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Councillor Connect - 6 March 2025 - Councillor Simon Daly

As a new Councillor, it's been a busy few months getting my head around the depth and breadth of Council's work and making sure I'm available to the community...

Councillor Simon Daly.

Authorised by Councillor Simon Daly

6 March 2025

As a new Councillor, it’s been a busy few months getting my head around the depth and breadth of Council’s work and making sure I’m available to the community. One of my responsibilities as a Councillor is to chair the Halls Committee’s quarterly meetings. There are 18 community halls across our shire managed by tireless volunteers that ensure the halls, some of which are over 100 years old, are maintained, ready to go for community events and act as a community hub for all. A huge thank you to all the hall volunteers for all the work you do.

I’ve also been hearing a lot of discussion about Council’s Draft Use of Public Land Policy. It’s important to remember this document is in draft, which means it still has to come to Council for approval. I know many people are concerned that changes in the proposed fee structure might make it harder for community events to go ahead. I am a big supporter of the amazing events that seem to never stop across the shire and look forward to hearing your feedback, making changes, and implementing a policy that doesn’t increase the burden on stall holders. You can find out more here: https://begavalley.nsw.gov.au/community/documents-on-exhibition

Finally, I am looking forward to receiving a report from staff on using a Local Approvals Policy to facilitate crisis accommodation at the March Council meeting. This was a Notice of Motion (a request for Council staff to take action) I raised at the end of last year to help address the housing crisis in the shire. I proposed the motion not because I think it solves all the problems associated with crisis housing, but because it is incumbent upon us as a Council to explore every measure, pull every lever, and test every option to help those in our community without a safe place to call home. I look forward to the recommendations our hard-working Council staff have been able to identify as part of the report.

I look forward to catching up with you around the shire, and please get in touch if there’s an issue you’d like to discuss.

© Bega Valley Shire Council 2025

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