Annual Report

Message from the Mayor and CEO

It gives us great pleasure to present the Annual Report 2015/2016 to the Ararat Rural City Council community.

This Annual Report details Ararat Rural City Council’s achievement of the 2013/2017 Council Plan strategic objectives and is the fourth report of this Council. The role of Council includes:

Acting as a representative government by taking into account the diverse needs of the local community in decision making;

Providing leadership by establishing strategic objectives and monitoring their achievement;

Maintaining the viability of the Council by ensuring that resources are managed in a responsible and accountable manner;

Advocating the interests of the local community to other communities and governments;

Acting as a responsible partner in government by taking into account the needs of other communities; and

Fostering community cohesion and encouraging active participation in civic life.

Highlights

  • Awarding of contracts for the renewal and upgrade works at the Ararat Arts Precinct and the Ararat Outdoor Olympic Pool Redevelopment;
  • Awarding of contract for the Pomonal Community Centre redevelopment;
  • Official turning of the sod for Pomonal Hall Redevelopment;
  • Arrival of the first blades for the Ararat Wind Farm;
  • Council hosted the 2015/2016 Grampians Pyrenees Business Awards.
  • Roads ($4.252 million) – Including road reconstructions, roads to recovery projects, re-sheeting, bridge improvements, culvert replacement and footpaths (including new kerb ramps for disabled access);
  • Drains ($0.183 million) – Including road drainage replacement works;
  • Buildings ($2.307 million) – Including new, renewal and upgrade works at Pomonal Community Centre, Ararat Outdoor Olympic Pool Kiosk & Pavilion and the Ararat Outdoor Pool.

Advocacy and Engagement

  • Successful advocacy by Councillors, Executive Team and the community resulted in Council securing funding from the elected State Government for a Freight and Logistics Study, Ararat Arts Precinct Redevelopment and the Ararat Outdoor Olympic Pool Change Room and Kiosk Pavilion.
  • Council also received funding for the Moyston MultiUse Courts, Ararat Men’s Shed and the redevelopment of the Moyston Hall.
  • Council has been working closely with VicRoads, articulating Council’s position on the Ararat Bypass.
  • Council is also committed to engaging effectively with our communities on decisions that affect them. With the introduction of rate capping it is critical that the community understands the implications on future service delivery. Council has adopted a Community Engagement Plan to enable conversations to occur across a wide cross section of community demographic. Council also participated in the 2016 Community Satisfaction Survey.
  • Council participated in the creation of and supports the recently launched Communities of Respect and Equality plan – a strategy to Prevent Violence Against Women and Children across the Grampians in partnership with Women’s Health Grampians.

Organisational Performance

Highlights for 2015/2016 include organisational participation in the White Ribbon event at Alexandra Gardens and Act @ Work Program, adoption of the Parks and Gardens Service Delivery and Street Trees Management Plans and the contract being awarded to design and develop Council’s new website. A new intranet has been developed along with a Services Framework.

Thankyou

Overall, this year we have delivered on 85% of our Council Plan commitments and we would like to thank our Councillors for their commitment to Ararat Rural City Council and their ongoing efforts on behalf of residents.

We thank businesses, members of community groups and Council officers for all having contributed to improving the liveability and amenity of our municipality.

Cr Paul Hooper
Mayor

Mr Andrew Evans
Chief Executive Officer

Related publications