Do you know someone who goes above and beyond for our community? Is there a local group or individual who has made a real difference in Northern Grampians Shire this year? Now is the time to recognise them. Nominations are open for the 2026 Australia Day Awards, until December 5.
Find out more
At December's council meeting in St Arnaud, council resolved to review future community care service options in light of sweeping aged care sector reforms. The decision follows Federal Government changes to the way aged care services are funded and delivered, with new rules coming into effect in November. You can find more via the link below.
Published on 11 November 2021
A warm hello to everyone in the community. My name is Tony Driscoll and on Monday night my fellow councillors elected me to represent you as Mayor of Northern Grampians Shire Council. It will be my third term in this role and whether you grew up here like me or you are newly settled in our shire, I am very much looking forward to catching up with you all out and about in the community.
Today is Remembrance Day and I ask you all to consider taking a minute’s silence at 11am in memory of everyone who served and fell in the line of duty during the First World War. This war had a devastating impact on many families in our rural community last century and the service offers us a moment to reflect on the supreme sacrifice they made for the freedoms we enjoy today. Council will be laying a wreath at the RSL memorial services in both Stawell and St Arnaud. Lest we forget.
Council is masked-up and rubbing CovidSafe shoulders with State and Federal Government ministers this month to announce many exciting tourism and development projects but an event I cannot wait to attend is the community film screening of Happy Sad Man. The event is being held this weekend at our town halls in St Arnaud and Stawell and has been organised by Grampians Community Health with support from Council and the State Government’s Community Activation and Social Isolation Initiative funding. It is an Australian documentary that from all accounts will make you both laugh and cry as it explores what it means to “be a bloke” and talk openly about male mental health. The event will start with a free barbecue, followed by the film and then a Q and A panel with the filmmaker Genevieve Bailey and community members. A small donation is being requested to go towards local organisations that support mental health in our shire. Come along to the Stawell event at 6pm on Saturday and St Arnaud at 11.30am on Sunday. More information at www.happysadman.org
While it is lovely to see many sporting and social aspects of our lives returning as we follow the government’s Roadmap to Recovery, I remind everyone that we are not out of the woods yet in terms of the potential threat to our community’s health and economy. Bear in mind that even at almost 95% full vaccination, that still means five people for every 100 in our community are not vaccinated against Covid. These people remain at risk of serious complications from the virus that impact on our health services and community. Please continue therefore with the preventative hygiene measures we are all familiar with and if you are at all unwell, visit one of the testing clinics at the Stawell or St Arnaud hospitals immediately. If you need information, we aim to provide as much local Coronavirus information as possible through our Council website and social media channels and our customer service staff are available during business hours to respond to your queries.
As a final word and as a St Arnaud councillor, I would like to commend my fellow residents for rallying together last Wednesday 3 November to prevent damage to vehicles and properties during the flash flood in our town. Council is currently processing requests for assistance from property owners affected by the flash flood and undertaking secondary impact assessments. If you also need this level of support for your property, please contact us to discuss. Our environmental health officer particularly wants to hear from you if you can smell damp or mould in your building.
Looking forward to an exciting year ahead as your Mayor. Please do not hesitate to have a chat with me at any time.
Cr Tony Driscoll
NORTHERN GRAMPIANS SHIRE COUNCIL MAYOR