Cr Schoen’s bold move

As a result of a successful notice of motion, Riverina Water County Council is to be invited to investigate the feasibility of extending its treated water supply network in the Federation Council area, to service areas including Balldale and Daysdale.

It was one of seven successful notices of motion in that investigations would take place or responses were provided.

Investigations into maintenance of playing fields, progress towards a cost neutral provision of Service NSW, fewer overall polling booths but Howlong and Mulwala have a day pre-poll and talks with big employers regarding employee accommodation all received endorsement in what would be the highest number of notices of motion ever before an Ordinary Council meeting at Corowa.

Pending a favourable reply from Riverina Water County Council, Federation Council would receive a report detailing required community input from communities including Daysdale and Balldale, and other villages/rural landholders, to assist Riverina Water into considering the feasibility and seeking funds to resource this engagement.

Federation Council already has Riverina Water County Council providing an extensive water supply system across the towns and villages of Morundah, Boree Creek, Rand, Urana and Oaklands. With the assistance of volunteers in the case of Daysdale, council supplies untreated water to Balldale and Daysdale.

Council’s General Manager Adrian Butler advised that Riverina Water County Council has in the past expressed verbal interest in considering a study to expand their network to provide a treated supply to areas like Daysdale and Balldale, and picking up rural customers along the way potentially.

“It is critical to note that currently with other priorities, example Howlong water upgrade, the Corowa sewer design and council’s overall strategic planning in water and sewer, council staff do not have capacity to provide significant time to this,” Mr Butler said.

“Riverina Water will likely require some staff research to outline the state of the current schemes in Daysdale and Balldale for example.”

Cr Schoen’s motion regarding the capacity of council’s water and sewer treatment plants, and the current situation of the Corowa plant on land disposal site received or an informative response from council’s director engineering services Theo Panagopoulos.

Included in a detailed response of the water supply and sewage disposal servicing at Corowa Howlong and Mulwala, by Mr Panagopoulos was: “Council has engaged the services of Public Works NSW to complete strategic modelling across the entire water and sewerage network. This work is due for completion in the first half of 2025”.

“Across all three systems, there are challenges relating not only to the treatment plants, but the trunk infrastructure that services them including, but not limited, to storage tanks, pump stations and rising mains.

“All of these factors can have a significant impact on the overall system capacity.

“All these items are being investigated in depth by Public Works NSW.”

Council staff working from home questions were posed in a notice of motion by Cr Schoen including the NSW Government’s stated target.

Council’s chief financial officer Jo Shannon said a state government circular does not apply to Federation Council as local government is not considered a government sector agency.

“Where arrangements are proposed for council employees to work from home on a regular basis, negotiations are undertaken within the provisions of Clause 24.

“Flexibility for Work of the Local Government (State) Award,” Ms Shannon said.

“This clause states ‘In recognition of the commitment to provide flexibility for work and family responsibilities and the need to retain skills and experience within the industry, employers are encouraged to develop and promote flexible work and leave arrangements to enable their employees to better manage their work and family responsibilities’.

“Currently council has 23 employees with arrangements enabling regular work from home, from one to four days per fortnight. In most instances, there is a documented written flexibility agreement put in place.

“Nineteen of these employees attend ‘an approved workplace, office or related work site’ for at least 50 per cent of their working hours.

“Council recognises the benefits of these flexible work arrangements for productivity and employee wellbeing while still aiming to balance these with the need for workplace presence.

“Remote work also supports the NSW Government’s environmental targets by reducing commuting emissions.”

Cr Schoen also requested council reinstate the Urana town by-pass via Stephens Street. The closure of Stephen Street, Urana to vehicles over 15m in length except local traffic, has been a long-standing issue in some areas of the community. The matter was deferred to council’s December meeting, on December 17.

At the time of The Free Press going to print, council was to consider a recommendation by council staff that the by-pass via Stephens Street be reinstated.

The ninth motion notice, putting a halt to certain Special Rate Variations (SRVs) was defeated, as previously reported in The Free Press.

“My notices of motion are aimed at reducing council’s expenditure where feasible to do so, in efforts towards us not having to impose big rate rises every year for at least several years on our ratepayers.

“Simultaneously I am trying to improve certain issues for communities such as the bypass at Urana and improved water supply for Balldale and Daysdale,” Cr Schoen told The Free Press.

Cr Schoen decided to stand again for Federation Council stating that he couldn’t “stand by and watch the financial deterioration continue” and wanted to see new people on council.

“The road ahead will not be easy but for the sake of the current and next generation this has to occur,” he said.