Customer Relations, Communications & Lifestyle
11 September 2024
The program that has helped launch hundreds of local young people into the first step of their careers has opened for applications for 2025.
The Gunnedah Community Scholarship Fund has seen close to 500 scholarships awarded since it began more than 20 years ago.
Gunnedah Shire Council General Manager Eric Groth said the Gunnedah Community Scholarship Fund was a partnership between business, the local community and Gunnedah Shire Council that was an investment in the future of regional New South Wales.
“The Gunnedah Community Scholarship Fund offers scholarships to local students who are under 25 to help them pursue the next step of their education,” Mr Groth said.
“Over the years, we have seen many students use the funding to help with expenses such as textbooks, relocation, living expenses or tuition fees. It can make a big difference when a regional student is taking that first step towards their chosen career.
“It has assisted students further their training and education at university, TAFE and other accredited organisations, and study everything from the arts to law, engineering, health and education.
“We have also seen many young people go on to make a difference in their chosen career in regional New South Wales, including those who have come to work as teachers, medical professionals and a range of other professions that are very important to Gunnedah Shire.”
Young people can apply for a Gunnedah Community Scholarship and take a look at the guidelines online at www.gunnedah.nsw.gov.au. Applications close on Wednesday, 8 January 2025 at 5pm to allow time for students to receive university offers.
In 2024, 28 young people were assisted in starting their education adventure through the fund.
If you, your business or community group would like to become a sponsor of the Gunnedah Community Scholarship Fund, please contact Council on (02) 6740 2100 or council@gunnedah.nsw.gov.au
Find out everything you need to know, including application forms, here... https://www.gunnedah.nsw.gov.au/index.php/community/community-services/grants-sponsorship/item/955-gunnedah-community-scholarship-fund
Caption: Some of the recipients of the 2024 Gunnedah Community Scholarship Fund at the presentation earlier this year.
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Media and communications team contact: (02) 6740 2100.
9 September 2024
If your four to eleven-year-old and the rest of the family love a fractured fairy tale, then Little Red in the Hood could be just the ticket.
This interactive, educational live performance for children is coming to The Civic in the Gunnedah Cultural Precinct for two shows – 11am and 1pm – on Wednesday, 25 September.
Little Red loves her Granny – and her neighbourhood!
She is like a super-hero in a hoodie, watching out for her neighbours’ houses when they are away and always on the lookout for litterbugs and people who don’t know how to recycle.
Every story has a troublemaker and the troublemaker in this story is Walter, the Big Bad Wolf. He is a bit more medium-sized and cheeky than big and bad, but he has his beady eye on Granny’s chocolate cake.
This 50-minute show by Jally Entertainment is a very different twist to the classic Red Riding Hood with great educational messages.
Tickets for the performances at 11am and 1pm on Wednesday, 25 September are $15 and are available through LIVE THEATRE & EVENTS, The Civic Cinema I Gunnedah. Tickets are selling fast so don’t miss out.
Caption: Little Red in the Hood offers some lively and educational action for kids.
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Media and communications team contact: (02) 6740 2100.
4 September 2024
Gunnedah Shire has welcomed 15 new residents to Australia with a Citizenship Ceremony held today at the Civic.
Gunnedah Shire General Manager Eric Groth said the event, catered by Red Cross, was held ahead of Australian Citizenship Day on 17 September.
“We live in a beautiful part of a great country, and we are proud to welcome 15 new citizens to Australia,” Mr Groth said.
“Today, we welcomed people who were born in Fiji, the Philippines, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Pakistan and South Africa, who will add to the wonderful, vibrant mix of people and cultures we already have in Gunnedah Shire. This is always a special day in our calendar.”
Congratulations to:
• Rajendran Krishnan Mudaliar (born in Fiji)
• Jenneza Canoy Hickman (born in the Philippines)
• Rhea Atienza Aceveda (born in the Philippines)
• Corenna Renae Doolan (born in New Zealand)
• Pham Dang Phuong Tong (born in Vietnam)
• Emori Waqavulagi (born in Fiji)
• Marinus Abraham Jacobus de Wilde (born in the Netherlands)
• Jhonacel Ancero Bronola (born in the Philippines)
• Muhammad Hashir Siddiqui (born in Pakistan)
• Johan Frederick Weilbach (born in South Africa)
• Barendina Petronella Weilbach (born in South Africa)
• Kayla Weilbach (born in South Africa)
• Tracey Elizabeth Castle (born in New Zealand)
• Nicole Alexandra Castle (born in New Zealand)
• Jack Michael Castle (born in New Zealand).
Every year, Australia welcomes thousands of new citizens for Australian Citizenship Day.
Caption: New citizens are welcomed as Australians by Gunnedah Shire Council.
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Media and communications team contact: (02) 6740 2100.
3 September, 2024
Gunnedah’s Wandobah Reserve – Off Leash Dog Park will open this Saturday, and dogs of Gunnedah and their owners are invited!
Gunnedah Shire Council Director Infrastructure Services Jeremy Bartlett said the Off Leash Dog Park had been created at the request of dog owners throughout Gunnedah and would provide a place where dogs could play and mingle within a fenced area.
“The Wandobah Reserve – Off Leash Dog Park is an important new park for our Shire,” Mr Bartlett said.
“It is a secure fenced area where dogs and their owners can enjoy a bit of exercise and socialising.
“The construction and final design of the Off Leash Dog Park is a direct result of an extensive amount of community consultation that was undertaken as part of the project. The features include a secure double gate entrance, separate yards for large and small dogs, clear signage, bins, dog waste bags, agility equipment, water fountains for both owners and dogs, seating and also lighting for safe entry and exit.
“The park includes play equipment for the dogs that has utilised materials from other Council facilities, offering a great environmentally and budget-friendly solution.
“We invite dog owners to come and take a look and enjoy the park, remembering to please follow the information on the signage and to be mindful of other users.”
The Wandobah Reserve – Off Leash Dog Park will officially open with an event from 10am to 11am this Saturday, 7 September. The event will include a Best Dressed Dog Competition run by the Animal Welfare League of NSW Gunnedah, with free microchip checks and Companion Animal Register updates available.
Caption: Awaiting the final touches: The Wandobah Reserve – Off Leash Dog Park will open on Saturday.
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Media and communications team contact: (02) 6740 2100.
27 August 2024
A new exhibition to open at the Gunnedah Bicentennial Creative Arts Gallery on Friday, 6 September is an adventure into the transformation of the human body from infancy through to old age.
Manilla’s Marilynne Barnes, whose own journey as an artist has seen her work with other talented artists and study fine arts, works in a variety of mediums and styles but remains true to one subject.
“Quite often, my exhibitions look like they have been done by different people,” she says. “I just can’t settle on one style. The only thing that is constant is the human form.”
Fascinated with the shape and language of the human body, Marilynne Barnes creates works that range from drawings to acrylics to oils, and often mixes mediums to achieve the desired mood.
The exhibition – A Lifetime of Change – will feature more than 40 works, many of them new, with artworks for sale.
“These are paintings and artworks of different stages of life, both male and female, from children through to adolescents and old age,” she says.
Everyone is invited to the opening of A Lifetime of Change at the Gunnedah Bicentennial Creative Arts Gallery at 6pm on Friday, 6 September with free entry. The exhibition is open every day until Friday, 11 October with free entry.
For more information, visit www.thecivic.com.au
Caption: A section of Marilynne Barnes’s work The Golden Glow.
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Media and communications team contact: (02) 6740 2100.
19 August, 2024
Two community drop-in sessions will be held this week for people who want to learn more about the draft Master Plans for Kitchener Park, Wolseley Oval, the Showground and the Riverine Precinct (including Donnelly Fields), which are all currently on public exhibition.
The following drop-in sessions will be held outside Gunnedah Newsagency in Conadilly Street:
- Thursday, 22 August, 2024 – 3-5pm
- Friday, 23 August, 2024 – 9-11am
The draft Master Plans provide Council with direction for these four much-loved open spaces and have been created following community consultation for each site.
The documents are available for review at Gunnedah Shire Council’s Administration Building at 63 Elgin Street, Gunnedah or on Council’s website at www.gunnedah.nsw.gov.au
If you have feedback on the draft plans on exhibition, please make a submission via the following methods:
- Email council@infogunnedah.com.au with the name of the plan in the subject line. Please include your name and contact details
- Complete an online form via the Contact Us section of Council’s website
- Post your submission to Gunnedah Shire Council, PO Box 63, Gunnedah, 2380 or hand it over the counter at Council’s Administration Building at 63 Elgin Street, Gunnedah.
Submissions will be accepted through until 5pm on Monday, 23 September 2024.
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Media and communications team contact: (02) 6740 2100.
15 August, 2024
A draft Gunnedah Memorial Park Cemetery Master Plan that plans for the 50 years ahead is now on public exhibition.
The draft Master Plan has been created by consultants Locale Consulting following stakeholder meetings and a community survey asking people for their feedback about the future of this important part of our community.
Gunnedah Shire Council Director Infrastructure Services Jeremy Bartlett said the draft Gunnedah Memorial Park Cemetery Master Plan included a blueprint for significant expansion of the cemetery.
“About half of the site of the Gunnedah Memorial Park Cemetery has been developed as the green and respectful space where many of our community’s loved ones are remembered today,” Mr Bartlett said.
“We would like to have a seamless transition to the southern part of the site, and this draft master plan provides us with a framework to plan ahead.
“62% of respondents to the community survey preferred the second option, which was for a lawn-style cemetery combined with a partial natural area to the west. Alongside the formal part of the Memorial Park, people wanted to see a native garden area with a memorial garden space with walking trails, reflective seating areas, memorial spaces, and a large central shelter.
“This draft Master Plan includes this along with providing for improved pedestrian access to all areas, signage and traffic flow. It provides for a natural extension of what is already a space that allows people to remember their loved ones in peaceful surroundings.”
Survey respondents identified five aspects as being most important for future planning of the Memorial Park. They are:
- Good access, such as pathways, particularly for older people
• Ensuring that the cemetery is safe and secure
• Having places for cremated remains to be interred
• Having beautifully maintained gardens
• A naturally beautiful environment using native plants and trees.
The draft Master Plan includes the existing partnership with the areas of the cemetery – the chapel, crematorium and memorial garden area in front of the chapel – owned by Lightfoot Funerals.
To view and find out how to put in a submission about the Gunnedah Memorial Park Cemetery Master Plan, click here. Submissions will close at 5pm on Monday, 14 October, 2024.
Caption: Gunnedah Memorial Park Cemetery includes a significant additional area that will be developed in years to come.
ENDS
Media and communications team contact: (02) 6740 2100.
15 August, 2024
Motions for the 2024 Local Government NSW Annual Conference
Gunnedah Shire Council will submit six motions for consideration by the 2024 Local Government NSW Annual Conference on Sunday, 17 November, 2024 in Tamworth.
Councillors voted yesterday at their final Ordinary Meeting for this term to submit the following motions:
1. That LGNSW request that the NSW Government review the pension discount amounts so that they are more equitable and reflect current circumstances. That pension discounts are to be fully funded by the NSW Government and indexed annually by CPI to bring NSW in line with the other states.
2. That LGNSW request that the NSW Government provide a pool of funds out of which regional and rural local governments can apply for funds to support accessible public pools.
3. That LGNSW request that the NSW Government, as a matter of urgency, review obstetric services in Gunnedah and Tamworth with the aim of allowing women to give birth in their local area.
4. That the State Government call on the Federal Government to restore to Local Government the Federal Assistance Grants to 1% of federal taxation revenue.
5. That the State Government works with NSW councils to address the systemic funding issues that are giving rise to many councils continuing to seek large increases in general rates by way of Special Rate Variations, and that existing sources of funding provided to local government be reviewed and higher levels of funding be directed into ongoing operational support instead of competitive special purpose grants to assist councils to become financially sustainable.
6. That LGNSW rejects the NSW State Government Ministerial Statement of Expectations Order 2024 regarding establishing of targets and expectations for average development assessment timeframes for NSW local government councils without allocation of additional resourcing and funding or the targets will lead to unintended negative outcomes on development within local communities.
Council looks to support Community Fun Day
Council has moved to endorse $2,250 each year as a financial contribution towards the delivery of the NAIDOC Community Fun Day for the 2024-25, 2025-26 and 2026-27 financial years.
The NAIDOC Community Fun Day, organised by the Gunnedah NAIDOC Week Committee, has been postponed from NAIDOC Week in July to Sunday, 29 September in consideration of the cold weather impacts on Elders.
Gunnedah Shire Council has supported the Community Fun Day at Wolseley Park for more than 12 years.
The Council resolution to continue support for the event will be placed on public exhibition for 28 days, and can be viewed at www.gunnedah.nsw.gov.au
Council adopts disABILITY Inclusion Action Plan
Gunnedah Shire Council has adopted the Gunnedah Shire disABILITY Inclusion Action Plan 2024-2028.
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.
The three versions of the plan – a text version, an easy-read version and the full version - include 10 objectives and 48 actions across four focus areas. The plans can be viewed at www.gunnedah.nsw.gov.au
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Media and communications team contact: (02) 6740 2100.
14 August 2024
Gunnedah Shire is lucky enough to have an amazing Cultural Precinct featuring the Gunnedah Bicentennial Creative Arts Gallery, the Civic Cinema and the Visitor Information Centre, as well as permanent art installations.
Community groups and schools can book free tours through Gunnedah Shire Council to introduce members or children to the Cultural Precinct.
Gunnedah Shire Council Manager Economy & Growth Susan Frater said this was a wonderful opportunity to take an in-depth look at the Shire’s vibrant cultural facilities.
“Whether it is for 15 minutes or a full hour, there is plenty to see at Gunnedah Shire Council’s Cultural Precinct,” Ms Frater said.
“There are murals, installations and interactive activities as well as a rich history behind the buildings and murals. It can be an opportunity to take an up-close look at an exhibition and see it from a different perspective.”
Groups must be supervised by an organiser/teacher/supervisor and groups are welcome to bring morning tea. There will be a cost if the group requires coffee, tea and biscuits.
To discuss a tour, contact the Civic on 6740 2100 or email council@gunnedah.nsw.gov.au
ENDS
Media and communications team contact: (02) 6740 2100.
13 August, 2024
Gunnedah Shire will once again host Australia’s biggest field days when AgQuip opens on August 20.
AgQuip brings the world to Gunnedah and Gunnedah to the world as thousands of visitors flock to the field days site on Black Jack Road.
Gunnedah Shire Council Manager Economy & Growth Susan Frater said Gunnedah Shire was at the heart of this important event.
“AgQuip is a born and bred Gunnedah Shire event that has played a huge role in bringing innovation to the agricultural community over more than 50 years,” Ms Frater said.
“We welcome all the exhibitors, visitors and sponsors to AgQuip and to Gunnedah, and invite them to spend time in our great Shire, whether it is through shopping, dining, accommodation or some of the many other attractions we have to offer.
“Gunnedah Shire Council is a sponsor of AgQuip, and we congratulate ACM Agri on once again making this wonderful event a reality.”
The community is asked to be patient on the roads during the AgQuip Field Days on Tuesday, 20 August to Thursday, 22 August while Gunnedah Shire hosts AgQuip visitors.
There will be changes to traffic conditions between 7am and 7pm on these days. Blackjack Road will be closed at the Oxley Highway intersection and motorists are requested to use Hunts Road instead.
Please drive carefully and according to conditions, and pay heed to road signage.
Gunnedah Shire Council will have a stand at the AgQuip Field Days in Pavilion 2. Staff will be available on site throughout the three days.
Caption: The Gunnedah Koala out and about at the AgQuip Field Days in 2023.
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Media and communications team contact: (02) 6740 2100.
