Parkes Shire Council has won the greatest accolade a council can achieve at the NSW Local Government Annual Conference held in Wollongong this week. The prestigious 2016 AR Bluett Memorial Award recognises the most progressive rural council in the state based on all council operations and services.
Parkes Shire Council Mayor, Cr Ken Keith OAM, said this was a tremendous achievement. “The AR Bluett Memorial Award is the greatest accolade, as it is recognition from our peers that Council is achieving excellence in delivering progress and value to our community. “We have a harmonious and cohesive Council that works together to make meritbased decisions. Under the superb leadership of our General Manager Kent Boyd, Parkes Shire Council has been able to deliver innovative and sustainable projects,” Cr Keith said.
Over the course of the last financial year, Parkes Shire Council has delivered a number of major projects, including the Lake Endeavour upgrade, Parkes Regional Airport redevelopment, new waste service facilities, the construction of a second synthetic hockey pitchas well as a number of upgrades to sporting and recreational facilities. Council has also committed to a long term CBD Main Street Vibrancy Strategy and commenced work on the new Water
Treatment and Sewerage Treatment Plants.
General Manager, Kent Boyd said: “While 2015/16 was one of the most progressive years for Parkes Shire Council,
our achievements haven’t happened overnight”. “We’ve had to make some hard decisions, and we thank the community for trusting Council.”