Northern Grampians Shire Council carried a motion six votes to one on a petition calling for council to 'leave Australia Day alone' at the March 4 meeting.
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The petition was received at council's previous meeting in February, but due to council's governance rules, a motion could not be raise until the following month.
At the March meeting, council resolved that it continues to hold Australia Day events in Stawell and St Arnaud and informs the lead petitioner that under the current elected Council no changes are intended to be made to Australia Day events held in the shire.
Voting against the resolution, Cr Lauren Dempsey called for a division, however, the motion carried.
Electrical line maintenance
The Northern Grampians Shire Council carried a motion to adopt its electrical line clearance plan 2023-24 at the Monday, March 4 council meeting.
Council is required by the Electricity Safety Act 1998 to ensure a current management plan to maintain electrical line vegetation clearances is prepared.
Cr Kevin Erwin moved the motion at the meeting.
"This is a regular event designed to give sufficient clearance [to electrical lines]," Said Cr Erwin.
"It's a safety issue."
The plan states is objectives as:
- To ensure that conflict between Council's managed trees and the electrical lines is minimized.
- To maintain and enhance the existing tree population for inheritance by future generations
- To achieve compliance with the Electricity Safety Regulations.
- Protection of areas of important vegetation
- Management of vegetation to maximise the environment, biodiversity and amenity value of Council's trees.
- To achieve community satisfaction with the way the necessary works are carried out.
Quarterly Budget
Council also noted the quarterly budget for the second quarter of the 2023-24 financial year.
The motion also noted a formal adoption of a revised budget for the 2023-24 financial year is not required.
Moving the motion, CR Eddy Ostarcevic said NGSC's budget is a 'steady ship'.
"Every quarter we go through a revision of the budget and sometimes there's a bit of juggling in terms of forecast and what can come to fore, what projects are manipulated," said Cr Ostarcevic.
"We note, there has been a dip in rates received this year, but I'm sure Vaughn [Williams, director corporate and community cervices] and his team will manage that in due course."
Cr Ostarcevic said council will be able to deliver the significant projects it has on the books.
John Hall
John is a news and sports journalist for the Wimmera Mail-Times, Stawell Times-News and Ararat Advertiser. He is a former apprentice mechanic who earned his bachelors degree in journalism from Macleay College in Sydney.
John is a news and sports journalist for the Wimmera Mail-Times, Stawell Times-News and Ararat Advertiser. He is a former apprentice mechanic who earned his bachelors degree in journalism from Macleay College in Sydney.
