Council same, but different

The council office carparks might be empty and the swimming pool closed, but that doesn’t mean the essential business of local government isn’t ticking along nicely—albeit differently than what we’ve come to expect.

Central Highlands Regional Council’s Chief Executive Officer Scott Mason says COVID-19 has radically changed many aspects of how the council works, but not what it does.

‘The four top priority services – water, sewerage, waste management and cemetery operations – are all being maintained and delivered without a hitch,’ he said.

‘What we do hasn’t changed, but how we do it is looking a bit different. We’ve changed our procedures to comply with social distancing and other public health directives with the paramount intention of keeping our staff healthy and employed.

‘The annual report lists 43 services that this council delivers for its communities and our people continue to work to ensure those services are maintained and enhanced.

‘People are still lodging plans to build a shed; dogs are still escaping; grass is being mown in parks; and, where some activities might have been curtailed, staff are enjoying the opportunity to work “on” their business—catching up on planning, researching, reviewing and figuring out how best to support the Central Highlands’ community in the post-pandemic recovery,’ Mr Mason said.

‘I’m extremely proud of how council staff have adapted to working from home, which has proven that our investment in technology, communication and training is well worthwhile.

‘At this point in time, my job is to make sure our people are fully supported to continue in their roles, which means being flexible and adapting to change to suit individual circumstances.

‘Everything we do is in strict accordance with government directives with the health and safety of everyone foremost in our minds,’ the CEO said.