistance of businesses to make it even better. The event is held annually in November in Queanbeyan Park and attracts hundreds of athletes from all parts of Australia and thousands of spectators and Family Fun Day participants from around the region. As with all Gifts around Australia there has been a significant difference in prizemoney between men and women and this is something Council wants to change. Council is committed to a gender equity program and was last year awarded a bronze award for its progress. Due to this commitment Council will be offering equal prizemoney for both male and female competitors at this year’s Queanbeyan Gift. Obviously this will result in an increased cost for the event and Council is seeking expressions of interest for sponsorship of the Gift and Family Fun Day. Sponsorship is available from as little as a few dollars to a few thousand or in the form of valuable in-kind support with no financial outlay. The Gift Carnival and Family Fun Day will be a great chance to advertise yourself or your business and to have your branding or logo seen by thousands of people across Queanbeyan and Canberra in the lead up to, and on the day of the event. Further information about sponsoring this event can be obtained by contacting Council’s Debbie Sibbick on 6285 6000 or emailing

debbie.sibbick(_AT_)qcc.nsw.gov.au
.

Crawford St Lifestyle Precinct - update

Construction of the Crawford St Lifestyle Precinct continues to progress well. Last week all 10 trees from Crawford St were transferred to Council’s nursery for rehabilitation. The contractors are now preparing to demolish the existing road surface on the eastern side of Crawford St. Since last week the contractors have installed a footpath which provides pedestrian access from the temporary carpark on the site of the former Queanbeyan Age building on to Crawford St. For updates visit www.qcc.nsw.gov.au, www.facebook.com/qbncity or http://twitter.com/#!/QueanbeyanCity

Queanbeyan Art Award exhibition wraps up

The Queanbeyan City Council Art Award exhibition closed last Saturday with the naming of the People’s Choice award winner. For the second year in a row, talented Queanbeyan artist Margaret Hadfield was the winner of this highly-sought after award for her oil on canvas piece titled ‘Misty Mountain Stream Series #1’. The People’s Choice award was voted on by visitors to the exhibition which was open from 2-13 August. The winner of the Queanbeyan Art Award was announced on 2 August and for the second time since the inception of the award the winner was Timo Nest, while Debra Boyd-Goggin claimed the Highly Commended Award. I congratulate Margaret, Timo and Debra on their success and look forward to next year’s Queanbeyan City Council Art Award.

Your chance to ask questions

A reminder that Council’s next Public Forum will be held on Wednesday 7 September at 5.30pm in the Council Chambers, 253 Crawford St. If you wish to ask a question at the Public Forum it must be submitted in writing to the General Manager’s Office or emailed to

public.forum(_AT_)qcc.nsw.gov.au
and must be received prior to 5pm on the Monday preceding the Public Forum. Forms can be collected from the General Manager’s Office, 253 Crawford St, Queanbeyan, downloaded from Council’s website at www.qcc.nsw.gov.au or by contacting Margaret Simonovski on 6285 6223.




Talks continue with ACT Government


The relationship between Queanbeyan and the ACT is vitally important to the future growth of our fine city. To ensure this relationship remains healthy and productive I have been holding regular meetings with the ACT Chief Minister. These commenced in 2009 when Jon Stanhope was Chief Minister and I was pleased to continue these meetings with the new Chief Minister, Katy Gallagher a few weeks ago. At that meeting the main discussion point was the need for extra lanes and bus priority  measures on Canberra Avenue, the Queanbeyan sewerage treatment plant, the proposed Queanbeyan ring road and Canberra’s centenary which coincides with Queanbeyan’s 175th birthday. We had some in-depth discussions around the $8.2 million of capital funding for bus lanes on Canberra Avenue with both parties agreeing that while the project remained an important first step, consideration for a second stage development taking the project right to the Queanbeyan border was needed. The 2010‐11 ACT Budget included funding over four years to provide a bus lane along Canberra Avenue from Fyshwick east to Hume Circle however, it was agreed that over time the ACT Government will need to look at extending the development to deal with increasing traffic pressures. These meetings are held every four months and I will report back on the outcome of the next meeting in November.

Housing group wins award

Last week one of Queanbeyan’s many community groups won $2000 in the Local Government and Shires Association of NSW (LGSA) Empowering Communities competition. The Karabar Housing Tenants Group was formed to look at significant issues in the area and was recognised by the LGSA at the awards function in Sydney. Cost of living is a major concern for the group and it has developed some strategies to help empower the residents to try and escape the poverty cycle. I congratulate the Karabar Housing Tenants Group on their success and hope their good work continues into the future.

Crawford St trees relocated to Nursery

Work on the Crawford St Lifestyle Precinct is continuing to move along nicely. During the week the 10 trees which ran up the centre of Crawford St were carefully removed by the contractors and relocated to Council’s nursery where they will be rehabilitated. Council originally hoped to re-plant these trees in the completed Lifestyle Precinct, however we have received advice that this would place too much stress on the trees and they would be unlikely to survive. Instead we will purchase some advanced trees of the same species for the Lifestyle Precinct. The trees which have been relocated to the nursery will be used in a future project.

Celebrating Queanbeyan’s best businesses

Queanbeyan has some outstanding businesses and they will be honoured at the inaugural Queanbeyan Business Excellence Awards in September. The awards are being organised by the Capital Region Business Enterprise Centre and the Queanbeyan Business Council and there are seven categories up for grabs. Nominations have been promising so far and businesses have until Friday 15 August to submit their application. The gala awards night will be held at The Q on Saturday 10 September and you are encouraged to get in early to secure a ticket to avoid disappointment. Tickets are $100 per person and include a three-course dinner, entertainment and a great opportunity to network with other businesses. For more information on the awards visit www.qcc.nsw.gov.au and to book a ticket contact Tracey Lamont at the Visitor Information Centre on 6299 7307.




Welcoming our Sister City visitors


On Wednesday Council welcomed nine visitors from our Sister City, Minami Alps in Japan. Queanbeyan and Minami Alps have enjoyed a successful Sister City relationship since 1992 and it was great to welcome the Minami Alps representatives to Queanbeyan for the first time since I have been Mayor. Due to the outbreak of Swine Flu in 2009, a delegation from Minami Alps has not visited Queanbeyan since 2007. While in Queanbeyan the six students and three chaperones from Minami Alps will be billeted out to local families. The delegates will be dropped to Council each weekday morning where they will board a bus for their day of activities before they are returned to their host family each night. The host family will entertain their guests over the weekend. Council’s Sister City Committee has organised a very busy itinerary for the Minami Alps representatives and includes an overnight visit to the South Coast, a tree planting ceremony at Sister City Park; a visit to Karabar High School; tour of Canberra icons, including Parliament House, National Museum and Questacon and a trip to Gold Creek Station. Queanbeyan will again send a delegation of students and chaperones to Minami Alps next year and will be calling for nominations in early 2011. Keep an eye on this column, Council’s regular advertisements in the Queanbeyan Age and Chronicle and our website for more information.

20th anniversary of Sister City relationship

Next year will be the 20th anniversary of Sister City relations between Queanbeyan and Minami Alps and they have indicated they would like to visit Queanbeyan to celebrate this milestone. It is planned a group consisting of five officials and an unknown group of adults will be visiting in either February or November 2012. Council is currently discussing the visit with representatives from Minami Alps.

Council Careers Expo this Saturday

As part of Local Government Week, Council will be holding a Careers Expo on Saturday at 10.30am at The Q. Council offers a broad range of career opportunities and a special presentation has being organised for the general community to provide practical information on the range of careers and jobs available in Council, and how best to find and apply for them. Council staff will be on hand to answer any questions you may have about working for Council and the benefits associated. For more information contact our Human Resources department on 6285 6000.

Crawford St traffic changes

As many of you would have noticed, Stage 1 of the construction of the Crawford St Lifestyle Precinct commenced earlier this week. Stage 1 involves the removal of the mid-street planter and demolition and reconstruction of centre of the road. During Stage 1 traffic will be reduced to one-way and single lane along western side on Crawford St (Sam’s Warehouse side) in a north-bound direction. Motorists will still be able to turn left and right from Monaro St into Crawford St and continue along Crawford St in a northerly direction. Traffic will not be able to turn right or left from Morisset St into Crawford St or go straight from the Crawford St/Morisset St lights in a south-bound direction. Pedestrian access to shops along Crawford St remains available. For more information visit our website at www.qcc.nsw.gov.au, www.facebook.com/qbncity or via Twitter @Queanbeyancity.




Community sends clear message on Tralee


The Queanbeyan community sent a strong message to the NSW Government last Sunday when over 500 residents attended a community organised rally to support the rezoning of Tralee. It was quite encouraging to see such a large crowd in attendance to show their support for this development which will provide much needed infrastructure for Jerrabomberra and Queanbeyan residents also. The process to rezone Tralee has dragged on for almost 10 years with necessary variations to Council’s long term Residential and Economic Strategy - as approved by successive NSW Ministers for Planning, and a number of legal challenges initiated by the Canberra Airport Group. From planning and legislative points of view the Tralee development meets all of the standards and requirements set by the NSW Government and will also allow the airport to expand with no detriment to its ultimate capacity growth projections. I believe there is no legal or technical reason why South Tralee cannot be approved and I remain hopeful that the NSW Government will make the correct decision. In November last year Council approved the Draft Local Environmental Plan for South Tralee and sent it to the NSW Minister for Planning. Since then there has been further legal action instigated by the Canberra Airport Group in which the court found in favour of Council and the NSW Department of Planning. The Draft LEP is still with the Minister of Planning and recently he informed Council that any decision on the Tralee matter would be postponed until he received advice from the Commonwealth in regard to the timing of two aviation studies - one a national airports study and the second concerning aviation capacity at Sydney Airport. We await the Minister’s decision.

Stage 1 works commence on Monday

Residents would have noticed that some work has commenced on the Crawford St Lifestyle Precinct earlier this week. Contractors commenced preliminary work on western side of the street on Tuesday and this resulted in one lane of traffic being closed. The contractors are expecting to commence stage 1 of the project on Monday and there will be some significant traffic changes. Stage 1 is expected to take 18 weeks to complete and during that time traffic flow in Crawford St will be reduced to one lane in a northbound direction along western side of Crawford St (Sam’s Warehouse side). Motorists will still be able to turn left from Monaro St into Crawford St and continue along Crawford St in a northerly direction. Traffic will not be able to turn right or left from Morisset St into Crawford St or go straight from the Crawford St/Morisset St lights in a south-bound direction. There will be no parking available on the eastern side (Continental Cakes) during stage 1 but parking will be available on the site of the former Queanbeyan Age building and that can be accessed via Fallick Lane. For more updates visit www.qcc.nsw.gov.au, www.facebook.com/qbncity or follow us on Facebook @Queanbeyancity.

Dog behaviour the owner’s responsibility

Dogs are great companion pets, but if they are not looked after properly some can become a danger to the community. Many councils across NSW, including Queanbeyan, have recorded a disturbing number of dog attacks over the past year. In Queanbeyan there have been 39 dog attacks over the past 12 months and that has resulted in 26 human victims. A dog owner is fully responsible for the actions of their dog and large fines apply for dogs involved in attacks or simply found roaming the streets. There are a number of methods owners can use to limit the chance of their dog being involved in an attack and for more information just email

council(_AT_)qcc.nsw.gov.au




Crawford St Lifestyle Precinct


I am using this week’s Mayoral Column to talk to you about the construction of the Crawford St Lifestyle Precinct. The Lifestyle Precinct will be the most significant upgrade the Queanbeyan CBD has ever seen. Contractors are expected to move on-site next week and will commence work in the coming days. Below is some information on the construction timeframe, traffic changes and more.

What is the Crawford St Lifestyle Precinct?

The Lifestyle Precinct will see the section of Crawford St between Monaro and Morisset Sts turned into a pedestrian-friendly area where alfresco dining and a new mix of retail will be encouraged. When complete, traffic flow will be reduced to a single lane in both directions. The footpaths will be significantly widened and levelled to create a much more pleasant place to enjoy a meal or entertainment or just shop. Existing parking spaces will be retained when construction is complete.

How long will construction take?

It is expected that construction will take around 43 weeks to complete. This time frame may change depending on weather conditions. The project has been split into two stages. Stage one is expected to take 18 weeks to complete (around December) and will involve the removal of the mid-street planter and demolition and reconstruction of centre of the road. Stage two will continue for the rest of construction and will see the western side of the road demolished and reconstructed, footpaths leveled and widened with new lighting and plantings.

What will happen first?

Contractors will move into the area during the week 25-29 July. Over the next four weeks it is planned that the following works will be undertaken:
• Establishment of a project office and amenities.
• Detailed survey of existing services (water mains, electricity etc).
• Establishment of a temporary carpark on the site of the former Queanbeyan Age building (204-214 Crawford St). Access to this carpark will be available via Fallick Lane.
• Removal of road blisters near the Royal Hotel and works to establish through traffic from Monaro to Morisset St.
• Erection of perimeter fencing at northern end of Crawford St and set up of traffic management.
• Temporarily relocate trees from mid-street planter to Council’s nursery. Trees will return to Crawford St when construction is complete.
• Commence demolition of existing roadway.

How will traffic flow be affected?

During stage one traffic will be reduced to one-way and single lane along western side of Crawford St (Sam’s Warehouse side) in a north-bound direction. Motorists will still be able to turn left from Monaro St into Crawford St and continue along Crawford St in a northerly direction. Traffic will not be able to turn right or left from Morisset St into Crawford St or go straight from the Crawford St/Morisset St lights in a south-bound direction. During stage two traffic will be moved to the centre of the street and will be two-way, single lane with access with Crawford St open at both ends.

Will parking be affected?

Parking will be affected during construction. During the first stage of construction there will be no parking available on the eastern side (Continental Cakes side) of the street. To offset this the site of former Queanbeyan Age building has been leased to allow for extra parking. This carpark can be accessed via Fallick Lane. There is ample carparking available nearby for customers. A parking map is available on Council’s website to be printed off.

What will happen to the bus interchange?

The bus interchange will be relocated to the corner of Lowe and Morisset Sts.

How can I keep up to date?

Council’s website (www.qcc.nsw.gov.au) will have a page dedicated to the Lifestyle Precinct and will be updated as required. Council will also be using Facebook and Twitter to communicate updates as they come to hand. To get these updates either like us on Facebook (Queanbeyan City Council) or follow us on Twitter (@Queanbeyancity)




Heather McKay opens Indoor Sports Centre


On Tuesday Council held a ceremony to officially open the Heather McKay Indoor Sports Centre. It was great to see Heather at the ceremony and assisting Dr Mike Kelly with the unveiling of the plaque to commemorate the opening. Council agreed to name the centre in Heather’s honour in February and I must say there is no one more deserving of such a tribute. Heather is one of the greatest sportspeople this country has ever produced and her dominance of international squash during the 1960s and 70s is unprecedented. In fact, Heather only lost two matches during her career and won an amazing 16 consecutive British Open titles. She also excelled in both field hockey and racquet ball. The Indoor Sports Centre has been operational for a number of weeks and both team and individual nominations are being accepted. To nominate visit www.niccweb.com or phone 0405 425 662.

Eight athletes inducted into Gallery

Also on Tuesday at the Indoor Sports Centre, the new-look Queanbeyan Sporting Gallery was unveiled and eight athletes were inducted making a total of 110 state and national representatives. The Gallery has been moved from the Queanbeyan Conference Centre to the Indoor Sports Centre and was jointly opened by Canberra Raiders coach, former Australian league representative and Sporting Gallery member David Furner and the man who gave life to the Gallery, Jim Woods. A new electronic terminal is also at the Centre and includes the profiles of all athletes. The athletes inducted on Tuesday were:

  • Damien Bowen – Australian representative in javelin at the 2008 Beijing Paralympic Games.
  • Terry Campese – Australian and NSW rugby league representative.
  • Robbie Coleman – Australian Sevens (rugby union) representative at 2010 Commonwealth Games and ACT Brumbies player.
  • Bob Harrow – Coach of Australian men’s and women’s softball teams
  • Sepi Langi – Samoan representative in netball at the 2010 Commonwealth Games and 2012 World Championships.
  • Anthony and Saia Faingaa – Australian rugby union representatives and members of Queensland’s 2011 Super Rugby championship-winning team.
  • Andrew Blair – Australian representative at World Cross Country (mountain biking) Championships.

I congratulate these eight athletes and welcome them to the Sporting Gallery which includes some of this country’s best sports people. While at the Centre on Tuesday I had a further look through some of the athletes in the Gallery and there is no doubt that Queanbeyan is truly a city of champions.

Apply now for funding

A reminder to residents and community organisations that applications for Council’s General Donations Scheme and Heritage Assistance Scheme close on Friday 29 July. These two schemes provide great assistance to the community and I encourage interested persons and organisations to obtain a copy of the criteria and submit a nomination before the closing date. Criteria and nomination forms are available from Council’s website at www.qcc.nsw.gov.au or by calling Margaret Simonovski on 6285 6223 (General Donations) or Glenda Kells on 6285 6276 (Heritage Assistance).

Morisset St works finished

It is expected that the roadworks on Morisset St will be finished this afternoon. Council apologises for the delays in completing this work and I thank motorists for their patience during the repairs to the sewer main and related roadworks.




Highlighting a quality performance


I would like to use this week’s column to highlight the performance of Queanbeyan City Council as an organisation over the last few years. Operating any kind of business has been challenging over the past 3-4 years and it’s pleasing to see Council come through the tough patch, which included the Global Financial Crisis, in a very strong financial position. This hasn’t been through good luck – it has been the result of tireless work by Council, particularly our staff to ensure the organisation’s healthy financial position. I have included a number of matters which you may not be aware of.

Integrated Planning
Queanbeyan was one of the first councils in NSW to embrace the Integrated Planning and Reporting Framework and is now regarded as a Group 1 council. To achieve this Council had to prepare a 10-year Community Strategic Plan, four-year Delivery Program and an annual Operational Plan by 30 June 2010. The 10-year outlook has allowed Council to better plan for what’s ahead and gives us a more realistic view of what the future holds.

Financial management
Remaining financially stable over the past 3-4 years hasn’t been an easy task but Council has introduced a number of financial management measures which have helped keep a healthy bottom line. A number of cost-saving measures have been implemented to ensure we continue to operate with a budget surplus and Council’s investments have performed very well.

Asset maintenance
One key thing the Integrated Planning and Reporting Framework showed was that this Council had a history of not adequately funding the maintenance and renewal of its assets. As such there was a significant backlog of maintenance that had to be undertaken or Council would have found itself in a hole. To assist with this shortfall, and with general community support, we applied for and gained approval for a Special Rate Variation of 5.8% for an initial period of three years. While it’s never easy asking for more rates, I believe it was a sensible decision by Council to ensure the long-term life of community assets.

Division of Local Government Better Practice Review
The measure of a good organisation comes via an independent review. In 2009 Council shone when the Division of Local Government conducted an audit review as part of the Promoting Better Practice Program. The review team closely evaluated the effectiveness and efficiency of key aspects of Council’s overall strategic direction, checked our compliance, examined appropriate practices and ensured that we had frameworks in place to monitor our performance. The review team only made six recommendations, all of which were addressed immediately. The average number of recommendations made (for other councils) before our report was 36, while the lowest was 15.

Building for the future
A further sign of the strength of Council, and also the Queanbeyan community, is our capital works budget for 2011-2012. Council proposes to spend more than $31 million on a number of capital projects, including Stage 2 of the Edwin Land Parkway extension, the Crawford St Lifestyle Precinct and the relocation of the library, just to name a few. The majority of these works will be funded from grants, State and Federal Government funding and developer contributions. Council will be borrowing about $6.65 million which increases our debt service ratio to 2.1%. This is still a healthy position with councils similar in size to us averaging 7.1% and the Division of Local Government’s guidelines saying anything under 10% is healthy.

Congratulations
As we have now entered the new financial year it’s timely to congratulate all of Council’s staff on their efforts over the past 12 months. Also I am pleased to advise that Council resolved on 22 June to renew Gary Chapman’s contract as General Manager for a further five years. I look forward to continuing to work with Council staff to tackle the challenges ahead.




Tapping into youth's ideas


The creation of a Queanbeyan Youth Council has been a wish of the current Council since it was elected in 2008. Queanbeyan has a very diverse and motivated youth community and Council wants to tap into their ideas and thoughts to help make Queanbeyan a better place for our young people. Council initially sought to establish a Youth Council for 16 and 17-year-olds and received some  interest from local students, however a Youth Council did not eventuate due to lack of numbers. We understand that 16 and 17-year-olds have to deal with increased levels of study and are starting to look for part-time employment. As such we have revised our ages for the Youth Council and are now looking to 14 and 15-year-olds. Council staff will be holding discussions with local schools soon and will be holding an information session for prospective participants. Keep an eye on this column and Council’s fortnightly advertisements in the Queanbeyan Age and Chronicle for more information. If you are interested in joining the Youth Council contact Philippa Moss on 6285 6202.

Get along to see Blood Brothers

One of the must-see shows of The Q’s season opens on Wednesday night. Blood Brothers is one of two in-house shows that will appear at The Q this season and I have heard nothing but positive news coming out of rehearsals. The cast has been preparing for the show over the past few months under the watchful eye of The Q’s Program Manager Stephen Pike who is directing the play. Blood Brothers is a powerful story which is both hilariously funny and deeply moving. Blood Brothers is set in Liverpool and is a story of twin brothers separated at birth who reunite and become friends in their childhood, unaware they are related or of the consequences their relationship will bring.  Regarded as one of the all time great British musicals, Blood Brothers has been playing on London’s West End for over 20 years. The opening night of the show is Wednesday 6 July and shows will be held from 6-9, 13-17 and 20-23 July with a total of 16 performances. Tickets are selling well - for  bookings contact The Q on 6285 6290 or visit the website, www.theq.net.au

Look out for City Life

Residents should be receiving the next edition of the City Life newsletter in their mailboxes over the next week. This newsletter is Council’s most important communication tool and this edition contains a wealth of important information for residents. If you would like to receive the newsletter electronically email

ricky.tozer(_AT_)qcc.nsw.gov.au
Also, if you don’t receive your copy of the newsletter please let us know through the above email address.

Road closures continue in Morisset St

The roadworks at the intersection of Morisset and Collett Sts are likely to enter a third week. Council employed a contractor to undertake the work, which required replacing a collapsed sewer main 8m under the road, but unfortunately there have been a number of problems and the expected finish date is currently being revised. The following road closures will remain in place until work is complete:

  • Morisset St will be closed to through traffic in an eastbound direction (heading towards the low-level bridge) between Crawford St and Carinya St. Access to the Woolworths and City Link Plaza carparks will not be affected.
  • Collett St, between Morisset and Antill St, will be closed to traffic in both directions. Local access to carparks will not be affected.
  • Drivers approaching the Collett St roundabout from the south (Queens Bridge direction) will only be able to turn left.



High Court challenge


Queanbeyan City Council’s challenge against the legality of the ACT’s water abstraction charge and utilities tax was heard in the High Court on Tuesday. The High Court has reserved its decision and has not indicated as to when a decision will be handed down. This has been the subject of ongoing legal proceedings since 2007 between Council and the ACT Government with the matters being heard before the Federal Court and then subject to appeal before the Full Federal Court.  Annually the Water Abstraction Charge costs Council and therefore Queanbeyan consumers about $3 million and the Utilities Tax about $700,000.

Tralee decision postponed

Late last week Council received information from the NSW Minister of Planning, the Hon Brad Hazzard regarding the progress of the draft Tralee Local Environmental Plan (LEP). The Minister has advised Council that the determination of the draft Plan would be postponed to allow a report by the National Airports Safeguarding Advisory Group (NASAG) principles for land use planning and the Joint Study into Additional Aviation Capacity for the Sydney Region to be completed. Mr Hazzard said he had asked the Commonwealth Government for urgent advice to be provided to him within the next six weeks on the expected timeframes for the completion of both the NASAG principles and the Joint Study. Despite the delay Council remains confident that the draft Plan will be approved in due course.

Department store development approved

At our meeting on Wednesday night, Council approved a development application for the reconfiguration of City Link Plaza to allow a discount department store to be developed. As with all development applications, Council is required to consider the application in terms of compliance with planning legislation and control plans. Should the redevelopment take place, residents will have access to new shopping facilities that were only previously available in the ACT. Council is aware that preliminary discussions have taken place with a number of City Link businesses as to an alternative site or sites for those businesses within the CBD.

Changes made to Draft Operational Plan 2011-12

Also at our meeting on Wednesday night, Council adopted its Operational Plan for 2011-2012. There were a number of changes made to both the Operational Plan and Schedule of Fees and Charges following the public exhibition phase where Council received more than 20 submissions. These changes included making funding available for external painting of the Aquatic Centre, establishment of the Karabar Community Centre and additional funding for weeds management and improvements to sports fields. The documents will be available in hard copy and on the Council’s website next week.

Road closures continue in Morisset St

Due to unforseen delays, work to repair a collapsed sewer main at the intersection of Morisset and Collett Sts is expected to continue until Friday 1 July. The following road closures will remain in place until work is complete:
• Morisset St will be closed to through traffic in an eastbound direction (heading towards the low-level bridge) between Crawford St and Carinya St. Access to the Woolworths and City Link Plaza carparks will not be affected.
• Collett St, between Morisset and Antill St, will be closed to traffic in both directions. Local access to carparks will not be affected.
• Drivers approaching the Collett St roundabout from the south (Queens Bridge direction) will only be able to turn left.




Get out to the Enviro Expo this Sunday


With the price of electricity rising rapidly and the given the community is becoming more concerned about climate change there is more reason than ever for us to make our homes and gardens more sustainable. There are numerous methods we can undertake to make our home or garden more sustainable and a wide range of these methods will be on show at the 2011 Enviro Expo which will be held on Sunday 5 June from 10am-4pm in and around the Queanbeyan Conference Centre at 253 Crawford St. More than 30 exhibitors will take up a stall at the Enviro Expo and will be able to provide professional information. The exciting program includes workshops on wormfarming, home energy efficiency and cooking with Kate Shelton. Guest speakers will talk about the local platypus population as well as sustainable homes and gardens and community agriculture. There will also be demonstrations and displays of hybrid and electric vehicles, no-dig gardening, chooks, and alternative energy. A free bike check-up (with the chance to win a service) is also on offer so get on your bike and head to the Expo on Sunday to celebrate World Environment Day. For more information check out the eight-page feature in today’s Queanbeyan Age.

Interest sought for library relocation

Last week Council called expressions of interest for the relocation of the Queanbeyan Library. The Library, currently located at 257 Crawford St, will move to the former Parks and Wildlife Building which is located in Rutledge St. Council has budgeted $1.5 million for the relocation and associated works required to bring the building up to standard and we will hold a workshop in the coming weeks to further discuss the project and the scope of works required. By relocating the Library, Council will free up considerable space in the administration building to establish an integrated customer service centre or ‘one-stop’ shop for all Council enquiries.

Queanbeyan celebrates reconciliation

On Tuesday hundreds of Queanbeyan students and residents joined Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders for the annual Reconciliation Walk which ended at the Reconciliation Garden in Queanbeyan Park. It was quite a sight to look back along Monaro St to see hundreds of people waving an Aboriginal, Torres Strait Island or Australian flag. Once again the Reconciliation Walk was very well attended by the Queanbeyan community and I encourage all residents to continue to push the message of reconciliation.

Assessing Integrated Plan submissions

The submission period for Council’s draft Integrated Plans for 2011-2012 closed last Friday with 22 submissions received. Those submitters who indicated they would like to make a presentation to councillors will do so following next Wednesday’s Planning and Development Review Committee Meeting. Following these presentations councillors will assess the submissions before adopting the final plans at the Council meeting on 22 June.




Significant step forward in Tralee development


The development of Tralee took another significant step forward late last week when the Land and Environment Court dismissed Canberra Airport Group’s challenge against the Tralee Local Environmental Plan (LEP). This is a welcomed result for Council and we now look forward to moving ahead with the process of developing the land known as South Tralee. The claims made by the Airport that challenged Council’s planning processes including claims of bias, were shown to be unfounded. The Court dismissed the challenge on all counts and ordered the Airport to pay Council’s and the Department’s costs. In November 2010 Council agreed to submit the draft LEP to the Minister of Planning for his assessment. The draft LEP is currently with the Minister of Planning awaiting his assessment.

Planning Proposal sent to Minister

At Council’s meeting on Wednesday night Council agreed to remove five parcels of land from a Planning Proposal which sought to reclassify 13 lots from community land to operational land. More than 75 members of the public attended the meeting with three making presentations to councillors. After lengthy discussion Council agreed to remove parcels of land located at 97 Munro Road, 8 Hayley Cres, 42 Candlebark Rd, 6 Morrison/8 Conway Streets and 29 Allumba Street from the Planning Proposal. The Planning Proposal will now be amended to mirror last night’s outcomes before it is forwarded to the Minister of Planning with the recommendation it be finalised. The Planning Proposal has been a lengthy process, but one with extensive community consultation and engagement by the Council. We have listened closely to the community during the public exhibition phase and again at the public hearing. The deletion of the five lots from the proposal should be viewed as a good result all round in my view. Even though Council agreed to proceed with the reclassification of some of the smaller lots, there were a number of community concerns on the potential for over development and resultant loss of amenity. Council resolved to place a restriction to only allow one single story dwelling on a number of parcels as a limit to future development. Should the reclassification process be complete and Council determines to dispose of the small parcels of land, the funds generated can be allocated to improve our larger and well-established parks and other public facilities.

Looking after our River

When people think of Queanbeyan they think of the Queanbeyan River. Council is developing a River Plan of Management and we are very keen to have wide input. Community members are invited to any of five public events over the next week to have an input into the development of the plan. The following events will be held:
• Thursday 2 June, 5pm-8pm: Open display at the Riverside Plaza Food Court.
• Saturday 4 June, 10am-12noon: Open display at The Q, rear of 253 Crawford St.
• Saturday 4 June, 1pm: Walk along the river corridor between the CBD and Glebe Park. Meet at front of The Q.
• Sunday 5 June, 7am: Walk along the river corridor between River Drive and Barracks Flat. Meet at River Drive Reserve
• Sunday 5 June, 10am-4pm: Council’s Enviro Expo at the Queanbeyan Conference Centre, 253 Crawford St.
The community will also have further opportunity to comment when the Draft Plan of Management is on public exhibition at the end of 2011. 




Edwin Land Parkway construction underway


After years of planning and some unavoidable statutory planning delays the extension of Edwin Land Parkway is underway. Federal Minister for Eden-Monaro, the Hon Dr Mike Kelly and myself turned the first sod of soil on the construction site on Wednesday afternoon to signal the start of construction. Kenoss Contractors will now take over the site and expect work to take around eight months to complete, meaning that we should see cars driving between Karabar and Jerrabomberra on this road during early 2012.

Planning proposal report available

At the public hearing into Council’s draft planning proposal a number of attendees asked to be notified of when the Council report relating to the proposal was available. The report was made publically available yesterday afternoon and members of the public are invited to pick up a copy of the report from Council’s Customer Service Centre or the Queanbeyan Library, both at 257 Crawford St or visit our website to download the documents. To access Council reports click on the ‘Meeting Information Updates’ link on the right-hand side of the home page and follow the links. Council staff have sent a letter to all residents who made submissions and attended the public hearing advising them of the availability of the Council report. As stated previously, no decisions have been made on the blocks of land and they will be individually determined at the meeting of Council this Wednesday evening, commencing 5.30pm at the Council Chambers.

Time running out to comment on plans

Time is running out for residents to make a comment on Council’s Integrated Plans for 2011-2012. The closing date for submissions on the draft Operational Plan and draft Schedule of Fees and Charges for 2011-2012 is next Friday, 27 May 2011. The submissions will be collated and taken into consideration by councillors before the plans are adopted at the Council meeting on 22 June. The documents can be viewed at www.qcc.nsw.gov.au by clicking the ‘Documents on Exhibition’ link on the right-hand side of the front page.

Nominate now for awards

Nominations are now open for the 2011 NSW/ACT Regional Achievement and Community Awards. I was pleased to participate in the launch of the awards this week and I encourage local businesses to nominate for these awards. The Awards provide opportunity for recognition for many community groups, businesses and individuals of Queanbeyan.  For more information on how you can nominate or to pick up nomination forms please contact the local awards office on 1300 735 445 or visit the website at www.awardsaustralia.com. Nominations close – Friday 5 August 2011.




Acknowledging Jon Stanhope's work as Chief Minister


I would like to commence this week’s column by acknowledging outgoing ACT Chief Minister, Mr Jon Stanhope. Mr Stanhope on Monday announced his resignation from the top job and I must say it has been a pleasure working closely with him during my almost three years as Mayor of Queanbeyan. I have enjoyed a strong and positive working relationship with Mr Stanhope and his Government, particularly on cross-border issues including transport and roads infrastructure. I look forward to continuing this strong working relationship with the incoming Chief Minister. I understand Deputy Chief Minister Katy Gallagher is expected to be nominated unopposed.

Major construction about to commence

Since Council awarded tenders for both the Edwin Land Parkway extension and Crawford St Lifestyle Precinct a couple of weeks ago I have received many questions from the community as to when work will commence. Unfortunately the process isn’t as simple as award the tender and start work the next day. But I can give an assurance that commencement is not far away with final planning being undertaken. Council staff have met with both of the successful tender companies to firm up a starting date for the projects. Kenoss Contractors are likely to commence preliminary work on the Edwin Land Parkway extension towards the end of May and I was informed earlier this week that it’s likely that the first sod for the Crawford St project will be turned around mid-July. While physical work isn’t happening in Crawford St at the moment there is plenty going on behind the scenes with Council staff meeting with the contractor to establish a traffic management plan. The Edwin Land Parkway extension will have a minimal impact on the community during construction phase, but the Crawford Street project will cause some disruption. To deal with the disruption to traffic flow in Crawford Street, Council will be making regular announcements regarding the situation. During the construction phase residents are also encouraged to visit our website regularly for updates, check us out on Facebook (Queanbeyan City Council) or follow us on Twitter (QueanbeyanCity).

2011 Enviro Expo is nearing

The 2011 Queanbeyan Enviro Expo is not far away with stall holders preparing for the event on Sunday 5 June. The Enviro Expo was first held in 2009 and attracted an encouraging crowd and as such Council agreed to continue running the event on a bi-annual basis. This year the Expo will be a one-day event and will include plenty of activities, stalls and workshops. The Enviro Expo will run from 10am-4pm in and around the Queanbeyan Conference Centre at 253 Crawford St and a full program will be available on Council’s website in the coming weeks. Also on the theme of the environment, at its last meeting Council agreed to develop a draft Community Climate Change Action Plan. This Action Plan follows on from two community workshops which were held earlier in the year. I am proud to be part of a Council leading the way on environmental matters and community concerns and look forward to working with Council staff and community representatives to develop this plan. It is hoped that a draft plan will be completed in early 2012.




Contractors appointed for Edwin Land Parkway and Crawford St Lifestyle Precinct


At its meeting on Wednesday night, Queanbeyan City Council awarded two of the most important tenders this city has seen for some time. Contractors have now been appointed for the long-awaited Edwin Land Parkway extension and the construction of the Crawford St Lifestyle Precinct. Combined these projects are worth more than $16 million with the Federal Government allocating $6 million for the Edwin Land Parkway extension. The balance of the funding will be from Section 94 developer contributions, reserves and loans. The Edwin Land Parkway extension has suffered from a number of unavoidable statutory planning delays and it’s pleasing to see the project finally move ahead. This project will see the suburbs of Karabar and Jerrabomberra connected with a 2.3km single carriageway (apart from a slow lane for the climb from Old Cooma Rd). The road will provide residents will alternate routes out of their suburbs. The Crawford St Lifestyle Precinct hasn’t been on the boards for as long as the Edwin Land Parkway extension, however it’s also very important to this city’s future. The Lifestyle Precinct will see the section of Crawford St between Monaro and Morisset Sts completely transformed into a pedestrian friendly area where alfresco dining will be encouraged. The community reaffirmed the CBD as an area of long standing concern when Council undertook an extensive survey in 2006. Further, council supported the development the CBD Master Plan following a Notice of Motion put forward by myself in 2005. The Crawford St Lifestyle Precinct will be the first project undertaken from the CBD Master Plan. Council will now finalise contracts with the preferred tenderers and will hopefully have a commencement date in the coming weeks. The Edwin Land Parkway extension is expected to take around eight months to complete and construction will cause little disturbance to traffic in the area. The Crawford St Lifestyle Precinct is expected to take 6-9 months to complete and due to the high amount of traffic in the area there will be some disturbance. Council will work closely with the contractor to ensure the public is made fully aware of partial road closures during the construction phase and also alternate parking spaces. The commencement of these two projects will be an exciting time for the Queanbeyan community as we prepare the city for the future.

Chance to comment on plans

Also at its meeting on Wednesday night, Council agreed to place its draft Operational Plan and draft Schedule of Fees and Charges for 2011-2012 on public exhibition. Residents are invited to make comment on the two documents and can do so until Friday 27 May 2011. The draft Operational Plan outlines the projects and programs Council will be undertaking during the financial year an d how these will be financed, while the draft Schedule of Fees and Charges outlines Council’s proposed fee structure for the next financial year and also includes its Revenue Policy. Residents wishing to view the documents can obtain hard copies or electronic copies from Council’s Customer Service Centre or Library at 257 Crawford St or can view the documents online at www.qcc.nsw.gov.au Comments can be made in a number of different ways:

  • In writing to the General Manager, Queanbeyan City Council, PO Box 90 Queanbeyan NSW 2620 and be marked ‘Draft Operational Plan submission’.
  • Via email to
  • By filling in an e-form on Council’s website.

Residents who make a comment on the draft plans and wish to address councillors on their submission can do so on Wednesday 8 June immediately following Council’s Planning and Development Review Committee meeting (about 6.30pm). This will take place in the Council Chambers at 253 Crawford St and residents wishing to address council should advise accordingly in their written submissions.




Music festival to attract thousands of visitors


In years gone by Queanbeyan has lacked a national event which attracts thousands of visitors to the city. I am pleased to announce that Council agreed at its April meeting to host the 2012 Australian Independent Music Festival and associated awards. This is a major plus for the city of Queanbeyan with the festival to be held from 13-15 January, a period when Queanbeyan is generally very quiet with many of our residents heading away for holidays. Local businesses have struggled to attract business during this period, however with organisers anticipating thousands of out-of-towners we should see a significant boost to the Queanbeyan economy. To secure the event Council agreed to make a cash donation of $5000 towards to running of the festival while another $5000 will be made available to subsidise venues and other support services. Council fully supports this event and we will work closely with the organisers to drive this festival forward and help put Queanbeyan on the music events map. Organisers expect the event to attract 95% non-Queanbeyan residents with a projected 70% aged under 30. The event will be held in a number of venues across the city including the Queanbeyan Showground, The Q, the Conference Centre, various sections of Queanbeyan Park, the Aquatic Centre, various pubs and clubs around Queanbeyan while also encouraging street busking. An event of such quality will be significant to the Queanbeyan community. One only has to look at the affect similar events have on other country towns and cities to realise how important this will be to Queanbeyan. The range of music slated for the festival is extensive and includes dance, country, folk, reggae/R&B, urban hip-hop, rock, heavy metal, choirs, jazz, blues.

Markets to be held fortnightly

Also at our meeting in April, Council agreed to continue the Summer Sunset Markets. The Markets were held every Friday during daylight saving in 2010-2011, however Council agreed to change the frequency of the markets to fortnightly. The 2010-2011 Summer Sunset Markets were an overall success despite a number of markets having to be cancelled due to inclement weather. In 2011-2012 the Markets will be held on the first and third Fridays of the month with Council and our partners in the Markets, the Queanbeyan Children’s Special Needs Group, believing this will be the best format to move the Markets forward.

Giving youth a voice in community

Council is calling on Queanbeyan’s youth to come forward and be part of a Youth Council. Queanbeyan has a very active youth community and Council and is keen to tap into their ideas to help make Queanbeyan a better place for the younger generations. Council is hoping to attract a Youth Council of at least 10 16-17-year-olds who will then elect a Mayor and Deputy Mayor by secret ballot. An information night will be held on Thursday 12 May 2011 in the Council Chambers at 5pm and I encourage anyone interested in joining the Youth Council to come along.

Hazard reduction burn on Saturday

Residents are advised that the Rural Fire Service plans to undertake a hazard reduction burn in the North Terrace area on Saturday 7 May. If the burn cannot be conducted on that date an alternative date will be advised. If residents have any concerns regarding the burn they should contact NSW Rural Fire Service on 6297 1840.




Public hearing into proposal to reclassify land


Next Tuesday, 19 April Council will hold a public hearing into its proposal to reclassify 13 parcels of land from community to operational land. The proposal recommends that Council reclassifies 13 parcels of land which would allow Council to explore the possibility of selling or redeveloping the land. Council staff undertook an assessment of Council-controlled land and determined that some small holdings do not have any strategic value and their use is not matched by the ongoing maintenance costs being incurred. This proposal was placed on public exhibition in February/March and Council received 43 submissions along with numerous phone enquiries. As part of the reclassifying process, Council must now hold a public hearing controlled by an independent chairperson who will present a report to Council. All submitters have been invited to the public hearing and it’s also open to any other members of the community. This public hearing is the most important step in the reclassifying process. Despite what some people may think, this proposal is far from finalised. In fact, when Council receives the report from the chairman it will vote on each parcel of land separately and may agree to progress with the reclassification of some and not others. The 13 parcels of land in the proposal make up about 0.36% of Queanbeyan’s total amount of open space. These are mainly located in residential areas, with one located in an industrial area. If the proposal goes ahead it will reduce a number of small pocket parks usually associated with high maintenance costs which are generally in close proximity to other areas of open space. If Council determines to dispose of a number of the small parcels of land, the funds generated will be allocated to improve our larger and well-established parks and other public facilities. Residents are invited to the public hearing at 5.30pm in the Queanbeyan Conference Centre, 253 Crawford St, Queanbeyan. Any enquiries should be directed to Council’s Strategic Development section on 6285 6276.

Smoke alarms compulsory for vans

Owners of caravans, campervans and other similar vehicles are reminded that it is now compulsory for their vehicles to carry a smoke alarm. These changes apply to all new and existing moveable dwellings where people sleep – which includes caravans, campervans, holiday vans, park vans, annexes and associated structures. Smoke alarms cost as little as $15 but will save something more precious than money – human life. These changes to NSW law came into effect on February 25 2011. However, there’s a six-month grace period to August 25 2011. Further information is available at www.fire.nsw.gov.au or www.planning.nsw.gov.au

Heritage Festival continues to excite

The Queanbeyan Heritage Festival continues to create plenty of interest around Queanbeyan and tomorrow I will announce the winners of the 2011 Heritage Awards. The festival commenced on 7 April and runs until 25 April with a number of exciting displays around the city, especially at the Queanbeyan Library and our two museums. The Heritage Awards will be presented tomorrow (Saturday 16 April) at 12 noon at the Queanbeyan Museum in Farrer Place. This will be followed by the launch of the Museum’s latest exhibition “From Settlement to Town”.




Tenders called for Crawford St redevelopment


The redevelopment of Crawford St is a step closer with Queanbeyan City Council calling for tenders for construction of the project. The redevelopment will see the section of Crawford St between Monaro and Morisset Sts turned into a pedestrian friendly lifestyle precinct. This is an exciting project for Queanbeyan and one which has been warmly supported by businesses in the area. Tenders for the project close on Thursday 7 April 2011 and a report will be made to a Council meeting soon after where we will appoint a preferred tenderer.

Have your say at community meetings

Council will be holding three community meetings during March and all residents in the Local Government Area are invited to attend. The meetings will be held at the following times and locations:

• Carwoola/Queanbeyan
Tuesday 15 March 2011
Queanbeyan City Council Chambers
253 Crawford St, Queanbeyan at 6pm

• Jerrabomberra
Thursday 17 March 2011
Jerrabomberra Community Centre at 5.45pm

• Googong/Fernleigh
Tuesday 29 March 2011
Fernleigh Park Community Hall
17 Swan Drive, Googong at 6pm

Council prides itself on its communication with the community and we have found these meetings to be an effective way of keeping residents up to date with what’s happening at Council. These meetings provide members of the community with a chance to come along and find out what’s happening at Council, to put forward recommended projects for possible inclusion in Council’s budget and also ask questions of Council representatives. If you can’t make the meeting designated for the section of Queanbeyan which you live in, feel free to come along to one of the other meetings. Alternatively, if you can’t make any of the three meetings you can ask a question of Council by attending one of our Public Forums, which are held on the first Wednesday of each month. Items to be discussed at the community meetings include Council’s budget for 2011-12, its integrated planning process and the development of Googong and Tralee. Residents are invited to add items to the agenda and can do so by contacting Margi Simonovski on 6285 6223. Following the agenda items, attendees will be able to ask questions of the Council representatives.

Meet the Candidates a success

Council hosted another very successful Meet the Candidates night on Tuesday with around 150 residents from Queanbeyan and the surrounding region attending The Q. The three candidates for the seat of Monaro – current member Mr Steve Whan (Labor) Mr John Barilaro (Nationals) and Mr Paul Cockram (Greens) – attended and were asked a variety of questions relating to the Monaro electorate and also NSW as a whole. The evening was professionally moderated by Professor John Warhurst, the Professor of Political Science at the Australian National University, and I thank him for his services.

Regatta and rodeo on tomorrow

There will be no shortage of action around Queanbeyan tomorrow with two of the city’s most popular events to be held. The Queanbeyan Regatta and Queanbeyan Rodeo will take centre stage tomorrow – and the best part is you can get to both. The Queanbeyan Regatta will be held on the banks of the Queanbeyan River in Trinculo Place and will run from 2pm-5pm while the Queanbeyan Rodeo commences at 4pm at the Queanbeyan Showground. It promises to be an exciting day of entertainment and residents are encouraged to get out and enjoy themselves at both of these events.




Road improvements the priority for Queanbeyan


The NSW State Election is just three weeks away and Council has approached all three candidates for the seat of Monaro to outline our priorities. The candidates have been made fully aware of the Council’s wishes for the future and you, as members of the public, will be able to question them on these priorities and other important matters next Tuesday, 8 March when Council hosts a Meet the Candidates night at The Q starting at 7pm (see item below). Council has discussed its priorities at length and has approached the three candidates individually to outline them. Council’s community priorities are:
• Funding the design and environmental work for the Ellerton Drive Ring Road Extension and upgrading 13 intersections.
• Funding preliminary design and environmental work for further stages of Old Cooma Rd and Dunns Creek Rd.
• Funding support for the relocation of the School Bus Interchange and creating a Park and Ride Facility at the Collett St carpark.
• Government funding of $300,000 for community engagement and concept design work for a regional sports precinct and aquatic centre in the Jerrabomberra Valley

Once again the future of Queanbeyan’s road network is our No1 priority, and rightfully so. To ensure this city continues to grow and is an inviting place to live and visit we must ensure that the road linkages can handle the increased traffic that will frequent our roads over the coming 20-25 years. The Ellerton Drive Ring Road Extension is the most important piece of infrastructure for Queanbeyan and to ensure it’s complete by 2018 we need to commence planning now.

Meet the Candidates – Tuesday 8 March

Residents of Queanbeyan and surrounding areas will get an ideal opportunity to publically question the candidates for the seat of Monaro on Tuesday 8 March when Council hosts a Meet the Candidates night at The Q starting at 7pm. All three candidates will attend the evening and they are:
• Current member, Mr Steve Whan (Labor)
• Mr John Barilaro (Nationals)
• Mr John Cockram (Greens)

The Meet the Candidates night will give the candidates about 10 minutes to introduce themselves to the audience before questions are taken from residents – all under the watchful eye of moderator Professor John Warhurst. Following the questions, candidates will be given a short amount of time to sum up. All residents of Queanbeyan and surrounding areas are encouraged to attend the Meet the Candidates night which will be held in the 340-seat theatre at The Q (bookings/tickets not required).




Indoor Sports Centre almost complete


Queanbeyan’s newest sporting facility is looking fantastic and should be completed within the coming weeks. Earlier this week I inspected the Queanbeyan Indoor Sports Centre in Taylor Park and I was very impressed with what I saw. The contractors are expecting to apply the finishing internal touches over the coming week. A carpark with the capacity for 38 vehicles will also be constructed before the centre is opened – along with landscaping works. This is a very exciting step forward for Queanbeyan as this city has wanted and needed an indoor sports facility for some time. The next significant step in the development of the Indoor Sports Centre will occur next Wednesday night when Council considers two reports at its meeting. The first report will allow Council to appoint an operator for the centre. Council staff conducted interviews with prospective operators earlier in February and Council will discuss its options and consider appointing an operator at the meeting. Following the appointment Council and the operator will enter into a licensing agreement. The second report will recommend a name for the Indoor Sports Centre. The Indoor Sports Centre will comprise of two multi-purpose indoor sports courts, spectator viewing areas and a kiosk with outdoor seating. The design allows for further extension in the future with the construction of a third court.

Resealing of Queanbeyan’s roads – CityCARE

Earlier this week Council commenced its bitumen resealing program for 2010-2011. Between now and Friday 25 February a number of roads in Queanbeyan will be resealed and minor traffic delays are expected in the affected areas. A portion of the 2010-2011 reseal program has been funded by Council’s CityCARE Levy. In 2010 the Minister Local Government approved Council’s application for a Special Rate Variation of 5.8% for an initial period of three years. This variation allows Council to spend $978,000 on long overdue maintenance and renewal of the city’s roads, footpaths and parks and sportsfields.

Chance to question candidates

Candidates for the seat of Monaro will face the Queanbeyan community on Tuesday 8 March 2011 when Council hosts a Meet the Candidates night at The Q, starting at 7pm. The three candidates for the seat of Monaro have indicated that they will be attending the event, so make sure you come along to listen to and ask questions of the candidates before the Saturday 26 March election. To ensure the event runs smoothly, Council has appointed Professor John Warhurst as the external moderator. All residents of Queanbeyan and surrounding areas are encouraged to attend the Meet the Candidates night which will be held in the 340-seat theatre at The Q (bookings/tickets not required)

Busy and exciting month ahead

The next month will be busy and exciting for Queanbeyan with a number of major community events organised, they are:

• Summer Sunset Markets – every Friday until the end of March between 5-8pm at 253 Crawford St.
• Queanbeyan Multicultural Festival – Sunday 27 February from 10am-5pm in Queanbeyan Park.
• Mayor’s Cup pre-season Invitational Soccer – Queanbeyan City Football Club v Monaro Panthers FC on Sunday 6 March at 4pm Seiffert Oval (curtain-raiser matches; U16’s at 12 noon and Women’s at 2pm(.
• Clean up Australia Day -  Sunday 6 March between 9am and 1pm in Queen Elizabeth Park
• Queanbeyan Regatta – Saturday 12 March between 2pm and 5pm on banks of Queanbeyan River.
• Queanbeyan Rodeo – Saturday 12 March from 4pm at the Queanbeyan Showground.




Edwin Land Parkway construction nearing


Queanbeyan City Council has moved closer to commencing work on one of the city’s most important infrastructure projects with tenders called for the construction of the Edwin Land Parkway extension. This extension has been coming for a long time and will be very beneficial to Queanbeyan residents and visitors to our city. The 2.6km extension will connect the suburbs of Karabar and Jerrabomberra and will give Jerrabomberra residents an alternate route out of their suburb. The extension will be constructed as a single carriageway to match the existing Edwin Land Parkway, with the exception of an additional slow lane for the climb from Old Cooma Rd. Tender submissions must be lodged with Council by Friday 4 March 2011. Council officers will collate the submissions and put forward a report to Council’s March meeting where we will select the preferred tenderer. The construction of this extension is just the start of a big year in road infrastructure improvements for Queanbeyan. Earlier this week Council completed the public exhibition phase for Stage 1 of upgrades to Old Cooma Rd. The Stage 1 works will see the windy section of road which travels past the quarry replaced with a much safer and wider stretch of road. Council will receive a report at an upcoming meeting on the submissions received. If Council agrees to proceed with the project it’s expected that tenders will be called before the new financial year. Stage 2 of the Old Cooma Rd upgrade won’t be undertaken for some years and will see Old Cooma Rd, from the intersection with Edwin Land Parkway to the intersection with Googong Rd, upgraded to be a dual lane road.

Listening to community’s climate change ideas

On Tuesday night Council hosted the first session of the Community Workshop on Climate Change. Council had a very pleasing response to the workshop with 30 residents attending. The same 30 people will attend the second session which will be held on 22 March. During Tuesday’s session the workshop looked at climate change-related changes that had occurred in the community over the past five years and where it wanted to see the community in five years. The workshop also discussed the roles of State, Federal and Local Governments and individuals in climate change. There were some interesting ideas put forward by members of the workshop and Council will research and explore these before reporting back to the workshop during the second session.

Nominate now for Heritage Awards

Council is calling for nominations for the 2011 Heritage Awards. Queanbeyan has some stunning heritage properties which add considerable heritage value to the city. Queanbeyan will this year celebrate its 173rd birthday and it’s pleasing to see so many residents recognising the city’s heritage by restoring commercial and residential buildings. There are seven categories in the Heritage Awards and nominations can be accepted from the property owner or any other member of the community. The award winners will be announced as part of Council’s Heritage Week celebrations on Saturday 16 April at the Queanbeyan Historical Museum.




Council commences budgeting process


Queanbeyan City Council has already commenced its budgeting and integrated planning process for the 2011-2012 financial year. While the beginning of the new financial year is still some five months away it’s critical for Council to begin this process now. To achieve legislative requirements Council must update its current Long-Term Financial Plan, review its Delivery Plan and develop an Operational Plan prior to June 30. Council received a report last week outlining the time frame for developing our integrated plans and a big part of that process is community consultation. Council will ensure the community is heavily involved in this process with public forums to be held at Carwoola, Fernleigh, Queanbeyan and Jerrabomberra in March to outline the development of the operational plan for 2011-2012. In addition to these public forums, Council’s integrated plans will be placed on public exhibition for 28 days in late April, allowing community members to make submissions regarding the plans. I will keep you up to date with the process and will make public forum dates public when they are confirmed.

Bocce to return to Queanbeyan

Council last week approved a development application to allow Bocce to be played again in Queanbeyan. Council agreed to change the use of a previous recreational facility in Morisset St to give the Queanbeyan ACT Bocce Club access to courts. Once recommissioned by the Queanbeyan ACT Bocce Club, the Bocce Courts in Morisset Street will be the only competition standard courts in the Queanbeyan-Canberra region.

Council to operate Visitor Information Centre

Queanbeyan City Council will resume management of the Queanbeyan Visitor Information Centre after agreeing at its meeting on Thursday 27 January to not extend an agreement held with the Queanbeyan Business Council. The Queanbeyan Visitor Information Centre is a very important part of the Queanbeyan community and Council believes it will be beneficial for this service to be managed  again by Council and with oversight from the Queanbeyan Development Board. The Queanbeyan Development Board is made up of representatives of the Queanbeyan City Council, The Queanbeyan Business Council, The Capital Region Business Enterprise Centre and the Community. All staff, both full time and part time, will become Council employees and will retain all entitlements.

Council donates $10,000 to Flood Appeal

Also at our meeting last Thursday, Council agreed to donate $10,000 to the Premier’s Queensland Flood Appeal. Queanbeyan dealt with its own flood, although on a much smaller scale in December, and we are still dealing with the clean up. It’s hard to believe the extent of damage and devastation caused in south east Queensland. The clean up in these areas will continue for up to two years and it’s hoped that these funds can assist families and individuals in rebuilding their lives and livelihood.

Summer Sunset Markets to recommence

The Queanbeyan Summer Sunset Markets resume this afternoon following the Christmas-New Year break. The Markets ran for nine weeks prior to Christmas and despite some unfavourable weather at times they were well attended. The Markets will run from this Friday through until 25 March and will incorporate a number of different themes. The location of the Markets has changed from last year and they will now be held in between the Council Chambers and Council’s Administration Building and also in the Conference Centre. So when you finish work this Friday afternoon, pick up the family and call into the Summer Sunset Markets between 5pm and 8pm.




Queanbeyan Park upgraded


Queanbeyan City Council has completed its first project funded by the CityCARE levy. The new, improved Queanbeyan Park playground was unveiled earlier this week and I’m sure residents will appreciate the upgrades. Improvements include new play equipment, BBQ facilities, extra seats, more secure fencing and much more. The works at Queanbeyan Park are funded by the CityCARE Levy. In 2010 the Minister Local Government approved Council’s application for a Special Rate Variation of 5.8% for an initial period of three years. This variation allows Council to raise an extra $1.04 million in rates each year to spend on maintenance and renewal of the city’s roads, footpaths and parks and sportsfields. Council will now turn its attention to upgrading Steve Mauger Park (amenities) and Wright Park (levelling and stabilising playing field) over the coming months. A contractor has been engaged to undertake work on some of Queanbeyan’s roads and is expected to commence work in mid-February, while Council is around 60% of the way through its footpath repair schedule.

Congratulations to Australia Day winners

Mother Nature turned on a perfect day for Queanbeyan’s Australia Day celebrations in Queanbeyan Park on Wednesday. It was great to see such a large and enthusiastic crowd in the Park for the annual celebrations. It was also a pleasure to present Queanbeyan’s Australia Day awards to four deserving recipients. The winners were:

Queanbeyan Citizen of the Year – Kevin Grainger
Kevin has been an integral part of the Queanbeyan community for more than two decades and has been a part of a number of local organisations including the Queanbeyan West Rotary Club, Queanbeyan Children’s Special Needs Group and the Local Area Health Advisory Group.

Queanbeyan Young Citizen of the Year – Katherine Schelberger
Katherine has been involved in local charities since commencing high school and she has continued her involvement while studying at the Gippsland Medical School. She has been involved with SIDS and Kids and the Queanbeyan Red Cross.

Queanbeyan Community Service Group of the Year – HOME in Queanbeyan
After five years of planning and fundraising, HOME in Queanbeyan opened its doors in July 2010 and provides 24-hour care for people with chronic mental illness who are without proper shelter, care, love and support.

Queanbeyan Community Event of the Year – Legacy Wards Christmas Party 2010
The Queanbeyan Legacy Club held a very successful Christmas Party at the Kangaroos Club on 5 December. More than 200 wards, carers and legatees attended the Party and they were entertained by pleasant music from a local DJ. As the music played the attendees took over the dance floor.

Old Cooma Rd information session

Council will hold its second and final public information session regarding the realignment of Old Cooma Rd on Monday 31 January. The public exhibition phase of the project will conclude on Monday 7 February and this public information session will give residents a final chance to ask questions of Council staff regarding the realignment. The information session will be held in the Queanbeyan Conference Centre, 253 Crawford St on Monday from 4pm until 7pm and interested members of the public can drop in at anytime.




Australia Day celebrations in Queanbeyan Park


Queanbeyan Park will be the place to be on Wednesday as Queanbeyan celebrates Australia Day. Council and the Australia Day Committee have put together an afternoon full of entertainment and activities which commences at 5pm. The highlight of the day will be the naming of Queanbeyan’s Australia Day award winners for 2010. The awards on offer are:
• Queanbeyan Citizen on the Year
• Queanbeyan Young Citizen of the Year
• Queanbeyan Service Group of the Year
• Queanbeyan Event of the Year.

The awards recognise the dedication and hard work of individuals and community groups in our city. Queanbeyan is privileged to have such a strong community spirit and that shows through each year when we present these awards. Other entertainment and activities during the afternoon include a flag raising ceremony, citizenship ceremony, music performances from the Sing Australia Choir, GrooveDotCom and Kait Ludwig, a free merry-go-round, face painting, removable tattoos and jumping castle. To top off the celebrations a fireworks spectacular will be commence at 9pm.

Dr Allan Hawke our Ambassador

Queanbeyan’s ambassador for Australia Day is highly-credentialed public administrator, Dr Allan Hawke AC. Dr Hawke has a long and celebrated career in public administration and has held senior positions such as Secretary of the Departments of Veterans’ Affairs, Transport and Regional Services and Defence. He completed his public service to Australia as High Commissioner to New Zealand in 2006. Dr Hawke was appointed a Companion in the General Division of the Order of Australia in the 2010 Queen’s Birthday list for eminent service to public administration. Dr Hawke undertook a three-year term as Chancellor of the ANU from February 2006 and now serves on a range of public and private sector boards, has conducted a series of Government enquiries and is actively involved in a range of community and sporting organisations. Dr Hawke has not only made his home town of Queanbeyan proud but the country as a whole. We are privileged to have an Ambassador of such high standing and I look forward to hearing his address on Wednesday.

Mayor’s Cup soccer match reinstated

Council agreed in December that it would support the reinstatement of the Mayor’s Cup soccer match after receiving requests from members of the Monaro Panthers Football Club and the Queanbeyan City Football Club. The Mayor’s Cup will be contested annually and the 2010 clash will be played at Seiffert Oval on 6 March as a pre-season match. Queanbeyan has a very strong soccer community and it’s great to see such an event reinstated. More information will be made available closer to the match.

First meeting on Thursday, 27 January

A reminder to residents that Council’s first meeting of 2010 has been moved to Thursday 27 January. Council agreed to change the date of the meeting due to the clash with Australia Day. Thursday’s meeting will commence at 5.30pm in the Council Chambers at 253 Crawford St. The agenda and business paper can be downloaded from Council’s website at www.qcc.nsw.gov.au or collected from the Customer Service Centre at 257 Crawford St.




Website links


Queanbeyan City Council website
Contacting council offices
Contacting your councillors
Council meeting dates





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