This year’s theme ‘Our Council, Our Community’ reflects how councils are closely connected to their communities. Here at Lake Macquarie City Council, we are passionate about delivering good-quality daily services that our 204,000 residents expect and rely on.

In a city graced with beautiful waterways and great beaches, teaching our children to swim is one of the most essential things we can do.

Council runs thousands of learn-to-swim classes a year to teach essential skills and build kids’ confidence so they are comfortable, strong and happy in the water. Another cause for celebration is the more than 100 Olympic-sized swimming pools of garden waste that have been diverted from landfill since April 2013.

When you’re cleaning up your yard and putting branches and clippings in your green waste bin, it’s nice to know that it will be collected and converted into useful mulch for the parks and sporting fields Council maintains around the City. Another role of local government is to embrace new technologies and offer services that meet the emerging needs of local communities. With our Smart City, Smart Council digital economy strategy we’re investigating ways to use technology, such as Open Data, to make Lake Macquarie City even better, more connected and innovative.

Join us in taking a moment this week to reflect on the contribution Council services and facilities make to your life in Lake Macquarie City.