From the Mayor's Desk - 18 August 2020

I would like to take this opportunity to express my sincere appreciation to everyone who has shown myself and my family kindness and compassion during this time of bereavement. The support of our community has been of great comfort and our family have greatly appreciated every kind word and offering of condolence.

Thank you for allowing us the time and the space to grieve as a family, and to reflect upon the cherished time we shared with Megan. I find solace in knowing that we will have the support and understanding of the community as we begin to try to return to our daily lives without our daughter.

Upon my return to the office, it has been welcome to receive the news that in the first month of the new financial year alone, Council has already received 12 new building applications and nine new planning applications for developments across the Goondiwindi region. This is a combined increase of more than 61% against the same July period last year, and it follows the announcement that Council would halve all its building and planning application fees for 2020-21.

I am pleased to see that so many have been able to make the most of this opportunity within our region. These figures clearly demonstrate that the Goondiwindi region is an attractive place to invest. There is no doubt that the ongoing drought continues to afflict many sectors of our proudly agricultural economy - and the construction industry is not immune. Council therefore feels it is particularly important to help keep our tradies in town, on site and spending locally by encouraging development within the region, creating jobs and employing local people.

At Council, we are dedicated to regional investment and the flow-on benefits to the economic and social development for our community. While this includes attracting external investors and developers, it’s our priority to make it as easy as possible for residents and local businesses to get their idea off the ground: whether that’s an add-on to the family home, or a slice of the investment opportunity within the region.

One such measure is encouraging applicants to meet with our Planning and Building team before lodging their submission. These meetings are an opportunity to ensure your application is right the first time around and save the hassle and cost of having to re-apply. The meeting will be tailored to your individual proposal, and we will work with you to identify any potential concerns and explore possible solutions to make sure your application is compliant with local government laws and the town planning scheme. It’s a great chance to be proactive with your application and iron out any potential setbacks to boundaries, building size and scale, building over or near sewer mains, and all other general building code compliance requirements. 

Council can also help by identifying and explaining some of the other government agency requirements that may need to be considered.    Sometimes people are daunted and deterred by the application process, we want people to be reassured and comfortable in their dealings with Council.  Council’s core business is service and we will assist with information that can help you put your proposal or application together.

I strongly encourage anyone considering a new build, home improvement or other development to take advantage of this opportunity. Please call Council on 07 4671 7400 to arrange your pre-lodgement meeting – your investment and confidence in our region makes it an even better place for all of us to live.

Hon. Lawrence Springborg AM

Mayor

Goondiwindi Regional Council