At the end of April, Yarriambiack was added to the national list of local government areas eligible for federal government funding under the drought community program.
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The council's exhaustive advocacy for inclusion in the program has borne fruit.
On May 8, representatives from community groups throughout the shire met at Warracknabeal to decide which projects deserve funding under this program.
Up to $1 million of infrastructure spending in 13 of our communities was agreed upon. All projects met the DCP criteria and, once started, must be completed by the end of 2019.
It was really exciting news and it is anticipated that the selected projects will rejuvenate many of the sporting grounds, halls, playgrounds, parks and public spaces in our shire.
Councillors met on May 22 to accept the proposed 2019-20 annual budget.
The $26 million budget has been structured to maintain existing service levels, deliver grant-subsidised projects and ensure future sustainability.
The council's exhaustive advocacy for inclusion in the program has borne fruit.
The general rate is increased by 2.23 per cent and the farming rate differential has been reduced from 72 per cent to 62 per cent.
The municipal charge will be $75.08 and the kerbside and recycling charges will be slightly increased to cover the extra costs for disposal. We anticipate capital works expenditure will be $8.25 million, which includes $5.4 million to be spent on roads.
The draft budget also contains a number of key initiatives designed to support our community into the future.
Among these are playground upgrades at Minyip and Hopetoun, development of streetscape and caravan park master plans, a transition to a cloud-based information technology system, implementation of three-year old kindergarten and a move to a new community library model.
The draft budget can be viewed on council's website or inspected at the Hopetoun or Warracknabeal office. Members of the public are invited to make written submissions by June 19.
Yarriambiack Shire Council was most disappointed to learn that there was no mention of completing Warracknabeal's education precinct in this year's state government budget.
The secondary college remains in buildings that require a lot of maintenance.
Although the Special Development School has shifted to the new site, only one third of the infrastructure has been provided.
Like our community, we are still waiting to be told when this project will be completed.
