22/05/2026
From the Mayor's Desk:
Consultation has now commenced on Councilโs 2026/27 Annual Business Plan and Budget, and we want your feedback to help shape the priorities for the year ahead.
This is your opportunity to guide and inform your elected members on the issues that matter most to you and our community. We encourage everyone to get involved and have their say.
To make the process a little more enjoyable, weโll also have a number of kitchen caddy compost units and native plants available to give away, helping households contribute to greener and more sustainable environmental outcomes across our district. Consultation sessions will be held at the Kimba Soldiers Memorial Institute Gardens on Thursday 4th June 2026 from 10am to 12 noon and the Kimba Council Chambers on Wednesday 10th June 2026 from 11am to 1pm. You may even find a sausage in bread on offer โ hard to argue with that!
The Eyre Peninsula Local Government Association has also been extremely active in recent months, contributing to advocacy and submissions that have helped secure positive outcomes in the recent Federal Budget.
The announcement of $2 billion for enabling infrastructure to support housing developments is a significant win for regional communities and something local government has strongly advocated for. We have also successfully pushed for increased road funding, including long-overdue recognition of South Australiaโs historical underfunding. Importantly, this supplementary funding will now be ongoing and indexed, helping ensure regional roads do not continue to fall further behind.
Unfortunately, we have also seen Federal Assistance Grants reduce as a percentage of Commonwealth taxation revenue, falling from 0.51% to 0.49%. This trend is deeply concerning as councils across the country continue to face growing financial pressures while striving to maintain services and infrastructure for their communities. We will continue advocating strongly and calling for a fairer outcome for local government.
At the state level, the Local Government Association of South Australia has appointed a new Chief Executive Officer, Victoria McKirdy, who will commence in the role in August. Victoria brings extensive experience and leadership to the position and will guide the organisation in delivering the ambitious Strategic Plan developed by the Board of Directors. We congratulate Victoria on her appointment and look forward to working closely with her to advance local government priorities into the future.
Federal Member for Grey, Tom Venning, recently visited Kimba, where we hosted a local leaders meeting to discuss both the challenges and opportunities facing our region. While time was limited, discussions included education, childcare, health services, aged care, mental health support and local government funding. We thank Tom for taking the time to listen to our concerns and for his ongoing commitment to regional South Australia.
It was fantastic to see such strong attendance at our free laser tag and mini-golf event during the school holidays. Events like these provide valuable opportunities for young people to connect, socialise and enjoy positive community activities, and it was wonderful to see so many local families involved.
Our recent guitar festival also generated significant interest, with several outstanding guitarists visiting Kimba to inspire and entertain audiences across the weekend. The workshop held at Our Town the following day attracting approximately 15+ participants, who had the opportunity to learn directly from talented musicians and industry experts. Weโve received excellent feedback on the event and look forward to hosting similar experiences in future years as part of the SA Fringe Festival program.
The โIโm Kimbaโ branding campaign continues to gain recognition not only across Australia, but internationally. Councilโs Economic Development Manager, Mel Garibaldi, has been personally invited to join the โCity Nation Place Advisory Groupโ following international recognition of both the brand and Melโs exceptional work in advancing the initiative.
This opportunity will help further showcase Kimba on the world stage and create valuable connections and opportunities for our district. Iโve always believed Kimba was the centre of the universe โ and Iโm happy to take this as confirmation! We would also love to see more local businesses embrace the brand and help showcase the strong โIโm Kimbaโ spirit throughout our community.
Personally, the past few months have also been extremely busy, with ongoing engagement across local, Eyre Peninsula and statewide media on a range of important issues. This advocacy is critical in ensuring the needs, challenges and inequities faced by regional communities are heard and understood by decision-makers.
Importantly, recent media engagement has also helped identify some potential doctors who may be interested in servicing our wonderful community. While it is still early days and there are many hurdles to overcome, Council is doing everything within its power to help make this happen. As always, I promise to keep the community informed as discussions progress โ and in the meantime, please keep your fingers crossed!
