HORSHAM council has completed a quarter of its projects outlined in its 2019-23 plan, a council report has revealed.
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The council's 2019-2023 Plan was adopted in June and contains 129 priorities that need to be completed by 2023.
So far the council has completed 31 priorities, with 89 in various stages of progress. Nine priorities have not yet started.
In a report discussed by the council at its September meeting on Monday, eight priority projects have been completed between January and June 2019.
These projects are:
- Development of positive ageing initiatives
- Improving presentation, lighting and walking track condition around the racecourse
- Working with the Wesley Committee of Management to review arrangements associated with the Wesley PAC
- Respond to emerging risks through the strategic risk register and internal audit
- Review the Name and Address database to create single name and address database
- Supporting training and programs relating to family violence and gender equity
- Support cultural awareness training and programs
- Complete the Wimmera River Corridor Strategy
The projects the council has not yet started include:
- Seek funding for Stage 2 Horsham Museum Project
- Facilitate further development of the Aerodrome Industrial Estate
- Investigate the impacts of the relocation of the rail line out of the town area
- Investigate marketing and funding through the RMIT for the Zero to Nhill Trail
- Purchase additional land for hangar space at Aerodrome including access-way development
- Optimise use of water basins to capture storm water
- Implement selected recommendations from the Wimmera River Project Report
The plan also outlines 19 strategic indicators. Seven have now been achieved.
See below for a full list of the council's projects
It in her to the council, governance officer Sue Frankham said the plan helped set the strategic direction of the council for the next four years.
"(It links with) the community's vision to long-term community goals, four-year outcomes and four-year priorities for Horsham Rural City Council. It provides direction to management and includes the indicators that the council uses to deliver key outcomes," she said.
At Monday's meeting, Cr Pam Clarke said she was pleased that many projects had been completed or were in progress.
Cr John Robinson said one of the completed goals listed, 'Investigate other options for the Wimmera Sport Stadium", hadn't been completed. He asked for it to be withdrawn from the list of completed goals.
Council chief executive Sunil Bhalla said it was an error.
Cr David Grimble questioned the goal "Encourage the development of a riverside cafe", which was marked as 70 per cent completed.
"It says community consultation is underway for the consideration of a riverside cafe and the potential for it to be a private or council enterprise," he said.
"I question the thought process behind suggesting it be a council enterprise because currently we do not have a tenant for the cafe at the Horsham Town Hall.
"If it was to be a council or private enterprise, you would need some form of endorsement from this chamber to do that. I'm not convinced a cafe is a good use of council resources."
Council's Development Services director Angela Murphy said the goal referred to a mobile cafe that was set up at the Wimmera River in December by Nourish'd Eatery.
"That was stage one of activating the Wimmera River. It's very early days as to what happens in the next step," she said.
See the full Horsham council 2019-2023 plan below
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