Murray Bridge council watch: December 2023
Questions asked about an abandoned police station, a long-serving executive officer retires, Waitangi Day is funded and more.
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Daggy main street buildings need sprucing up, public tells council
Enhancing the appearance of Murray Bridge’s main street is the most important thing the city’s council can do in the central business district, residents say.
More than 40 people gave their ideas during a recent consultation about the future of the CBD.
Their top priorities were visual: they suggested the council provide grants to building owners, install parklets and – for goodness’ sake – make the state government do something about the abandoned police station near the eastern end of Bridge Street.
The old station has sat empty since the new Murray Mallee police headquarters were built on Swanport Road in 2013, and is reportedly full of mould and begging to be demolished.
Other suggestions included:
- More CBD events
- A gateway artwork or entrance station at the top of Bridge Street
- More plants along Bridge Street and Seventh Street
A new growth and economic development team at the council, to be led by former Adelaide Hills Council economic development manager Melissa Bright from January, will develop business cases for those projects in readiness for future council budgets.
Long-serving executive officer Ros Kruger retires
In every organisation there are people who work behind the scenes to keep everything running smoothly.
On Thursday, a woman who has filled that role at the Murray Bridge council for a total of 35 years celebrated her retirement.
Executive officer Ros Kruger served under numerous mayors and CEOs during her time with the rural city, going back to when it was the District Council of Murray Bridge.
A number of them turned up for her send-off.
Waitangi Day wins council funding after all
The organisers of an annual Waitangi Day event in Murray Bridge will get a $9800 council grant after all, despite a long debate among councillors.
Councillors had last month questioned whether the Maori Evangelical Church should get a grant for the event, based on a perception that they were relying too heavily on public funding for limited public benefit.
Questions continued at a meeting last Monday night: did the event really generate much economic benefit, were its attendees mostly locals or visitors; were local businesses involved?
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But staff noted that the council grant would equal less than 40 per cent of the event’s budget, and that the church had committed to work towards financial independence over the next few years.
They also noted that the council’s reputation would suffer if, for no good reason, it declined to fund a community group that was eligible to receive a grant.
Cr Airlie Keen defended the church for the second month in a row, saying its Waitangi Day celebrations were “absolutely … integral to our community”.
Don’t reduce vegetation clearance on dirt roads, councillor warns
Reducing the height to which trees are trimmed back along dirt roads could have dangerous consequences, a Murray Bridge councillor has warned.
Cr Andrew Baltensperger expressed his concern about a draft management plan for roadside vegetation at the council’s December meeting.
He objected to suggestions that the minimum clearance height along rural roads could be reduced to five metres, down from 5.5m.
Mayor Wayne Thorley suggested that he, or anyone else with concerns, submit feedback during a community consultation period which would open in January.
Quote of the month
“We get a cloud.” –Wayne Thorley, explaining to Cr Clem Schubert what the council will get for its spending on a cloud-based IT upgrade
