Welcome; Deputy Mayor, Ladies and Gentlemen, Residents and Guests.
This year our Annual General Meeting was moved to March so as to fall between our two General Meetings held in February and April. As you will be aware we are now holding our General Meetings on a Saturday together with the Woodgate Neighbourhood Watch. If the turnout at our first combined meeting last month was any indication residents of Woodgate appreciate having both meetings on the one morning.
We held the Australia Day Breakfast last year in 2011, and we gladly handed it over to the new Woodgate Community Events to organise this year and to run in future years. Congratulations to the junior and senior Woodgate persons of 2011; Joshua Nurse and Murrary / Kath Miller.
Clean Up Australia Day was run again last year, and though we had had a wet start to the year, the Clean Up was fine and we were able to clean up a large area of Woodgate; The Esplanade, the road to Walkers Point and to Theodolite Creek and of course Woodgate Road as far out as was possible on the morning. A thank you to all who volunteered and a reminder that this year we have moved the date to Sunday 22 April. This year we will be assembling at the Emergency Centre at 7AM and making use of the facilities and equipment from both the Rural Fire and SES; mainly radios.
Twelve months ago on February 1st, the Association took over Management Rights of this Community Hall on behalf of the Bundaberg Regional Council. In May of last year we had a very productive Hall Users meeting at which each of the user groups was able to bring to the table suggestions and recommendations on improvements to our hall. The top recommendation from that meeting was to convert our underutilised Bar area into a storage area.
We now have six (6) metal lockable cabinets in the storage area which will take some of the equipment and contents of the large boxes scattered around the hall. The idea of this was to provide a larger space inside the hall, whilst having a more secure storage area.
The other main recommendation from the meeting was to renovate our hall kitchen. As some of you may be aware we applied for and have received a grant of $6500 from the Queensland State Government Building Rural Communities Fund. This money will be put towards producing a costed design for a new renovated commercial grade kitchen.
We have been fortunate in being offered some local commercial kitchen equipment from Julie Margin and as well the Woodgate Club is donating their superseded Dish Washer.
Once we have the costed designs we will decide on what funding is required and if necessary apply for further grants to complete the project. Hopefully within 12 months our kitchen will be able to handle any events which may be hosted here in our hall.
As always I need to thank my fellow executive; Treasurer Heather Wieland, Secretary Carole Baxter and Deputy Rudy Van Roden and also the remaining members of our Committee. Without your support, this organisation would not be able to survive and serve the Residents of Woodgate.
It has been a privilege to be your President for the last couple of years; I hope to be able be of some use for many more.
Thank you.
John Trevor
President.
