Mango season is at its end for another year. While we celebrate and value the fact that our community produces a quarter of Australia’s mangoes, our tourist ventures, other local producers, businesses and community organisations do a fantastic job to promote our municipality. We are not only the ‘best place to live’ but the powerhouse of the Top End economy.
Congratulations to all businesses who have recently been nominated or won awards (including the prestigious Brolga awards), starred on National TV, provided our visitors with delicious tastes to remember or showcased the creative talents of our residents young and older. Thank you: Crazy Acres, Kakadu Blue, Humpty Doo Barra, Friends of Library, Smile-a-Mile Fun Bus, Fred’s Pass Markets and the Christmas Craft events (happening in the next few weeks) for your contributions to our economy and community.
To help us continue the celebration of what’s great about our community, the people and the events that demonstrate community effort and make Litchfield the best place to live in the Top End, Litchfield residents have the opportunity to nominate a person or event for one of the three Litchfield Community Australian Day Awards. It could be your neighbour, friend, a quite achiever, an event to remember or one you enjoy every year.
We are on the search for this year’s Litchfield’s Citizen of the Year. This award recognises a resident, who has demonstrated commitment to and does great work in our Community.
Like the Citizen Award, the Litchfield Young Citizen of the Year recognised those younger community members who are engaged in community activity or have demonstrated an outstanding achievement in an area of interest.
The Litchfield Community Event of the Year recognises a Community Event that has made a significant and outstanding contribution to the Litchfield Community in the current year or over a number of years.
Nominations forms are on the Council website.
In the past few weeks I am pleased to say I have been re-elected to the executive of the Local Government Association of the NT (LGANT). LGANT is the peak advocacy group for local government in the Northern Territory and provides support to members, advice to government on policy development regarding local, Territory and national issues including proposed changes in legislation.
As part of TOPROC I continue to work with neighbouring Council Mayors and Presidents to advocate and achieve change on issues related to the Top End - in particular current work around a new regional waste management facility and new governance model for Thorak Cemetery.
Our surveys tell us that you think roads are of high importance and over the past year securing funding has been of top importance. To this end, last week I attended the National Roads and Transport Congress in Alice Springs. This provided another opportunity to advocate for more local road funding and continue to raise the profile of the Mango Industry Strategic Roads Project.
As always I am keen to connect with all Litchfield residents.
You can contact me via email maree.bredhauer@litchfiled.nt.gov.au or ph. 89 830612.
Next Council meeting is Wednesday 12 December, at 6.30pm at the Council Chambers, Bees Creek Road. Council Meeting agendas and minutes can be found on the website along with all policies and recent happenings.