CONTROL OF GIANT PARRAMATTA GRASS

Council wishes to advise that spraying of Giant Parramatta Grass, with chemical registered for its control, will take place from August until January. Spraying will be carried out on selected Council fenced roadsides and reserves. If you would like to know more about the program contact Council’s Weeds Officer, Greg Egan, on 65663200.

PAYMENT OF RATES – REMINDER

Ratepayers are reminded that the first rate instalment is due for payment on or before 31 August 2008. Failure to finalise the payment by the due date will result in interest charges. Ratepayers who have been granted a “Pensioners Rebate” have until 31 May, 2009 to finalise their account in full, however arrears on a Pensioners account must be finalised immediately and is the subject of daily interest charges.

Should you be experiencing difficulties in paying your rates, please contact Council to make a suitable arrangement for settlement of the account.

AVOID FEES AND CHARGES ON YOUR WATER USAGE ACCOUNT

Six-monthly Water Usage Accounts are now overdue. Reminder notices are about to be issued. If payment is not received within fourteen days of the reminder, further action will be taken. Please note that payments made other than at Council may take up to 3 days to be credited to your account. Further action includes the following fees:-

• Interest charges 10% pa
• Final notice $11.50
• Notice of entry $37.40
• Disconnection $122.00
• Reconnection $122.00

If you are having problems paying your account please contact Mrs Cath Anthony on 65663284 as Council is prepared to enter into a mutually agreeable arrangement to enable payment of this account over a period of time, however, you must contact Council to discuss such an arrangement prior to its commencement. This will ensure that you avoid unnecessary fees and charges being added to your account.

Please treat your Water Usage Account with the urgency it deserves to avoid unnecessary costs. Interest is charged at 10% per annum and begins accruing from the due date.

NOTICE OF PROPOSED DEVELOPMENTS

The following applications have been received and are notified in accordance with Council’s Policy.
NOTE: Not all applications received require public notification.

The applications and plans relating to the developments to which this notice refers may be inspected at Council’s Customer First Centre, Tozer Street, West Kempsey, any time between 8.30am and 4.30pm from Monday to Friday (public holidays excepted) for the period stated above.
At anytime during which the application may be inspected, any person:

1 who has received written notice of a proposed development from Council; or
2 who owns land and who contends that his enjoyment of that land will be detrimentally affected if a proposed development is carried out; or
3 who feels that a proposed development will adversely affect the character or amenity of the surrounding area may object in writing to Council.

If the application will need to be considered by Council, a precis of submissions received will be included in a report to Council for determination of the application. Copies of submissions may be included in the Appendices to the Business Paper unless specifically requested by the writer not to be included and the submission is clearly headed “confidential”.

PUBLIC NOTIFICATION OF DEVELOPMENT CONSENTS - ISSUED BY COUNCIL

Consent has been granted for the following applications.

A record of consents may be inspected, without charge, at the Customer First Centre of the Kempsey Shire Council, Civic Centre, Tozer Street, West Kempsey, between 8.30 am and 4.30 pm from Monday to Friday (public holidays excepted).

RELOCATION OF WILLAWARRIN RECYCLING STATION

Willawarrin Recycling Station will be relocated from its current site at Willawarrin School to its new location at the Willawarrin Rodeo Grounds as from Friday, 19 July 2008. Please contact Owen Moon on 6566 2416 if you require further information.

DEVELOPMENT APPLICATION ONLINE TRACKING AND PUBLIC REGISTER

Kempsey Shire Council has implemented a Development Application Online Tracking system and a Public Register of Development Applications which allows easier access and tracking of lodged development applications and assists customers in gathering information through electronic media.

Development Application Online Tracking
 Once a Development Application is lodged with Council, registered applicants will be provided with a secure password to log on to councils website to track the progress of their application. You will be able to see the current status of your application, the estimated timeframes for completion and who your assessment officer is. You will also receive email notifications at certain stages of the application progress. For example when the administration process of the application has been completed and has been allocated to an assessment officer, when a site inspection has taken place and when the determination of your application has been made.
 When you log on using your password you will be able to download a pdf version of certain documents related to your application. For example if your application has been referred to other Government departments such as the Rural Fire Service, a copy of general correspondence in regards to your application and also a copy of your Development Determination.
 You can register for this service when you lodge your application or by completing a separate Development Application Online Tracking Registration Form and submitting it to Council's Customer First Centre.

Development Application Public Register
Council has also introduced a Public Register of Development Applications. You can search for any Development Applications lodged since 1980 in Council’s Public Register. Searches can be conducted by date lodged, location or application number.

Information available on the Public Register includes:-

• Current status of Lodged Applications; and
• Copies of Development Application Determinations.

For further information regarding the DA Online Tracking and any of your planning enquiries please contact Council’s Customer First Centre on (02) 6566 3200.

STAFF EXCELLENCE AWARDS

As part of its ongoing commitment to customer service excellence, Kempsey Shire Council recognises the outstanding achievements of staff members through an Award of Excellence, which is made on a quarterly basis. If you think that an individual member of Council’s staff, a team of Council workers or an entire Council Department is deserving of such an award, please consider nominating them. A nomination form is available at the Customer First reception desk at the Civic Centre in Elbow Street, West Kempsey on online at Council’s website www.kempsey.nsw.gov.au under ‘communications’, under ‘s’ in the ‘forms index’. Alternatively, phone Megan Barber on 65 663 334 and she will be happy to post one to you. Once you have completed the form drop it in to the Customer First Centre or mail it to Kempsey Shire Council, PO Box 3078, West Kempsey, 2440.

COMMUNICATION IS IMPORTANT

Council provides residents and ratepayers with lots of opportunities to discover what is happening at Council. These are just some of the methods we use to communicate with you:

• Weekly ads and Mayoral Column in the local press;Regular media releases sent to local and regional media;
• Weekly program on Tank FM on Mondays at 10.10am;
• On-site inspections, workshops and public meetings relating to specific subjects or issues;
• Letterbox drops and mail-outs when appropriate;
• Displays at events such as the Kempsey Show;
• the production of comprehensive public documents including the Annual Report,
• Management Plan and the State of the Environment Report;
• meeting agendas and minutes;
• Community Newsletters;
• Council’s email mailing list; and
• surveys.

Many Council documents are available on our website at www.kempsey.nsw.gov.au and copies of some recent documents are often available at Customer First or at Shire Library branches in Kempsey, South West Rocks, Hat Head and Stuarts Point.

You are invited to attend Council meetings and arrangements can be made for you to address Council or, if this is not convenient, think about inviting a Councillor or staff member to attend a community meeting which you are involved with. If you would like to suggest a new, different and cost effective way of communicating with us, please drop us a line at PO Box 3078, West Kempsey, fax us on 6566 3205 or email us ksc@kempsey.nsw.gov.au.