Published: 25 August 2021

Crossing the ‘t’s and dotting the ‘i’s isn’t the most glamorous part of local government but checks and balances are vital to the good governance of any shire. Over the last year Eurobodalla Council has quietly continued working through its public and environmental health and compliance programs.

During the 2020-21 financial year, Council took 9,749 phone calls and 636 items of correspondence. About 72 per cent of calls were resolved at the time, with the remainder generating 2731 formal customer requests around regulatory matters such as animal control, illegal dumping, public health, pollution and illegal clearing. Despite the disruptions caused by COVID-19, these numbers match those of previous years.

It’s been a tough time for the shire’s 226 food outlets and Council assisted these businesses by waiving fees associated with the food inspection program, thanks to funding from the NSW Government. Council staff have worked alongside these business owners with advice and assistance to meet food safety requirements. It turns out food premises in Eurobodalla have done a great job during trying times, with 208 premises inspected with 97 per cent achieving ratings of very good or excellent. Council also worked with NSW Health to address any COVID concerns and breaches.

Nearly half of the complaints made to Eurobodalla Council concern animals, particularly dogs – on beaches, straying, or barking. With its Companion Animal Management Plan, Eurobodalla Council has worked hard to find the happy balance between the needs of dog owners and of people who prefer to be in dog-free environments. For example, the shire has 29 beaches and reserves that allow dogs off leash, 18 where dogs access beaches on a timeshare arrangement, and 24 where dogs are not allowed.

Onsite sewage management systems are those not connected to Council’s sewerage system – that’s 4,909 approved septic tanks, pit toilets, wastewater treatment and greywater systems – and they require regular inspections. In all, 811 inspections were conducted last financial year, with 93% meeting the required standard, that’s slightly up on previous years. Also, may of these systems were impacted during the 2019-20 bushfires and Council has assisted 360 repairs or replacements associated with bushfire rebuilds.

Compliance data is presented to councillors annually and they have commended staff, traders and residents in helping to keep Eurobodalla safe and protected during these difficult COVID times.

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