Council News WAGGA WAGGA CITY COUNCIL
FIRST PRINTED SATURDAY 19 DECEMBER 2015
Issue 75
Weekly information from us to you
LITTLE DIGGERS: Siblings Abigail, 6 and Aiden Koschel, 9, explore the Historic Council Chambers archaeological site with the museum's Education and Public Programs Officer Tim Kurylowicz.
F O E D U T I T L U M A N U F Y A D I L O H L SCHOO
Boredom won’t be a factor this school holidays with a multitude of events on offer from Wagga Wagga City Council. Delve into the Riverina’s extraordinary past at The Big Dig hands-on activity, which will transform the Historical Council Chambers into an archaeological dig site complete with dinosaur bones, fossils, artefacts and information about life in the past. Make a splash at the Oasis this summer with the new water walking balls. Jump in the
Douglas Aerospace report is released Wagga Wagga City Council this week released the external auditor’s report into the commercial arrangements with Douglas Aerospace. The independent report Wagga Wagga City Council, The Details of the Commercial Arrangements with Douglas Aerospace was compiled by Prosperity Audit Services. “The release of this report
Diprotodon Image reproduced with permission; © Australian Postal Corporation 2008; illustrator: Peter Trusler
has been a priority for Council as part of our commitment to transparency and accountability on not just this issue, but in everything we do,” Mayor of the City of Wagga Wagga Councillor Rod Kendall said. “We as Councillors and as an organisation have learned a lot from this process and we can now move forward.” Council resolved at the
October Ordinary Meeting to release the report as soon as legal advice allowed, and to also create an action plan based on the auditor’s findings. General Manager Alan Eldridge said residents can be assured changes have and will continue to be made to Council’s processes in line with the report. “As an organisation we are
accountable and acknowledge the shortcomings identified in the report,” Mr Eldridge said. “The external auditor’s report has raised many questions for our community and appropriate action will be taken.” The report is available on Council’s website at wagga. nsw.gov.au or in hard copy at Customer Service in the Civic Centre.
middle of the giant inflatable ball and show your friends how you can walk on water. If being indoors is more your thing, then head to the Wagga Wagga City Library for the Summer Reading Club, and go in the draw to win free movie tickets, or enjoy the free board games, computer games, wifi and colouring activities. For a full list school holiday activities in Wagga, check out: visitwaggawagga.com/schoolholidays.
No merger for Wagga There will be no mergers for the Wagga Wagga community under the NSW Government’s Fit for the Future reform package announced on 18 December. Council has welcomed the decision, which also revealed a number of neighbouring Local Government Areas will remain unchanged. The Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) released its assessment of every Council in NSW in October, with Wagga Wagga deemed as fit. Council currently meets five of the seven benchmarks and submitted an improvement plan to meet the remaining benchmarks with its Fit for the Future proposal. “Today’s announcement shows Wagga is in a good position to meet the demands of our growing community,” Mayor of the City of Wagga Wagga Councillor Rod Kendall said. “As a standalone Council, it’s business as usual for Wagga and we can continue serving the people of our community.” For more information visit www.councilboundaryreview.nsw.gov.au.