Australia Day was a fantastic occasion across the Hilltops, with a great turnout right across the region. It was wonderful to see so many locals and families coming together to celebrate what it means to be Australian and to welcome our newest citizens into the community. We are very blessed to live in the greatest country in the world, and days like Australia Day really remind us why the Hilltops is such a great place to live. I had the pleasure of attending the Australia Day ceremony in Young, and it was a really proud moment to be part of such a positive and wellsupported event. The atmosphere was upbeat, respectful, and full of community spirit — a great reflection of our region and the strength of our community. I’d also like to give a big shout-out to the Parks and Gardens team at Hilltops Council. Our parks looked fantastic over the Australia Day weekend, and that doesn’t happen by accident. Their hard work plays an important role in supporting community events and keeping our towns looking their best for locals and visitors alike. Over the Christmas break, I also had a very special personal milestone… yes, I did get the knee dirty and got engaged. It’s an exciting time, and I really appreciate all the kind messages and support from the community. On the development front, we are starting to see real improvement in DA processing times. At the end of the last sitting Council September 2024, the average DA processing time was around 117 days, covering subdivisions, new builds and other development applications. Over the past year, Councillors and Council have made several changes to the way applications are assessed, particularly through the adoption of a new Development Assessment Policy that focuses on encouraging assessment-ready applications from the outset. As a result of these changes, by December 2025 the cumulative average processing time had reduced to approximately 68 days. While there is still more work to be done, this shows we are heading in the right direction. Council will also be rewriting the Development Control Plan (DCP), which we hope to complete within the next 12 to 18 months. This will help further improve clarity, consistency and turnaround times for applicants. A massive shout-out to the Planning Department at Hilltops Council for their work in achieving this progress. There is still plenty to do, but we are on a good path forward for our community and future growth. Cr Jake Davis
