The start to 2018 has been a busy one for Council – the project management team is in the final stages of appointing a consultant to undertake the West Coast Branding Project and we have called for expressions of interest for suitably qualified people to conduct a feasibility study for the Strahan Airport.

Both projects are significant examples of how Council is working to implement what the West Coast community told us during the creation of the West Coast Community Plan 2025.  A loss of identity and the potential for regular flights and freight services from the Strahan Airport were two items regularly discussed at WCCP2025 forums.  The outcomes of these projects will be exciting for the region.

It is also positive to see that the West Coast was selected as one of the locations for Tasmania’s first UTAS rural interns to be placed, with medical graduate Jacqueline Lim commencing in Queenstown this month. This is the first time rural placements have been offered to interns, a move that I hope will see new doctors want to return to our region to practice for longer periods.

Mountain Bike Trails across Tasmania have been in the news recently and as part of the West Coast Economic Working Group the State Government committed to the West Coast Mountain Bike Trail project.  Parks and Wildlife have managed the development of these trails, with Council having ongoing discussions with the State Government to ensure the trails are marketed and potential business opportunities associated with the trails are seized.  More details about the trails will become available soon, with a marketing plan to be developed to ensure the West Coast is an essential stopover for mountain bikers.

Phil Vickers

MAYOR