For the past number of years both state and federal governments have been very generous with funding programs targeted at regional and rural areas.
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Thanks to the planning and organisation put in place by previous general manager Rebecca Ryan, Blayney Shire Council has been able to swoop upon those grants with programs that were 'shovel ready'.
The result has seen a massive increase in the amount of new projects, such as the CentrePoint rejuvenation and equestrian centre, being funded not only by the Blayney ratepayer, but through state and federal programs.
Moving from a needs basis to a wants basis, as well as navigating the post pandemic world of increasing costs, and both labour and material shortages, is where Blayney shire's new general manager Mark Dicker has found himself.
People are now looking at Blayney as an attractive shire to live and work in and that's because of the services and the people that live here.
- New Blayney Shire GM Mark Dicker
Mr Dicker is currently the Director of Planning and Environmental Services and will officially become the GM on Tuesday August 16, one day after the next scheduled council meeting.
Eight years ago Mr Dicker arrived in Blayney from Oberon and prior to that he had worked at Lithgow council.
In total he has 18 years of local government experience to draw on, and like every business the current shortages and price rises are a a major problem.
"We have had a large turnover of staff in key positions recently and across the organisation people are moving," he said, "Without staff nothing happens and it impacts all areas from capital, maintenance to fixing issues. We need to address that."
"In the longer term council has to look at it's financial sustainability after years of significant grant funding. It's a pressing issue."
It's not only grant funding that is driving Blayney's growth. Only five years ago council was running developer forums because nothing was happening. That has certainly changed.
"People are now looking at Blayney as an attractive shire to live and work in and that's because of the services and the people that live here," Mr Dicker.
That very growth is part of the challenge for council into the future.
"We've knocked off a lot of projects recently through multiple streams of funding and we want to continue to progress each locality, keeping and reinforcing the strengths of each of the villages and Blayney itself."