Your current team of councillors are now heading into their last quarter of this term of council and it seems to have all happened so quickly. 

I am very pleased with the way that we have grown as a team and that our council has improved in so many ways, but this does not mean that we have become complacent in any way at all. 

We are constantly looking for ways to save money, improve services and work more efficiently. 

To this end, we are currently initiating a “Sustainable Energy Management” plan that will look to reduce our power consumption costs by raising awareness of energy saving measures such as LED lighting, solar power, other alternate renewable energy sources and simply being more frugal and judicious with power consumption in general. 

This is a trend being initiated by many councils and businesses and is a responsible response to the growing concerns over man-made environmental changes and our ever-increasing dependence on       fossil fuels. 

As recently as last week Newcastle Council announced their divestment in funds managers who invest heavily in  fossil fuels. 

This is not to say that they are shunning the coal industry - their livelihood depends on that resource for some time into the future - but they wish to support financial   institutions that are looking ahead to times where we will be relying more on alternative and renewable power sources. 

This can only happen if we start to invest in research and technology now, so I personally see merit in their somewhat controversial move, as long as the ratepayers’ investments are not being used to subsidise the change.

One of the more entertaining parts of my job as a councillor and mayor is interaction with the youth of our shire. 

I suppose at times, like most of you, I have questioned who will be leading our country in years to come and from where these  enlightened beings will be drawn? 

Well worry no more, during the last few weeks I have interviewed future school captains, read multitudes of ‘Mayor for a Day' submissions, been “grilled” in Q&A sessions by inquisitive pre- schoolers and listened to various young people lead ceremonies of all types throughout our shire, and I can assure you that we are in fine hands, as long as we retain these worthy “heirs apparent” within our communities. 

The children have an environmental and community conscience which is not generally seen until much later in life. 

Credit for this is to be shared between parents and teachers, but I would like to make special mention of our teachers. 

From what I have seen, we have a fabulous group of educators mentoring our youth and they are to be praised for their results because they are moulding those who will care for and manage our communities in times to come.

Congratulations to the 24 young people who have been nominated for this year’s Young Endeavour adventure: John Cronin, William Taylor, Elijah Kiely, Joel Bates, Joshua Quinn, Jesse Mavin, Campbell Jones, Toby Barry, Lachlan White, Jake Speck, Kyle Mudge, Elodi Turri, Hannah Beiboer, Ebony Taylor, Mikaela Tilse, Ella Death, Jaime Petersen, Emily Towler, Kirsten Smith, Taylah Rossington, Maddison Cook, Hanna Byfield, Rachael Tillemans and Emma Reynolds. 

It is a great credit to you that your community thinks you deserve to be nominated.

The draw for the six lucky young people who will go on the voyage will be held next month at a special Sponsors’ Dinner. 

On behalf of the council I thank our sponsors who make this fantastic scheme possible:

Gold Sponsors: Scone Race Club, Lions Club of Scone Inc and Riversdale Farm.

Silver Sponsors: Scone Medical Practice, Scone Touch Football Association, Australian Stock Horse Society, Scone Motor Inn, Community Mutual, Scone Amateur Basketball Association, Rotary Club Inc, the Bedggood Family and Errol and Beryl Bates.

Bronze Sponsors: Merriwa Progress Association Inc and Scone Equine Hospital.