Councillor Matters | Cr Murray Emerson, March 28
Published on 28 March 2025
Hello to everyone in the Northern Grampians Shire.
It is my pleasure to be writing this column as a representative of Kara Kara ward of the Northern Grampians Shire.
I previously represented the municipality as a Stawell ward councillor but am now very pleased and privileged to be a Kara Kara ward representative along with Cr Karen Probst.
I have now been your representative for five months and am diligently working for your best interests. The main purpose of the ward councillor system is to make sure that every ward gets fair and equal representation at the council table.
The first five months have been extremely busy for the new councillors as they feel their way through a very complicated and exhausting induction process.
The major challenges facing the shire are your cost of living, taxes, roads, rubbish, housing – all things that are shire-wide.
Of course, every area of the shire has its own challenges. Some major challenges for Kara Kara are: Alternative energy, overhead power lines, flood mitigation, Upper Teddington Reservoir, retaining and protecting Market Square, having a vibrant CBD, and tourism, to name a few.
From an overall council perspective, financial sustainability is a very important challenge for us.
We deliver numerous services, which need finance to achieve equal distribution of our very limited budget throughout the entire shire.
Northern Grampians Shire Council is your Local Government Authority, and we are elected to represent and deliver your requests, dreams and ideas through the Council Plan.
We also represent you at state and federal government level.
It has been my privilege to represent Northern Grampians Shire for the past 12 years and I will continue to do so without fear or favour.
In conclusion, I have been very impressed with the Kara Kara ward's proactive and inclusive involvement with Northern Grampians Shire Council.
The football/netball/hockey season is upon us, so I wish all clubs, competitors and volunteers the best of luck for the coming season. If you have the time, become a volunteer and participate in your community.
Remember: “What would life be if we had no courage to attempt anything?”