AVOID FEES AND CHARGES ON YOUR WATER USAGE ACCOUNT

Three-monthly Water Usage Accounts are now overdue. Reminder notices have been issued which include a $7.00 late fee. 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:-

• Final notice $12.00
• Notice of entry $39.00
• Disconnection $127.00
• Reconnection $127.00

If you are having problems paying your account please contact an accounts officer on 6566 3284 as Council is prepared to enter into a mutually agreeable arrangement to enable payment of this account over a period of time.

REDUCE YOUR WATER BILL

The three monthly water meter readings have only just commenced and we are already finding, several very high reads it is good to remember to:

The accounts will be issued on 30 September 2009 and water accounts are a 30 day account.

POLICY - PAYMENT OF EXPENSES AND PROVISION OF FACILITIES TO THE MAYOR AND COUNCILLORS - Public Exhibition

In accordance with the provisions of the Local Government Act 1993, Council hereby gives notice of its intention to adopt a revised policy - “Payment of Expenses and Provision of Facilities to the Mayor and Councillors”.

This policy provides for reasonable facilities to be provided for the Mayor and Councillors and to provide for the payment and/or reimbursement of expenses incurred by elected members in relation to discharging their functions of civic office.

A copy of the policy is available for viewing at Council’s Customer First Centre or on Council’s website (click on public exhibition documents) at www.kempsey.nsw.gov.au. Enquiries regarding the draft policy should be made to Council’s Manager Administration, Patrick Hanrahan on 65663201.

Submissions relating to the revised policy are invited in writing addressed to the General Manager, Kempsey Shire Council, PO Box 3078 West Kempsey NSW 2440 or by email to ksc@kempsey.nsw.gov.au up until 4.30pm, Tuesday, 29 September 2009.

Submissions will be considered by Council at its October 2009 meeting and please note that any submissions received will be reproduced in full in Council’s Business Paper, and accordingly will be treated as public information unless requested to be treated as confidential.

HALF DAY PUBLIC HOLIDAYS 2010

Council has received applications for two half day holidays in the year 2010. Details of the applications are as follows:

Your comment on these proposed half day holidays is invited and will be received up until Monday, 14 September 2009. All submissions will be considered prior to application being made to the Director General, NSW Department of Industrial Relations for gazettal.

DRAFT KEMPSEY LOCAL ENVIRONMENTAL PLAN (KLEP) 1987 (AMENDMENT NO 100)
Proposed Rezoning of land known as No 19, Gregory Street, South West Rocks

Subject Land: Lots 233 & 317 DP 754396 Parish of Arakoon County of Macquarie.

Council resolved on 8 July 2008 to prepare a draft Local Environmental Plan (LEP) for the subject land to rezone the land. The purpose of the draft LEP is to rezone the land shown on the draft LEP Map from the current 5(a) Special Uses zone to part Zone 2(c) Residential and part Zone 7(d) Scenic Protection.

The exhibition period will be from Monday, 7 September 2009, to Friday, 6 November 2009. The formal public exhibition including full copies of the draft LEP may be viewed at Council’s Customer First Centre at the Civic Centre, 22 Tozer Street, Kempsey. Copies of the draft LEP Instrument and the draft Map are available at the Kempsey Library, Stuarts Point Library, Hat Head Library and South West Rocks Library. Exhibition documents are also available on Council’s website at www.kempsey.nsw.gov.au. Electronic copies of the exhibition documentation are available on CD for a fee of $25 from Kempsey Shire Council.

A public information evening will be held at the CWA Hall, 47 Landsborough Street, South West Rocks from 6pm to 8pm on Monday, 22 September 2009. Any interested person is welcome to attend.

Submissions to the draft LEP are to be addressed to the General Manager, Kempsey Shire Council, PO Box 3078, WEST KEMPSEY NSW 2440 and are to be submitted no later than close of business on Friday, 13 November 2009.

Any interested person may inspect the draft LEP at the above location during the exhibition period.

For enquiries, contact Keiley Hunter or Georgia Rayner on 6566 3200 during normal office hours.

SHIRE NAME CHANGE SURVEY
Now open until 4.30pm Thursday 17 September 2009

Council is supportive of rebranding its operations to Macleay Valley Coast, but resolved at its meeting of 11 August 2009, that the community be invited to comment on their preference for either the “Macleay Valley Coast Council” or “Macleay Valley Council” as a proposed name for the Shire.

The survey below has been developed so that members of the community can vote for their preference and put forward any comments they may have on the matter.

Council currently operates under three names and three logos: Kempsey Shire Council, Macleay Valley Coast, and Macleay Water. The use of multiple names and logos contributes to a loss of identity for both the Shire and Council. It is important that our community and our Council are united under one banner.

Apart from this, increased costs may result from the need to have multiple styles of branding. The net impact of these costs may not be high, but combining them under one name and logo may allow for some additional economies of scale to be achieved in stationery purchasing, staff uniforms, etc. Having a unified single logo and name that is common among all usages will increase awareness of our Shire ‘brand’ and will allow Council to invest its resources better through this process.

To minimise cost Council intends to introduce any changes to the name and logo gradually, as current resources are exhausted and need to be replaced.

Council has already paid for the exclusive use of the design of the ‘Macleay Valley Coast’ logo so there would be no additional costs in relation to using it.

The survey is also available online at http://www.kempsey.nsw.gov.au/namechange.html, and at various locations throughout the Shire including Council’s Customer First Centre (in Tozer Street, West Kempsey) and Economic Development Office (in Forth Street, Kempsey); the Shire Libraries at Kempsey, South West Rocks, Hat Head and Stuarts Point; and General Stores at Smithtown, Gladstone, Willawarrin and Bellbrook; and Crescent Head Country Club.

Survey closes at 4.30pm on Thursday 17 September 2009!

PAYMENT OF RATES – DID YOU FORGET?

Ratepayers are reminded that the 1st rate installment was due for payment on or before 31 August 2009. Failure to finalise the payment by the due date will result in interest charges and the possible commencement of legal action for recovery of rates due. Please note that should legal action become necessary you will be liable for all debt recovery costs in accordance with the Civil Procedures Act 2005. The only exception to this relates to those ratepayers who have been granted a “Pensioners Rebate.” Ratepayers in this category have until 31 May, 2010 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.

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.

A person or associate of the person who makes a submission in relation to the application must make a disclosure of any reportable political donation or gift made in the previous 2 years (and up to the time the matter is determined).

The disclosure (Disclosure Statement of Political Donations and Gifts) will need to accompany the submission. A Disclosure Form and further details can be obtained from Council’s website or Customer First Centre.

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).

NOTIFICATION OF CONSIDERATION OF PROPOSED DEVELOPMENTS

The public are advised that it is intended to consider the following development related issues lodged with the Sustainable Development Services Department at the Council Meeting of 8 September, 2009. The meeting will commence at 9.00am.

Further information on the Development Proposals can be obtained by contacting: Sustainable Development Services Department.

CONTROL OF GIANT PARRAMATTA GRASS

Council wishes to advise that Giant Parramatta Grass spraying with the chemical registered for its control is conducted from August until January. If you would like to know more about this program contact Council’s Weeds Officer, Greg Egan, on 65663200.