The Canberra Region Joint Organisation converged in Young last Friday for a quarterly board meeting, with funding, waste and skill retention high on the agenda. All 11 member councils were in attendance, and with representatives dropping in to the Visitor Information Centre, town library and Chinese Memorial Gardens as well as the meeting in the Council Chamber. Hilltops Council acting general manager Sarah Karaitiana said the meeting provided a forum to showcase the region and discuss key issues. “We are all facing similar problems and obviously funding is a major concern, and attracting and maintaining or retaining a skilled workforce, “We were able to discuss issues like that, and strategies that other councils might've put in place that help overcome those challenges. The group takes in councils from the Southern Tablelands, Southern Highlands, Far South Coast and Snowy Monaro, amongst others. “There's a lot of focus on efficiencies and ways that we can, as a group, gain efficiencies in terms of procurement,” she added. “We're currently looking into areas such as waste and joint procurement in terms of waste delivery and services.” The next board meeting will be held in Crookwell, part of the Upper Lachlan Shire, on Friday 4 December.
