The Beagle Editor,
At next week's Council meeting the Mayor will be putting forward a Mayoral Minute
outlining a proposal by Inner West Council to create a Community to Community Relationship with the Eurobodalla Shire.
The Mayor will tell her fellow councillors "Following the devastating summer bushfires, Inner West Council offered the support of four development assessment planners to assist our staff in processing of applications and a tourism marketing officer to assist with post bushfire campaign development. These officers were seconded to our Council and assisted from January until June 2020. This was a significant gesture from our city colleagues and has resulted in positive ongoing relationships between staff.
"Since that time, discussions have been held with myself and the Mayor of Inner West, Councillor Darcy Byrne, to explore further opportunities for a partnership between the two local government areas to produce mutual benefits in cultural, social, sporting, civic and economic development.
"This partnership potentially offers the opportunity for Inner West council staff to visit and experience the beauty of our shire and to promote the Eurobodalla to colleagues, family and friends back home.
"Inner West is described as a uniquely creative community with vibrant and diverse neighbourhoods living side-by-side in harmony. They are a proud community defined by different cultures, ideologies and experiences. Inner West Council incorporates the Sydney suburbs of Balmain, Rozelle, Annandale, Leichhardt, Enmore, Marrickville and Ashfield.
"The meeting between myself and Councillor Byrne and feedback received from Inner West Council employees and Council’s staff indicate that establishment of a formal relationship between the two councils would be beneficial for both councils and our communities."
The Mayor is then going to recommend that Eurobodalla Council delegate to the General Manager to progress discussion on a formal community to community relationship with Inner West Council in a relationship that will explore opportunities for building broader social, economic, sporting, cultural and civic society links between the people of Eurobodalla and Inner West; suggesting that this may include specific plans to facilitate visitation to Eurobodalla Shire by residents, businesses and community, cultural and sporting organisations in the Inner West and vice versa.
On top of that she suggests a further report be presented to Council once a draft Plan has been progressed.
My thoughts on the Inner West Council relationship.
Now that it is established that ESC staff are to receive a salary increase of 1.5% this year and we residents are paying an extra 2.6% for rates it would appear there are surplus funds for our Mayor to dispense.
Community to community relationship with inner west Sydney, is this a joke?
The jargon in the Mayoral Proposal sounds wonderful ,exciting , and fantastic.
Cultural exchange, sporting events, etc, , sounds more like travel to the big smoke, fine wines and dining. Bega MOU, Cobar friendship, raindance dollars for local farmers, rent free craft shops, all came to nothing.
I do envy people who have so few worries in their life that they can propose this sort of nonsense using other people’s money.
Owen Cartledge
