Shire of Quairading

full suite of assets, healthcare control and maintenance, and responsibility for our 1200 population.” A population Fardon explains, is fairly steady, and certainly not diminishing; the incoming retirees seeking haven from the bustle of their larger towns have seen to that, as has as the increase in the Noongar population via Australian’s “Return to Country” program. “The retirees are coming in from met- ropolitan areas, looking for affordable housing, safe community, as well as an actual sense of community.” Indeed this demographic is where growth has stemmed in last decade of the Shire’s existence. Looking more microscopically, the council itself operates the Shire’s ad- ministration, its medical practice, a childcare centre and a youth centre. This is all while striving to maintain the park and the area’s amenities (such as the waste transfer facility), and help- ing landowners comply to land-related state legislation. The time he’s spent on the council has meant Fardon has seen the en- trance and exits of many an elected member, and as it stands today, the Council operates a collective team of around 40 staff, which in itself set the council as an important employer with- in a small community. Of the economy at large, Fardon it- erates the town’s predominantly agri- cultural drive and in particular “cereal canola and legume crops, a few sheep and cattle and an emerging small san- dalwood industry.” U pkeep and D evelopment Sustainable practises The council does employ an environ- mental officer whoworks with likemind- ed shires on sustainable practises in- cluding offset planting, re-vegetation projects and nature reserve projects. The natural essence of what makes this shire what it is, most certainly does not linger on the side of being taken for granted. Caravan park The refurbishment of the caravan park has been a recent and positive contributor to the community’s econo- my. The park’s total rebuild had been in the planning for five to six years. “The car park was in particularly poor condition, and the general facilities did not comply with current legislation for caravan and camping areas,” says Far- don $900,000 was streamed into this project, with a further $300,000 ear- marked for three new self-contained cottages (subject to external funding). But that was not all. The caravan park refurbishment connected to a wider web of infrastructure improvement, al- lowing the council the chance to over- haul the town sewerage scheme and