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Bass Coast Shire Council News BulletinBass Coast Shire Council News Bulletin, 21 March 2006 By Bass Coast Shire Council - 22nd March 2006 - Back to News Municipal Review Seeking Delegation With Minister
Bass Coast Shire Council has voted unanimously to adopt a statement in support of a Municipal Review, which was tabled at last week's Council meeting, held at the Anglican Church Hall in Inverloch.
The statement will accompany the formal request for a review, which will be sent to the Minister for Local Government, Candy Broad.
The Supporting Statement is as follows:
In support of our motion for a Municipal Review of the Bass Coast Shire, we ask that the review be comprehensive, embracing all stake holders, is highly consultative and transparent. As can be seen by the motion, the decision for the review was unanimous, and this in itself directly reflects the support of the Bass Coast communities. The Bass Coast Shire has grown dramatically and continues to grow since the amalgamations of Shires and Boroughs in December 1994.
This will be the first comprehensive review of the Bass Coast Shire since amalgamation, and the independence of the review is paramount if the outcomes are to be accepted as the way forward. We look forward to your considerations.
Bass Coast Shire Council’s Chief Executive Officer Allan Bawden confirmed that Council will be seeking to send a delegation to the Minister to present the request in person.
Positive Ageing Strategy
Bass Coast Shire Council last week voted unanimously to adopt a Positive Ageing Strategy.
Based on the principles of Council’s Positive Ageing Policy, which was adopted in September 2005, the development of the Strategy has been a collaborative project between community representatives, service providers, members of older persons groups and Council.
A draft strategy was released earlier this year, calling for public comment. Submissions received through this process were considered in the final version.
Council’s Social Planner, Jeanette Draper, said the adoption and strong vocal support of the Policy was an acknowledgment of the magnitude of the demographic change in the Shire.
"We need to take a pro-active approach," said Ms Draper.
"Every day there is more research which points to the rapid growth of our ageing population.
"Even our recent study into the Economic Impact of Tourism highlighted this area.
"47 per cent of holiday home-owners survey for the study said they intended to live permanently in their holiday home in the future. And 86 per cent of these people say they plan to retire to Bass Coast.
"Bass Coast Shire Council is committed to taking a leadership role in dealing with an ageing population," continued Ms Draper.
Actions within the Strategy have a budget of approximately $98,000. Council is contributing approximately $19,900 with the remainder of the funding coming from a variety of sources, including local businesses, health service providers, Federal and State Government and the local community.
Off The Shelf Charges
A report presented to Bass Coast Shire Council last week investigated the option of using a Development Contributions Plan (DCP) as a means of funding infrastructure and facilities through the Planning Scheme.
Changes to the Planning and Environment Act in 1995 resulted in it being difficult and costly for councils to levy Development Contributions. As a result, very few regional or rural local governments have implemented the scheme.
In 1999, the State Government established a committee to review and provide advice about improvements to the DCP scheme. One of the recommendations was that the Government introduce ‘Off The Shelf’ charges.
These are effectively a simpler form of a DCP, in the form of a set of standard amounts that councils can levy against developers. To date, this recommendation has not been implemented.
Recent reports from Bass Coast Shire Council’s independent auditor clearly identified capital works, infrastructure renewal and maintenance expenditures as areas that need attention when setting the parameters for future budgets.
Planning and Environment Director, Andrew Mason, said Development Contributions were vital in this regard.
"These contributions provide a source of funding for new infrastructure," said Mr Mason.
"This allows us to direct investments towards asset renewal.
"It is all part of putting together a budget which deals with our immediate infrastructure requirements as well as addressing the need to maintain our existing assets."
The Council will be writing to the Minister for Planning calling for the introduction of "Off The Shelf" charges. The letter will emphasise the urgency of the request, due to the development pressures of the sea change phenomenon in areas such as Bass Coast.
help for those building a home
Members of the community experiencing difficulties with private building surveyors can now turn to Bass Coast Shire Council to help resolve the matter.
The recent adoption of a "Building Control Intervention Filter Criteria – Policy" provides clear guidelines for when the Municipal Building Surveyor can intervene in these situations.
People experiencing problems or issues relating to their building surveyor can approach Council for assistance with the problem.
Council will then decide whether to become involved by issuing a building notice or order, or referring the problem to the Building Commission.
Planning and Environment Director, Andrew Mason, applauded the unanimous vote by councils to adopt the policy.
"The Filter Criteria recognises our obligations to the public to fix, or provide an avenue to fix, dangerous situations. "We believe this will help streamline the complaint handling process and help provide outcomes for people who are experiencing these kinds of problems," he said.
Source: www.gippsland.com Published by: news@gippsland.com
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