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Hello again. There’s a lot to report on what’s been happening since Christmas. The new cat bylaw is now in operation. From 1 January only existing, registered cats can roam. For all new, or unregistered cats an expiation fine awaits repeat offenders. For all the detail see webpage Cats in the City.

We’ve had two meetings and have started the 2024/25 Annual Budget process.

In the January meeting, after a vigorous debate Council voted 8-2 to “develop concept designs for low-cost options for additional emergency bushfire exits from Craigburn Farm and return an information report with recommendations as to next steps for minimal cost options”. This report will come back before the 2024/25 ABP vote where we will (again) debate funding the implementation of that design. It’s expected that the only remaining “low cost” exit is at Farm Lane. All other options require millions of dollars to cross the river or the train line and are not within Council’s budget or responsibility. Leave early remains the message, with or without exits. But it’s also known that many either don’t or can’t; hence the argument for more exits.

Less contentiously, everyone will get a Food and Garden Organics (FOGO) bin to support the reduction of waste to landfill. Not landfilling FOGO waste is really important because it’s costly, creates CO2/methane and we have a pledge of reducing our landfill by 75% by 2030. That’s why we are also going to start recycling the old blue and yellow bins!

In February, we voted to:

• Re-allocate the $22K unspent from the rained-out 2023 Carols to the next round of the My Mitcham Community Grants with preference for supporting an increased number of community-run events.
• Update our Preparing for bushfires webpage with Council’s position on community refuges, which is currently; we support leaving early and that Council “intervention in this area is fraught with risk of unintended consequences”. Not to mention, it’s unfunded. We also voted 8-4 to re-consult on making community centres available for bushfire refuge. I await the consultation questions and your responses with interest ahead of next year’s bushfire season.

• Host three Community Conversations events during the year. Most agreed the old Community Ward Forums are tired and not well attended. So, please let us know how you would like to interact, and we’ll try to make a fresh new format happen!
• Align our Financial Sustainability Policy with industry mandated sustainability measures, i.e. how we measure our sustainability will now be the same as all other councils.

Finally, I’m advocating that Council requests that the SA Government looks into fixing the horrendous daily traffic jam at the Belair Hotel/Glenalta station. Their road. Every morning at peak-hour a 1,500m goods-train holds up traffic for ~10 minutes, sometimes back to Coles. A staggering waste of our collective time. Funding a tunnel/bridge feasibility study is needed unless the status-quo is acceptable. Who agrees? Elections will come and Waite (SA) and Boothby (Federal) are both marginal. As always, reach out and I’ll see you at Tiwu.

Comments on social media and articles may contain personal views or opinions held by individual Council Members, and may not necessarily represent the formal position of the Council.