From the CEO, Ian Fletcher
My brief as Chief Executive Officer for the City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder includes spending a reasonable amount of time in Perth and Canberra representing the City to ensure that we receive the attention that we deserve, being one of Western Australia’s and Australia’s great generators of wealth.
Recent data released by the Western Australian Department of Local Government and Regional Development identified the Goldfields region as having the highest Gross Regional Product in Western Australia, even higher than the Pilbara region of Western Australia. The City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder is undoubtedly a great place to work and live. It is a City offering many opportunities – and has certainly become a young person’s town with the average age of our population now around 28 years.
Our tourism industry is very important and the various groups in the city are working towards new campaigns and initiatives in 2002 – The Year of the Outback – so there are some exciting opportunities ahead for us as Australia’s biggest outback city.We have a great destination here and we encourage all tourists with our motto of ‘Don’t Just Visit – Explore’. In particular, we have the highlights of heritage and history which add depth to our city life.
The City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder is a very innovative Local Government constantly trialling new concepts. In particular, there is a new strategic partnership developing with State and Federal Government agencies to ensure that relevant and appropriate services are delivered to the people of regional Western Australia through the government that is closest to the people – Local Government.
Our links with the State and Commonwealth Governments continue, but is has been of concern that there has been a withdrawal of a permanent presence in the City of some State and Federal Government agencies. This has meant that the City is becoming more actively involved in a broad range of issues that were previously the province of the other two levels of government.
The City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder continues to work in close partnership with the community and business interests. There is a strong and healthy working relationship with the host of voluntary organisations that provide much needed services across a broad range of activities from sport to the arts and aged care, to mention but a few. There is also a very productive relationship with the local Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Chamber of Minerals and Energy.
When I was asked what my vision for the City was should I be appointed as CEO, my response was that I saw Kalgoorlie-Boulder as a ‘first class regional city, it will also become an outstanding example of leadership, innovation and best practice: a showpiece for Local Government in Western Australia and Australia’. I am very confident that we are on track to achieve this vision, whereby Kalgoorlie-Boulder becomes a place where we are a test bed for new ideas and concepts.
This is very much in keeping with our ‘Can Do’ philosophy.
