AlburyCity’s Mayor Patricia Gould is delighted that the internationally acclaimed, locally developed Flying Fruit Fly Circus will feature as a headline act as part of the New South Wales Local Government Conference , to be held in Albury in November.
Part networking, part ideas incubating, the conference will also provide an ideal break for around 800 guests and delegates to share in the presentation of Awards within the association as recognition for service across the State.
Albury is again hosting the conference after its last turn on the Local Government stage in 1992. This time, the five days of work and entertainment will be held in part under a Circus Big Top on the banks of Albury’s beloved Murray River.
Delegates will enjoy a range of local entertainment as well as tours of the Murray River Trail and the Wonga Wetlands. Coming from all spectrums of Local Government in New South Wales, delegates will include Councillors, General Managers, State and Federal Members, senior staff and their partners.
It is suggested to the Mayor that it’s all a bit of a circus act really? “In fact no, Local Government is the most accessible interface between Government and its constituents,” Councillor Gould said.
Local Councils are very much a part of the community as a whole, everyone loves a circus and the Fruities are local talent made good. They use intelligent humour and acrobatics to capture the world’s imagination.
Often new twists on an old tradition can achieve attention and enthusiasm.
“Very much as AlburyCity is doing right now,” the Mayor said. “AlburyCity’s strategy to provide good planning, management and leadership is proving that Local Government thrives where there is a strong communication link with its communities.”
Mayor Gould thinks that taking into consideration as many viewpoints and ideas as are available is the backbone of good community governance.
“If you live in a community you must be part of it,” she said. “Albury is a very forward thinking community in part because we comprise so many diverse cultural groups.” In terms of funding, AlburyCity is the largest regional centre. Albury enjoys a dual focus from government funding at Federal and State levels.
The decision to host the Local Government Conference in Albury recognises that the City plays a pivotal role in Local Government leadership for New South Wales. This has lead, over the past three years, to some innovative planning and strategies that are set to make Albury a star attraction in terms of lifestyle, community services and cultural development far beyond 2010.
This Local Government Conference is the first to be run as a strictly ‘wastewise’ event. Like all forward thinking communities, AlburyCity is acutely aware of the importance of recycling and using what is available wisely. “People always use entertainment, good food and wine to highlight their view point – AlburyCity is just adding its own twist,” the Mayor said.
