On Monday, I once again had the pleasure of welcoming Australian National University (ANU) Medical School students to the Snowy Monaro at a civic reception hosted by Council.

Medical students from the ANU visit our region bi-annually as part of Rural Week studies. Rural Week presents the students with an exciting opportunity to experience the diverse nature of rural medical practice.

The week is full of learning and the students gain a greater appreciation for the unique opportunities and challenges that come with rural living.

It’s fantastic our region is able to host the medical students for Rural Week. Much of the success of this program can be attributed to the efforts of local doctor, Dr Robert Wiles, and the community organisations who partner with the ANU. I would like to thank Dr Wiles for his hard work in promoting rural areas, especially the Snowy Monaro, as wonderful places to live and work.

Have you voted for your favourite projects that feature in the NSW Government’s My Community Project program? Voting concludes on Thursday 15 August 2019 with successful projects to be announced from September.

My Community Project is made possible through the NSW Generations Fund with a total of $24 million available for eligible projects. Between $20,000 and $200,000 is available for each project.

You can view eligible projects and vote online at mycommunityproject.service.nsw.gov.au or by visiting a Service NSW centre.

Council’s Economic Development Unit has released a local business survey to better understand our local businesses and the issues affecting them and in a general sense track business growth and trends in the community.

Most importantly, we want to better connect, consult and communicate with the community. Businesses are encouraged to complete a survey on Your Say Snowy Monaro to help Council better understand local business confidence and the challenges businesses are facing in finding skilled employees, accessing education and training opportunities.

Councillor John Rooney Mayor of Snowy Monaro Regional Council