A TOTAL of 6207 Mount Gambier Community and Recreation Hub postal survey responses had been received by independent survey provider Market Solutions yesterday.
This represents a response rate of 32.11pc of 19,332 electors in Mount Gambier.
Mayor Lynette Martin encouraged those who had not already voted to make it a priority to have their say by the end of the working week.
“If your letter is still sitting on your kitchen bench, I urge you to open the blue envelope, read through the enclosed information, tick ‘yes’ or ‘no’ in response to the survey question, put the survey in the reply paid envelope and post it back by this Friday,” Ms Martin said.
All surveys are barcoded for automated processing.
Voting slips that have been tampered with will be considered invalid.
“The barcode on the survey voting slip is to ensure only one response per resident is received and processed,” Ms Martin said.
“Surveys that are not completed or have had the barcode tampered with cannot be processed.”
All electors should now have received their personally addressed survey by mail.
“If you own property in Mount Gambier and are not currently listed on the City of Mount Gambier Council voters roll dated August 10, 2018, come in to council to confirm eligibility, be issued a survey and post it back,” Ms Martin said.
“The same applies to those eligible who did not receive voting papers or may have changed address since being added to the roll.”
The Mount Gambier Chamber of Commerce this week endorsed the proposed hub, with interim president Biddie Shearing stating the board recognised the diverse opportunities for the community the project presented.
“We can see great potential and encourage the City of Mount Gambier Council Section 41 Committee tasked with the progress of the Mount Gambier Regional Indoor Sport and Recreation Centre, along with the community reference group, to maximise the commercial opportunities for the hub, prove the business case and be thorough with its due diligence,” Ms Shearing said.
“We believe it will be a significant drawcard for Mount Gambier and the region.
“We encourage those voting to access the information provided to help make an informed decision for our city’s future.”
Council expects to receive an aggregated report of the survey findings by mid-January.
The results will be used to gauge community support for or against the proposed facility.
“If the majority of the community votes ‘yes’, Council will submit a full business case submission to the Federal Government by January 24 and continue to pursue State Government funding,” Ms Martin said.
“If the community votes ‘no’, the project will not go ahead and the $15m in federal funds will be lost.”
Visit www.haveyoursaymountgambier.com.au/CaRH for further information, including concept plans, frequently asked questions and fact sheets.
