King Island Council Annual Report 2011-2012 (1921 kb)

General Manager’sReportI am pleased to present the King Island CouncilAnnual Report for 2011-12. The report outlines theCouncil’s achievements for the year, financialposition, services provided and compliance withstatutory requirements.The past year has been one of further improvementto Council’s financial position, with significantachievements in cash backing all reserves, adoptinga surplus budget and reducing staff costs despiteincreasing requirements for non-core compliance andreporting activities.It is always a challenge for a small organisation tomeet the requirements of infrastructure maintenance,respond to the aspirations of the community, andmanage the increasing statutory requirements, whilenot increasing rates beyond the ability of the ratepayer to fund.Building King Island’s EconomyMARK GOODEGeneral ManagerThe best way to grow the economy of a small remoteisland is to generate new income. Council has beenactively working to grow the economy over the past 3years, and the strategic priorities to achieve this havebeen to:• Create a positive and confident atmosphereto attract investors• Identify and then attract new developments(such as the two new world class golfcourses proposed for King Island)• Network and liaise with industry, investorsand government to identify and facilitatecommercial partnerships• Simplify Council processes and increaselevels of staff support to applicants• Increasing the level of funding to criticalinfrastructure needed to support business(roads, bridges, airports etc)• Build effective relationshipsOther significant achievements have been theScheelite and Mineral Sand Mines, which now haveall necessary approvals in place. The sand mine isslowly developing, and the Scheelite mine is currentlyseeking capital to commence operations.Strategic PlanDuring the year, Council updated its Strategic Plan,which is linked to its operational framework. The Planfocuses on balancing growth, the environment andimproving the community’s quality of life, whileensuring financial sustainability.Infrastructure and ServicesA key focus over the past few years has been thedelivery and improvement of services to thecommunity. A priority for us has been improvementsin waste management, roads, bridges andcommunity buildings.The commencement of the new Works Manager, MrArthur Johnstone has seen a significant improvementin outcomes. Our Development Services Coordinator,Ms Freja Petersen has overseen several majordevelopment applications, while increasing the levelof support to hospitality and food services.Communication and PartnershipsCommunication with the Community is a criticalfunction of Council. To assist in this goal, majorupgrades on both Council’s website and thecommunity website were completed.King Island Council – Annual Report 2011-2012Page 6