SORELL council community news communitynews DECEMBER 2015 COUNCI L 1862 SORELL DECEMBER 2015 community coast country MERRY CHRISTMAS On behalf of the Mayor, Councillors and Staff at Sorell Council, we wish you and your family a joyful and relaxing time over the festive period. COMMUNITY AND YOUTH GRANTS – SPECIAL ROUND! Great news for sporting clubs and community groups! Council is holding a special additional round of Community and Youth Grants for 2015-2016. e Community Grants Program provides financial support to eligible community groups and organisations within the Sorell Municipality and includes funds for Community Assistance and Youth Grants. Applications for this special round open on Friday 1 January 2016 and close on Friday 29 January 2016. Please see Council’s website for full details and application forms. AMALGAMATIONS UPDATE As previously communicated, the State Government is supporting Councils to investigate voluntary amalgamations and / or shared services by making funding available to have modelling performed. This modelling will help Councils determine what an amalgamated Council will look like and what it will mean for their community. Sorell, Tasman, Clarence City and Glamorgan Spring Bay Councils have collaborated to have modelling performed for the South East region. Council, in conjunction with Department of Premier and Cabinet, will be going through a tender assessment process to select an appropriate organisation to undertake the required modelling. An important element of the process is the extent to which the Department of Premier and Cabinet are prepared to co-fund the project. Once a consultant is appointed the modelling process will commence in early 2016. We will keep residents updated as to the findings and engage in community consultation once the facts and figures of a possible amalgamation are known and what they will mean for our community. SORELL SCHOOL ROADWORKS Council has been working in consultation with the Sorell School community and bus service providers to develop a plan to improve the intersection of Walker and Forcett Streets. Works will include traffic calming and safety measures including the installation of new footpath, kerb and channel on the school side of the street and a formal pedestrian crossing. In addition, the entrance to the Senior -School’s car park will be relocated to provide a separate entrance from the Primary School. e majority of the works will be carried out during the January school holidays with additional works on the western side of the road being finalised in the new financial year. ese works will make the busy school drop off and pick up time at this intersection much safer for our vulnerable children. A copy of the proposed works is available on our website.
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SORELLcouncil
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COUNCIL1862
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D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 5
c o m m u n i t y c o a s t c o u n t r y
MERRY CHRISTMASOn behalf of the Mayor, Councillors and Staff
at Sorell Council, we wish you and your family a
joyful and relaxing time over the festive period.
COMMUNITY AND YOUTH GRANTS – SPECIAL ROUND!Great news for sporting clubs and community groups!
Council is holding a special additional round of Community and Youth Grants for 2015-2016. The Community Grants Program provides financial support to eligible community groups and organisations within the Sorell Municipality and includes funds for Community Assistance and Youth Grants. Applications for this special round open on Friday 1 January 2016 and close on Friday 29 January 2016. Please see Council’s website for full details and application forms.
AMALGAMATIONS UPDATEAs previously communicated, the State Government is supporting Councils to investigate voluntary amalgamations and / or shared services by making funding available to have modelling performed. This modelling will help Councils determine what an amalgamated Council will look like and what it will mean for their community.
Sorell, Tasman, Clarence City and Glamorgan Spring Bay Councils have collaborated to have modelling performed for the South East region.
Council, in conjunction with Department of Premier and Cabinet, will be going through a tender assessment process to select an appropriate organisation to undertake the required modelling. An important element of the process is the extent to which the Department of Premier and Cabinet are prepared to co-fund the project. Once a consultant is appointed the modelling process will commence in early 2016.
We will keep residents updated as to the findings and engage in community consultation once the facts and figures of a possible amalgamation are known and what they will mean for our community.
SORELL SCHOOL ROADWORKSCouncil has been working in consultation with the Sorell School community and bus service providers to develop a plan to improve the intersection of Walker and Forcett Streets.
Works will include traffic calming and safety measures including the installation of new footpath, kerb and channel on the school side of the street and a formal pedestrian crossing. In addition, the entrance to the Senior -School’s car park will be relocated to provide a separate entrance from the Primary School.
The majority of the works will be carried out during the January school holidays with additional works on the western side of the road being finalised in the new financial year. These works will make the busy school drop off and pick up time at this intersection much safer for our vulnerable children. A copy of the proposed works is available on our website.
CAC COMMUNITY PRECINCT PROJECTThe parcel of land surrounding the Community Administration Centre in Cole Street has recently been advertised through an Expression of Interest in conjunction with an adjoining land owner.
Relevantly, the area of land comprising the old Railway Shed, Lions rooms and Men’s Shed was excluded from this EOI process to enable Council to develop a community precinct concept plan and feasibility / business plan.
This process will shortly commence between Council and consultants Inspiring Place to help determine the best and highest possible future use for this area. A key part of the process will be communicating with the community and importantly, the current and future users of the precinct to capture their views. More information regarding this project will be communicated with the community as plans progress in the coming months – it is expected consultation will commence toward late January / early February.
YOURCOUNCILLORS
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Mayor Kerry Vincent Ph 6269 2233 (B)Mobile 0408 023 [email protected]
MAYOR’S MESSAGEThe past twelve months have been highly constructive for our Municipality.
We have continued to define the role of Council and its duties to the community, with numerous efficiencies and savings being achieved. The number of positive comments and feedback received regarding work being undertaken by Council within our community is very satisfying. I thank you for taking the time to care.
Some of the projects undertaken by Council during 2015 include:
Realigning dangerous bends on our roads (Fulham, Brinktop and Primrose Sands Roads)
Reinstating beach access at Primrose Sands
Footpath and playground enhancements in Primrose Sands
Upgrade of Nugent Road
Renewal of footpaths and walkways in Midway Point and Sorell
Installation of new play equipment and toilets at Vancouver Street Park
Completed numerous bush fire recovery projects at Dunalley
Streetscape works in Sorell
South East Irrigation connection to Pembroke Park
Protecting our vulnerable road users by installing pedestrian crossings at the Coles Plaza and Main Road into Stores Lane
The Gypsy Bay groyne extension
Completion of Pembroke Park sporting facilities
There are plenty more positive projects for our community set to take place in 2016.
I’ve been thrilled to see increasing rates of participation in our local sporting clubs – Soccer, Netball, Surf Life Saving, Yachting and Little Athletics. These sports are all booming at a local level and it’s magnificent to see so many people embracing our expanded sporting opportunities.
The South East Trade Training Centre has been revitalised under the excellent leadership of Rick Birch. The opportunities arising from the centre are driving both young and mature aged residents alike into further training and giving them valuable skills to add to our community.
It’s very encouraging to see the growth and expansion of businesses in Sorell. Holts Mitre 10 and the United Service Station are two businesses who have undertaken major transformations and investments in our community over the past year. This is a strong indicator of the level of confidence that our business community has in our local economy and its growth. I’m confident the work we are undertaking on our streetscapes will continue to grow the pride our local business owners show in their businesses too.
Our municipality continues to be a rapidly growing community. We need to be careful about how we utilise our assets to manage this growth. Council is in a strong position to face and manage this growth. We are fortunate to be faced with such a positive and prosperous future for our region.
I wish you all a very safe and Merry Christmas. I trust you will enjoy the festive break with your family, friends and loved ones.
Mayor Kerry Vincent
WASTE MANAGEMENT SERVICESCouncil’s green and hard waste collection services continue to grow in popularity.
This is making it difficult to collect all the materials in the same week. For this reason, the 2016 collections will now occur over a two week period. The areas being collected are listed below and are specified in the Waste Management Services Guide which will shortly be mailed to residents.
WEEK 1 Boomer Bay, Carlton, Carlton River, Connellys Marsh, Copping, Dodges Ferry, Dunalley, Forcett, Kellevie, Lewisham, Marion Bay, Primrose Sands
WEEK 2 Midway Point, Nugent, Orielton, Pawleena, Penna, Sorell, Wattle Hill
Green and hard waste will no longer be collected on your normal garbage day. Instead, all waste must now be placed on the nature strip the weekend prior to your scheduled collection week. Council’s contractor will collect your green or hard waste during that week. Bookings must be made by midday Friday the week prior to your collection. Residents should note that if your waste is not booked in or does not comply with the size limits or material requirements, it WILL NOT be collected.
Council recently awarded a new seven year Waste Management contract to Veolia for kerbside garbage and recycling collection. Veolia was selected as the general waste contractor as the service they offered was in line with Council’s waste management requirements, including new technology and processes.
Veolia have bought two new garbage trucks containing camera technology which is new to Tasmania. They are the first waste management service provider to offer this type of technology and Sorell Council is the first Council in the State to utilise the service.
Mayor Kerry Vincent says that the new technology will provide better accountability and transparency with the service for all involved. “These cameras will help solve the age old problem of ‘was the garbage bin put out on time?’ If a resident calls to complain their bin was missed then the footage can be viewed to clarify if the bin was put out at the correct time or if the bin was simply missed. It will help alleviate a lot of our customer service issues with waste collection,” said Mayor Vincent.
COMMUNITY TOOL TRAILERSorell Council's Community Tool Trailer is now available! The trailer contains a selection of hand tools and is available for community groups working on environmental projects within the Sorell Municipality to borrow. The tools are available thanks to support from Holts Mitre 10 in Sorell. For more information or to book the trailer, please contact Council’s NRM Facilitator on 6269 0000 or [email protected].
MAKING SKIN PENETRATION ACTIVITIES SAFEThere are significant risks associated with engaging in skin penetration activities. Tattoos, acupuncture and ear and body piercings all carry an increased risk of transmitting disease-causing organisms such as HIV, hepatitis B, hepatitis C and skin infections by common bacteria if not performed correctly.
The Public Health Act 1997 regulates the licensing, operation, use and management of all places that are used for these types of public health risk activities. Due to the risk associated with these activities, enforceable guidelines have been developed under the Public Health Act 1997. A licence must be issued for individuals and businesses to lawfully provide this public health risk activity. Council’s Environmental Health Officers regularly check that the businesses operating these activities in our municipality are licensed under the Act and are maintained and operated in a clean and sanitary condition.
We have some fantastic businesses operating in our community. They abide by the Health Regulations and provide quality and professional work.
So next time you are considering a new tattoo or piercing, make sure it’s at one of our reputable local registered businesses to limit the risk you place yourself at.
ROAD WORKS UPDATEBRINKTOP ROAD
A section of Brinktop Road was recently reconstructed. The works involved a vertical realignment, widening of the road shoulders and reseal of the road pavement. These works have made this section of the road much safer.
PRIMROSE ROAD
As part of the Urban Street Sealing Program, the remaining 300 metres of Primrose Road will be sealed before Christmas.
PRIMROSE SANDS ROAD
Work to realign a dangerous bend on the road has been carried out. These works were supported with funding from the Federal Government’s Black Spot Programme.
FULHAM ROAD
A section of approximately 900 metres of the road at the saddle, between the current seals, is being realigned and sealed. The works will make this section of the road safer and should be finished by Christmas time. These works were supported by the Federal Government’s Roads to Recovery Program.
STREETSCAPE WORKS IN GORDON STREETAs part of Councils streetscape plans for Sorell, Gordon Street is undergoing some beautification works.
A wider, pebbled ash footpath to match Fitzroy Street will be constructed, as well as trees planted and new black lights installed. This will assist to enhance the appearance of our Town centre.
Streetscaping works for the northern end of Fitzroy Street through to Pembroke Park are budgeted to be carried out in the 2016/2017 financial year.
SORELL REGIONAL ART PRIZEThe 2015 Sorell Regional Art Exhibition and Prize held in collaboration with SBRA was another great success.
The Our Place theme saw a very high standard of entry, with 58 artists entering 141 pieces of work across nine categories, with three major prizes. Natalie Murden’s paintings “Our Coastal Community” and “At the End of the Earth” were awarded the Sorell Council $1500 art acquisition prize. Congratulations to SBRA for organising another fantastic exhibition and to all the talented artists for sharing their passion for Our Place.
CONTACT USStreet Address: 47 Cole Street, Sorell Telephone: 6269 0000 By Fax: 6269 0014By email: [email protected]: www.sorell.tas.gov.auAny feedback about the newsletter is welcomed and can be forwarded to [email protected]
IMPROVING WATER QUALITY IN PITT WATER ORIELTON LAGOONPaul Gray, Council’s NRM Facilitator, has overseen two storm water projects in collaboration with Crown Land Services, Parks and Wildlife and NRM South.
The works were carried out within the Montagu Street and Wolstenholme Drive storm-water systems and involved the construction of a storm-water outfall and repair of an area of significant erosion across these two major storm-water systems.
These sites are major entry points for storm water runoff from the Sorell Township into the RAMSAR wetland at Orielton Lagoon. Works have improved water quality and enhanced the foreshore vegetation through installing new drainage, gabions, conducting weed control and the planting of native wetland and terrestrial vegetation.
On top of the storm water works, a trial is being carried out in the adjoining Miena Park in an attempt to restore a section of foreshore being affected by severe tunnel erosion.
PRIMROSE SANDS WALKWAY AND BEACH ACCESSIn partnership with Crown Land Services and Primrose Sands Coastcare group Council has been working on making safer and easier access to the beach from the Grevillea Street car park.
The works included cutting back vegetation and repairing eroded sections of the existing track with the construction of a timber ramp leading onto the beach. These works will be finished in time for the busy summer beach period.
NEWS IN BRIEF
PEMBROKE PARK OPENINGStage one works at Pembroke Park have now been finalised and recognised at the official opening held on Wednesday 30 September. Local sporting clubs and community groups ran sports activities and games and the Lions Club of Sorell ran a community BBQ. The event drew a large crowd, who enjoyed the new facilities and the fantastic activities on offer.
The new facilities at Pembroke Park provide high-demand sport and recreation facilities to the south east region of Tasmania. A storm water re-use project provides irrigation to the sporting fields whilst protecting the adjoining internationally recognised Ramsar site of Orielton Lagoon. Pembroke Park now provides new health and wellbeing opportunities for locals and visitors alike.
These works were made possible thanks to grant funding of $1.19 million from the Federal Governments Regional Development Australia Funding program and $240,000 from the Tasmanian Government’s Department of Communities, Sport and Recreation.
COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONSCouncil held a number of Community Conversations across the Municipality in 2015. These informal meetings proved popular with the community as they provided a valuable opportunity to meet face to face and discuss issue of concern with their elected members and Council management.
Council will be revisiting the locations of these meeting in 2016. Please keep an eye on Council’s website and the Sorell Times for the dates and locations of the next series of conversations.
FLYWAY ISLAND’S NEW EQUIPMENTFlyway Island recently saw the installation of some fantastic new play equipment. The activity net and double flying fox are already proving very popular with locals and visitors to the park alike. New public toilets are under construction and will be completed in time for Christmas.
The steps leading down to the large grassed area will be replaced with new concrete ones in the New Year.
