Goldfields Voluntary Regional Organisation of Councils (GVROC) meets in Esperance

Mar 4, 2020, 15:34 PM

One of the largest gatherings of Goldfields-Esperance local government regional councils took place late January in Esperance.

The Goldfields Voluntary Regional Organisation of Councils (GVROC) meeting brought together 10 local governments in the region to discuss issues facing Esperance and the Goldfields.

There was representation from the Shires of Dundas; Esperance; Coolgardie; Kalgoorlie-Boulder; Laverton; Leonora; Menzies; Ravensthorpe; Ngaanyatjarraku; and Wiluna.

GVROC is an established partnership between local governments, which aims to benefit the region by promoting best local government practices by sharing ideas, skills, and knowledge.

The local governments that GVROC is composed of adds up to over 955,276 km2, making the Goldfields-Esperance region it the largest of Western Australia’s nine regional areas.

The Goldfields-Esperance Region is 4.2 times the size of the state of Victoria and comprises just under a third of Western Australia’s total land mass.

David Templeman MLA, Minister for Local Government; Alannah MacTiernan MLC, Minister for Regional Development, Agriculture and Food, and Ports; Kyle McGinn MLC, Member for Mining and Pastoral Region; and Darren West MLC, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Regional Development, Agriculture and Food, were also in attendance.

Among items that were discussed at the meeting were:

  • Recent bushfires, droughts and flooding rains and the important leadership role local governments play responding to emergencies.
  • The economic impacts of the recent bushfire events, impacts on local governments and tourism in the region.
  • The relationship between State and local governments, particularly local governments and emergency management structures.
  • The Local Government Act Review and the importance of the proposed changes.
  • Regional arts funding including the Regional Film Fund and how investment in regional culture and the arts and creative industries can lead to jobs grown.
  • Building job opportunities for everyone in the regions.
  • Impact of camels on the communities and the economic development opportunities within the region.