By now we would have all thought that COVID would be a thing of the past but unfortunately we are seeing our Queensland borders close once again.
It is disheartening for all of us who are doing the right thing and implementing better hygiene, social distancing and accommodating safe practices into our businesses, to see others ignore health directions and have no regard for the rest of the country.
We are a small and tight-knit region of Queensland and cannot afford to have a wave of the virus go through our towns, but with our own businesses now closing up (recently our laundromat), the long term economic toll on our community is still unknown; we can only hope that the experts have got it right. I hope that it is not necessary to impose further intrastate travel restrictions so that our local tourism does not diminish – many members of our community rely on our visitors.
The Blackall-Tambo Shire has plenty going for it and let’s make sure that these visitors have a positive experience of our region, so that they return with their friends next year.
In the meantime, all I can do as your elected Councillor, is to try and make your lives a little easier by making sure our Council still delivers services to the community. If you are experiencing stress or mental health issues, please read the bottom of this email where you will find contact numbers of organisations that can help you. Sometimes just talking and getting things off our chest can be a big help.
Today, I attended an ‘Elected Members Training Session,’ conducted by the Local Government Association of Queensland. The main topic of conversation was communication between Councillors and also how we communicate with our constituents. They also stressed that transparency was important. We were asked who uses social media and it was good to learn that I am on the right track in acknowledging that one of the most important roles I have is communicating with you.
Regarding transparency, in my last correspondence to you I declared that as a Councillor my monthly pay would be increasing. The pay has now increased from $2,874 to $4,509 per month. I will use these extra funds to continue to bring you these newsletters and to keep my website and social media pages updated so that you can be informed of what is happening in our community.
Until next time, please stay positive, keep an eye out for each other and welcome our visitors to our region with a smile! Also, please do not hesitate to call or catch up with me in the street, to have a chat; it doesn’t always have to be about Council matters!
YOUR RECENT REQUESTS
Some of the issues and or requests which residents of the Shire have bought to my attention recently include:
– Request for Solar lights for the Memorial Park in Tambo
– Extra costs faced by Contractors for having additional dogs in town
– Television advertising to promote our region
These have been noted and I will be speaking with respective Council Officers, the CEO and other Councillors to action these items.
WHAT'S BEEN HAPPENING
TAMBO GRASSLAND ART GALLERY OPENING
On Saturday, 1st August, I attended the Tambo Grassland Gallery Opening – this event showcased some of our local artists’ work residing in our Shire.
There were some new exhibitors as well as artists who have exhibited before. My congratulations goes to all of the artists, you certainly are a talented bunch and I’m in awe of your creations! There appeared to be a number of red stickers at the bottom of art works as I was leaving in the afternoon so if you did make a purchase, a big thank you to you too for supporting our artists.
THE WOOLSCOUR
The iconic Blackall Woolscour has been operating again since the 13th July with a steady number of tourists going on the daily tours. Just recently, a busload of tourists booked a tour of the Woolscour so this is very encouraging news. I absolutely want to see this destination flourish.
Note: This article is not necessarily a summary of Blackall-Tambo Regional Council business. These are my opinions and not those of the Blackall-Tambo Regional Council. Please visit www.btrc.qld.gov.au for Council information.
