THREE council meetings and a community forum will be held between today and Thursday next week, meaning a busy time for members and staff of the Derwent Valley Council.
First up is a special council meeting tonight at 6pm, to deal with the agenda for tomorrow’s general meeting of the Local Government Association of Tasmania. Among the items up for discussion are a report on statewide waste management arrangements; the current review of the Local Government Act; the State Government’s Waste Action Plan; and the ongoing difficulty of councils in attracting and retaining appropriately qualified environmental health officers.
A report from LGAT chief executive Katrena Stephenson expresses disappointment at the poor participation of councillors in the most recent Elected Members Census. The sixth such survey, it was held from late last year until early this year, with all councillors invited to take part. “Disappointingly the 2019 survey had the lowest response rate of any Elected Member Census,” Ms Stephenson writes.
On Monday evening next week, Derwent Valley councillors will meet for a Special Closed Meeting, the purpose of which has not been disclosed. This meeting is closed to the public.
Councillors will meet again next Thursday, September 19, for a 5.30pm community forum at the Bushy Park War Memorial Swimming Pool, followed by the monthly council meeting at the same venue at 6pm. A council spokesman says participation in the community forum will now be open to all residents of the municipality, rather than just residents of the local area which was the case in the past.
Since the council meeting held at Lachlan earlier this year – where mayor Ben Shaw repeatedly said the opportunity to ask questions was for Lachlan residents only – the council developed a statement to be read at the start of future community forums held outside of New Norfolk. Following a decision of the current council, community forums are no longer held in New Norfolk.
Statement to read at beginning of Community Forums held outside of New Norfolk
These community forums are an opportunity for the communities outside of New Norfolk to have time where they can access council and ask questions or raise issues they may have in their area. As there are likely to be people not from this area here tonight, the forum is not exclusively for the residents of
MEETING SCHEDULE
Thursday, September 12, 2019: Special Council Meeting, to be held at the Courthouse, Circle St, New Norfolk, 6pm. Open to the public. Download agenda documents here.
Monday, September 16, 2019: Special Closed Council Meeting, to be held at the Courthouse, Circle St, New Norfolk, 5.30pm. Closed to the public.
Thursday, September 19, 2019: Community Forum, to be held at the Bushy Park War Memorial Swimming Pool, Gordon River Rd, Bushy Park, 5.30pm.
Thursday, September 19, 2019: Council Meeting, to be held at the Bushy Park War Memorial Swimming Pool, Gordon River Rd, Bushy Park, 6pm. Download agenda documents here (from Friday evening).
