Youth Week is a national celebration, providing the opportunity for young people to

• share ideas
• attend live events
• have their voices heard on issues of concern to them
• showcase their talents
• celebrate their contribution to the community
• take part in competitions
• meet new people
• and most importantly, have fun!

Gunnedah will be celebrating Youth week in a big way, with many events on offer from 31 March - 7 April 2017. Come and join the fun, there are loads of activities for young people and their families to enjoy.

View the Gunnedah Youth Week 2017 Program below:

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Friday 31 March: Youth Week Launch Party
Time: 6.00pm-8.00pm
Venue: The Civic Theatre

Gunnedah will be launching their Youth Week celebrations with a night of performances and the premiering of the Youth Video Project film - made by and featuring many local young people. This event is free, and features free tacos too! This is an event for the whole family.

Saturday 1 April: Kick, Push, Coast Skate Fest
Time: 12.30pm-5.30pm
Venue: Gunnedah Skate Park

We'll be kicking it old school with All Aboard Skateboarding Sessions, Henna tattooing and the Youth Week Pop-up shop. Listen to some hip hop beats and chill with your friends - what a great way to spend your Saturday!

The youth week pop up shop features products made by our very own yr10 GHS students, who have been spending first term developing entrepreneurial skills. Come down and buy a one of a kind t-shirt, a card for mother’s day, or try a freshly made watermelon juice! Prices range from $2-$40, so bring your wallets and try our wares! All proceeds go to Gunnedah Youth Council.

Tuesday 4 April: Gunnedah Youth Expo
Time: 9.30am-3.30pm
Venue: Gunnedah Town Hall

The 3rd Annual Gunnedah Youth Expo is a FREE event aimed at providing 12-25yr olds and their families an opportunity to access local and state services that can support their wellbeing and life path. It will run from 9.30am-3.30pm. For those coming down in their lunch break, there will be a FREE sausage sizzle, so we have you covered ;-)

Some of the services attending this year include:

• Challenge Community Services
• Department of Human Services
• University of New England
• University of Newcastle
• HNE LHD Clinic 468
• Headspace
• Winanga-li ACFC
• NSW Rural Fire Service
• PCYC
• Gunnedah Shire Library
• Dorothea Mackellar Poetry Awards
• North & North West Community Legal Service
• Gunnedah Family Support
• Gunnedah Family Support Homebase
• NSW Ombudsman
• Gunnedah Youth Council
• Gunnedah Shire Council Youth Services
• Gunnedah Conservatorium
• Tamworth Regional Youth Centre
• Careers Network Inc.

There are plenty of giveaways, prizes and valuable information to gain. This is an opportunity not to be missed.

Wednesday 5 April: Hump Day Sessions
Time: 5.15pm-6.15pm & 6.45pm-8.30pm
Venue: The Smithurst Theatre

Wednesday 5th April is Hump Day! Hump Day is a fun and positive event focusing on sexual health during NSW Youth Week. This year we will be holding two FREE events in partnership with Clinic 468 to support this important initiative - Parents Info Session & Hump Day 2017!

Parent’s info Session – There will be a clinician and sexual health educator from Clinic 468 to help equip parents with strategies and information to better support their young person’s sexual health. This is a workshop for parents of children of all ages and stages of life. This is a great opportunity to ask questions and seek strategies in a supportive environment.

Hump Day 2017! 15-25yr olds only event - Get a group of friends together and join us for a fun night of games, videos and Q&A sessions around sexual health and consent. We'll even chuck in some free pizza to sweeten the deal and give you something to focus on if you’re blushing due to the subject matter (p.s. you won’t be - it will not be embarrassing at all! :-)

Thursday 6 April: Try-A-Trade
Time: 9.00am-3.00pm
Venue: Gunnedah TAFE

Gunnedah Chamber of Commerce and TAFE New England have teamed up to present Try-a-Trade! This event enables young people to choose from 10 trade skill sets, and gain hands on experience in their trade of choice. They will receive information on job opportunities within the region and course requirements to pursue their trade in the future. Professionals in Gunnedah have been invited along to provide greater insight into the trade areas, to show real life examples and provide information on their own businesses and how they got into their chosen trade. They will act as an additional source of support for the young people on the day. For more information on this event, contact Alysha M: 0409 145 921 E: admin@gunnedah.org.au 

 Friday 7 April: Be Here, Be Heard Youth Art Exhibition Opening & Youth Week $5 Movie: Boyhood
Time: 6.00pm-10.00pm
Venue: Creative Arts Gallery & The Civic Theatre

Gunnedah Shire's young artists will have their talents on display, as we conclude Gunnedah Youth Week with our ‘Be Here, Be Heard’ Youth Art Exhibition opening.

Parents and young people are invited to stay on for our Youth Week $5 Movie:

Boyhood (rated M).
Boyhood is a multi-award winning film that was shot with the same cast over 12 years.
Boyhood is a 2014 American coming-of-age drama film, written and directed by Richard Linklater, and starring Patricia Arquette, Ellar Coltrane, Lorelei Linklater, and Ethan Hawke. Filmed from 2002 to 2013, Boyhood depicts the childhood and adolescence of Mason Evans, Jr. (Coltrane) from ages six to eighteen as he grows up in Texas with divorced parents (Arquette and Hawke).

For more information on Youth Week 2017, please contact Sewa on 6740 2100 or council@infogunnedah.com.au 

SEE YOU IN YOUTH WEEK!

ENDS

Media Contact: Eliza Gallen 6740 2100.

At the November Council Meeting, Gunnedah Shire Council resolved to offer up to $100,000 funding over twelve months for the Gunnedah Waterways Wildlife Park. The funds are proposed to cover up to $75,000 for the appointment of a Wildlife Park Manager, and up to $25,000 for the accommodation of the manager who will be instituted at the park as part of a strategic plan to improve compliance and enable the park to remain open now and into the future.

The park has been experiencing difficulty for some time and Council has been working closely with the DPI and the Smalls to navigate an outcome to ensure the park stays open. Friends of the Wildlife Park will meet with representatives from Council, Featherdale Wildlife Park and the DPI on Monday evening to discuss logistics and determine how the park will operate under the new structure.

“This is such a great outcome. The Smalls, along with Friends of the Wildlife Park have done a wonderful job of providing this facility for the community for many years. It really is such an asset to our community- from both an educational and tourism standpoint. We are very pleased that Council can work together with Nancy and Col and the DPI, so that the Park will remain open for future generations to enjoy.” Gunnedah Shire Council Mayor Jamie Chaffey said.

“We are pleased to be working collectively with Nancy and Colin Small, Friends of Waterways Wildlife Park Inc., Featherdale Wildlife Park, and Gunnedah Shire Council in an effort to ensure the viability of the Park into the future” said Peter Day, Director, Biosecurity and & Food Safety Compliance, Department Primary Industries NSW.

ENDS

Media Contact: Eliza Gallen 6740 2100.

Below is a listing of Gunnedah Shire Council's current draft plans, policies and items on exhibition. 

View Planning-related Draft Plans & Exhibition here.

If you have feedback on a draft plan, policy or item on exhibition, please submit it via one of the below methods:

• Email council@gunnedah.nsw.gov.au with the name of the plan, policy or item in the subject line. Please include your name and contact details.
• Complete an online form.
• Post your submission to Gunnedah Shire Council, PO Box 63, Gunnedah NSW 2380 or hand your hard copy submission over the counter at Council’s Administration Building at 63 Elgin Street, Gunnedah.

Please be aware that if you make a submission, other people may have access to your comments. This may be as a result of a report to a Council meeting or as part of an application under the Government Information (Public Access) Act 2009. Further details are available on request from Council.

If no items are listed below, Gunnedah Shire Council currently has nothing to display.

During February, March and April, Gunnedah Shire Council is rolling out a series of community engagement activities that will assist in the update for the Community Strategic Plan (CSP).

Four years ago Council worked alongside the local community to develop our Community Strategic Plan. Since then, our community has seen many changes and it’s time to take stock, see if we’re on the right track and update the plan.

To get started, we want to hear from all community members so that we can understand your priorities and ideas for the Gunnedah Shire, now and into the future.

The plan brings community groups and other tiers of Government together, so we’re all working toward a shared vision for the future of our community.

WAYS TO BE INVOLVED

Postcards
Keep an eye out in your mailbox over the next couple of weeks- you will be receiving a ‘Postcard to the Mayor’. This is a place to put some of your big ideas for the Gunnedah Shire. Let us know what you like best about living here, and what you’d like to see improve. Its reply paid, so just post it back. If snail mail isn’t your thing- there is an online version of the survey located here: www.surveymonkey.com/r/XXXYBQR 

Community Vision Board
On Saturday 4th March and Wednesday 8th March head down to the Smithurst Theatre court yard and you’ll find a huge community vision board. You can get involved by adding your own stamp and contributing to a collection of ideas for the future in Gunnedah.

Youth Video Project
Our Youth Development Officer and Youth Council are leading the charge with a Youth based video project. During the week of the 6-10th March, they will have a videographer in tow and will be visiting schools and approaching young people around town to ask them what we should prioritise for the future. There will also be a community wide video being filmed at the same time. If you’re a young person aged 12-25 and would like to be involved in the production, please get in contact with our Youth Development officer by calling 67402100.

For more information including all the other ways you can have your say, visit www.infogunnedah.com.au or give us a call on 02 6740 2100.

ENDS

Media Contact: Eliza Gallen 6740 2100.

Back to Business Week is a NSW Government initiative that celebrates small to medium businesses and promotes and supports the critical role they play in local communities. Gunnedah Shire Council is hosting a ‘Back to Business Week Breakfast’ next Friday, 3 March 2017 at The Civic.

Linda Hailey, one of Australia’s leading experts on small business is the guest speaker for the event. She will cover a number of issues relating to small business. She has a wealth of knowledge, having run her own small business consulting practice for 20 years, written two bestselling business books and is the resident small business expert on Kochies ‘Business Builders TV program. She has also inspired countless small business owners at hundreds of conference and seminar presentations.

“We’re really committed to supporting economic development in the Gunnedah Shire. Our business community is the backbone of our Shire and it's important that we celebrate its diversity and resilience.” Gunnedah Shire Council’s Director of Planning and Environmental Services Andrew Johns said.

“Keynote speaker, Linda Hailey, is a very well respected speaker and I'm sure that attendees will benefit from her knowledge” he concluded.

Anyone involved in business (small, medium or large) in the Gunnedah Shire is invited to attend the event. Places are limited, so head to www.thecivic.com.au to register.
For more information, please contact our Customer Relations Team on 67402100.

ENDS

Media Contact: Eliza Gallen 6740 2100.

The NSW Government has agreed to develop water resource plans as part of implementing the Murray-Darling Basin Plan 2012 (the Basin Plan). The Namoi & Peel surface water (SW14) Water Resource Plan is currently being developed and covers all surface water in the Namoi Valley.

The Namoi & Peel surface water (SW14) Water Resource Plan Status and Issues Paper summarises the status of surface water resources and issues that DPI Water will consider when developing the Namoi & Peel surface water (SW14) Water Resource Plan. Additional issues raised during submission and consultation periods will be considered during the development process.

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Copies of the Namoi & Peel surface water (SW14) Water Resource Plan Status and Issues Paper can be obtained at the following locations:

• Namoi Water Shop 3, 69 Maitland Street, Narrabri.
• Wee Waa Library Cnr Rose and George Street, Wee Waa.
• North West Local Land Services (Walgett) 75 Fox Street, Walgett.
• North West Local Land Services (Gunnedah) 35-37 Abbott Street, Gunnedah.
• Tamworth Regional Council Ray Walsh House 437 Peel Street, Tamworth.
• Liverpool Plains Shire 60 Station Street, Quirindi.

Alternatively, phone 1800 316 778 to arrange for a copy to be posted.

HAVE YOUR SAY

DPI Water invites Namoi stakeholders, particularly surface water users, to comment on this Status and Issues Paper.

Stakeholders may submit feedback via email or post:

• namoi.sw.wrp@dpi.nsw.gov.au
• DPI Water PO Box 68, Armidale NSW 2350.

DPI Water will acknowledge all submissions in writing.

GoCo and The Salvation Army are making morning tea memorable with a tea party in the new Salvation Army Hall in Tempest St. On the third Tuesday of each month, GoCo and The Salvation Army are putting on a spread of scones and sandwiches, providing a social outing that won’t break the bank.

“We have a fantastic new venue, and we want to create a space for people to come and socialize,” Major Gaye Day of The Salvation Army said. “Gunnedah has lots of people who are keen to make new friends and connect with community groups. The Tea Party in Tempest Street will bring people together.”

A Tea Party in Tempest Street will be held in the Salvation Army Hall from 10.30 am on the third Tuesday of each month. A bus will be available for transport. For more information contact Major Gaye Day on 0407 034 604, follow GoCo on the Go Community Care on Facebook, or drop into the GoCo office at 80 Marquis St.

ENDS

Media Contact: Eliza Gallen 6740 2100.

Gunnedah Shire Council is excited to announce that acclaimed short film director Eddy Bell will be officially opening 2017 Flickerfest in Gunnedah this Sunday, 26 February at The Civic.

Flickerfest 2017 is a selection of entertaining, inspiring and award-winning films, giving local Flickerfest audiences the first look at the hottest shorts in the world today.

Mr Bell’s short film ‘I’m Banksy’ was hand-picked from the festival’s 2400 entries as one of the finalists in the Best of Australian Shorts. The film is a delightful tongue in cheek satire about Raymond Banks ‘An 8-year old climate change alarmist who’s out to bring down the family business.’

Mr Bell has been awarded an impressive number of accolades for his work including Cannes Young Director Award, Australian Director's Guild Award, the Panavision and Orloff Trust Award for Best Screenplay, the Rouben Mamoulian Award for Best Director (Short Film) at the Sydney Film Festival, Best Australian Short Film at the Melbourne International Film Festival, Best Australian Short film at Flickerfest and most recently the Craft Award at St Kilda Film Festival.

“We’re really excited that Mr Bell is joining us to open our Flickerfest screening. The preview for his film ‘I’m Raymond’ looks hilarious and very spirited. This is a great opportunity for anyone, particularly film buffs, to come along and see the work of some of the world’s best short film makers. We are also very lucky to have one of Australia’s best talents in film making joining us for the occasion.” Gunnedah Shire Council Lauren Mackley said.

The Civic will screen two sessions on Sunday- the Best of Australian Shorts program along with the Short Laughs Comedy program. Tickets are $35 and include both sessions plus drinks and canapés. Doors open at 4.00pm.

Tickets are limited so book your tickets online at www.thecivic.com.au or in person at The Visitor Information Centre, Chandos Street or Council’s Administration building at 63 Elgin Street, Gunnedah
For any further information, please contact The Civic on 6742 0633

ENDS

Media Contact: Eliza Gallen 6740 2100.

The next Civic Cinema Sensory Sessions will take place at 5.00pm Friday 21 July 2017 with the family movie ‘Cars 3.’ The Civic has partnered with GoCo and Connections 4 Kids to create a safe, accepting environment for children and young adults with diverse sensory needs.

Sensory Sessions feature soft sound and low light throughout the movie, free range seating, a quiet corner outside the movie theatre for anyone who needs a break, and an intermission for everyone to have a stretch and move around.

‘We’re really looking forward to providing an inclusive opportunity for people who may not usually feel comfortable attending a movie,’ Chris Frend, Tourism and Cultural Precinct Supervisor said.

‘We hope that by providing regular, ongoing screenings it will create an opportunity for families to have an outing together. The whole community is welcome to attend, and we anticipate many people will prefer the sensory friendly environment,’ he concluded.

Tickets prices are standard, with concessions available for students, seniors, DVA Gold Card and Companion Card holders. For more information please contact The Civic on 67402266, or to stay updated about available sessions go to www.thecivic.com.au or follow ‘The Civic, Gunnedah’ on Facebook.

ENDS

Media Contact: Eliza Gallen 6740 2100.

Fresh tenders for the Gunnedah Memorial Pool Complex Upgrade Project will be sought after only one tender was received for the $7.8 million project.

At last night’s meeting, Gunnedah Shire Council decided to seek fresh tenders and quotations for the proposed works from suitably qualified contractors for the works outside the standard tender process. The lack of competitive tenders and the need to obtain the best value for money for the community were cited as reasons for not accepting the tender received.

General Manager, Eric Groth said Council would now source prices from appropriately qualified contractors for the project.

“Council’s decision means we are able to negotiate with contractors and evaluate quotations for individual elements of the project to ensure that the community receives a quality outcome at the best price” Mr Groth said.

Council’s Architect’s GHD and the project management team will now directly seek quotations from construction firms and pool specialists for the works.

“New prices will be obtained for the overall project as well as specific construction elements to allow Council to fully evaluate the costs,” Mr Groth said.

It is anticipated that the new tendering and quotation process will take eight weeks to complete.

ENDS

Media Contact: Eliza Gallen 6740 2100.