Mayoral Message - November

I was delighted to join Senator Jim Molan, Goulburn MP Wendy Tuckerman and Transport NSW South Director Sam Knight to officially mark the beginning of the Barton Highway duplication last week. The official turning of soil was a momentous occasion and one this Council has fought long and hard to see come to fruition. The duplication will ensure a safer journey for the thousands of Yass Valley residents who commute for work, school or leisure. We have waited a long time for this. We still have a long road to go. We will not stop lobbying all governments to ensure the entire length of the Barton Highway is duplicated. Local lives and livelihoods depend upon it.

Other welcome news for the fast growing and thriving Murrumbateman community were recent announcements from the NSW Government that the Murrumbateman Primary School will be here sooner rather than later, and an allocation of $125,160 to upgrade the Murrumbateman Recreation Grounds will be gratefully received by Council under the Stronger Country Communities Fund. This funding will provide space for the Recreation Grounds user groups to store their equipment and the Horse Yard Upgrades will complement the existing equestrian facilities. Both of these projects will bring significant benefits to the Murrumbateman community.

Council has also welcomed $114,000 from the NSW Government from round three of the NSW Government’s Stronger Communities Fund to complete the Yass Learn to Ride Centre. The Learn to Ride Centre will have the look and feel of a real road environment complete with road signs, round-about, pedestrian crossing and footpaths to provide a safe space for our young cyclists to learn valuable riding skills. We are thankful for the funding to help us deliver these important community projects.

Council last week resolved to support 11 local groups and organisations with $20, 638 in Community Grants with another round of community grants to be offered early next year. This year has been a challenging one for all of us. Our local non-for-profit groups have found it particularly difficult as their traditional methods of fundraising were deemed unsafe due to health concerns associated with the COVID-19 health pandemic. I urge any local groups or organisations in need of a helping hand to put themselves forward next year when the second round of the funding program is declared open.

On that note, our Yass Valley businesses have also done it tough this year. Many suffered disruptions to their usual trading practices and many more were forced to pivot to new ways of doing business. It is always important to shop local and to support our small local business owners but as Christmas fast approaches, I wholeheartedly urge and encourage residents to stay local, shop local and support local.

30 November 2020

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