Cr Corin McCarthy
Position
Ward
Suburbs
Address
Contact
Mitcham Community News November 2026
Hello residents, summer is a wonderful time to enjoy our parks, bushland, gardens, family holidays and days at the beach. It also brings the need for every household to have a fire plan. As always, I thank our local firefighters for their service too.
Pre-summer slashing and mowing schedule
During the second half of 2025, I met many residents concerned about bushfire readiness. Following those discussions, I successfully moved that Council publish a pre-summer slashing and mowing schedule from 2026, giving residents clearer information about when verges and public land are due to be mown. This will mean that this year you can stay across progress and likely completion dates.
Your own fire readiness planning
I would like to reiterate the key steps you can take to help keep our community safe this summer.
Prepare a written bushfire survival plan and discuss it with your household. Decide early whether to leave or stay, identify where you will go, plan how you will get there and make arrangements for children, older people and pets.
Reduce fuel around your property by cutting long grass, pruning vegetation, removing dead branches and clearing gutters. Keep access routes clear, move flammable materials away from buildings and use green-waste services to dispose of garden material safely.
Stay informed by checking fire danger ratings, weather conditions and CFS warnings, especially on high-risk days. Keep emergency supplies ready, ensure vehicles and phones are charged, leave early when your plan is triggered and follow emergency services’ directions.
Growing your summer vegetables
My wonderful wife Elizabeth has spent recent weekends turning our vegetable patch from winter and spring produce to summer planting. I help, but she is the inspiration and passionate green thumb.
We have planted tomatoes, zucchinis, eggplants, basil and other herbs, cucumbers, capsicums and several lettuces. We enjoy picking fresh produce for salads and other dishes. Few things are more satisfying than taking ingredients straight from the garden to the table and sharing them with family. Growing food also reduces packaging and plastic use while supporting better nutrition.
A more vibrant Blackwood district
I am pleased the proposed development of the old Library and former nursery site is now public and has been broadly welcomed. The high quality and sustainable addition to Main Road is designed to bring greater vibrancy and encourage further private investment in Blackwood.
In recent years, the heart of Blackwood has suffered from atrophy and limited investment. The new Blackwood Library and Community Centre, the Waite Street Reserve upgrade due in 2027 and this development can together create a more vibrant town centre. This mix of community facilities, public space, new homes and private investment can strengthen the district while giving more people practical opportunities to live close to services and public transport.
Blackwood needs a more vibrant centre with enough customers to support local cafés and shops. Residents also want varied housing options -for young adults entering the property market and older people seeking to downsize while remaining in the area.
This article may contain personal views or opinions held by individual Council Members, and may not necessarily represent the formal position of the Council