Mayoral Introduction

Snowy River Shire's first Social Plan was prepared in 1999 and covered the five years to 2004. It charted new territory. It was the first time Council had undertaken such a plan and it was the first time such a wealth of information about the shire and its residents had been set down in one place. The plan painted in broad-brush terms the general direction in which Council and the community wanted to move as well as specific strategies and actions to get there.

A report card showing how well this has been done can be found in Chapter 11.

In some respects this second Social Plan builds on the first. Many of the issues identified in 1999 still remain and there is there is no radical change in the types of solutions put forward in this plan. What has changed between 1999 and 2004 is the knowledge we have about the nature of our community and its needs, and the urgency of the issues affecting residents of Snowy River Shire. This improved knowledge and understanding is due in part to the first social plan which provided for the shire a base line of demographic data and a clear identification of issues.

There are two significant features of our community which now stand out very clearly. One is the very high rate of population increase. This population increase - documented through ABS Census data brings greater urgency to the need for an increase in the provision of community services and infrastructure to the residents of Snowy River shire

The other feature is one which has become even more apparent because we have considered our communities within the regional context of the three shires on the Monaro. This is the inequity in the distribution of state and Commonwealth resources between Snowy River and the neighbouring shires of Bombala and Cooma-Monaro. This inequity of community infrastructure and service provision applies fairly well across the board. Consider health, housing, transport and education. State government provision in these areas is woefully inadequate for the growing population.

When compared with neighbouring shires with steady or falling populations it is inexplicable - other than on an historical basis. The historical model of service delivery which sees services based in Cooma and provided to Snowy River on an outreach basis is outmoded, ineffective and totally inappropriate for the shire with the highest rate of population growth of any non-coastal area in NSW.

Over the next five years, we as a Council will endeavour to meet the identified needs of our community as best we can within our limited resources. However we will be actively seeking out partnerships with government and non-government organisations to address the bigger issues which are beyond both our jurisdiction and our means.

I commend this plan to the community as a reflection of the state of play in Snowy River Shire in 2004 and an indicator of the ways in which Council seeks to move forward. To government departments with responsibilities for services and infrastructure in our shire, I present it as the most accurate grass roots analysis currently available of issues that are confronting our community. To potential partners I lay it on the line as an honest assessment of where we are, where we would like to be and how you can help us to get there.

Richard Wallace

Mayor

November 2004