Mayoral Message - April 2021

At the Council meeting on Wednesday, 24 March, Councillors approved a development application in Wallaroo for an erosion gully rehabilitation, but with stringent conditions. One of the recommendations coming out of the debate was for Council to forward a submission and meet with the ACT Chief Minister and ACT Attorney General seeking tighter controls over the disposal of VENM (Virgin Excavated Natural Material)/ENM (Excavated Natural Material). It was also recommended that Council collaborates with neighbouring councils and the Canberra Region Joint Organisation on the issue of fill material from the ACT being placed on rural properties in NSW.

Illegal dumping has been a growing concern in the Yass Valley for many years. Tighter controls are needed to ensure our rural land does not end up as a dumping ground for waste from across the border.

At the end of last year, Councillors requested bi-monthly updates on the Yass Water Treatment Plant Upgrade project. The first of those reports was presented at the March 2021 meeting. Councillors also agreed last year that a three stage process (incorporating an independent peer review) should now form the basis of delivering upgraded water treatment facilities in Yass.

Stage One incorporates early works that aim to provide measurable, short term water quality improvement and enhanced treatment plant control especially during extreme weather events. It involves design and business case preparation for the installation of bubble plume aeration at Yass Dam, upgrade of raw water pump station and urgent works at Yass WTP. A business case for Stage One will be completed by June 2021 and an independent Peer Review is also underway to help us decide on the best final solution. Recommendations of the Peer Review will then be discussed with DPIE Water to ensure we are getting the right long term solution to resolve the main issues of colour, smell and hardness for our community.

I recently met with the NSW Minister for Regional Transport and Roads, Paul Toole, and the NSW Minister for Planning, Rob Stokes. At the first meeting, we discussed the upgrade of roads and freight strategies between Canberra and Inland Rail, which focuses on the transport of freight and connectivity between Canberra Airport and Inland Rail at Wagga. This brings additional focus on the Barton Highway and the need for increased funding to continue with the complete duplication of the vital transport route.

Secondly, General Manager Chris Berry and I met with Goulburn MP Wendy Tuckerman and NSW Minister for Planning, Rob Stokes and discussed a number of topics affecting the Local Government Area. One of the items raised was the many planning issues related to the Ginninderry Parkwood Planning Proposal, which straddles the border of the ACT and Yass Valley LGA.

I conclude this Mayoral message with my very best of wishes for a happy and safe Easter. This time last year we were locked down and kept apart from our loved ones. I want to acknowledge that for many of us this is still the case with international borders closed and a new outbreak in Queensland again causing chaos and cancelled plans. Wherever you are this Easter, I hope you are safe and surrounded with love.

1 April 2021

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