BP not to proceed with drilling in the Great Australian Bight
Earlier this week Council welcomed the news that BP have decided not proceed with their plans to drill for oil in the Great Australian Bight.
Council was deeply concerned about the risk a potential oil spill posed to our fishing industry, tourism industry, coast and marine environment, and ultimately our local economy. This was affirmed in a motion moved by Councillor Moira Jenkins and carried by Council at the August Council meeting.
City of Victor Harbor Mayor Graham Philp acknowledged the lead shown by the Council CEO, Graeme Maxwell who made a submission on behalf of council to the Senate Inquiry in March highlighting concerns regarding the proposed oil exploration.
“Mr Maxwell clearly reflected in both his written submission and verbal presentation to the Inquiry that the risks of drilling in the Bight were too great in terms of the environment and particularly the annual Southern Right Whale migration which is so important to our community,” said Mayor Philp.
Mayor Philp said that in Victor Harbor, and more broadly South Australia, our marine environment is one of our greatest and most valued assets, and we should be doing everything we can to protect it.
Representation Review Update
Council will be considering the results of the first round of consultation for the elector representation review at a special meeting on Monday, 17 October.
The representation review looks at the Council’s electoral composition including how the mayor is elected, the number of councillors and whether or not a ward structure would benefit the community.
Council would like to thank everyone who took the time to share their thoughts on this issue during the recent round of public consultation. We received responses from more than 300 people.
These responses will be collated within an Elector Representation Review Report which Council will consider at the special meeting before releasing a preliminary proposal regarding the Council’s future composition and structure.
Following the special meeting, there will be a second round of public consultation, where the community will have another opportunity to have a say on this important issue.
Community members who are interested in this issue are encouraged to attend the Special Council meeting on 17 October, or keep up to date with the latest news through Victor Viewpoint.
The special council meeting will commence at 5.30pm in the City of Victor Harbor Council Chambers.
Nominations open for 2017 Citizen of the Year Awards
There are so many people within our council area that go above and beyond to make Victor Harbor a better place to live, work and play, and the Citizen of the Year Awards are a chance to recognise their contributions.
There are three award categories in which you can nominate, including:
-
Citizen of the Year Award – presented to the most outstanding Citizen.
-
Young Citizen of the Year Award – presented to the most outstanding Citizen aged under 30 years.
-
Community Event of the Year Award – presented to the person or group who has staged the most outstanding community event during 2016.
The nomination process is really easy, only taking a short amount of time to complete. Find out how to submit your nomination.
Nominations close at 5pm on Friday, 18 November 2016.
Interested in being a member of the judging panel? Send your expression of interest to Council’s CEO by emailing localgov@victor.sa.gov.au before 5pm on Friday, 28 October 2016.
Have your say at Council’s annual community forum
The City of Victor Harbor will hold its annual community forum on Tuesday, 1 November 2016.
Community members are invited to attend the open forum with Elected Members and senior council staff to ask questions, contribute ideas and raise issues or concerns that relate to our local area.
The forum will commence at 6.30pm in the Council Chambers, 1 Bay Road, Victor Harbor.
Download the flyer.
Anti-Poverty Week 2016 – Show your support
The City of Victor Harbor is again supporting Anti-Poverty Week. To assist in raising awareness of this issue within the community, Council will be collecting donations of non-perishable food goods for the disadvantaged.
Anti-Poverty Week runs from 16-22 October and aims to encourage as many people as possible to think about what they can do to alleviate poverty and hardship.
The donations collected during Anti-Poverty Week will be provided to the South Coast Community Christian Care for distribution to those in need within our community.
Donations can be made from Monday, 17 October to Friday, 21 October at the following locations:
-
City of Victor Harbor Civic Centre – 1 Bay Road, Victor Harbor
-
Church of Christ – 9 Seaview Road, Victor Harbor
-
Christian Gospel Centre – 2 George Main Road, Victor Harbor
If you can spare a carton of long-life milk, a can of baked beans, spaghetti, soup or any tinned food, please support this cause. Your donations can help make a difference to the lives of many within our community.
For more information about making donations, please contact Kerry Pomery on (08) 8551 0500.
Anti-Poverty Week activities will be held right across Australia and more information is available at
www.antipovertyweek.org.au
.
Flourishing on the Fleurieu Festival – 19 October
The 2016 Flourishing on the Fleurieu Festival is shaping up to be a vibrant and exciting event celebrating retirement and showcasing how our community flourishes.
This year’s Flourishing on the Fleurieu Festival will be held at Signal Point in Goolwa on Wednesday 19 October from 10am to 2.30pm. The Festival is a free community event, an initiative of the Southern Fleurieu and Kangaroo Island Positive Ageing Taskforce in collaboration with local community groups and organisations.
Over 30 community groups are participating in the Festival by hosting interactive exhibits and providing demonstrations.
Special guests, Sprout duo Callum Hann (of MasterChef fame) and Themis Chryssidis, will be presenting two engaging cooking demonstrations during the day showing how to prepare healthy, fresh, tasty meals that you can easily recreate at home.
The inaugural Age-Friendly Business and Community Awards, which have been coordinated by Regional Development Australia, will also be presented at the Festival recognising businesses, organisations, and individuals who contribute to an Age-Friendly Community.
Steam Ranger are offering a discount on Cockle Train tickets for the day, passengers will need to request the special 10% discount when purchasing tickets.
Come along and help celebrate the myriad of activities our community has on offer to promote health and wellbeing, social connection, skill development, and community engagement.
For more information visit www.victor.sa.gov.au/flourishing
Have you seen the cosmic whales in the Mainstreet Precinct?
If you haven’t seen the cosmic whales swimming across the façade of the iconic Victa Cinema, we really encourage you to make the trip in to the Mainstreet Precinct after dark.
Council’s digital art project was launched at the Community Street Party on 16 September. Hundreds of locals and visitors converged on Ocean Street, enjoying the party atmosphere that set the tone for an action packed weekend in Victor Harbor. Entertainment, food and market stalls stretched the length of Ocean Street, with the result of Stage 1 works proudly showcased in the heart of the Precinct.
The permanent projector, installed to project digital art on to the art deco cinema, is the first permanent infrastructure of its type to be installed in regional South Australia.
The animation, which celebrates our local connection with whales, was created by South Australian based company and national leader in outdoor light installations, Illuminart. The animation, titled the Cosmic Whale Song, will play every night from dusk until midnight bringing colour, movement and vibrancy into the Precinct.
The digital art project aligns with Council’s Mainstreet Precinct Public Art Strategy.
Next council meeting
There will be a special council meeting held on Monday, 17 October 2016 from 5.30pm in the City of Victor Harbor Council Chambers (1 Bay Road, Victor Harbor). Items considered at the meeting relate to Elector Representation Review, Local Government Association Annual General Meeting – Council notices of motion; and Strategic Planning and Development Policy Committee minutes from 4 October 2016.
The next ordinary council meeting will be held on Monday, 24 October 2016 from 5.30pm in the Council Chambers.
