Environmental efforts, roads and ongoing community engagement key for Shire of Denmark in 2023

The start of the new year is always a chance to reassess, set new goals, check in on ambitions and plan, so the Advertiser has pinned down some of the region’s key leaders to find out their hopes for 2023.

Today, we’ve managed to track down Denmark Shire deputy president Kingsley Gibson to complete our series talking to some of the key leaders in the region about what they hope is around the corner this year.

1. What three regional concerns do you hope are addressed in 2023?

The housing market, small business and labour markets and key regional transport networks, including South Coast and Albany highways.

2. What three projects would you like to gain momentum by the end of the year?

The redevelopment of the Denmark Surf Life Saving Club, completion of the Denmark wastewater re-use project irrigating McLean Oval and concept planning for upgrades to Berridge Park.

3. What three things do you hope will be better in 2023 than 2022?

We would love to see community wellbeing, particularly relating to COVID-19, and road funding opportunities improve in 2023.

We also hope we will have a better year in respect to bushfires. We certainly don’t need another emergency like the one we endured in February 2022.

4. What do you hope to have achieved by year’s end?

Completion of Lights Road upgrade and delivery of a robust Strategic Community Plan review, with an aim to improve communication and the linkage between our budget and corporate business plan.

In 2023, we’re also looking forward to continuing our progress towards our goals of getting to 100 per cent renewables, offering EV charging and making improvements to our fantastic trails network.

5. What do you hope your community will have achieved by year’s end?

We look forward to continued engagement with our community so we can progress our Corporate Business Plan projects.

Empowering community groups is a key focus in order to realise our collective aspirations on behalf of the Denmark community.