2031 + WINGECARRIBEE IS IT WHAT YOU WANT

At the moment Council is undertaking the public engagement process known as 2031+. It is your opportunity to have a say in how you believe the Wingecarribee Shire should look in 2o years or so.

Last Weekend on Friday and Saturday the 2nd and 3rd of July Council along with community Representatives to listen to Guest Speakers and to participate in a number of workshops.

I have included the outcomes from the workshops for your information. I hope i this of interest.

Watch out for the 2031 + process as it unfolds further. If you would like more information on how to get involved and have you say, please contact Claire Digger at Wingecarribee Shire Council on 4868 0760.



Wingecarribee 2031+ Workshops Outcomes - 3 July 2010
Environment
Group 1
· Natural environment preserved
· Balanced land use that protects the natural environment
· Valued natural Indigenous and European heritage
· Zero waste
· Local food production and distribution
· Accessible, sustainable, energy efficient, diverse, integrated transport system
· Access to education on environment and sustainability
· Participatory and inclusive governance
· Carbon neutral economy
· Water highly valued
· Sustainable development
· Healthy (complete) community
Group 2
· Smart and sustainable design sympathetic with natural environment
· Maintain/enhance quality of life character, diversity of villages/towns
· Environmentally aware, active, engaged, vibrant communities
· An integrated natural/built environment within each town
· Effective clean/green sustainable transport
· Wise use of natural resources/resource efficiency, improved water quality
· Better environmental policy, high priority and more enforcement
· Increased education about sustainability and increased personal responsibility for
· Zero waste
· Increased wildlife corridors, respect for natural environment
· Wingecarribee is a model community in relation to sustainability and environment
Places
Group 1
· Efficient and effective connectivity
· Employed and skilled community
· Maintain responsible use of open space
· Maintain the “character”
· Healthy communities (wellbeing, connectedness)
· Grow and preserve
Group 2
· More “efficient” sustainable transport
· Maintain “unique” character
· A place to be proud of
· Inclusive community
· Preserve and promote our heritage
· Maximise sustainable community (independence)
· A centre for education and employment
People
Group 1
· Greater access to tertiary education
· Sharing of knowledge between generations
· Use skills across all ages to build a sense of a respectful community where elders
and youth feel a sense of contribution and conflicts are resolved through
mediation and local legal services
· Using rural lands for local food production affordable for all local people
· Prevention through healthy activities. Integration of mental health and legal
support for all age groups and under privilege
· Encourage community involvement and participation in festivals, exhibitions
theatre and arts events.
· Tertiary education in music, drama, film, dance and visual arts
· Celebrate our cultural connections and differences
· A multi-purpose building for performance and visual arts
· A safe community environment with access to services and environmentally
sensitive transport
· Providing opportunities for a youth voice within the Wingecarribee through
technology, education and employment while maintaining an awareness of our
heritage and agricultural encouraging acceptance of multiculturalism including
indigenous Australians
· Improved employment opportunities for young people within the Shire and
families in general
· Affordable housing, integration of age groups, energy efficient towns and villages
Group 2
· Ensuring youth are fully engaged in the Wingecarribee community
· A multicultural diverse community supporting innovation and creativity
· A varied and diverse community embracing all socio-economic groups including
tax relief options, green jobs and green industries amongst others
· Improved social and recreation opportunities for all demographics
· Transport, diverse, efficient and affordable
· Education of environment and sustainability via an education centre
· Range of housing types
· Housing for low income facilities
· Adjustment of block size to suit budgets
· Green space between residential areas and between houses
Economy
Group 1
· Wingecarribee is a centre for learning
· Tourism and a range of tourist activities (eco-friendly, arts, culture, aboriginal,
wine/food, gardens, heritage, music)
· Sustainable industries and businesses
· Strong, sustainable and diversified local economy
Group 2
· Wingecarribee as a tourist destination utilising our local strengths e.g. gardens,
local produce, national parks, adventure, vineyards
· Local energy production from renewable sources and clean and sustainable
businesses and industries
· Mix of residential, retail, commercial and light industry providing all services and
facilities the community requires
· Greater utilisation and focus on technology
· Agriculture industry grown and supported
· Education opportunities
· Diverse housing options
· A range of job and career opportunities
· Variety of transport options to support industry as well as access in and between
towns

Two Years on

Hi all, Here it is nearly two years since the last election. From my perspective things are moving quite slowly. As always happens, the alliances begin to show and "politics" rather than principles becomes the name of the game. For me the things that initially inspired me to stand for Council are still motivating factors. the Environment, Companion Animals and improving the lot of the Local Aboriginal Community are still high on my personal Agenda.

On these matters, the Environment Levy has now been running for around 11 years with about three years of the current levy to go. I recently made an attempt to convince Councillors to support an "In Perpetuity Environment Levy Application" to the Minister, but the motion was defeated. I will make another attempt in the coming year and hope that goods sense prevails.

A quick perusal of the achievements of the Levy over the last decade will highlight the important role that it plays in maintaining environmental credibility in the Shire. without it we would be doomed!

Environment Levy Back Ground

In the late 1990s, Wingecarribee Shire Council recognised the need to address an array of environmental issues which had accumulated in the Shire over a period of rapid population growth spanning at least two decades. Some of these problems included the proliferation of environmental weeds, the choking of our watercourses, the clearing of endangered vegetation and the maintenance of water quality in the important catchment areas of the Shire, especially as the Shire is in the headwaters of the Sydney water supply area. The Shire has experienced unparalleled population pressure which has aggravated environmental problems which in turn have threatened the lifestyle values which are central to life in the Highlands and the popularity of the Shire.

Council was granted State Government approval to implement an environment levy, which was introduced in July 2000 for an initial period of three years, then consecutively extended until June 2013. The levy is being used to fund the Wingecarribee Our Future Environment (WOFE) programme.

In the first years of the environment levy significant effort was put into prioritising areas of the Shire for investment into natural resource restoration works.

The Wingecarribee Biodiversity Strategy provided a blueprint for ecologically sustainable development and environmental management in the Shire by providing practical information on the distribution of significant flora and fauna and guiding the implementation of ‘on the ground’ works.

The second key strategic planning document developed was the “Wingecarribee Shire Wetlands Management Strategy” which set out principles to ensure the conservation and management of the Shires wetlands in ways that maintain their ecological, commercial, social and cultural values for the benefit of the present and future generations.

The environment levy funding is a critical element in Council being able to fund its obligations under State government legislation for the sustainable management of our natural resources.

The 2008 – 2013 Wingecarribe Our Future Environment (WOFE) programme has four primary project areas:

n River health & wetlands

n Urban environmental sustainability

n Community capacity building

n Bio-diversity conservation

Achievements of the Levy

· 135 rehabilitation projects completed or underway.

· Weed management in 40 Council bushland reserves.

· Environmental auditing of over 300 industrial and commercial premises

· 220 hectares of bushland regenerated

· 30 hectares of riparian zone being restored

· 473 hectares of privately owned endangered bushland conserved under incentive program

· Reduce negative impacts of urban areas

· Proactively work to improve sustainable practices of local business and industry

· Environmental levy has supported and improve capacity of local businesses to comply with environmental legislation

· From July 2000, the environmental levy has annually supported 19 community environmental groups.

· From July 2000, community groups supported by the environmental levy have contributed approximately 43,000 hours of volunteer environmental works.

· Over $1,000 000 of external government funding has be matched with environmental levy funding.

· Over 160 active bushcare and landcare volunteers are supported on a weekly basis.

· Environmental levy supports local schools in environmental programs and awareness raising events. (Schools Environmental Fair, over 500 students)

· Environmental Levy supports sustainability education and awareness programs.

Statistics on Councils Natural Resources

· Council is also custodians of over 4000 Ha of public land, much of which contains valuable biodiversity resources.

· The Wingecarribee Biodiversity Strategy (2003) identified approximately 63% of the Shire as being covered with vegetation communities.

· Wingecarribee Shire supports six Endangered Ecological Communities; covering an area of nearly 11,000 ha.

· The Wingecarribee Shire covers an area of 2,700 square kilometres, with approximately 50% agricultural rural lands and 41% managed natural and forest vegetation.