Hi, I hope everyone is coping with the very cold weather we have been experiencing lately, I presume everybody is like me and dreading their next lot of energy bills.

We recently had over 700 attendees at our school holiday program within the shire, offering a wide range of activities for kids to do whilst on their break. This program is exceeding all expectations and going from strength to strength, enabling us to confidently plan quality presenters and activities in the future. Congratulations to our hardworking organisers.

Council is holding a series of barbecues at our sporting clubs in a hope to engage with the younger demographic in our community. Surveys show a bit of a "disconnect" in the 18-34 age range and we would like to hear from them regarding their vision for the future in our shire. If you see us around, please engage with our council officers and councillors with your ideas and thoughts.

We also continue to conduct our farmer consultations, with follow up meetings scheduled to continue to address their concerns. Our CEO is out and about regularly in our Libraries and customer service centres, so stop by and have a chat. This is a commitment we have made to try as hard as possible for all the community to be heard.

At our recent Council meeting we endorsed the Fair Access Policy Action Plan for a period of community engagement from 25th July to 15th August. This policy ensures fair and equitable access for women and girls in recreational environments and is a State Government requirement for all Councils.

Also endorsed was the Risk Management Policy, Risk Management Framework, and Risk Appetite and Tolerance Statement. This will also be available for community engagement from 25th July to 15th August.

Council also endorsed the Draft Climate Adaption Strategy for community engagement. This strategy brings our Shire up to date with the ever-changing climate landscape for the next 12 years. Please also view this and provide your feedback from 25th July to 15th August.

To provide feedback on the above, please visit www.haveyoursay.hindmarsh.vic.gov.au.

Council received and adopted the Lower Wimmera Regional Flood Mapping Study which highlights flood risks on properties along the Wimmera River. This is a very interesting document and shows the risk for housing and properties, including those impacted during a one in five year through to one in 500 year flood.

Council elections are now nearing so I would like community members to consider standing for Council, or better still, encourage someone who you think would give your community a say in Council going forward. It may just give them the confidence they need to stand.

Cr Brett Ireland
Mayor