From the Mayor's Desk - 30 August 21

Plan now for harvest and school holidays; updates on Inglewood aged care and Goondiwindi CBD Masterplan; Great Artesian Basin funding available

COVID-19 update: plan now for harvest, school holidays
One fortnight, I hope to be able to begin a column without mention of COVID-19 – unfortunately, this is not one of those times.

The NSW Government has announced that our neighbours over the border will be in lockdown until at least 10 September, and the QLD Premier has indicated that we could still be 10 weeks away from border restrictions being lifted. Goondiwindi Region residents need to seriously consider the very real likelihood of extended or stricter border restrictions, extended lockdowns in NSW, local workers being identified as close contacts or a positive case, or even a local lockdown here in the Goondiwindi LGA. The time to have a plan in place was yesterday.

Harvest is just around the corner. Council is having strategic discussions on that matter with the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries and AgForce, but I urge businesses to plan NOW for what they’ll need to do if restrictions continue into the coming months. Farmers, get your Quarantine Management Plan in place NOW to be approved by QLD Health. For more information, visit: https://www.business.qld.gov.au/industries/farms-fishing-forestry/agriculture/coronavirus-support/border-restrictions-agriculture

I also urge families to get planning now about the September school holidays: what is your plan if restrictions continue and your child at boarding school is unable to re-enter Queensland?

This weekend we had confirmation that COVID-19 was detected in the sewage of Moree. For some context, we have no way of knowing whether that trace came from a local case or from someone travelling through the area - either way, it’s a stark warning for our community. Council had already been in discussion with Queensland Health regarding the commencement of sewerage testing in the Goondiwindi LGA, and I’m pleased to confirm that this will begin soon.

A reminder: people who ordinarily work in NSW may be eligible for financial assistance through the COVID-19 Disaster payment if they have lost income due to the NSW lockdown (even if they live in QLD). At the moment, it is only available to those who usually work on the NSW side of the border. We know many businesses in the Goondiwindi Region are also severely struggling - Council is strongly advocating for support on their behalf. For more information, visit: https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/individuals/services/centrelink/covid-19-disaster-payment

Finally, we had confirmation from Queensland Health this weekend that the Goondiwindi LGA has the highest rate of vaccinations in the state, with 73% of people aged 15 and over in our region having had one dose and 50.6% fully vaccinated (as at 27 August 2021). I am encouraging our community on both sides of the border to get their vaccination. As the state and federal governments keep reiterating, a strong vaccination rate is our only path forward to reducing restrictions. We know that New South Wales active case locations are up to five days old due to testing lag – PLEASE do not wait until the virus is on our doorstep to do the right thing by our community. Pfizer and Astra Zeneca are available at local medical centres, and Astra Zeneca is also available at local pharmacies, with the Moderna vaccine also expected to be available in the coming weeks. For more information, visit: https://www.qld.gov.au/health/conditions/health-alerts/coronavirus-covid-19/protect-yourself-others/covid-19-vaccine/book

Inglewood Aged Care update
The Inglewood Aged Care Steering Committee meet again within the next fortnight. We will be tabling the report we have received from expert aged care consultant Peter Vincent investigating options to reinstate the former Casa Mia site as a Residential Aged Care facility, and exploring future opportunities to re-purpose the site to provide improved aged care services in the community. I will update residents on the result of the meeting.

A reminder that I usually work from Inglewood on the fourth Friday of the month and from Texas on the second Tuesday of the month. I am also usually available in Goondiwindi on Tuesdays – please telephone 07 4671 7437 if you would like to make an appointment.

Goondiwindi CBD Masterplan
I’m pleased to say that Council has appointed a consultant for the Goondiwindi CBD Masterplan. They will now undertake concept designs for potential changes to the median strip and footpath on Marshall Street, along with suggestions for other new features in the Goondiwindi CBD and opportunities to link to the Macintyre River Precinct. We expect to have these designs within the next few months, with further opportunities for community consultation throughout the life of the project.

Landholder funding for Great Artesian Basin rehabilitation projects
Landholders in the Goondiwindi Region can now receive up to 90 per cent of the cost of eligible on-farm projects to save water in the Great Artesian Basin under a second round of the Great Artesian Basin Rehabilitation Program (GABRP funding). Types of eligible projects include rehabilitating or replacing bores, or replacing open bore drains with controlled watering systems such as pipes, tanks and troughs. Applications close on Friday 19 November – for more information, visit: https://www.business.qld.gov.au/industries/mining-energy-water/water/catchments-planning/great-artesian-basin/rehabilitation-projects-funding