By Mayor Linley Shine
Port Augusta is in a beautiful regional city in within South Australia. There are a range of opportunities and places to explore right here on our doorstep, many tourists, and business embrace our unique location.
We often welcome new families to our region, to live, work or visit for a short period of time, and we are exceptionally lucky to have the iconic Flinders Ranges just 15 minutes away, which connects people with nature and scenery. We are also a coastal community with so much on offer within our Spencer Gulf waterway. As a city we are a regional connector, therefore Port Augusta is realised as a transport hub that connects Australia. There is so much opportunity here for business to embrace. Port Augusta is also known for being a major regional service hub, delivering quality services and of course we are very proud of this.
Port Augusta’s sound relationship with the other Upper Spencer Gulf Cities of Whyalla and Port Pirie is strong and really embraced which enables strategic growth opportunities. In addition, our council values and works closely with our neighbouring Flinders Ranges and Mount Remarkable Councils to support varying partnerships and opportunities surrounding the more rural and remote areas of our northern region. We understand just how important these relationships are to attract growth and prosperity and we are really looking forward to embracing this concept even more in 2023.
What Port Augusta offers which is unique is a relaxed lifestyle minus the hustle and bustle of a larger city. We are supported by wonderful amenities and services which are importantly, underpinned by embracing and understanding the importance of connection, care and relationships.
ENJOYING NATURE
My favourite attraction to our council area is the relaxed environment of our Australian Arid Lands Botanic Garden (AALBG). There is nothing better than wandering around the garden and engaging with nature and learning more about nature via workshops and educational tours. The AALBG is highly regarded throughout not only Australia, but the world, and this is enhanced even more with the opportunities we embrace through research. I also really enjoy the peaceful experiences that our Spencer Gulf and Flinders Ranges offer. Port Augusta provides such a diverse choice of attraction that it’s difficult to choose favourites.
BORN AND RAISED
Port Augusta has always been my home, it’s where I grew up, raised my family, and built a career around supporting others. I’ve always been a passionate contributor who understands and values connection and participation. Of course, at the very centre of all of this is Local Government. My values include embracing diversity and this is something that local governments can do well if they take a real community development focus toward growth and opportunity. This is one of the main reasons I decided to become involved in Local Government four years ago when I was elected for the first time as a councillor. Now as Mayor, I’m excited to be able to take this focus further by working with our very diverse, passionate and committed elected members who all remain committed toward harnessing community development approaches and practice.
My working career has predominantly involved focusing on supporting others and especially those who are vulnerable. This is where my care and compassion language stems from and I’m a firm believer in never underestimating the power of kindness. This also correlates well to my social interests which involves connecting with people and enjoying togetherness, especially if that means making a difference in someone’s life in even the smallest of ways.
COUNCIL GOALS
We need to continue diversifying our growth opportunities, especially in the context of being a large regional service hub. For example, we must consider the challenges around transport, attracting and retaining localised workforces, ensuring we have adequate health, housing and education offerings to enable choice, and importantly for me, ensuring our elderly and those living with a disability are supported and embraced in wellbeing.
Our new council is currently considering our strategic priorities and we’re all really looking forward to hearing the views of our community in determining these. It’s important for us to place community voice at the centre of everything we do and as a new council, we most certainly are all committed to doing that.
