July 31, 2023

The Gunnedah Shire Council will proudly join Local Government Week celebrations this week.

Starting today, Local Government Week (31 July – 6 August, 2023) aims to shift the focus beyond roads, rates and rubbish to the broader role that councils play throughout Australia to support their local communities.

Gunnedah Shire Council is one of 128 local councils in NSW and currently employs a full-time equivalent of 200 staff, manages a budget of nearly $66 million and is responsible for a number of major projects including the Saleyards Precinct Upgrade, the Water Treatment Plant, the Airport Tarmac Works and the Koala Sanctuary.

Council strongly values the significant contribution of its staff each year and, to commemorate Local Government Week, will feature several of its employees in a series of short video interviews on its Facebook and Instagram social media channels. These pieces will provide some insight into the different roles they play within the organisation.

The Gunnedah Shire Library will also be recognised at the Local Government Week Awards ceremony at Doltone House in Sydney this Thursday evening, having been named as a finalist in the Innovation in the Special Events category (Division A 0- 30,000 people) for its Book Paper Folding for Fairytale February.

Mayor Councillor Jamie Chaffey said Local Government Week presented a prime opportunity to further explain the many important functions of a council and the role of its employees.

“We have a highly dedicated and genuinely passionate team working at the Gunnedah Shire Council and this is a chance to recognise them and allow our community to get to know some of the faces behind the names that work tirelessly to make day to day living in our region safe and enjoyable,” Cr Chaffey said.

“These people are also great ambassadors for working in local government and with recruitment a key focus for all councils, it’s important to hear from the very people who are at the coal face of our operation serving our community and just how rewarding they find their work.”

As part of Local Government Week celebrations, Council will host a free barbecue in the Smithurst Courtyard from 11am - 2pm this Friday, August 4.