Make a Splash

In 2025, there will not be a Bridport Splash celebrating Australia Day on Goftons Beach in the Dorset municipality.

And while my feelings are well known regarding the date, this is a significant departure from the previous years due to the Council being in forced administration.

Fortunately, the local surf lifesaving club has stepped up to ensure the beach is patrolled, but the event has been cancelled because there was not enough time to organise.

The Bridport Splash has long been an integral part of the calendar, but as reported in the North-Eastern Advertiser, there was a "communication breakdown", which has led to the scaling back of activities.

The council was in administration from July 26, 2023, to January 23, 2025 – 18 long months.

The impact has been significant, and the fallout will take several years to repair. But this is a resilient community who have faced hardship before.

In August 2023, the councillors were suspended for the duration of the inquiry, and the Governor of Tasmania, Her Excellency the Hon. Barbara Baker AC, appointed Andrew Wardlaw to act as Commissioner of the Dorset Council, empowering him to make decisions on behalf of ratepayers.

Last week, following the release of the long-awaited report into "revealed evidence of improper use of statutory power; systematic failure to comply with statutory obligations; mismanagement of conflicts of interest; decision-making compromised by poor governance and disrespect for councillors, community members and businesses by the Council,” the council was reinstated from midnight.

The saga will continue because at least four members of the 2022 elected council have either resigned or indicated that they may stand down. As a result, a recount will have to occur to ensure that a full council is in place as soon as possible.

The findings have been widely reported across traditional media outlets. They are currently driving conversations at the community level in local eateries and cafes and pubs, yet there is a strong desire to move on.

For that to occur, Dorset requires local leadership of a proud community who do not easily accept outsiders telling them what to do. Therefore, two further supports need to eventuate:

1.      Those councillors willing to continue must step up and lead, no matter how they feel personally about the matter.

2.      The state government must provide additional support via investment and human resources to ensure the council is supported to resume local leadership.

The state government, after suspending the councillors and forcing the council into administration, must not walk away.

Placing the council in administration and suspending councillors was the easy part. 18 months to complete and release the inquiry was dreadfully unfair on a municipality which has had its fair share of challenges, including industry downturn and population decline. The state government now has a responsibility to assist with the rebuild.

For all the hardships, the Dorset region has the enterprise to rebound, and it is a credit to the people who call the municipality home.

The collapse of the forestry industry and food manufacturing left regional towns across Tasmania struggling and in need of new ideas and new ways of thinking.

Two-wheels of the pedalled variety have been the answer.

Blue Derby and Blue Tier Mountain Bike Trails, Maydena Bike Park, West Coast MTB Trails, St Helens MTB Trails, Wild Mersey, and Penguin MTB Park have been important for the recovery of Tasmanian towns.

Blue Derby has been a revelation for the small mining town and, although not receiving 100 per cent support from locals, it continues to inject much-needed economic stimulus into the region.

As a family, we make the effort to ride trails and tracks across Tasmania, but we always return to the Derby. The trails, the revitalisation of the town, the people, the conversations, the desire to support local businesses, and the enduring friendships, no matter our past disagreements, make the area feel like home.

The findings of the Board Inquiry have been splashed across our newspapers and social media feeds with significant comment and conversation as a result.

And while it will take acceptance and courage of the incumbent councillors to continue in their roles, the rump of the council must be united to provide the leadership that the municipality desperately requires.

The report will eventually become old news, with a pathway forward initiated by the Dorset Council and supported by the state government, key to the region’s ongoing success.