Mallacoota visit very productive

East Gippsland Shire Council Mayor Cr Natalie O’Connell has thanked the Mallacoota and district community for its hospitality following Council’s visit to the Far East earlier this week.

The visit, on Monday and Tuesday, included all nine councillors and senior staff and featured community meet and greets, site inspections, planning discussions and a formal meeting of council.

Cr O’Connell said the visit was very well received and provided residents and ratepayers the opportunity to speak directly with councillors and senior staff on issues important to them and their community.

“It was great to see many people participate in our visit,” Cr O’Connell said.

“The meet and greets with the Genoa Town Committee and Mallacoota community on Monday provided many opportunities for councillors to get a feel for the current issues and opportunities. Tuesday’s business breakfast gave everyone a sense of pride and inspiration after hearing of the local success story that is Sailors Grave Brewing, courtesy of Gab and Chris Moore. The update on the Wild Harvest Seafood Festival also whet the appetite for more great things to come, starting on April 12.”

The Mayor said Mallacoota embraced the opportunity to participate in the democratic process of local government through the very well attended planning consultation meeting for the proposed recreation facility in Greer Street, and then later at the council meeting – the first in the town for 22 years.

“It was great to have residents representing a broad section of the community in attendance, especially students from Mallacoota P-12 College’s legal studies class,” Cr O’Connell said.

“One of the decisions Council made was in response to difficulties businesses, community members and visitors are having with high water levels in the lake. Council moved to advocate more strongly for the community for a review of the 1.5-metre trigger for entrance reopening.

“Although such a decision to re-open the entrance does not sit with council, I will now personally deliver a letter to the Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change, the Honorable Lily D’Ambrosio MP, ‘in regard to reviewing the Catchment Management Authority guidelines for Mallacoota estuary opening that are currently triggered when the water level reaches 1.5 metres’.

“We will also have our officers work with the relevant authorities to seek a review of the current estuary opening guidelines in East Gippsland.”

The remaining council meetings outside the Corporate Centre will be held in Lakes Entrance (June), Omeo (September) and Orbost (November). These three towns were part of last year’s trial. The next ordinary meeting of council will be held on April 9 at the Corporate Centre, Bairnsdale, from 6pm.

“Despite some meetings not being held in the Corporate Centre, we will still provide the accessibility people have come to expect from our meetings. We live stream and video archive the proceedings so people who can’t be at the meeting can watch at a time convenient for them,” Cr O’Connell said.

A full list of council meeting dates is available on council’s website, eastgippsland.vic.gov.au/meetings

To view a video review of the visit and council meeting decisions, click the links below:

Mallacoota Business Breakfast guest speakers Chris and Gab Moore

March Council Meeting

Mayor's Council Meeting snapshot

Far East visit overview 

 Fiona Weigall (Acting Director Operations), Kate Nelson (Director Community Strategy), Cr Jackson Roberts, Cr Ben Buckley, Cr John White (Deputy Mayor), Cr Joe Rettino), Cr Marianne Pelz, Paul Holton (Director Development), Cr Colin Toohey, Cr Mark Reeves, Maryanne Bennett (Director Corporate) and (seated) Anthony Basford (Chief Executive Officer) and Cr Natalie O’Connell (Mayor) mark the completion of the first council meeting held in Mallacoota for 22 years on Tuesday afternoon, March 5. Not pictured: Cr Dick Ellis.