The District Council of Yankalilla considers the wellbeing of its residents and visitors to be the utmost priority and endeavours to keep you informed. On this page you will find links to current information available on Council services, support services, essential services, local food and drink business currently operating and links to official government advice websites and well as a message from the Mayor.
Where can you get further information?
- The Coronavirus Health Information line on 1800 020 080 or visit SA Health
- The Wash, Wipe, Cover web page
- For the latest travel advice on COVID-19, visit Smart Traveller
- Tips for coping with Coronavirus Anxiety, visit Australian Psychology Society
- Free Employer Resource Guide, protecting your business from the impact of COVID-19, and for more business information and support visit Business SA
Message from the Mayor | 26 May 2020
Congratulations everyone, you, the community of the Fleurieu Coast have done us proud during this unpresented time of Covid19. The continued responsible approach to events, sporting activities, people movement and social gatherings has been hard on those who made the decisions. Certainly not made lightly and with concern for those around them. This is being very unselfish and practical.
The Premier is announcing the lifting of restrictions quite rapidly and it is great to see people moving around coming to visit and enjoy the region once again. I’m sure you are getting the feeling of release and looking to the horizons to explore. There has been many positives to this pandemic as we have had time to realise what a great country we live in, small in population, large in territory, a boarder of sea, governments reacting to the severe situation ensuring our health security and committed to making a big effort to our financial sustainability.
Many people have continued their work from home because of the quality NBN our region has to offer. Even though the Council office has been shut services and operations have been operating normally, with the restrictions lifting and the council office reopened as of 9am Yesterday, joining the Centre/Library and Jetty Caravan Park – Normanville that reopened last week.
Many businesses have been operating, in some cases differently as part of their survival mode others will open and looking for support. I wish you all well as we come out of hibernation, move around and socialise, go and enjoy but please adhere to the distance and crowd restrictions that have not been lifted.
While I have your attention, I would like you to advise the elected members on your thoughts on the proposed budget for next financial year. The details are on the Council website, send us your opinion via Your Say Yankalilla or email consultation@yankalilla.sa.gov.au
Keep safe and enjoy the freedom.
Glen Rowlands
Mayor
Message from the Mayor | 30 March 2020
We are here for you and will get through this together. In recent months, our community rallied to help our neighbouring regions through the devastating bushfires – all of us donating time, money, food and essential items to help. Two months later we are challenged by something that we can’t see. COVID-19 itself has not reached our district, however our community has been affected as we are part of a global effort to minimise the spread of this infection which could seriously impact our health system.
What are Council and the Government advising?
In the past week I have had four video conferences with the Premier, Minister for Local Government, SA Health, and Norman Waterhouse Lawyers. Each time I meet with these stakeholders and decision makers the message gets stronger – we each need to take control of our movements in and around the community in order to keep our people safe and in turn Australia’s future strong. The messages I am receiving are very much about how our country, state and district can unite to meet the challenges and cross safely to the other side of this challenging pandemic Covid-19.
I have been working very closely with Council’s Chief Executive and Senior Executives to be part of and help the State and Federal governments work to deliver a positive road to recovery. They see us in Local Government as the team on the ground, with our jobs being to deliver information and projects that will help our community continue the local economy, assisting to keep local people in jobs, and help as many businesses as possible survive this challenging time.
Your Council is in budget discussions at present, and your elected members have been discussing the next years delivery of projects, rates, and the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on household available cash, as well as the delivery of government stimulus. I am one vote in nine, but I can indicate that if Council can obtain stimulus monies there is a strong will in Council to deliver projects for you like the new Library, a new Surf Lifesaving Club, key road projects, and ensuring the advances on asset upgrades over the past 4 years are not jeopardised, and where possible enhanced.
The Premier has been strongly advocating for us to use our healthy balance sheet to borrow against, and to use the stimulus packages and deliver economic benefits to our community and the state.
We are all at home, but you don’t need to be alone.
Remaining a strong connected community is the key to us all successfully traversing the challenging crossing in front of us in order to live the life that is waiting for us. As we know, staying positive via regular communication is the key to good mental health. As we work through this period of isolation I encourage you to pick up the phone and have a chat to a friend, find out how they are, let them know how you are and what your concerns are.
People I have spoken to are concerned about being confined and not being able to pop down the pub for a beer or the coffee shop for a cuppa with a mate or friend. Give them a call, beer or cuppa in hand and chat, or if you are tech savvy video call a few friends or neighbours and have a yarn, a virtual dinner party, or morning tea.
A community the size of ours has a solid foundation to survive this situation by supporting each other. We are connected and know each other and if we can build on our country community spirit by looking out for one another and supporting local business as much as possible, we will strengthen our already strongly connected community.
To stay connected and receive the most up to date local information relating to Support, Health, Business and Public Facilities, please visit our council website www.yankalilla.sa.gov.au/COVID19 or phone 8558 0200.
“A strong connected community with or without disaster (i.e. bushfires)” was the wish of one of our residents when we were out gathering your thoughts with our recent “Natures Best – Let’s Plan the Rest” engagement forums – please know this is our goal and we sincerely appreciate your efforts.
As each new day brings new challenges, please look for the positives, focus on them and share them and attack this current situation with the Aussie grit inside all of us.
Please keep safe and stay connected - you are very important to us, and we unite with you to keep our great community strong.
Yours sincerely
Your Mayor, Glen Rowlands