Mayor's message

I’m delighted to announce that we have finalised the selection of our finance committee, known as the Finance Review Panel. Establishing this group has been a priority of mine as we continue working towards financial sustainability. 

The committee will be made up of three councillors and five residents. Each of those I selected have demonstrated financial experience and acumen, and I am confident they will do an excellent job advising us about how to address our deficit. You can read more about the committee in the media release.  

We have also continued engaging the community about the proposed Special Rate Variation options. We hosted two pop-up information stalls and held a sold-out participation workshop in UIladulla on Wednesday evening. We will be at both the Berry and Nowra markets this weekend, so make sure you head along and seize the opportunity to speak to our friendly staff.  

The Mayor’s Giving Box is back for another year, and I’ve created more donation points across the city. I really hope we can band together to help some of the most vulnerable families and individuals in our community this Christmas. To donate or find out more about where to drop a present, visit GiveNow.

If you’re looking for other ways to give back to your community in the coming weeks, I’d encourage you to support the Milton Heritage Bakery as it raises awareness about Cancer. The business is also raising funds for the Cancer Support Foundation of Milton Ulladulla. Congratulations to the bakery for driving such a heartfelt initiative.  

On Friday 29 November, I’ll be holding another Open Office. I invite you to come and speak to me about the issues that matter to you. You don’t need an appointment to take part. Come meet me at the Ulladulla Civic Centre from 9:30am – 12:30pm for a cuppa and a chat.

Mayor,  

Patricia White.  

I’d like to start this week by thanking our outgoing CEO, Robyn Stevens for the positive impact she has had on the culture of the organisation and the efficiencies that she has implemented in the short time in the role. Council accepted her resignation this week, and I’d like to extend a warm welcome to former Director of City Development, James Ruprai, who will act in the role of CEO while we consider recruitment for the position.  

This change in leadership hasn’t distracted us from the important work we’re doing to address our finances. We’ve already hit the ground running engaging with the community about the proposed Special Rate Variation options and hosted our first pop-up information stall at the Ulladulla Wharf Markets on Sunday. It was great to hear so many residents took the opportunity to speak with staff to learn more about the options and to share their diverse feedback.  

We also had a great turn-out at our first participation workshop at Nowra. More than 20 residents shared their thoughts about the proposal and put forward some efficiency ideas with staff in Nowra on Wednesday evening. I thank those who participated for their vital contribution.

There’s still plenty more opportunities for people to engage in-person at one of our upcoming stalls or workshops. You can also have your say by completing the online survey. You can see the questions and ask a question via the Get Involved Shoalhaven website.

I’d also like to encourage you to get along to the mini-expo on Emergency Management and Recovery being held at the Lake Conjola community hall at 5.30pm Tuesday 19 November. Supper will be supplied and you’ll have the chance to chat with representatives from the NSW Reconstruction Authority, and all our emergency services agencies.  

If you’ve been thinking about nominating an inspirational friend, family member or colleague for an Australia Day Award, now is the time. Today is the last day to get your nominations in before the winners are announced in January next year. Don’t wait a minute longer – submit your nomination now.   

Mayor, Patricia White 

It’s crunch time for us to address our finances, and we want to hear from you.  

At an Extraordinary meeting of Council this week, we voted to seek your feedback on a proposed Special Rate Variation. The additional income would help us sustain our services, fix our roads and hopefully, get some money back in the bank.  

We’re proposing a slight increase of eight or 12 per cent including the NSW rate peg, which currently sits at 3.8 per cent. Both options equate to less than $3.50 per week for an average residential property.  

We know times are tough for the community, so it’s critical we hear from you before we make any decisions. Have your say by completing our online survey or attend one of our pop-up info sessions to learn more. You can also join one of our workshops to share ideas and contribute to the discussion.  

Our inaugural Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) is now on public exhibition, too. I invite you all to have a read and see how Council plans to strengthen relationships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in our community. 

I'm also delighted to announce today the completion of work to repair the last of 38 major landslips at Kangaroo Valley. This milestone heralds the end to more than two years of major reconstruction works in the Shoalhaven following severe weather and flooding in March 2022. The $59 million remediation package was jointly funded by the by the Australian and NSW governments under the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements. 

As we're quickly approaching Summer, it’s a perfect time for all of you who own a pool to check you have the appropriate barriers and signage in place. I’d particularly like to remind residents that inflatable pools also need to be surrounded by a barrier to keep our young people safe. A pool that complies, can save lives! 

And speaking of water – I’d like to give a huge shoutout to the Marine Rescue volunteers at Sussex Inlet who have been assisting the community for half a century! A big Happy 50^th Birthday to the unit and congratulations on an incredible achievement.  

Mayor, Patricia White 

Happy Halloween – if you celebrated the spooky occasion this week!

We had another robust meeting on Monday night where we updated the community about our financial position. We’ve managed to save around $3 million dollars during the June to September quarter through a range of measures.

There’s still plenty of work to be done to address our financial challenges and next week we’ll be holding an Extraordinary Meeting to discuss a Special Rate Variation. You’ll be invited to provide feedback before Council makes any decisions.

The 45 Degree Rule Exemption for tree removal has also been a priority on our agenda.  At our first meeting a fortnight ago, I proposed reverting the rule back to its previous version and changing the name of the policy to the Gordon Timbs 45 Degree Rule. I encourage you to make a submission before 29 November.

Later this month we’ll be hosting another Thrive Together Pop-Up. The free event connects residents with a range of providers who can assist with services like cost-of-living relief, mental health support, financial counselling and free legal advice. The next Pop-Up will be held at the Bomaderry Community Centre. You can find out more here.

We’ve had a beautiful, sunny week so I’m delighted the Kangaroo Valley Village Pool will reopen tomorrow. Make sure your grab your togs and take advantage of this warm weather.

Finally, I’d like to congratulate our Citizen of the Year, Chance Hanlon, for his advocacy in the role. I’m excited to see the inspirational residents who will be nominated for the upcoming Australia Day Awards. The countdown is on and there’s only two weeks left to get your nominations in!  

Mayor, Patricia White  

I’m thrilled to be writing to you as the Shoalhaven’s newly elected Mayor. Having started as a Councillor in 2012, I feel more than ready to take on the challenges that this new leadership role demands.

This week we held our first meeting of Council and welcomed some former councillors and some new, each bringing unique perspectives and ideas to the table. A countback process has been initiated by the Electoral Commission for Ward 3 after the resignation of Mitch Pakes, which could take a couple of months to complete.

I’m looking forward to working with both our new Deputy Mayor, Peter Wilkins, and our Assistant Deputy Mayor Matthew Norris to get the best outcomes for the city and the community. If you’re not sure who your local representatives are, you can find them here.

Decisions made at the meeting mean that we will soon be calling for community feedback about my proposed change to reinstate the 45 Degree Rule to reinstate it to what it originally was and renaming it the Gordon Timbs Rule. We will also soon be calling for expressions of interest for community members with financial expertise to join a Financial Review Panel. Anyone interested can subscribe to the Financial Review Committee Get Involved page for details.

I’m also really excited about next year’s Australia Day Awards and nominating some fantastic people who deserve to be recognised. The Shoalhaven has many inspirational role models who make a positive impact on people’s lives and this is a chance to honour them. You have until Friday 1 November to nominate, so please join me in putting forward someone who has gone ‘above and beyond’ this year. You can find the form here.

Thank you to everyone for their support and kind words since being elected Mayor, and I look forward to listening to you, serving you, and doing the Shoalhaven proud.

Mayor Patrica White