Customer Relations, Communications & Lifestyle
25 June, 2024
Mid-year school holidays are on the horizon, and another action-packed Gunnedah Shire Council School Holiday Program will offer plenty of activities to keep students happy.
Holiday favourites are back, with the guys from Totem Skateboarding holding a free learn to skate beginner class and a mentoring skate session with professional skaters, both for ages six years and up. This is always a popular activity and bookings are essential!
Gunnedah Shire Library will once again offer Crafty Creations for 7-12 years and Book Buddies for those from zero to seven years – opening a world of reading and craft for younger students. Dr Seuss is the theme for the Library this holidays.
Create with Clay is also back, at the Gunnedah Bicentennial Creative Arts Centre, with two free sessions across the holidays. This activity for ages 10 plus helps students unleash their creativity with air-dry clay. It’s a favourite and spots fill quickly, so make sure you book!
For students aged 12 and up, the Gunnedah Conservatorium and Gunnedah Shire Council are presenting “I Will Tell you my Story” from Monday, 8 July to Friday 12 July, a five-day program that runs between 10am and 3pm daily. Each day starts with yoga and community music-making before students choose their own adventure by nominating sessions including songwriting, visual arts, photography, theatre-making, digital storytelling and developing your own performance. This program is free, thanks to funding from the NSW Government, but bookings are essential.
PCYC also has a full program of fun events, including laser tag, paint and shake, Lego Masters and athletics.
“Once again, the Gunnedah Shire Council School Holiday Program has something for just about everyone,” Gunnedah Shire Council Manager Economy and Growth Susan Frater said.
“This holidays, along with well as some of the activities that have proven to be favourites, we are also partnering with the Gunnedah Conservatorium for their “I Will Tell you my Story” program. This is a five-day program to encourage local young people to tap into their creative side and will culminate in a performance on the Friday afternoon.
“The Library is always a favourite with children, and we are happy that Create with Clay, Totem Skateboarding and the PCYC are all back. The Gunnedah Shire Council School Holiday Program includes many free activities and is a great way to keep the fun in the holiday period from July 8-20!”
To see the full program and book activities, visit www.thecivic.com.au/youth
Caption: Children enjoy hands-on creativity at Create with Clay earlier this year.
ENDS
For more information, contact Gunnedah Shire Council’s Communications team on (02) 6740 2100 or communications@gunnedah.nsw.gov.au.
24 June, 2024
A reminder to artists across Gunnedah Shire that artworks for this year’s ever popular NAIDOC exhibition are due by Monday, 1 July.
Held across Australia from 7-14 July, 2024, NAIDOC Week will celebrate and recognise the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
This year’s theme is “Keep the fire burning! Blak, loud and proud!” and artists are invited to create an artwork – whether it is sculpture, painting or another form of art – to be included in the annual Gunnedah NAIDOC Exhibition.
Submissions can be dropped off at the Gunnedah Bicentennial Creative Arts Gallery.
Submission forms are available on the Civic website – www.thecivic.com.au – and the exhibition will open at 1pm on Friday, 5 July.
The exhibition will continue until 9am, Friday, August 9, when artists can collect their works.
Caption: Visitors to the gallery enjoy a past NAIDOC Week Exhibition in Gunnedah.
ENDS
For more information, contact Gunnedah Shire Council’s Communications team on (02) 6740 2100 or communications@gunnedah.nsw.gov.au.
21 June, 2024
Operational Plan adopted
Gunnedah Shire Council has adopted the 2024/25 Operational Plan and Fees & Charges following a public exhibition period.
The Operational Plan details the works and services Council intends to undertake during the next financial year through responsible fiscal management of Council’s $56 million total operating expenditure and a capital works program of $25 million.
Gunnedah Shire Council is in a similar position to that of many NSW councils facing a poor financial outlook caused by a perfect storm of negative impacts resulting from natural disasters, high inflation, and legislative ‘cost-shifting’ by the NSW and Australian governments.
The current financial outlook for Gunnedah Shire Council is not financially sustainable and action is necessary to ensure that a sustainable path can be determined to support Council’s future.
To maintain current service levels and to grow requires an increase in revenue. Alternatively, no increase in revenue will see the need for service levels to decrease. To address this challenge, Council will explore all options available to it, including:
• Undertaking efficiency reviews;
• Reviewing project prioritisation to maximise Council's resources and funding opportunities; and
• Investigation options for a possible Special Rate Variation application.
In the 2024/25 financial year, Council will start a conversation with the community to discuss how we can maintain current service levels, address our growing infrastructure renewal backlog, support our current population growth projections and deliver on key infrastructure priorities. This conversation will be important in shaping the future of our region.
To view the Gunnedah Shire Council 2024/25 Operational Plan and Fees & Charges, visit www.gunnedah.nsw.gov.au
Updated polices on public exhibition
Three Gunnedah Shire Council policies have been reviewed and are now on public exhibition.
They are: Draft Policy – Hardship; Draft Policy – Debt Recovery; and Draft Policy – Customer Service.
The Draft Policy – Hardship establishes guidelines utilised by Council in the assessment of hardship applications, while the Draft Policy – Debt Recovery provides a framework to facilitate the timely, efficient and effective recovery of money owed to Council. The Draft Policy – Customer Service ensures staff provide consistent, positive customer service across the organisation.
These policies will be on public exhibition for 28 days. To view them and submit feedback, visit www.gunnedah.nsw.gov.au
21 June, 2024
Gunnedah Shire Council has endorsed its blueprint for enhancing access and cultivating inclusion for the next four years, with the document now on public exhibition.
The Gunnedah Shire DisABILITY Inclusion Action Plan 2024-2028 Enhancing Access: Cultivating Inclusion outlines the measures put in place to ensure people with disability can access general supports and services available in the community and can participate fully in the community.
Gunnedah Shire Mayor Jamie Chaffey said the plan supported the Shire’s vision, which is “to be recognised as both an advocate and champion for the rights of people of all abilities in our community, ensuring all of our residents are treated equally and respectfully and have opportunities to enjoy the benefits of full participation in a caring, proud, prosperous and inclusive community”.
“This plan has been developed in consultation with community stakeholders including the Gunnedah Access Working Group and is an important step in our aim to become Access Champions,” Cr Chaffey said.
“People with disability are an intrinsic part of our community. They contribute in so many ways – as leaders, as volunteers, as businesspeople, as part of our organisations, as artists, as friends, and as family. It is vitally important that we identify and prioritise actions that further access and participation for everyone and ensure all of our residents are treated equally and respectfully.”
The Gunnedah Shire DisABILITY Inclusion Action Plan 2024-2028 works to address the ongoing needs for our local community by:
- Advocating equal rights for all
• Progressing positive community attitudes and behaviours
• Creating liveable communities by providing a range of facilities, services and events that make our Shire a great place for people to live, work and play
• Supporting access to meaningful employment, education and professional development opportunities
• Improving access to mainstream services through better systems and processes
• Collaborating with business partners, service providers and community groups
• Strategic planning to meet the changing needs and expectations of its growing community, and
• Monitoring compliance to legislation.
One in five members of the Gunnedah Shire reported having a disability in the 2021 Census, with 793 people (6.1%) of people of all ages needing help in their day-to-day lives due to a disability, compared to 5.8% for New South Wales. The Census also showed 1078 (11.3%) of people aged 15 and over were providing unpaid assistance to people with disability.
To view the three versions of the document – the full plan, the easy read version and the text version – you can visit www.gunnedah.nsw.gov.au or drop into the Gunnedah Shire Council Administration Building in Elgin Street. The public exhibition period will close at 5pm on 19 July, 2024.
20 June, 2024
Gunnedah Shire Council is calling on both the Federal and State governments to address Financial Assistance Grants methodology that is leading to regional and rural councils missing out on desperately needed roads funding.
In a Mayoral Minute to the June Council Meeting, Gunnedah Shire Mayor Jamie Chaffey told Councillors city councils were receiving four to five times more funding per kilometre of road than country councils.
“Rural and regional councils have smaller populations, but a much larger area,” Cr Chaffey said.
“In Gunnedah Shire, we have more than 1,400km of road network to maintain and, like other rural and regional councils, we have a smaller rate base and a reduced capacity to raise revenue. We desperately need assistance to keep our roads maintained and safe.
“Financial Assistance Grants are paid to councils annually by the Federal Government, with local government grant commissions in each state recommending the distribution of funding. But the methodology used to distribute these critical funds is seriously flawed. In addition, the funding has gone backwards due to an indexation freeze 10 years ago.
“This needs immediate attention to help rural and regional councils - who are already struggling to meet an unprecedented burden of increased costs and cost shifting - to get the funding their roads need.”
Council will write to the Federal Local Government Minister, the NSW Local Government Minister and the NSW Grants Commission to request:
- A review of methodologies used to distribute Financial Assistance Grant funding with the aim of:
o Reducing the population ( per capita) factor in the general-purpose grant allocation from 30% to 10%; and
o Ensuring greater equity is delivered to regional and rural councils in the distribution of the roads component resulting in an equal per kilometre rate across all councils - Consideration be given to the Australian Government increasing Financial Assistance Grants to at least 1% or more of Commonwealth Tax Revenue to ensure effective, sustainable funding for local government.
- Ensure that the Objects of the Local Government (Financial Assistance) Act 1995 are being adhered to and consider a review of the Act given the last review was in 2001.
- Ensure that the National Principles governing the allocation of the Financial Assistance Grants are adequate and are being met.
Cr Chaffey said with the drop in Financial Assistance Grants from 1% to 0.5% of Federal taxation revenue, many councils across New South Wales had been forced to implement large rate increases.
ENDS
For more information, contact Gunnedah Shire Council’s Communications team on (02) 6740 2100 or communications@gunnedah.nsw.gov.au.
June 18, 2024
June includes a host of interesting commemorative days, and many of them are being celebrated in the A Day for Everything exhibition.
In honour of Ice Cream Soda Day on June 20, visitors who come along to the Gunnedah Bicentennial Creative Arts Gallery will be treated to a free ice cream soda between 4pm and 6pm on that day.
Ice Cream Soda Day is just one of the days being commemorated in this exhibition featuring an interesting range of objects brought in by Gunnedah Shire residents. Among the days are International Boardgame Day, National Say Something Nice Day and Make Life Beautiful Day.
The exhibition features interactive installations and includes a selfie stand, a games table set up with traditional family favourites, and even a space to do yoga.
An edible installation will open for consumption for the ice cream soda celebrations on June 20 between 4pm and 6pm.
To open your mind to a whole new world of days, visit a Day for Everything at the Gunnedah Bicentennial Creative Arts Gallery.
ENDS
For more information, contact Gunnedah Shire Council’s Communications team on (02) 6740 2100 or communications@gunnedah.nsw.gov.au.
Gunnedah Shire Council is seeking community feedback on its plans for future development of the Gunnedah Memorial Park Cemetery.
Council is working with consultants from Locale Consulting to develop a masterplan of the whole cemetery site, which includes expansion opportunities on undeveloped land on the southern side of the site.
Two draft concept plans have been presented and the local community is now invited to consider the options and provide feedback through a survey. This can be accessed at Surveys & Polls - Gunnedah Shire Council (nsw.gov.au) and feedback must be submitted by 28 June 2024.
At the conclusion of this consultation period a Final Masterplan will be drawn up and placed on public exhibition for further comment.
23 May, 2024
Gunnedah Shire Council is pleased to open the Section 356 Access Incentive Small Grants Round, aimed specifically at supporting local businesses and community groups to enhance access within their premises.
A grant of up to $2,000 (GST exclusive) is available to each successful applicant for relevant projects that encourage innovative access actions.
Projects may include the installation of an access ramp to the business or shop front, redesign of marketing collateral such as menus to appeal to a broader demographic, changes to the fit out of premises to enhance manoeuvrability, and safe access and safety for prams, wheelchairs, and people with temporary mobility challenges.
Applications are required to meet at least one of the following criteria:
• Assists businesses and organisations to meet legal responsibilities in relation to access and universal design.
• Results in increased potential to attract and retain customers and clients with temporary or permanent disability or impairment.
• Seeks to address issues of access and inclusion.
• Improves access for people with temporary or permanent disability or impairment.
• Has an access awareness education and training focus.
• Demonstrates an innovative and creative approach to addressing access issues.
The grant opportunity is supported by the Gunnedah Shire Missed Business Guide which is a valuable resource to assist organisations and businesses to identify potential projects for funding. A copy of the Missed Business Guide is available at www.gunnedah.nsw.gov.au.
Application forms are available here.
Further information is available by contacting Council’s Community and Social Planner, Debra Hilton on (02) 6740 2100 or council@infogunnedah.com.au.
The 2024-2025 funding round closes at 5pm on Friday 28 June 2024.
May 21, 2024
Gunnedah Shire Council is recommending changes in the areas of crime and justice as part of its submission to the Inquiry into Community Safety in Regional and Rural Communities.
Gunnedah Shire Council was one of a number of organisations, including the Country Mayors Association of NSW, that called for the inquiry, and Councillors last week endorsed Council’s submission.
The submission includes the Crime in Regional and Rural NSW in 2023: Trends and Patterns report released by the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research, a report that opens with: “Rates of violent and property crime are considerably higher in regional NSW than in Sydney.”
Key findings of the report include:
• In 2023, the rate of recorded property crime was 59% higher in regional NSW compared to Greater Sydney
• In 2023, the rate of recorded violent crime was 57% higher in regional NSW compared with Greater Sydney
• The major offences of motor vehicle theft, non-domestic assault, sexual assault and domestic violence-related assault all increased significantly in regional NSW over the five years from 2019 to 2023.
Gunnedah Shire Council’s submission also includes statistics based on annual 2023 data from the NSW Police Force that shows crime has increased in Gunnedah Shire by 6.61% from 2022 to 2023. Forecasted chances of becoming a victim of a violent crime are 1 in 95 nationwide, 1 in 87 statewide, and 1 in 47 in Gunnedah.
Following in-depth analysis, Gunnedah Shire Council has made 11 recommendations:
1. The identification of areas including Gunnedah, where the presence of a 24/7 police response is what is needed to curb escalating crime rates and the allocation of adequate resources to those areas. Additionally, there must be a strategy or mechanism implemented by the NSW Police Force to ensure that officers at Gunnedah Police Station are retained and that any vacancies are managed to maintain 24/7 police services or business as usual.
2. Greater education within the NSW Police to strengthen and support officers’ confidence in recommending to the courts that bail be refused in those instances where there is a high probability that the offender will reoffend, or in those instances where the offender presents a threat (imminent or otherwise) to others, in particular women experiencing intimate partner threats, intimidation or violence from an intimate partner or ex- partner.
3. Greater education within the judicial system to encourage judicial officers to refuse bail under Section 22C of the NSW Bail Act 2013 where the authority has a high degree of confidence the young person will commit a serious indictable offence while on bail.
4. The allocation of additional resources to more adequately supervise offenders and their adherence to bail conditions.
5. Tougher penalties for breach of bail conditions.
6. Recently announced legislative reform package including amendments to the Bail Act and the creation of a new offence for ‘posting and boasting’ are delivered.
7. That consideration is given to relevant legislative authorities taking meaningful steps towards legislative reviews that impose tougher penalties and sanctions on social media platforms supporting ‘posting and boasting’ in the name of free speech. I.e., TikTok.
8. The continuation of Stronger Country Communities Fund and the introduction of a new community safety project category to incentivise applications that focus on early intervention and diversionary strategies and capital works projects. The review should also consider reducing the mandatory minimum 50% co-contribution obligations for local government, which proves to be a cost prohibitive deterrent for smaller, rural, and regional Councils with a smaller rate base.
9. The reinstatement of the NSW Community Safety Fund, with a focus on youth, CCTV, and domestic and family violence initiatives.
10. That consideration be given for the expansion of Youth Justice Centres in the North West and New England areas that are able to accommodate girls closer to their families.
11. The retention of the youth focussed roles within Regional NSW and increased funding for Youth Justice Caseworkers supporting young people after they have interactions with the police and justice system. With many providing outreach support covering massive areas, additional places are needed to address demand and reduce burnout rates.
The inquiry is open for submissions until 31 May 2024, and Gunnedah Shire Council urges Gunnedah Shire residents to send in their stories of crime or ideas for community safety. To find out more, visit www.gunnedah.nsw.gov.au .
17 May, 2024
Council calls for reversal of waste tendering amendments
Gunnedah Shire Council will call on the NSW Government to reverse recent amendments to the Local Government (General) Regulation 2021 made by the Local Government (General) Amendment (Tendering) Regulation (No 2) 2023 (NSW) relating to protecting the employment of waste workers.
In a Mayoral Minute to Council this week, Mayor Jamie Chaffey noted the changes, approved in December 2023, were made without consultation with Councils. Local Government NSW sought legal advice that found concerns with the amended regulations.
Cr Chaffey said the new specifications would increase employment costs, stifle innovation and lead to significant cost increases for Councils and ratepayers, ultimately placing a “manifestly unfair” burden on Council.
Submission to request Financial Assistance Grant funding review
Gunnedah Shire Council will lodge a formal submission to the Inquiry into Local Government Sustainability.
The submission welcomes the inquiry, noting local government financial sustainability is one of the top issues for New South Wales Councils, due to constraints including rate pegging and cost-shifting by state and federal governments.
Council’s submission requests:
• Consideration be given to the Australian Government increasing Financial Assistance Grants to at least 1% or more of Commonwealth Tax Revenue to ensure effective, sustainable funding for local government.
• The Australian Government undertake a review of methodologies used to distribute Financial Assistance Grant funding with the aim of ensuring that:
o the “minimum grant” is removed from the general purpose component and those funds are redistributed to regional and rural councils; and
o greater equity is delivered to regional and rural councils in the distribution of the roads component resulting in an equal per kilometre rate across all councils.
You can view the full submission at www.gunnedah.nsw.gov.au as part of the May Council Meeting agenda.
Expressions of interest sought for Audit Committee
Gunnedah Shire Council is seeking applications from suitably qualified individuals for the appointment of two independent committee members to Gunnedah Shire Council’s Audit, Risk and Improvement Committee (ARIC) for a term of up to four years.
The information pack outlining required skills and experience for ARIC members is available on Council’s website at Tenders, Quotations & EOI - Gunnedah Shire Council (nsw.gov.au)
Questions on the role of the Audit Committee and its membership should be directed to Kelly Stidworthy on 02 6740 2100.
Applications close Friday 7 June 2024.
