The group met with residents of Yoogali and the wider region at the Yoogali Club on April 5, aiming to hear what residents had to say about recent council projects and developments they think need addressing.

While still in it's early, testing stages, the community opinion group saw a wider turnout than many were expecting. Around 50 citizens turned out to have their voices heard, along with council staff and of course, the councillors themselves.

Up for debate were a range of questions ranging from installation of toilets in Wood Park, to a potential dog audit.

One issue that found traction was the upcoming Calabria Road Development, with concerns that over-development could lead to Yoogali being put under pressure from flood events due to insufficient drainage.

Many Yoogali residents shared their own stories of floods, many stories coming from the horrific floods in 2012.

A letter from Bill Lancaster particularly urged the council to prioritise building of a crematorium in Griffith, suggesting that council had not allocated money for a crematorium.

Mayor Doug Curran corrected the allegation, noting that council has not left the crematorium project behind and is working on finding a suitable location for quick development.

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As they often do, most issues came down to money. General manager Brett Stonestreet summarised the situation in explaining that the decision between improved maintenance and further expansion was an ongoing and critical one.

With federal and state government coffers tightening, the decision between new developments to draw in more ratepayers and funding, or using what exists on maintenance is a difficult one for councillors, Mr Stonestreet explained.

While no solutions were created as yet, councillors assured attendees that they were taking copious notes and would be looking into the issues raised. Mr Curran emphasised that 'this is not going to be a talkfest.'

The COG Meetings are scheduled to take place four times a year, alternating between Yoogali, Hanwood, Yenda and Griffith.

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