THIRTY years ago Wingecarribbee Shire Council, along with the respective councils from Wollongong, Shellharbour, Kiama and the Shoalhaven were invited to support what was then known as the Illawarra Institute of Sport.
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Shortly after its launch in 1985 the Institute would undergo a name change and become the Illawarra Academy of Sport, better known as the IAS.
At the time the IAS was Australia's first regional Academy of Sport and soon became a benchmark for other regional sporting nurseries.
Since its launch the Academy has offered an annual Sports Scholarship Program to our region's brightest young athletes. As part of the program successful athletes have the chance to learn and develop their skills under the guidance of some of the best mentors in the state.
Scholarships not only focus on sporting and physical development but also on education and community engagement initiatives which allow the athletes to develop into elite sports citizens.
Since opening its doors just three decades ago, the IAS has produced 11 Olympians, 17 Commonwealth Games Representatives, 11 World Champions and 69 Senior National Team Representatives!
This year the Academy is once again offering Sports Program Scholarships for Cycling, Golf, Lawn Bowls, Hockey, Netball, Rugby Union, Triathlon as well as non-sport specific Athlete Scholarships within the LoneStar Program and the Athletes with a Disability Program.
If you or someone you know is interested, visit the Academy's website at www.ias.org.au for full eligibility and selection criteria.
Nominations close Friday, September 4, 2015.
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It's been almost a month since council was required to submit our Fit for the Future proposal to the NSW State Government.
Under the Fit for the Future reforms, all councils across the State had to meet a series of 'fitness' criteria relating to scale, capacity and financial health.
In a review undertaken by the NSW Independent Local Government Review Panel, Wingecarribee was categorised as sustainable in its current form and not recommended for amalgamation.
The next part of the process will see the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) perform the role of the Expert Advisory Panel to assess how all of the proposals meet the Fit for the Future criteria.
As part of the assessment process, ratepayers and other stakeholders can all share their views with IPART.
If you'd like to view or comment on our Fit for the Future submission, you have until this Friday, July 31, 2015 to make comment via the IPART website: www.ipart.nsw.gov.au/Home/Industries/Local_Govt/Fit_for_the_Future. This link also provides a fact sheet explaining the process.
Following Friday's deadline, IPART will review all 144 council submissions from across the State and form their recommendations with the Minister for Local Government expected to make an announcement in October 2015.
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In closing I'd like to thank the council crews that were inundated during the snowfall of Friday, July 17. From the teams that cleared the roads prior to sunrise to the Rangers who pulled motorists out of slippery ditches, thank you for all your efforts.