From Monday 4 to Sunday 10 August, we’ll be acknowledging Local Government Week. 

For many people, local government services are there when you need them. Your household waste is collected, there’s well-maintained play equipment at your local park and you spend time browsing and borrowing from the library. 

For others, local government means they have childcare options, can join classes at a leisure centre, connect with others at community events or hire a venue. 

And, as an employer of choice for many people, local government offers opportunities for building a meaningful career or contributing through volunteering.

As Mayor and Councillors, we gain a deep understanding of what it takes to enable local government services to operate seamlessly for residents.  

It takes expertise and detailed planning. It takes conversations and consultations with residents. And it takes careful decision making in the best interests of the whole community. 

We’ve recently refreshed our Community Strategic Plan, a plan that takes a long-term look at our residents’ vision for the future, their hopes and their priorities. 

People have told us they want to be part of a strong community, that protecting the natural environment is essential and opportunities created by a prosperous economy are important to them. They described the services they need for a great quality of life and emphasised the importance of sound leadership to deliver these. 

Everything we do as a Council responds to this Community Plan. And we continue to ensure that consulting with residents is our priority as we deliver local government services. 

To help put the local into local government, I encourage you to engage with Council as much as possible by having your say. At any point, we have consultations open on the Your Voice Our Coast website, and this is your key platform to become involved in what’s happening where you live.

You can also see future projects and feedback opportunities in the Community Engagement Plan section. 

This Local Government Week, why not take a look at Your Voice Our Coast and see how you can help to shape the services and activities Council delivers.

Mayor Lawrie McKinna