March 31, 2022

The month of March has zoomed by with Gunnedah’s Weeks of Speed.

The collaborative festival wrapped on the weekend after many successful events, including drag racing, the Tractor Trek, Multicultural Markets, Show and Shine, greyhound racing, motorcycle racing, and the Mount Porcupine Hill Climb.

For the first time, the Australian Whip Cracking Titles and World Bullock Whip Titles were part of the program and the local Wicks family was well-represented.

Weeks of Speed committee Chair Ray Darcy said the festival got off to a great start and the first three weekends were “brilliant”.

The Multicultural Markets was a colourful affair and more than 900 people visited the event throughout the day to try international cuisine, browse almost 50 stalls, participate in workshops, and watch more than 30 performers, representing the Tahitian, Maori and Chinese cultures, to name a few.

The final weekend of the festival was affected by wet weather conditions, but racers still got out and had a good go.

“This year has probably been one of the better years,” Mr Darcy said.

“I think everyone was glad to get out and do something for a change … it can only get bigger and better.”

Gunnedah Motoring Enthusiasts (GME) was behind a number of the month’s events, including the annual hill climb and aerodrome half-mile sprint.

GME’s Geoff Hood said the rain on the weekend drove some spectators away, and discouraged some drivers from competing, but they got a few good runs in.

“Numbers were down because our events clashed with other events on the coast, however, we had enough to have a really good day,” he said.

“We didn’t have any accidents and the drivers drove to conditions.”

Mr Hood said one major positive was the feedback from drivers about how the events were run.

“When you’re in motor sports, it’s very much, ‘I’m going to beat you. I don’t like you’,” he said.

“They said they competed all over Australia in motor events and the friendly country atmosphere of Gunnedah and its events is very enjoyable.”

 Mr Hood said it was a team effort, and the festival was well supported by numerous groups, including the Tamworth Drag Racing Association and Tamworth Sporting Car Club.

“Without them, we couldn’t have done it,” he said.

It was a busy weekend in town, and motels were booked out with Weeks of Speed, dog shows and the Country Music Muster.

Gunnedah Shire Council’s Tourism Team Leader Nikki Robertson said it was wonderful to see so many people flocking to the Gunnedah Shire.

“There were people everywhere. It gives visitors good vibes when events are on everywhere and there are lots of choices,” she said.

 It was Mrs Robertson’s first taste of the Weeks of Speed and she believes the festival has huge potential.

“I am new to the Tourism role in Gunnedah and it was exciting for me to be part organising committee and see the events come to life,” she said.

“The motor racing world has a lot to offer and it attracts competitors and spectators from across the state to attend our annual Weeks of Speed festival.

“Council has been a key supporter of the Weeks of Speed since its inception. I can see that this event is a great contributor to our visitor economy and certainly has potential for future years to keep growing and expanding as the motor racing sport evolves.”

Caption: Gunnedah’s Weeks of Speed has delivered fun and excitement.

ENDS

Media and communications team contact: (02) 6740 2100.

March 30, 2022

Youth Week 2022 kicked off a little early today with Gunnedah Youth Expo introducing students to a world of possibilities.

The event was the first in a whole program that includes a colour run, skate workshop, outdoor cinema and the opening of the PCYC Youth Hub.

Gunnedah Shire Council Manager Customer and Community Relations Charlotte Hoddle said NSW Youth Week, which officially runs from April 4 to April 14, was the perfect opportunity to hold events that celebrate our young people.

“Today’s Youth Expo shows students the exciting future that is ahead of them,” Ms Hoddle said.

“More than 20 businesses, services, universities and TAFE were at the Expo to talk about the huge range of options that are open to people just starting out on their working lives. This is great way for students to see so many opportunities under one roof.”

Ms Hoddle said the full Youth Week 2022 program for Gunnedah included many fun events, such as Colours for Nourishment Colour Run and an outdoor cinema screening of Space Jam: A New Legacy on Friday, April 8, a free skate workshop on Tuesday, April 12, and the Carroll Cricket Day on Thursday, April 14.

“The program aims to put our young people at the centre of it all, with this year’s Youth Week theme being, ‘It’s up to YOU’th’,” Ms Hoddle said.

“It’s all about having fun with old friends and new friends.”

The Youth Week 2022 Program can be viewed online, at Council’s Administration Building in Elgin Street, Gunnedah Shire Library, and The Civic in Chandos Street.

Many of the activities are also listed as events on Council’s Facebook page with booking links.

Youth Week 2022 activities include:

• Wednesday, March 30: Youth Week Expo at Gunnedah Town Hall.
• April 3-10: PCYC Star Jump Challenge (visit pcycstarjumpchallenge.org.au)
• Friday, April 8: PCYC Youth Hub opening from 4pm to 5pm at the PCYC (call 1800 695 625 for more details).
• Friday, April 8: Colours for Nourishment Colour Run at 5pm at Longmuir Oval. Free.\
• Friday, April 8: Outdoor Cinema – Space Jam: A New Legacy at 6pm at the PCYC in View Street.
• Tuesday, April 12: Free Skate Workshop with Totemskateboarding.com (visit Gunnedah Shire Council Facebook event or totemskatboarding.com to book).
• Thursday, April 14: 2^nd Annual Carroll Cricket Day at the Carroll Community Ground from 11am to 2pm.

ENDS

Media and communications team contact: (02) 6740 2100.

March 29, 2022

A whole world of possibilities will be laid out for Gunnedah Shire youth tomorrow at the 2022 Gunnedah Youth Expo.

More than 20 exhibitors will be at the Expo, including universities and TAFE, Gunnedah-based businesses and service providers.

The Gunnedah Youth Expo, a joint initiative of Gunnedah Shire Council, Gunnedah Youth Interagency and NSW Youth Week, was visited by more than 250 students last year.

Gunnedah Shire Council Manager of Customer and Community Relations Charlotte Hoddle said the event was an important one for students looking at their pathways for the future.

“The Gunnedah Youth Expo can be an eye-opener for young people who are on the brink of one of the most exciting times of their lives,” Ms Hoddle said.

“In one place, they can find information about universities and about how to get started in a huge range of industries, from music to mining.

“It is great to see so many of our local businesses and services get on board to give students a taste just how many options are out there. Students can talk to people who are already working within those industries and, in the case of the TAFE mobile training units, actually get some practical experience.

“The Youth Expo is a free event is for youth aged 12-25, as well as parents or carers. It will be a fun morning, there are giveaways and prizes to be won.”

Youth Expo is the highlight event of Youth Week in Gunnedah Shire. The aim of NSW Youth Week is to celebrate young people and the contributions they make to their local communities. NSW Youth Week 2022 will run from 4 -14 April 2022. The theme for 2022 is ‘It’s up to YOU’th’.

Find your 2022 Youth Expo map here.

Caption: The 2021 Gunnedah Youth Expo was visited by more than 250 young people.

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Media and communications team contact: (02) 6740 2100.

March 29, 2022

Community and sporting groups can realise their goals by applying for up to $5,000 through Gunnedah Shire Council’s Section 356 Community and Sports Small Grants Program.

For 18 years, the program has funded the launch of new initiatives, much-needed equipment and infrastructure changes for countless groups, and Gunnedah Shire Mayor Jamie Chaffey urged community organisations and sporting clubs to make the most of the opportunity.

“With so many fundraising opportunities and activities cancelled or disrupted over the last few years, it has been a challenging time for a lot of volunteer groups,” Cr Chaffey said.

“This funding can kick-start these groups again in 2022 and help them to steer towards future plans, whether that is through expansion, events, or simple but effective improvements.”

Cr Chaffey said priority would be given to projects and initiatives that not only help organisations to grow and be sustainable, but also support the broader community.

“Funding helps to support the wonderful work they do, and acknowledge their ongoing resilience and passion to keep their clubs and groups functioning,” he said.

Lake Keepit Fishing Club is among past recipients and used a grant to replace its outdoor seating, which is in bad disrepair.

“It gets used all the time. Because it’s such a beautiful table and chairs, we sit on it for our monthly meetings,” Club President Ann Michie said.

“It’s fantastic … everyone comments on how good it is.”

Application forms available here and grant guidelines are available from Council’s website at www.gunnedah.nsw.gov.au.

Further information is available by contacting Council’s Community and Social Planner, Debra Hilton, on 6740 2100 or council@infogunnedah.com.au.

The 2022-23 funding round closes at 5pm on Monday, May 2, 2022.

Caption: Lake Keepit Fishing Club used funding from the Council’s Section 356 Community and Sports Small Grants Program to replace its outdoor seating.

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Media and communications team contact: (02) 6740 2100.

Businesses in NSW will be banned from supplying single-use plastic items to customers in the next six months.

The supply of lightweight shopping bags will be banned from June 1, 2022, and the supply of single-use plastic straws, stirrers, cutlery, bowls, and plates and expanded polystyrene food service items will be banned from November 1, 2022.

The supply of single-use plastic cotton buds and microbeads in rinse-off personal care products will also be banned.

This will prevent nearly 2.7 billion plastic items from entering the coastal, marine, and bushland environments of NSW over the next 20 years.

Exemptions will apply to ensure continued access to straws for people with a disability or medical need in NSW.

Environment Minister James Griffin said while a number of large and small businesses had already phased-out single-use plastics, for many the ban will involve significant change and they’ll need government and community support.

As part of a new partnership with the NSW Government, the National Retail Association (NRA) will visit retailers in the next nine months to provide factsheets, signage and advice to help businesses make changes, in line with the recently announced Plastics Reduction and Circular Economy Act 2021.

The NRA has also launched a free hotline to offer businesses, community organisations and consumers advice on the single-use plastic bans.

For more information, call the hotline on 1800 844 946 or visit: http://www.dpie.nsw.gov.au/plastics-ban

Caption: NSW businesses won’t be able to supply single-use plastic items from June 1, 2022.

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Media and communications team contact: (02) 6740 2100.

Artists from the New England North West and Central West can now join locals in submitting works for the upcoming Gunnybalds exhibition.

A new medium, digital works, will be included this year, and digital artists are invited to showcase their works.

The Gunnybalds is our tribute to the famous Archibald Prize for portraiture and is returning to the Gunnedah Bicentennial Creative Arts Gallery after many years.

Gunnedah Shire Council’s Cultural Precinct Team Leader Lauren Mackley said this year’s exhibition would have a modern twist and entry is free.

“Exhibitions like this play a vital role in communities, enhancing opportunities to foster creativity, inclusivity and accessibility,” she said.

“We look forward to being inundated with entries to see the exhibition become a great success for Gunnedah.”

The exhibition will include two categories – junior (17 and under) and open (18 and over).

All works are to be submitted by April 4, 2022 to Gunnedah Bicentennial Creative Arts Gallery with entry form attached and all artworks ready to hang.

Opening night will be held on Friday, April 8, 2022 at 6pm.

The entry form is available at The Civic, Gunnedah Shire Council Administration Centre in Elgin Street, and online at www.thecivic.com.au.

For more information, contact Cultural Precinct Team Leader Lauren Mackley on 6740 2100.

Caption: A portrait by Jean Isherwood from Gunnedah’s Town Collection.

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Media and communications team contact: (02) 6740 2100.

March 24, 2022

A film director and three producers will introduce their award-winning short film, featuring Gunnedah Saleyards, at Gunnedah’s Flickerfest’s opening night on Thursday.

The short film, Giants, also shot in Narrabri, shines a spotlight on the recent drought and won Best Australian Short Film and Best Original Music at the recent Bondi festival competition.

The director, Eddy Bell, and producers Steven Rees, Nonny Klaile and Luke Mulquiney, filmed over an 18-month period in the area, capturing the devastating effect of the drought in the area and said they were glad they could “bring it back to the North West”.

“We’re excited to be coming back to Gunnedah to share the film with the community, for people we made it for,” Luke Mulquiney said.

Director Eddy Bell said it was the first public screening he would attend for Giants.

“This is the premiere for me … so I am pretty excited to share this film with a Gunnedah audience as my first Flickerfest film,” he said.

Mr Bell will also visit Carroll Public School to speak about the film.

Other highlights of Flickerfest will include the quirky black space comedy The Home Team starring Paul McDermott and acclaimed actress Tara Morice, the fun neighbourly drama Stonefish, the moving and intimate sibling drama You Me Before And After, starring Yael Stone, and the award-winning Space Invader.

Flickerfest is Australia’s only Academy Qualifying and BAFTA Qualifying Short Film Festival and is a kaleidoscopic carnival of short films from around Australia and the world.

The Best of Australian Shorts will be screened on March 24 at 6:30pm and the Best of International Short Films will be showcased on March 31 at 6.30pm.

Tickets are $15 and can be purchased via https://flickerfest.com.au/tour/gunnedah-nsw/

ENDS

Media and communications team contact: (02) 6740 2100.

21 March, 2022

Gunnedah Shire will once again commemorate ANZAC Day in the true Anzac spirit, with services around the Shire.

Gunnedah Shire Mayor Jamie Chaffey said the community had always turned out in large numbers to pay tribute to those who have served.

“ANZAC Day is an important day in the Australian calendar, and has always had a special place in Gunnedah Shire’s heart,” Cr Chaffey said.

“Our Shire should be proud of the way we have marked this day each year, and this year will be no different.

“Services around the Shire will remember those who have served, who fought and gave their lives in conflicts around the world. I urge everyone to attend a service if they can, or to spend a moment or two thinking of those who have served in the past, or who are even now serving their country.”

In Gunnedah:

• the dawn service will begin at 5.30am at the Cenotaph in Conadilly Street
• the ANZAC Day march will begin at 10.30am in Marquis Street and continue down Conadilly Street. The assembly point for the march will be the corner of Marquis and Elgin streets, outside Mitre 10 from 10.00am
• the official service will begin at 10.45am at the Cenotaph on the corner of Elgin and Conadilly streets.

In Breeza:

• an ANZAC Day Service will be held at 8.30am at the Breeza Cenotaph.

In Curlewis:

• a Dawn Service will be held at 5.15am at the Curlewis Cenotaph
• the official service will be held at 9.00am at the Curlewis Cenotaph.

In Tambar Springs:

• a Dawn Service will be held at 5.30am
• the official service will be held at 11.00am (assembled by 10.45am)

In Premer:

• There will be no services at Premer this year
• Note: Dawn Service is always held at Tambar Springs, but the ANZAC Day Service alternates between Tambar Springs and Premer each year.

Caption: Gunnedah Shire band marching in the 2021 Gunnedah ANZAC day service

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Media and communications team contact: (02) 6740 2100.

18 March, 2022

Gunnedah Shire Council is supporting proposed NSW Government changes to the state planning system that will allow more Gunnedah farmers to open farm-stay and farm-gate operations.

At the March meeting yesterday, Council endorsed a recommendation to advise the NSW Department of Planning and Environment to include the proposed Farm Stay Accommodation and Farm Gate Premise Clauses, into the Gunnedah Local Environmental Plan 2012.

This will allow “agritourism”, “farm experience” and “farm gate premises” in the zones that now have “agriculture” as a permissible land use.

Gunnedah Mayor Jamie Chaffey said Council applauded the NSW Government’s move to streamline the approval of agritourism ventures.

“No one is more aware of how tough it can be on the land than our own Gunnedah Shire farmers,” Cr Chaffey said.

“We’ve been through a heart-breaking drought that cut our farming families to the bone. Then, when the rain finally fell, along came the floods and of course the pandemic that kept them isolated, a mouse plague and an economic rollercoaster. It’s a hard but absolutely critical way to make a living.

“We strongly support allowing our farmers to diversify and build their resilience. We are on board this proposed move by the NSW Government to make it possible for primary producers to diversify their business to include farm stays, farm gate operations and other forms of agritourism.

“The pandemic has shown Australians the value of the true country experience, and we are perfectly located to grow agritourism. It will help us show the rest of the country, and the world, the things we value about where we live.”

It is anticipated that these changes will provide farmers with the ability to source additional income and to allow them to be more resilient when recovering from natural disasters and the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

What is “agritourism”?

The NSW Government describes “agritourism” as a tourism-related experience or product that connects agricultural products, people or places with visitors on a farm or rural land for enjoyment, education, or to participate in activities and events.

Agritourism activities include direct shopfront outlets with produce tastings, regional markets, farm and winery tours, cooking classes, food and wine festivals, farm stays, restaurants sourcing local produce, self-picking experiences and farm gate sales. The term also covers farm-stay, camping and other on-farm accommodation, farm tours and activities, and events based on farms for their scenic quality, such as weddings.

More broadly, agritourism allows regional economies to showcase what’s special about the region, its unique growing conditions and natural resources and provides a visitor draw card from which other regional tourism businesses and experiences can benefit.

Caption: Jack Hewitt with his pigs at his farm near Kelvin, NSW

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Media and communications team contact: (02) 6740 2100.

March 17, 2022

Following consultation with the community, Gunnedah Shire’s Water policy has been changed to include new watering times during times of restrictions.

Gunnedah Shire Council yesterday adopted revised Gunnedah Water Supply Drought and Demand Management Plans and updated the Water Restriction Policy to adjust watering times.

Now, when water restrictions are put in place, the new permitted times for use of fixed hoses and sprinklers will be between 6pm and 8pm during daylight saving time, and 5pm and 7pm at other times.

Gunnedah Shire Council Director Infrastructure Services Jeremy Bartlett said the changes directly reflected the results of community consultation which showed people wanted the hours changed after restrictions were implemented during the drought.

“A survey about water conservation showed people preferred a two-hour block of watering time rather than an hour in the morning and an hour in the evening,” Mr Bartlett said.

“And the clear preference was for between 6pm and 8pm during daylight saving time, and between 5pm and 7pm for the rest of the year. People wanted the hours to be altered during daylight saving time, and that’s what we have done.

“These restrictions are only implemented when demand reaches 85% of our water production capacity, or in extreme conditions such as the recent drought, when our groundwater system is under strain.

“Our Drought and Demand Management Plans have also been revised to include changes such as the new Curlewis to Gunnedah pipeline, extra storage capacity with the new Apex reservoir, and the decommissioning of three bores on Old Tamworth Road due to poor water quality.

“When our new water treatment plant is operational later this year, our water situation will be even more secure. A central collection point for water will mean all bores can operate together, boosting Gunnedah’s capacity and allowing more options during maintenance and breakdowns.

“Gunnedah remains in a fortunate position with our water supply. We have a strong groundwater system with eight bores providing excellent quality water. We do, however, always need to remember water is a precious and finite resource and we need to plan ahead to ensure we can meet the demand in the future.

“The recent drought was a reminder that we can’t do without water.”

Gunnedah Shire is currently on Level P (permanent) water restrictions, where fixed hoses and sprinklers are restricted except between 6am and 8am, and 6pm and 10pm during daylight saving time, and 6am-8am and 5pm-9pm at other times.

For the full list of water restrictions at each level, visit www.gunnedah.nsw.gov.au and you will find Water Information & Restrictions under Everyday Living in Gunnedah.

Caption: Photo of Gunnedah Shire farm in 2019 during the drought

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Media and communications team contact: (02) 6740 2100.