Council plans for 2024
Published on 06 December 2023
As Pyrenees Shire Council’s councillors enter their fourth year of their current term in 2024, the group met for a planning day last week.
Councillors reflected on Council’s achievements during 2023 and set goals for 2024.
Housing, financial sustainability, and planning for growth and development are high on their list of priorities for next year, which is the last year of the current Council before elections take place in October.
In 2023, Council has completed a $3.5M bridge construction program, completed and handed over the $3.8M Lexton Community Hub, improved walkability and access with the creation of an extensive network of new footpaths across the Shire, secured a major grant for the Beaufort caravan park upgrade, delivered car parking upgrades and installed EV charging stations, made progress restoring assets impacted by flood, and delivered sports lighting, cricket nets and other improvements at the Goldfields Recreation Reserve.
“Our councillors are very proud of what’s been achieved in 2023. It’s been filled with challenges in that we’ve been recovering from the impact COVID has had on our community and businesses, as well as the flood events at the end of last year, but we’ve had many successes this year including dozens of community grants given to volunteer organisations to achieve their goals and increasing engagement with councillors and officers around the Shire,” said Pyrenees Shire Council CEO Jim Nolan.
As the councillors look ahead to and plan for 2024, priorities include unlocking more opportunities for housing including planning for development in Beaufort, extensive drainage and flood mitigation works in Avoca, hosting a youth summit to work towards making our communities better places for our young people, advocating for government funding to help with critical infrastructure and services, and securing government grants for community development projects.
“Our councillors are looking forward to continuing to deliver priority projects for the community and lay solid groundwork for the incoming council at the end of 2024,” Mr Nolan said.