Delivering results in an unprecedented year

Scenic Rim Regional Council's 2019-20 Annual Report was adopted by Council at the Ordinary Meeting yesterday.

Scenic Rim Mayor Greg Christensen said despite the challenges of drought, bushfires, floods and a global pandemic, Council continued to deliver projects to meet the long-term infrastructure needs of the region.

"This year's report reflects an unprecedented year, which brought about many challenges, and also demonstrated the strength and resilience of our people who make up our many wonderful communities," he said.

"The Scenic Rim Local Disaster Management Group was activated four times during the year to support the community, with Council providing significant coordination and services to help meet the community's needs during these challenging times.

"Over the year we invested almost $12 million in our road construction program, more than $4 million in our bridge program and more than $3 million in road reseals.

"Improving our road corridors and bridges enables better access for residents and visitors across our towns and villages, and supports a more efficient transport network, which encourages future economic development.

"We are grateful to the Queensland and Australian Governments for their funding support under various programs, and we continue to advocate for funding to help improve State-controlled roads in the region.

"Some of the key deliverables for the year include the adoption of the Scenic Rim Planning Scheme 2020, which came into effect in March and is a landmark in the Scenic Rim's development, and the launch of the region's first ever economic strategy.

"Both of these lay the foundations for a strong and sustainable future for the whole of the Scenic Rim."

Chief Executive Officer Jon Gibbons said the annual report really showed the breadth of work that Council does for the communities.

"Long gone are the days when Councils only delivered roads, rates and rubbish.

"This report shows the vast number of activities that were specifically undertaken this year, and none of this could be achieved without our employees.

"I'd like to thank our employees for everything they do and their achievements, and thank the Mayor and Councillors for their strategic guidance.

"The customer sentiment survey we conducted during the year will ultimately help improve our customers' experiences, as it has helped shape our new customer charter and is driving changes to internal strategies and processes.

"We're already receiving feedback that shows some of these initiatives are delivering positive outcomes and making doing business much easier.

"It's been a tough year for the region with drought, bushfires and COVID-19, and while we've had challenges, I am so pleased our communities and our employees have stayed safe during the pandemic.

"There's a lot for everyone to be proud of.

"I'm also proud of Council's recent win in the Local Government Managers Australia (Queensland) awards for its response to COVID-19.

"The two stimulus packages we released in response to COVID-19 show some of the positive steps we've taken as a Council to help support the community during this challenging time.

"Our contribution to the Scenic Rim Farm Box initiative in lieu of our usual support for Eat Local Week helped support our local producers and create jobs for local people."

Mr Gibbons said the Scenic Rim region cemented its place on the map as the place to be and the home of outstanding produce as a result of the hard work from teams across Council.

"The region hosted the largest arts conference in Queensland - Arts Ablaze - in October last year, received national recognition as the Most Outstanding Region at the delicious. magazine Produce awards and attracted new visitors through the delivery of the first stage of the bushfire recovery funded destination marketing campaign - the Richest Place on Earth, in Australia," he said.

"During the year, our teams continued planting trees and shrubs in our Million Trees program and worked with key stakeholders to enhance our waterways.

"While we had some challenges waiting for matched funding, we remained committed to our program for building roads, bridges, footpaths and drainage to help drive the region's economy.

"Our strong governance framework, and the work of the auditors and the Audit and Risk Committee has also enabled us to achieve these outcomes.

"While I am proud of what has been delivered, I am equally as proud of our team, which is made of many individuals, all who are passionate about the whole region and delivering services that help benefit all our communities."

Council's 2019-20 Annual Report is available on the website.

www.scenicrim.qld.gov.au/our-council/administration/corporate-publications

Members of the community can request printed copies through libraries and customer service centres.