Full house at Cook Shire Council community update

Cook Shire Council was pleased to welcome a fantastic turnout of community members to last night’s community update and budget engagement, held upstairs at the Sovereign.

The event provided a relaxed and informative space for locals to hear about Council’s projects, priorities, and budget planning, and to engage directly with those making decisions for the Shire.

The evening featured a panel discussion with Mayor Robyn Holmes, Acting Director of Infrastructure Heather Kelly, and special guest Matt Smith MP, Member for Leichhardt, with Council CEO Brian Joiner hosting as MC and answering questions alongside the panel. It was wonderful to see the community actively participating, sharing their views, and raising questions about the issues that matter most to them.

Community members engaged in discussions around roads, access to remote communities, and upcoming projects. Council teams were on hand at information stalls, including the Events team showcasing Discovery initiatives, the Engineering team displaying before-and-after projects on roads and causeways, the Planning team discussing the Lakeland Planning Scheme Amendment, and Finance and Communications teams presenting the interactive budget survey. 

The activity gave attendees a visual way to share their thoughts on Council services and priorities. People placed “dots” on different projects to show how they felt about each area:

• 3 orange dots = needs focus / improvement
• 2 green dots = working well / good value
• 1 red dot = needs attention most
• 1 gold dot = helps balance the budget

Photos from the activity show where the community feels things are working well and where improvements are needed, giving Council direct feedback in an easy-to-understand format.

Mayor Holmes highlighted the importance of Council being present in all seven communities of the Shire and expressed a strong commitment to spending more time locally, listening to residents, and understanding their priorities.

It was also a chance to get to know our local MP, Matt Smith. He shared that his commitment to public service comes from growing up in a family who supported Labour, in a small military town and honoring his late grandfather’s values. His focus is on being a “boots on the ground” representative, available to hear from everyone in his electorate—a family man for the people, grounded but committed to high standards.

A big thank you to the Sovereign Resort for hosting the event. Even with a brief power outage, they delivered delicious catering and created a welcoming atmosphere for the community.

If you were unable to attend, Council teams will continue to be out in the community:

Cooktown Markets: Tomorrow, 8:00 am – 10:00 am

Tin Shed Opening, Ayton: Tomorrow, 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm

Lakeland: March 3, 10:00 am – 12:00 pm

Laura: March 3, 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm

This event was a great opportunity for the community to be informed, share feedback, and connect directly with Council, and we look forward to seeing more residents at upcoming engagement sessions.