Australia Day Award nominations open - Mayoral Column 20 November 2019

Another fantastic Australian National Busking Championships was held in Cooma with bumper crowds turning out for this year’s event. This has been a continuing good news story for our region as the event increases in popularity and significance.

We thank the busking committee, volunteers and the Cooma Community Chest for their diligent work in helping run such a successful event. Well done to all the performers and the award winners who came from far and wide for this year’s event.

On Friday, Deputy Premier John Barilaro MP announced that the Snowy Mountains would become a SAP. For those unfamiliar with this terminology this means a Special Activation Precinct.

In short, a SAP has government funds attached to it to assist with planning and delivering infrastructure projects within the precinct area. In our case, this area covers the Snowy Mountains, Jindabyne and surrounding areas.

In the past, there has been criticism of plans being made with no finance to carry these out. This is not the case with the SAP.

The GO Jindabyne Masterplan is to be released at a later date and this will feed directly into the Special Activation Precinct.

All of our local government area will benefit from this continuing project, in which the state government has declared its intentions to make the Snowy Mountains the premier winter and summer alpine tourist destination in Australia. Thank you John Barilaro for your efforts.

The next Ordinary Council Meeting will be held on Thursday at Rydges Snowy Mountains in Jindabyne from 5pm. To be discussed: the development of a new service station and ski hire shop in Jindabyne, the Monaro Rail Trail draft feasibility report, and management of heavy vehicles through Bombala’s town centre.

We all know someone or a group who contribute a tremendous amount of time and effort to improving their community.

Now is your chance to nominate this individual or community group for an Australia Day Award. Nominations are open until Thursday 19 December. Nomination forms are available from each Council office and library, Bombala and Cooma visitor centres and on Council’s website.

Councillor Peter Beer Mayor of Snowy Monaro Regional Council