Resignation rates rise
A quarterly report showing human resource analytics within the Southern Downs Regional Council has brought to light a higher-than-normal resignation rate in 2022.
According to the October-to-December People and Safety report, Council’s annual rate of separation has increased progressively at each reporting period across the past year. The annualised rate showed 19.7 per cent of staff exiting the organisation. Of those leaving the council in the December quarter, less than 19 per cent were employee retirements.
The report stated that further investigation of reasons for employee separations was being undertaken to establish trends and develop strategies to encourage employees to stay with the council.
At the council meeting on January 25, CEO Mr Dave Burges said he did not believe the SDRC was trending higher in terms of other Local Government entities.
“Last year I was speaking to a CEO who was talking a 40 per cent rate and there are others who are at a healthy 10 per cent. We hope to have more exhaustive reporting and collect more data at job-end interviews. It’s a concerning figure, but not unusual in this climate.”
Recreation returns to Mount Colliery
It has been a long time coming, but the Mount Colliery Reserve has been given the green light to once again serve its original gazetted purpose as a recreation reserve.
At the January 25 Southern Downs Regional Council meeting, Deputy Mayor Councillor Ross Bartley said he was happy to recommend the move, which will see the Warwick Cricket Association become the trustee lessee.
“Many residents have been wanting it returned to recreation reserve, which is what it was designated for,” Cr Bartley said.
He said when the land’s use as a recreation reserve had stopped it had become overgrown and that was why council had decided to lease it out for grazing.
He did question if there was a right or wrong answer for leasing out such land for grazing but believed light grazing had been the best way of dealing with the situation, as otherwise the burden would have fallen to Parks and Gardens for continued work of mowing, pest and weed management.
The Mount Colliery Reserve used to be home to the Tannymorel Cricket Club. No doubt locals will think it’s rather apt that the approval for the site to return to its cricketing beginnings was given the day before Australia Day, for many sporting days including Australia Day carnivals were once held on the grounds.
RADF grants approved
The Warwick Potters Association has been successful in its application for a grant as part of the Regional Arts Development Fund.
The Southern Downs Regional Council approved two grants at its council meeting on January 25.
The Warwick Potters Association Inc received $3,400 towards a workshop series called Sculpting and Surfaces, to be run by highly regarded Queensland sculptor/potter Lindsay Muir and Nicci Parry Jones, who runs a pottery studio on Mt Tamborine and is known for her whimsical Steampunk-inspired teapots.
With a membership that spans many ages and levels of expertise, the group’s workshops will be carefully curated to help all levels of artists from hobbyists to people who make a living from their art and show their work in local, national and international exhibitions.
The other grant was bestowed for a creative workshop called Mine Yours Ours, run to help survivors of domestic violence reflect on their journeys and express hope for the future. Applicant Leah Kelly described the workshop’s culmination as an exhibition of painted ceramic eggs called “Repair is not always neat and tidy”. The grant amount was $1,250.
The RADF grant pot still has $105,000 in it, available until July 31.
A small boost to Stanthorpe STA
A home in Stanthorpe’s long-established residential area of Greenup Street has been granted approval for a material change of use that will double the capacity of the house.
The accommodation will be let as a whole house and the approval for the change will mean housing up to 12 people in short-term accommodation.
