Help name our new horse!
There’s a new team member at the Horse Drawn Tram and he needs a name!
The new horse comes from regional Victoria and will be trained up to join the team that pulls the tram to and from Granite Island.
To help with the naming, the Horse Drawn Tram’s Acting Coordinator Adrian Cox said the new horse has a gentle nature and loves socialising with the other team members. He also has a striking blue eye.
To find out more about our new horse and how to submit your name suggestions click here.
It will be up to the staff at the horse tram to select the name that best matches the nature of the new horse. The winner will receive a family pass (two adults and two children) for the Horse Drawn Tram.
Send your suggestions to the City of Victor Harbor by 5pm Friday, 9 May 2014. The horse’s new name and winner will be announced in the Times.
Victor Harbor Public Library to join the 'one card' network
From 1 May 2014, Victor Harbor Public Library will be joining the SA public library ‘one card’ network.
The ‘one card’ network is connecting more than 130 public libraries across SA and will enable Victor Harbor Public Library members to borrow and return items wherever they are with their current library card.
The new service will also give members 24/7 access to an online catalogue where millions of books, DVDs, CDs and magazines in libraries across SA can be looked up and reserved with a click, either from home or in the library.
When items become available, they will be delivered to Victor Harbor Public Library for collection or other libraries that members nominate.
Social media, online databases, e-resources and the digital holdings of SA’s public libraries are also planned to be integrated into the new state-wide online catalogue.
The new system is shared between SA’s councils and is already delivering software cost savings and further efficiencies are expected.
Applications for Community Grants Program closing soon
The City of Victor Harbor’s Community Grants Program assists community groups and organisations in the planning, coordination and provision of community services to improve the quality of life, independence and well being of people within the Victor Harbor community.
To apply you need to complete an application form and return it to Council by Monday, 28 April 2014.
Further information about the Community Grants Program is available online or at the Civic Centre (1 Bay Road, Victor Harbor).
2014-15 Annual Business Plan and Budget
Preparation is currently underway on Council’s 2014-15 Annual Business Plan and Budget.
The Annual Business Plan and Budget shows how Council will allocate its budget, and outlines the services, programs and projects that will be undertaken in the coming financial year to contribute to achieving the community’s long term objectives.
Developing our budget each year involves an extensive process that includes a four week community consultation period. During this time there will be an opportunity for you to provide feedback by attending a public meeting or providing a written submission.
A Special Council Meeting will be held in early May for Council to approve the plans for public consultation. Following the consultation period, and after considering community feedback, another Special Council Meeting will be held to finalise the Annual Business Plan, Asset Management Plan, budget and declaration of rates.
Details of the public consultation and Special Council Meeting dates will be advertised in The Times and at
www.victor.sa.gov.au
.
The 2014-15 Annual Business Plan and Budget is expected to be finalised in early July.
Mainstreet Precinct Easter Hunt
Ocean Street was alive on Easter Saturday with more than 250 children and their parents stepping out to take part in the Victor Harbor Mainstreet Easter Hunt.
It is the second time the City of Victor Harbor put on the free community event with the support of Mainstreet traders.
City of Victor Harbor Mayor Graham Philp was pleased with the event’s success.
‘The Easter Hunt was a tremendous success. It was great to see Ocean Street so vibrant with so many happy little faces enjoying the hunt,’ said City of Victor Harbor Mayor Graham Philp.
‘Victor Harbor’s Mainstreet has so much to offer and this event really showcases the different stores.’
Youth Park upgrade underway
Upgrade works to a section of the Youth Park playground is currently underway, with the ‘Teenrager’ area fenced off and not accessible during the works period. Signage is in place to direct people to alternative playground locations.
It is anticipated that the Youth Park Teenrager will be fully operational by late May.
Sustainable assets
Asset Management Plans and the need to ensure we are sustainable has been a particular focus for the City of Victor Harbor over the last four years.
Council manage a diverse range of community assets and need to ensure the efficient operation and management of these assets to optimise the benefits to the community.
To help manage the asset base, Council utilises a number of software systems including an Asset Management System, a Customer Request System and a Geographic Information System.
Council has recently undertaken automated inspections of road, kerb and footpath networks with imagery taken every 10m on roads and every 3m on footpaths. The data captured from these surveys has been used to condition rate and prioritise capital and maintenance works, and is used for asset valuations.
The inspections and condition ratings are repeated every few years so Council can more objectively determine whether the overall condition of our assets have improved or deteriorated. Capital and maintenance works programs will then be adjusted if necessary.
Next Council meeting
The next Council Meeting will be held on Monday, 28 April 2014 from 5.30pm at the Civic Centre, 1 Bay Road, Victor Harbor.
