Published on Wednesday, 1 October 2025 at 3:00:00 PM
Below is the Shire President’s Recap of the Ordinary Council Meeting (OCM) that was held on Thursday 25 September 2025.
Messages & Announcements from the Shire President
Each year, the Community Citizen of the Year Awards are organised through Auspire – Australia Day Council WA. The program gives local governments across Western Australia the chance to celebrate individuals and groups who go above and beyond to make our communities better.
These awards honour outstanding contributions in areas such as education, health, the arts, environment, social inclusion, sport, business and employment, fundraising, voluntary services, or any other area that helps build a stronger, more vibrant community.
Award Categories:
- Community Citizen of the Year – for individuals aged 16+
- Young Community Citizen of the Year – for individuals aged 16-30
- Senior Community Citizen of the Year – for individuals aged 65+
- Active Citizenship – for groups or events
If you know someone that is making a real difference in our community, we strongly encourage you to consider submitting a nomination for these awards before they close on 31 October 2025.
Nominate Online
Another exciting opportunity coming up is TAKING LIBERTY by Ingle Knight, a Shows on the Go tour presented by CircuitWest and Theatre 180, in association with WA Museum. This performance will be shown at the Donnybrook Soldier’s Memorial Hall on 16 December 2025 – find out more by referring to the links below.
Item 9.1.1: Temporary Accommodation Request – 199 (Lot 100) Irishtown Road, Donnybrook
At item 9.1.1, Council received an application for the occupation of temporary accommodation for a period of 12 months at 199 (Lot 100) Irishtown Road, Donnybrook, zoned rural residential. This was approved, subject to several conditions and advice that focus on the health and safety of the applicant and guests.
Item 9.1.2: Smashed Avo Festival – Event Application
At item 9.1.2, Council received an event application for the Smashed Avo Festival, which is proposed to be held in Newlands over the New Year period. This is a public, ticketed event capped at 2,900 patrons, with up to 400 of these being volunteers and contributors.
The event application describes the event as “a multi-day camping festival celebrating music, art and community” featuring music that will play over four (4) distinct stages and a market village highlighting local food vendors and artisan producers, as well as a dedicated space where wellness services will be available to guests. It is also proposed to be a BYO alcohol event with camping available on site. Additionally, the dam at the event location be available for swimming with a family and inclusive zone intended to offer relevant activities and appropriate access. The overall event timeline is as follows:
- Setup to commence Friday 26 December 2025
- Early-entry available for patrons on Monday 29 December 2025
- Event to take place from Tuesday 30 December 2025 to Friday 2 January 2026
- Pack down to be completed by Sunday 4 January 2026
Council approved the application for the Smashed Avo Festival, subject to several conditions and requirements relating to the event’s management plans, access and traffic management, risk management, noise control and compliance, and food safety. An event debrief meeting is also to be arranged with the Shire within two (2) months of the event date, with relevant festival staff to be available to contribute and a list of complaints, issues and successes to be provided for discussion.
Item 9.2.3: Council Plan – Biannual Progress Report (January – June 2025)
At item 9.2.3, Council received the Biannual Progress Report for the Council Plan, which outlines the actions and achievements made between 1 January to 30 June 2025. Of the 26 priority projects from the Council Plan allocated to the 2024-2025:
- 10 items were Achieved (38.5%)
- 9 items were In Progress (34.6%)
- 6 items are to be Monitored (23.1%)
- 1 item was Deferred (3.8%)
- There were no items categorised as Not Started
The detailed Biannual Progress Report is available in the attachments of this meeting, and a full overview of these items will be available in the 2024-2025 Annual Report.
Item 9.2.4: Adoption of Agenda Briefing Sessions Policy (EM/CP-7)
At item 9.2.4, Council adopted a new Agenda Briefing Sessions Policy (EM/CP-7), which replaces the previous 2019 Agenda Briefing Guidelines. This policy will serve as the formal framework for Council’s Agenda Briefing Sessions and introduces clearer governance, broader participation, and enhanced transparency. A particular highlight is the implementation of allowing public deputations on agenda items, an improvement that allows Elected Members to hear directly from community members or stakeholders, ask clarifying questions during the briefing session, and be better informed prior to formal decision-making.
Thank you for reading this Recap of key items from the September 2025 OCM. You can browse information and documents related to Council Meetings via the Shire website. For further details on the items mentioned above, please refer to the reports and corresponding attachments within the Minutes of this Meeting.
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