Cassowary Coast Regional Council

I take this opportunity to wish residents, visitors and their families and friends all the best for Christmas and the New Year period.

I wish you a very enjoyable time and safe travels.

It is very important to catch up with family and friends and to recharge batteries for the year ahead.

The Christmas holiday period can also be a time to reflect on the year that has past and the year to come.

It can be a difficult and a sad time for those who have lost loved ones, who are separated from them at this special time of year or for those without the means to meet the additional costs of the holiday period.

We live in one of the most attractive regions of an extremely fortunate country. We have abundant natural resources, people from many cultures living peacefully together, freedom of speech, respect for the rule of law and sense of fair play.

Rejoice in our good fortune by including others less fortunate than ourselves and enjoy the act of giving as well as receiving.

The traditional Mayor’s Christmas Appeal assists those in need in our community and I thank those who have contributed financially or placed a gift or non perishable food in the boxes at the council offices in Tully or Innisfail. These gifts will be distributed to churches and welfare agencies throughout the region.

Thank you also to the groups who organised the Carols by Candlelight and special church carol services throughout the region. Also to the bikers and to the Lionesses for their time and effort during this busy period, in so successfully raising funds and making this a time for all to enjoy.

The time since the elections in March 2008 has been a full and challenging one for your new regional council.

I believe that we have made good progress towards establishing the Cassowary Coast Region, post amalgamation. Change can’t be expected to happen overnight and it will continue to take time and care to merge our previous shires and their staff, procedures and cultures .

However there has already been a general realistic acceptance of the new region and of the need to move forward. I thank all the many people who have assisted in this process and look forward to another year of building and promoting our new region.

Our council staff has worked hard under difficult circumstances, especially in the cramped temporary Innisfail office spaces, with the new Shire Hall yet to be completed. Workloads are considerable, with the demands of amalgamation and the concerns associated with the recent financial downturn. I would like to thank our new CEO Terry Brennan and each staff member for their hard work and dedication throughout 2008 and I look forward to working with you all in 2009.

Your councillors have also worked hard representing their divisions and the region as a whole. I would like to take this opportunity to thank each councillor for their efforts and I look forward to meeting the challenges of 2009 together.

Happy Christmas and all the best for the New Year.