Customer Relations, Communications & Lifestyle
7 March, 2024
The hilarious cooking show comedy Kitchen Witches is coming to The Civic on Saturday, March 23.
Gunnedah locals feature in the production with tickets to a one-off show now on sale.
Directed by Jenny Sullivan and presented by the Tamworth Dramatic Society, Kitchen Witches involves two mature age cable-TV cooking hostesses, Isobel Lomax and Dolly Biddle, who have despised each other for more than 30 years.
Circumstances bring the pair together in the kitchen and their antics become the essence of a top rating TV program that ends up outshining the likes of Martha Stewart and Jerry Springer.
“We are thrilled to be able to collaborate with Arts North West and Tamworth Dramatic Society to bring Kitchen Witches to Gunnedah after its Tamworth run. This is a unique and lively show and will be great fun for local audiences,” said Gunnedah Shire Council Manager Economy and Growth Susan Frater.
To book tickets to Kitchen Witches go to www.thecivic.com.au. Tickets are just $25 per person with time for an early dinner in town before the 7:30PM show.
March 6, 2024
The very successful Gunnedah Youth Expo will return on Thursday, April 11 as part of Youth Week 2024, and Gunnedah Shire Council is calling on businesses, services and organisations to be part of the event.
The Gunnedah Youth Expo, a Gunnedah Shire Council and NSW Youth Week event, has attracted hundreds of young people over the past few years to find out more about their choices for the future.
Gunnedah Shire Council Manager Economy and Growth Susan Frater said the key to the event’s success was the involvement of a large variety of stallholders.
“The Gunnedah Youth Expo offers a rare opportunity for students to see a selection of the range of opportunities that are out there for them – whether they want to pursue further education or are interested in a local apprenticeship or work in one of the service industries,” Ms Frater said.
“We urge as many businesses, services and organisations as possible to contact us to take part. The more options that are on site, the more representative this event will be.
“It is also a great opportunity for employers to find young and enthusiastic potential employees, and chat to them about a career.”
The Gunnedah Youth Expo will be held at Gunnedah Town Hall from 9am to 3pm on Thursday, April 11, 2024. It is a free event for youth aged 12-24 and parents and carers, and features activities and information, with giveaways and prizes to be won.
If you would like to register, please contact Gunnedah Shire Council’s Economy and Growth Team for more information on 6740 2100 or at council@infogunnedah.com.au
Caption: Students find out more about the options ahead of them at the 2023 Gunnedah Youth Expo.
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For more information, contact Gunnedah Shire Council’s Communications team on (02) 6740 2100 or communications@gunnedah.nsw.gov.au.
March 6, 2024
Fluoride will be introduced to Gunnedah Shire’s town water supply on Monday, as recommended by New South Wales Health as a safe and effective way to help prevent tooth decay in the community.
Gunnedah Shire’s new water treatment plant has been built to allow centralised treatment of town water for the first time, and to allow fluoridation of the water.
The introduction follows an extensive testing and training process to meet NSW Health requirements.
The new centre has undergone rigorous testing and a qualified contractor is supervising and monitoring the introduction.
Fluoride does not impact on the taste or smell of drinking water.
Fluoridation is supported by many dental and health organisations, including the National Health and Medical Research Council, the World Health Organization, the Australian Dental Association, the Australian Medical Association, the Public Health Association of Australia, and the Royal Australasian College of Physicians.
To find out more about fluoridation of drinking water, visit NSW Health at https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/environment/water/Pages/fluoridation.aspx
Caption: Gunnedah's new water treatment centre. Image: Christiane Birkett.
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For more information, contact Gunnedah Shire Council’s Communications team on (02) 6740 2100 or communications@gunnedah.nsw.gov.au.
29 February, 2024
Applications for grants through the Gunnedah Shire Council Sister Cities Program have opened for initiatives that will bring us closer to our Sister Cities.
Gunnedah Shire has four Sister City partnerships:
• Kolomotu’a in the Kingdom of Tonga
• Lane Cove, NSW
• The Northern Beaches Council, NSW
• Yinzhou District of Ningbo, Zhejiang Province, China.
Mayor and Chair of the Sister Cities and Friendly Relationships Working Group Jamie Chaffey said Gunnedah Shire’s Sister City partnerships were a practical way to grow relationships with other areas that were of great benefit to both partners.
“We have recently built a very strong, family bond with our newest Sister City of Kolomotu’a in the Kingdom of Tonga,” Cr Chaffey said. “There are definite synergies there that mean we can have a wonderful exchange of cultural, economic and sporting resources and ideas.
“This Sister Cities Program provides financial support to our local businesses and organisations that can help maximise the benefits of our existing partnerships, or help us consider the targeted, strategic addition of new alliances.
“Each application will be assessed by the Sister Cities and Friendly Relationships Working Group with priority given to those that show they can deliver on the objectives of our Sister City agreements.
“We are looking for businesses and organisations that can build even stronger bridges between us, whether it’s through cultural projects, development of welcome materials, sporting exchanges or any other appropriate innovative idea.”
Council will provide grants for projects that meet the program criteria. Those projects that provide less than a 25% co-contribution for their project will be eligible for up to $5000. Those who demonstrate provision of a 25% or greater co-contribution will be eligible for consideration of grant amounts over $5000.
Applications will close on March 22, 2024.
To find out more, click here.
29 February 2024
We are aware that people have been removing road closure signs from Hunts Road.
We fully understand people’s frustration with the closure of Hunts Road between Bushs Lane and Reading Road.
The road has been closed since November 2022 when flooding caused significant damage.
Following the floods, Council identified Hunts Road as one of 51 major Gunnedah Shire sites in need of approval through the NSW Government’s Disaster Recovery Funding, and sent the required submission to Transport for New South Wales.
Despite the significant efforts of Gunnedah Shire Council, that application has not yet been approved. Without that approval, Gunnedah Shire ratepayers would be forced to meet the significant cost of repairing this road.
Gunnedah Shire Council continues to pursue Transport for New South Wales for approval to repair this road through Disaster Recovery Funding, as per the intent of the funding.
In the interim, we thank residents for their patience and ask motorists not to endanger fellow drivers by removing signage.
28 February, 2024
Gunnedah Shire Council is proud to support Weeks of Speed which begins on Saturday March 2.
The popular motorsport festival during the month of March is run by representatives of volunteer groups who utilise Council and commercial facilities to stage various activities including drag races, a hot rod display, motorkhana, whip cracking titles and a country music muster.
Mayor Jamie Chaffey encouraged the community to get behind this annual event and wished organisers the best of luck for a successful festival.
“Every year, the heartbeat of Gunnedah Shire picks up the pace for the Weeks of Speed,” Cr Chaffey said.
“This action-packed program combines an impressive line-up of events, from the Community Street Parade, Show ‘n’ Shine, Hot Rod Display, Parade Fly-over and Speedway Racing on the opening day of Saturday, March 2, to the Billy Boiling Championships, the Gunnedah Country Music Muster, the Drag-ens Safari, Motorkhana and the Rural Museum Demonstration Day, this is truly a month with something for everyone.
“We welcome the visitors who will attend this year’s Gunnedah Weeks of Speed and all the competitors. And we encourage our local community to take a look at just how much the Weeks of Speed has to offer.
“We live in a beautiful place and we are more than happy to show it off to all our visitors.
“I congratulate the committee on their work in bringing the program to life. Without the committee and the many, many volunteers of the organisations involved, this program of events would not happen.”
The Weeks of Speed program can be accessed at https://www.visitgunnedah.com.au/downloads/SITE-CONTENT/WHATS-ON/Event-Programs-Posters/WeeksOfSpeed.pdf
27 February 2024
Council supports Namoi Unlimited move
Gunnedah Shire Council this week resolved to support the Board of Namoi Unlimited (Namoi Joint Organisation) in its move to dissolve the organisation.
The board advised the best option for the region was for each of the member Councils to commit to an informal alliance that would deliver the same opportunities to collaborate and advocate on regional issues.
The current members of the Namoi Joint Organisation are Tamworth, Gunnedah, Walcha, Liverpool Plains and Gwydir.
Koori Kids School Initiative support
Council will continue its contribution as an associate partner with the Koori Kids School Initiative for a further three financial years (2023/2024 to 2025/2026 inclusive).
Koori Kids engages young people in a range of school initiatives to promote education and awareness of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture. Each year Koori Kids conducts the NAIDOC Week School Initiative Competitions for school-aged children. This is broken up into the primary and secondary school categories of: colouring-in, short story writing and creative and essay writing. Each year, Council will contribute $450 towards the program.
Working Groups nominations and changes
Libby Wicks and Caine Dorrington have been endorsed as the Indigenous Organisation representatives on the Gunnedah Crime Prevention Working Group and Sonya Lodge will now be the Community Representative on the Access Working Group.
In October and December 2023, the Gunnedah & District Chamber of Commerce & Industry informed Council of changes to representatives on a number of Working Groups. The required membership changes are:
• Crime Prevention Working Group - Damien Roman and Cameron Moore (alternate)
• Access Working Group - Lisa Berges
• Economy and Growth Working Group - Jasmine Alloway, Ben Hennessy and Michael Broekman
• Sister Cities and Friendly Relationship Working Group - Renee Torrens and Anthony Bishop
• Business Partner Program Advisory Group - Josh Cameron and Craig Neale.
Fees waived for Gunnedah Multiple Sclerosis
Council has endorsed a request from the Gunnedah MS Incorporated Group to waive hire fees by 50 % for its annual Christmas Fair held at the Gunnedah Showground on November 25, 2023.
Gunnedah MS is a not-for-profit group servicing the needs of residents within the shire that are affected by the auto-immune disease.
The group wrote retrospectively to Council requesting an in-kind donation of $330 towards the event held last year.
February 26, 2024
Gunnedah Shire Council is calling on the NSW Government to recognise the critical need for further funding for regional, rural and remote areas in this year’s State Budget.
Council this week endorsed a Mayoral Minute put forward by Mayor Jamie Chaffey to call on the government to allocate funding in the budget (which is due to be handed down in June) to six priority areas.
“We desperately need more funding for health, including delivery of the shortfall in funding for the Gunnedah Hospital Redevelopment Master Plan,” Cr Chaffey said.
“This is not a wish list item, it is an absolute must for our community.
“We are also seeking a commitment to increase spending on the NSW Police Force to increase front-line policing numbers in rural, regional and remote communities most at need, and to allow 24-hour, seven-day-a-week operations for Gunnedah’s police station.
“Further to this, we need the government to support regional growth and to ensure our share of essential funding is not forgotten. In the past, these programs have been available to us - the Stronger Country Communities Fund, Resources for Regions, Regional Events Acceleration Fund, Regional Tourism Activation Fund, Regional Sports Infrastructure, Regional Growth – Environment and Tourism, Regional Cultural Fund, Growing Local Economies and Regional Job Creation Fund.
“They have now been replaced by just two funds, the Regional Development Trust Fund and the Working Regions Fund.
“We also need funding to address housing shortages, skills shortages, and road and transport, where the government needs to deliver the Fixing Country Pinch Points Program.
“Regional areas are where the food, the fibre, minerals and energy for the entire state come from, yet we are being treated as second-class citizens.
“It’s time for true recognition of what is needed to equity between the regions and the metropolitan areas of our state.”
Councillors also endorsed a Mayoral Minute to write to the Premier, the NSW Treasurer and the NSW Minister for Local Government seeking that they urgently address costs identified through Local Government NSW’s (LGNSW) report: Cost shifting 2023: How State Costs Eat Council Rates.
Cr Chaffey said research commissioned by LGNSW showed the increase in cost shifting had been accelerated by NSW Government policies.
“The report shows $1.36 billion has been passed on to councils to fund in the 2021-22 financial year – that’s an increase of $540 million over the last report from the 2017-18 year,” he said.
“That represents an average extra $460.67 for every ratepayer across NSW. In Gunnedah Shire, which is classified as a large rural council, that figure is more like $490 per ratepayer.
“It’s just not fair or sustainable to expect local government to carry this ever-increasing shortfall while our own costs increase.
“It means our communities get less or go without. They go without better roads, they go without better parks, they go without important community services that only councils provide, and they and their ratepayers are effectively paying hidden taxes to other levels of government.”
You can read Local Government NSW’s (LGNSW) report: Cost shifting 2023: How State Costs Eat Council Rates here.
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For more information, contact Gunnedah Shire Council’s Communications team on (02) 6740 2100 or communications@gunnedah.nsw.gov.au.
February 26, 2024
Award-winning creator Jens Altheimer’s magical on-stage creation Whalebone will come to The Civic in Gunnedah this April.
Parents will need to book ahead for this very popular whimsical show that features a cool mix of contraptions, robotics, video animations and a touch of circus.
Designed to bring a smile to the faces of the whole family, Whalebone is especially geared towards 6-12 year-olds.
The live theatre performance takes the audience into the magical world of the “Depository”, a mysterious agency that safeguards human memories.
As a rogue AI threatens to erase our treasured stories, a solitary worker races against time. Can his quirky contraptions and eccentric machines shield our stories?
“We are all talking about the wonders and dangers of AI,” Gunnedah Shire Council Manager Economy & Growth Susan Frater said.
“And most children are already aware of how technology and the real world can collide – with sometimes weird and wonderful results.
“Whalebone celebrates the magic of stories and is about the comic clashes between man and machine, and what makes us human.”
Jens Altheimer has won an Adelaide Fringe Award for Best Production for Children with Squaring the Wheel and was nominated for the same award for Loose Ends.
Whalebone, which runs for 55 minutes and includes fast-paced video effects and twitchy sounds, will be on stage at The Civic at the special school holiday time of 6.30pm (as requested by parents!) on Wednesday, April 24. Tickets are $15.
To book your seats, visit https://ticketing.oz.veezi.com/purchase/5077?siteToken=jnnwp7qschbnhzvfrcche1asp4
Caption: The on-stage magic of Whalebone has something for the whole family.
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For more information, contact Gunnedah Shire Council’s Communications team on (02) 6740 2100 or communications@gunnedah.nsw.gov.au.
22 February, 2024
Gunnedah artists, community groups and schools are being called on to create artworks depicting a person, event, site or community group they believe best represents their local Shire.
Gunnedah Captured is an extension of the popular Gunnybalds exhibition that was held in 2022, and invites artists to submit works (in any medium) that celebrate the people and happenings in Gunnedah.
Gunnedah Shire Council Manager Economy and Growth Susan Frater encouraged creative locals to get behind the concept.
“This is a fantastic opportunity for artists to showcase what they believe makes Gunnedah great. There are many different reasons why this region is important to people and we can’t wait to see all of the submissions,” she said.
Submissions are due on Monday 29 April and entry forms are available via https://www.thecivic.com.au/art--exhibitions or can be collected from The Civic at 83 Chandos St, Gunnedah.
Artworks will be displayed in the Bicentennial Creative Arts Gallery from Friday, May 3 to Friday June 7, 2024.
There will be interactive opportunities to create and engage with Gunnedah Captured with the official opening set to take place at 6pm on Friday May 3.
