The Lachlan River continues to drop and the water is receding very slowly. Most of our arterial roads should be open by the end of the week, which will be a relief for all involved. Last week I attended the Newell Highway Taskforce meeting in Dubbo. The taskforce will send a delegation to the Federal Government with the aim of seeking funding to flood proof the Newell Highway at Marsden and Lake Cowal. The Newell Highway is now closed and will remain closed for some weeks. This is having a detrimental effect on towns along the highway.
Next week a number of Councillors and the General Manager will be visiting the Local Government Association Conference in Wollongong. This is an important occasion and one of our new Councillors, Councillor Jenny Webb, will be attending. We will report back when we return. Council business is back in full swing after the induction of our new Councillors and our first briefing session.
The new briefing sessions have replaced Works and Services Committee meetings and I was very pleased to see the interaction between new and old Councillors. Our Grants Officer Andrew Rawsthorne has recently been successful in gaining significant funds for projects in the Forbes community. This financial year Forbes Shire Council has successfully gained grants for five projects totalling $2,416 million. There are over 30 grant applications pending with a total value of almost $2 million. It looks like being another good year for grants in the Forbes Shire.
Mayor Graeme Miller