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South Gippsland Shire Council January 2023 community projects and programs updates

South Gippsland Shire Council update with notices, new events and new programs that will benefit the community and the residents.

By news@gippsland - 12th January 2023 - Back to News

Join us on Wednesday 18 January at the Meeniyan Hall to help us celebrate this year's South Gippsland Australia Day Award nominees. There are 13 nominees in the following categories: Citizen of the Year, Young Citizen of the Year, Community Event of the Year.

Event starts at 6.30pm
97 Whitelaw St, Meeniyan VIC 3956
Light refreshments provided
All are welcome

Nominees will be recognised at an Awards Ceremony to be held at the Meeniyan Hall. The achievements of each nominee will also be featured in local newspapers, on council's Facebook page and online, and the names of the overall winner in each category will also be inscribed on the Australia Day Honour Board in Memorial Hall.

Join us as we announce, showcase and celebrate Australia Day: Reflect, Respect, Celebrate

Australia day event program

South Gippsland has a host of Australia Day events planned this year so you can celebrate your way. From BBQs to river duck races, there is something to suit everyone. You can get a copy of the program for all the information through the Australia Day 2023 event program.

Started on 9 January, the South Gippsland customer service reception hours will be from 10.00am to 3.00pm, Monday to Thursday

Customer service opening hours

This year we are making some changes to the opening hours at our Customer Service counter located at 9 Smith Street in Leongatha. From 9 January, reception hours will be 10.00am to 3.00pm, Monday to Friday. These days and times were selected as they are when most people visit our Customer Service counter. The phone service is unchanged and will operate from 8.30am to 5.00pm Monday to Friday.

The changes will help with preparations for a new Customer Service counter that will be opened at the Korumburra Community Hub later this year. This means there will soon be two Customer Service counters available in South Gippsland where our friendly team can assist you with council information, payments and applications.

Additionally, we will soon be introducing online appointment bookings for our Planning, Rates, Building and Environmental Health Teams as well as new ways to pay for applications online via council's website. You can contact council on 5662 9200 or South Gippsland Shire Council 'Contact us' page.

Photos for the competition need to capture this year's Australia Day theme, which is: Australia Day: Reflect, Respect, Celebrate. We're All Part of the Story

Photography competition

Have you sent your snaps in yet? Better get them in quick! The South Gippsland Australia Day Photography Competition closes on Wednesday 18 January. This is a great opportunity for photographers of all ages and levels to submit a photo that fits under the theme of 'Australia Day: Reflect, Respect, Celebrate - We are all part of the story'.

All photos must be taken in, or in close proximity to, South Gippsland. The submitted images will be used for the purpose of the competition only. This competition has been funded by the National Australia Day council.

Prizes for $800 in the open category and $200 for the junior category (under 15). Winners will be announced on 26 January 2023. For more information and to enter, please visit the Australia Day Photography Competition page.

Council drop-in sessions are held to give the community opportunities to communicate with the council, express their concerns or give feedback

Drop - in sessions

Our Community Strengthening team is hitting the road to provide advice to the community about Community Grants. Community organisations and individuals alike can come along and ask any questions they might have. Drop-in sessions will be held at the locations below between 10.00am and 3.00pm:

Monday 23 January - Meeniyan Hall
Wednesday 25 January - Nyora Public Hall
Monday 6 February - Korumburra - Milpara House
Wednesday 8 February - Poowong Uniting Church
Monday 20 February - Toora Hall
Wednesday 22 February - Foster - Manna Gum Community House

There's no need to book, just turn up. For more information please contact Sophie Bolding on 5662 9200.

Share your thoughts for the South Gippsland Coastal Strategy by Tuesday 31 January 2023

South Gippsland coastal strategy

Consultation for the South Gippsland Coastal Strategy has now commenced. From Venus Bay to Port Welshpool, our coast is a treasured asset for locals and visitors of South Gippsland. However, it is facing a range of pressures including climate change risk, increasing residential and commercial development, and increasing demand for infrastructure and services. It's clear we need to take proactive steps to respond to these challenges and prepare our coastal communities for the future.

The Coastal Strategy is a major initiative of the 2022-2026 Council Plan, and will provide strategic direction for our coastal areas and guide sustainable land use and development. To ensure the Strategy reflects the views of the South Gippsland community, an extensive engagement process is underway. Ending on 31 January 2023, the engagement will include pop-ups at markets and festivals, an online survey and forums, written submissions and, we hope, many conversations amongst the community.

To help start the conversation, we have prepared a Discussion Paper that provides information about some of the challenges and how we might respond. These include:

Removing growth areas from the planning scheme in Venus Bay, Sandy Point and Waratah Bay, which means the townships wouldn't expand beyond their current boundaries
Limiting new residential development in coastal townships to a single dwelling per lot
Introducing subdivision controls to prevent the creation of additional residential lots in coastal towns
Reviewing coastal land management arrangements regarding council's foreshore management areas

To find out more and to get involved, please visit South Gippsland Coastal Strategy 'Your Say' page.

With Victoria experiencing several warm days, it is a timely reminder to avoid using machinery during hot days where possible as well as ensuring they are properly maintained

Fire danger period

The Fire Danger Period begins in South Gippsland at 1.00am Monday 16 January 2023. During the fire danger period, we can't accept any applications for permits to burn.

Fire Danger Period (FDP) Restrictions

There are two types of restrictions during the fire danger period, and they are:

Fire Danger Period (FDP) - CFA declares the Fire Danger Periods by municipality during periods of increased fire risk
Total Fire Ban (TFB) - Total Fire Bans are declared by CFA on days when fires are likely to spread rapidly and be difficult to control

To find out more about what you can and can't do during this time, please visit Country Fire Authority (CFA) website.

Ambassador program

Would you like to be an Ambassador for South Gippsland? South Gippsland Shire Council is encouraging interested business owners and residents to complete a free online course to help improve the South Gippsland visitor experience. This course aims to create local tourism ambassadors to provide visitors to South Gippsland with valuable information about local attractions, towns and activities.

Participants will learn about local events, produce, walking and cycling experiences and more. Upon completion, participants will receive a certificate and become a South Gippsland Tourism Ambassador. To find out more about the Program or to sign up, please visit My South Gippsland website.

Community RAT program

Free Rapid Antigen Tests (RATs) are now available for priority and high-risk community members to collect at the following locations:

South Gippsland Shire Council Reception - 9 Smith St, Leongatha
Foster Library - 9 Main St, Foster
Poowong Library - 18 Ranceby Rd, Poowong
Mirboo North Library - 2 Brennan St, Mirboo North
Korumburra Library - 165 Commercial St, Korumburra
Leongatha Library - 2 Smith St, Leongatha

For more information, visit the Community Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) Program page. Alternatively you can call the National Coronavirus Helpline on 1800 675 398. Please show your concession, Seniors or disability card to staff to collect your free RATs or let them know you are 70 years or older or immunocompromised.

Victorian residents & visitors are urged to protect themselves against mosquito-borne diseases such as ross river virus, Barmah Forest virus and Murray Valley encephalitis

Prevent mosquito bites

More than 275 species of mosquitoes are found in Australia. Fortunately, only a few species bite humans, and fewer still are vectors of human diseases. In Victoria, the most common viruses transmitted from mosquitoes to humans are Ross River and Barmah Forest viruses.

Infections caused by Japanese encephalitis virus, Murray Valley encephalitis virus and Kunjin virus are rare, but do have the potential to cause severe disease. Visit the Department of Health website - Mosquito-borne diseases for more information.

Request for Tenders

Council is seeking submissions from qualified companies/applicants for the following:

RFT/343 - Retaining Wall Construction; Mirboo North Transfer Station. Tenders close 2pm AEDST on Tuesday 31 January 2023
RFT/351 - Design & Construct New Toilet Block; Baromi Park, Mirboo North. Tenders close 2pm AEDST on Thursday 2 February 2023

Documentation is available from Council's e-Tendering Portal.

Pictures from South Gippsland Shire Council website, South Gippsland Shire Council Facebook page, Meeniyan Community website, CFA (Country Fire Authority) Facebook page and Victorian Department of Health Facebook page.

Source: http://gippsland.com/

Published by: news@gippsland.com