Gunnedah Shire Council’s Business Partner Program aims to support new and existing businesses to grow sustainably and increase productivity by providing a financial assistance package.

“The Business Partner Program is a key component of Council’s Economic Development Strategy and is designed to support and nurture existing businesses to encourage increased productivity, sustainability, growth and employment; and to attract new businesses and economic activity,” Manager Economic Development Charlotte Hoddle said.

“The program has the potential to strengthen the Gunnedah business sector through presenting opportunities and assistance in business development expenses and infrastructure costs.”

Types of assistance can include start-up costs, website or technology updates, equipment upgrades, training, support, and business expansion.

“This can include providing direction in respect of planning and development processes or identifying site options for business relocation or expansion in the Gunnedah Shire to assistance in the recruitment and retention of staff,” Ms Hoddle said.

“Packages are not limited to this type of support - applications will be assessed by the Business Partner Program Committee on a case by case basis.”

Gunnedah Chamber of Commerce President Michael Broekman said the program has supported a “multitude of businesses across a variety of industries”, over the 10 years he has been involved.

“This is one of the greatest initiatives Gunnedah Shire Council has to offer the business community. I fully encourage any business looking for some financial support to have a look at this program. Extra funds have been included in this year’s budget, and now businesses need to get behind the program and utilise it – it really is a great initiative,” Mr Broekman said.

Applications are now open for businesses to register their interest for the program, with submissions closing on 31 October, 2017.

Download the Business Partner Program Expression of Interest Form here.

For more information contact Gunnedah Shire Council’s Manager Economic Development Charlotte Hoddle on (02) 6740 2100 or council@infogunnedah.com.au

Photo Caption: Gunnedah Shire Council Manager Economic Development Charlotte Hoddle and Gunnedah Chamber of Commerce President Michael Broekman.

ENDS

Media Contact: Ashley Gardner 6740 2100.

10.00am Wednesday, 18 October 2017 | Smithurst Theatre

Tickets: $25.00

Arts Grant Writing Basics is a workshop offering handy tips and tricks to any individual or community organisation applying for arts grants.

The tools and techniques provided will increase your chance to win the support you need to get your great idea off the ground. Learn how to decode the application questions, summarise your project, prepare a justification and conquer your budget.

Executive Director of Arts North West, Caroline Downer has had more than 20 years of successful grant writing experience. Her workshops are interactive, hands-on and practical and are suitable for new submission writers or those requiring a refresher.

“Being able to ask those tricky questions and get the right answers in this grant writing workshop will be really beneficial for participants in fine tuning their applications which has become integral tool for community art organisations and regional artists” said Ms Downer.

These three hour workshops are $25 per person and include the workbook

Bookings can be made here: https://www.trybooking.com/RKKT 

A number of local volunteer groups were recognised for their service at the annual NSW Volunteer of the Year Awards.

Deputy Mayor Gae Swain attended the award ceremony by The Centre of Volunteering in partnership with Family and Community Services, and ClubsNSW in Armidale on Tuesday, 5 September and accepted the awards on the groups’ behalf, before presenting their certificates in person on Monday.

CWA – Gunnedah, Emerald Hill, Curlewis, Tambar Springs, Somerton and Ghooli; and NSW State Emergency Service – Namoi North West Region, Gunnedah SES Unit and Tambar Springs SES Unit were declared regional winners in the New England/Northern Inland section.

“These awards are an important opportunity to celebrate and acknowledge the contribution of local volunteers,” Deputy Mayor Gae Swain said.

“They are the glue that supports the social fabric of our community and continue to improve our lives, and we are very thankful for their service to our communities.”

All regional winners are in the running for the overall NSW Volunteer of the Year Awards, which will be announced at a gala event in Sydney in December.

Photo Caption: NSW Volunteer of the Year Award recipients and Gunnedah Shire Councillors.

ENDS

Media Contact: Ashley Gardner 6740 2100.

Eleven community and sporting groups in Gunnedah have received a funding boost from Gunnedah Shire Council’s Section 356 Small Grants Program.

Seven community groups and four sporting groups were successful with their applications and awarded more than $34,000 in funding on Monday at the Council Chambers by Gunnedah Shire Mayor Jamie Chaffey.

“We place great value on our community groups - what they do for the community is outstanding and opportunities for us to show this kind of support is a really rewarding part of our job,” Cr Chaffey said.

• Gunnedah Meals on Wheels was awarded $1300 for the purchase of six soft packs to hold 24 meals for clients;
• Gunnedah Miners Support was awarded $1100 for the purchase of certificates and trophies for the 120 Years of Mining celebrations;
• Gunnedah Toastmasters was awarded $1563 for the purchase of a laptop, software, portable projector and screen;
• Piallaway Progress Association was awarded $5000 for the installation of 940 metres of rural fencing around the Piallaway Reserve;
• Rotary Club of Gunnedah 2380 was awarded $3436 for the rejuvenation of the BMX track;
• Rotary Club of Gunnedah West was awarded $1620 for the installation of two new signs at Pensioners Hill;
• Tambar Springs Progress Association was awarded $5000 for the purchase and installation of an electric barbecue for community usage;
• Gunnedah Basketball Association was awarded $5000 for the conversion of 25 indoor lights to halogen for safety and sustainability reasons;
• Gunnedah Little Athletics Club was awarded $4580 for player attendance at a multi-training day;
• Gunnedah Rugby Union Club was awarded $3911 for coaching courses for 30 players and 5 coaches; and
• Gunnedah Junior Cricket Club was awarded $1800 for the installation of a shed for game and training equipment.

The annual program is designed to support the work of local charitable and not-for-profit organisations, through projects that meet the needs of the community.

“Council is proud to support our local community and sporting groups, which are made up of volunteers. Their services to our community are what keeps us going and we would like to thank them for their continued hard work to provide these services,” Cr Chaffey concluded.

Photo Caption: Section 356 Small Grant recipients with Gunnedah Shire Mayor Jamie Chaffey and Councillors.

ENDS

Media Contact: Ashley Gardner 6740 2100.

Nominations for the NSW/ACT Young Achiever Awards are now open - giving Gunnedah the chance to recognise local young achievers.

Gunnedah Shire Mayor Jamie Chaffey encourages all residents to nominate a local young person into the NSW/ACT Young Achiever Awards.

“We have a huge cross-section of high achievers among our younger community and it’s important to recognise their efforts to boost their confidence and help to build a strong foundation for their future,” Cr Chaffey said.

Nominations are being sought in the following categories:

• The Coffee Club Arts and Fashion Award
• First National Real Estate Leadership Award
• Freemasons of NSW/ACT Community Service Award
• Aboriginal Education Council Aboriginal Education Award
• Worldwide Printing Solution Sports Award
• Soroptimist International Women Creating Change Award
• WFI Insurance Small Business Achiever Award

The Awards will culminate with a Gala Presentation Dinner on Friday, 20 April 2018 at the SMC Conference and Function Centre. Category winners will each receive $2,500 from Masonicare and a trophy. One of the category winners will be chosen as the NSW/ACT Young Achiever of the Year and will receive $5,000 from Masonicare and a State trophy.

To submit a nomination, visit www.awardsaustralia.com/nswactyaa and click ‘Nominate Now.’ Nominations close Friday, 8 December 2017. For more information phone the Awards Office on 1300 735 445 or email nswyaa@awardsaustralia.com 

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Media Contact: Ashley Gardner 6740 2100.

Tantalise your taste buds at the Gunnedah Youth Council’s (GYC) Dessert Bar on Friday, 6 October.

The pop-up style dessert bar is designed to be a takeaway dining experience with many mouth-watering desserts on the menu, including hot chocolates, triple decker mudcakes, ultimate brownie sundaes and more.

The dessert bar will be located in Little Conadilly Street near the Creative Arts Gallery from 5pm to 9pm.

All money raised will go towards the Gunnedah Youth Council and the Gunnedah Community Scholarship Fund.

“The Dessert Bar is designed to bring vibrancy to the CBD as part of the Vibrant Precincts Project as well as raising funds for two of our great services,” Gunnedah Shire Council’s Youth Officer Sewa Emojong said.

“There are lots of delicious treats on our menu and we invite everyone to come and join in the fun – you can either pre-order or just turn up on the night and take your dessert to eat wherever takes your fancy.

“Our Youth Council members have been working hard to bring this idea to light and we are looking forward to the event.”

The Dessert Bar is the first initiative of its kind for GYC. The concept was created by GYC members and is supported by Gunnedah Shire Council and NSW Department of Industry’s Vibrant Precincts Project.

Menus and order forms are available below or from Council’s Administration Building and Visitor Information Centre. Pre-orders are available until Friday, 29 September at 5:00pm.

For more information contact Gunnedah Shire Council’s Youth Development Officer Sewa Emojong on (02) 6740 2100.

ENDS

Media Contact: Ashley Gardner 6740 2100.

Gunnedah Shire Council formalised a Sister City Relationship with the Yinzhou District of Ningbo, Zhejiang Province, China, with an official ceremony to mark the occasion last week.

Entering into the relationship has the potential to create social, cultural and economic benefits to both localities now and in the future.

Six delegates from the Yinzhou Government visited the Gunnedah Shire to sign official documents and experienced a taste of Gunnedah during their stay.

“A positive outcome of the agreement would be the potential to host student exchanges and create a cultural understanding between the two regions,” Gunnedah Shire Mayor Jamie Chaffey said.

“While the delegation was here they visited St Mary’s College to meet with students who have been learning Mandarin, with hopes to establish a student exchange program.

“An exchange program would provide a wealth of opportunities to our local students, allowing them to accept and understand a different culture and other community perspectives through International learning.”

St Mary’s College Year 8 students welcomed Gunnedah Shire Mayor Jamie Chaffey and the Yinzhou delegation on Friday morning.

“The students were able to officially welcome the delegation in Mandarin and show them around our school,” St Mary’s College Principal Max Quirk said.

“The school visit was a tremendous success and Cr Chaffey spoke to the students about how exciting the initiative is between Gunnedah and Yinzhou and the possibility of a student exchange program between a school in China and St Mary’s College.

“This is a wonderful opportunity for our students and they are excited to start writing letters to new found friends in China via the pen pal system, with the hopes to eventually be able to Skype classrooms in China and exchange language and ideas.”

During their stay, the delegation were invited to local orange farm “Gunnible” for an official dinner, as well as taking part in flights over Gunnedah and koala spotting before signing the official documents in a ceremony at Wolseley Park.

“Fate will bring us together even if we are thousands of miles away,” Deputy Director, The Standing Committee of Yinzhou District People’s Congress, Lyu Hongqin said.

The delegation was welcomed by Gomeroi Elders conducting a traditional Smoking Ceremony, before the Australian and Chinese National Anthems were played by the Gunnedah Conservatorium of Music.

A Chinese Elm tree was planted at Wolseley Park to mark the beginning of the relationship and will grow as the relationship grows.

Photo caption – Sister City Agreement Official Photo: Members of the Yinzhou delegation with Gunnedah Shire Councillors and staff at an official dinner. Photo Credit: Paul Mathews.

Photo caption – Yinzhou Sister City Visit (5): Gunnedah Shire Mayor Jamie Chaffey and Deputy Director, The Standing Committee of Yinzhou District People’s Congress, Lyu Hongqin sign the official agreement.

Photo caption – Yinzhou Sister City Visit (10): Yinzhou Delegation and representatives from Gunnedah Shire Council welcomed at St Mary’s College.

Photo caption – Yinzhou Sister City Visit (11): St Mary’s College students and official guests at the Sister City Ceremony.

ENDS

Media Contact: Ashley Gardner 6740 2100.

Seven (7) local community and four (4) sports groups will benefit from Gunnedah Shire Council’s Section 356 Small Grants Program, with a total of $34,580 recently endorsed by Council for a range of projects and initiatives across the Shire.

“The financial assistance program has been in place for more than a decade, and to date has distributed more than $320,000,” Gunnedah Shire Council Mayor Jamie Chaffey said.

“The program is designed to support the work of local charitable and not-for- profit organisations in our community, through projects that meet the needs of our growing community. The level of funding available under the program is dependent on the project but can be up to $5,000.”

Members of the Section 356 Committee, Councillor Ann Luke, Councillor David Moses and Councillor John Campbell met recently to assess a total of 16 applications against the priorities and eligibility criteria outlined in the guidelines, and in the context of the funds available.

“Priority was given to those applications that not only benefited their organisation but also the broader community,” Cr Chaffey said.

Successful community organisations included the Gunnedah Basketball Association, Gunnedah Little Athletics Club, Gunnedah Rugby Union Club, Gunnedah Junior Cricket Club, Gunnedah Meals on Wheels, Gunnedah Toastmasters, Gunnedah Miners Support, Piallaway Progress Association, Rotary Club of Gunnedah 2380, Rotary Club of Gunnedah West and Tambar Springs Progress Association.

A presentation of the grants will take place at Council Chambers, 63 Elgin Street on Monday, 25 September at 4.00pm.

For more information contact Gunnedah Shire Council’s Community and Social Planner Debra Hilton on 02 6740 2100 or council@infogunnedah.com.au 

ENDS

Media Contact: Ashley Gardner 6740 2100.

Gunnedah Shire Council’s best practice water management has paid off after taking home top accolades at the Local Government NSW (LGNSW) Water Management Conference Awards recently.

A conference dinner was held at Western Plains Zoo featuring awards for the most improved water and sewer business with less than 5000 connections and businesses with greater than 5000 connections. Gunnedah Shire Councillor John Campbell and Manager Water Services Kevin Sheridan attended the annual conference in Dubbo on 4-6 September – accepting awards on Council’s behalf.

Gunnedah Shire Council was announced the winner of the Most Improved Small Sewerage Provider (less than 5000 connections) and the inaugural Overall Winner of the Sam Samra Award for 2017, for Most Improved Water and Sewerage Service Provider.

“It’s an honour to be recognised, especially with the inaugural Sam Samra Award. Sam was passionate about the Local Government water industry and worked tirelessly to improve water and sewer businesses with the introduction of best practice water management and benchmarking Councils’ performances with annual reporting,” Manager Water Services Kevin Sheridan said.

“To be acknowledged on this scale is a huge credit to our entire team and the Council as a whole. There is a lot of work from different departments to achieve the final result.”

The winners were selected following an investigation by a panel of Department of Primary Industries Water staff evaluating 10 years of data from annual performance reports, returns and compliance with best practice management requirements.

“The Sam Samra Awards are seen as very prestigious in the water and sewer industry. The recognition of Kevin and his team being selected for two of these awards across all Councils in NSW reflects well on over 10 years of diligent effort and best practice in delivering and improving the services for the community of Gunnedah,” Acting Director of Infrastructure Services Edward Paas said.

Sam Samra was a NSW Government public servant, working in the water industry for 50 years before he retired in July 2016. Sam was killed in a tragic accident just two weeks later.

Photo caption: Manager Water Services Kevin Sheridan and Acting Director Infrastructure Services Edward Paas with the awards.

ENDS

Media Contact: Ashley Gardner 6740 2100.

The GYC Dessert Bar is the first initiative of its kind for Gunnedah Youth Council and we really appreciate your support!

HOW IT WORKS

The GYC Dessert Bar is designed to be a takeaway dining experience. You can drop by and choose from our delicious menu before going out into the night to enjoy your desserts wherever you like!

DID YOU KNOW YOU CAN EVEN PRE-ORDER?

For those who want to get in early, you can pick up an Order Form from the Gunnedah Shire Council Administration Building or the Gunnedah Visitor Information Centre. You can also check out our menu and a copy of the Order Form below.

Orders must be placed by 5.00pm Friday, 29 September 2017 and it is recommended that you complete payment for your order when you hand in your Order Form.

ON THE NIGHT

On arrival at the GYC Dessert Bar, you will be greeted by a member of the GYC Team who will provide you with a menu and take your order, before directing you to the seating area to await your dessert. When complete, your order will be brought to you and you can head off and enjoy your dessert wherever takes your fancy!

For those who can't wait to devour their desserts we will have seating available in the Creative Arts Courtyard in Little Conadilly Street. Dine-in seating is 'first in, best dressed' and we are unable to take any reservations due to the limited space available.

If you have pre-ordered, just come on down to the GYC Dessert Bar during your selected pick-up window and simply give your name. You will then be asked to wait briefly in the seating area while we add the finishing touches to your order.

To promote sustainability and support the environment at our event, we invite those who order a Hot Chocolate or Ginger beer float to bring their own coffee cup or travel mug.

We invite everyone to join in on the deliciousness and we can't wait to see you at the GYC Dessert Bar!

Event Contact - Gunnedah Shire Council Youth Development Officer:

Sewa Emojong | P: 02 6740 2100 | E: council@infogunnedah.com.au