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50 Business View Australia - March-April 2016
PUBLIC WORKS &
The aesthetically designed building
is located adjacent to the town centre
and has become a focal point in the
area. It is a major attraction for the
people of Tuncurry and has also been
a great financial success for Council
and the local retail businesses. In
fact, income from the development is
helping to fund roadworks and other
entrepreneurial activities of Council.
Speaking about the plans for the
coming years, Council’s General
Manager, Glenn Handford says, “In the
next ten years we hope to eliminate
our backlog of roads and improve
our overall financial sustainability.
We also hope to continue our
environmental
program
and
provide some aspirational services
and facilities for our community.
“We will move away from being a
Council that just looks after roads
and rates and bridges to one that
provides other community facilities.
Over the last five years we could easily
have put $10 million into building a
new library or some other facility as
many Councils in New South Wales
have, but we have chosen to put all
of that money into roads because
we want to get rid of our backlog.
“Now we are at a stage, where
because
we
have
got
our
infrastructure well under control,
we are starting to look at upgrading
our other facilities by putting in
more walkways and upgrading some
of our aged community facilities.”
In the last year Council has bought
several sites in the town centre of
Forster. One of these sites measures
about two hectares and it is planned
to establish a library there. There
is also a proposal to enter into a
joint venture with a private sector
company to put up a hundred to a
hundred and fifty residential units.
This will form part of the urban
renewal and economic development
initiative for the Forster town centre.
Great Lakes Council is one of
the best-performing councils in
New South Wales. It has done
Glenn Handford