COMPLETE THE SHORT ONLINE SURVEY HERE

An important new initiative between Gunnedah Shire Council and Liverpool Plains Shire Council is aimed at increasing the capacity of our communities to prepare for, respond to, and recover from drought.

Supported by the Regional Drought Resilience Planning Program – funded by the Australian Government and NSW Government under the Future Drought Fund – our two local government areas have begun the process of developing our own Regional Drought Resilience Plan.

Seftons has been appointed to notify you of this consultation opportunity and we need your help and insights to ensure the plan is as relevant, effective and practical as possible for our community.

• Have you got ideas on how to support our region during drought?
• Are there lessons learned from past droughts?
• When the last drought hit, where did you source information, support and advice? And was it helpful?

Your thoughts and feedback will help inform our planning and future investment in the community, and in fact holds the key to developing a raft of activities and strategies to boost economic, environmental and social resilience in our community in times of drought.

A comprehensive consultation process is about to get underway, and there are a number of ways to get involved. You can:

ATTEND A COMMUNITY MEETING; 

Tuesday, 9 April 2024 | 12pm-2pm 

Gunnedah, Smithurst Theatre, 158 Conadilly Street Gunnedah, NSW

- for community members, NGO and general public representatives. 

To register, visit: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/877027200967?aff=oddtdtcreator

Thursday, 18 April 2024 | 6pm-8pm 

Gunnedah, Smithurst Theatre, 158 Conadilly Street Gunnedah, NSW

- for business and industry representatives.

To register, visit: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/877087240547?aff=oddtdtcreator

VISIT A COMMUNITY POP-UP

COMPLETE THE SHORT ONLINE SURVEY HERE

Gunnedah Shire Council is committed to community consultation as a way of ensuring Council provides services and programs in line with the needs and preferences of the community.

Council’s community consultation program allows people to become involved in Council’s decision-making processes so they can help shape decisions that affect them and their community.

Examples of community consultation include asking the community for feedback on Council policies, service delivery performance or involving the community in the progress or review of specific projects or developments.

For more information, please refer to Council’s Community Engagement Policy below.

Gunnedah Shire Council proudly endevours to deliver a consistently high standard of customer service to all stakeholders.

For further information, please refer to our Customer Service Charter below.

Gunnedah Shire Council welcomes all feedback in relation to our services. We would be pleased to know what we have done well, and very receptive to feedback regarding what we have not done so well. Compliments and complaints can be submitted using the form on our Contact Us page.

To support the actions underpinning the Gunnedah Shire Disability Inclusion Action Plan 2017-2021, Council has a strong commitment to ensuring our complaints mechanisms are accessible to all, and encourages other organisations to do the same.

For further information regarding the complaints process, please refer to our Complaints Handling Policy below.

Tips for Accessible Complaints Handling

The NSW Ombudsman has released two resources to assist organisations to deliver an accessible complaint handling service and both are designed to be included in training and induction packages, and on any organisations intranet and/or website. Hardcopies of the factsheet or a copy of the video on a USB (at no cost) can be obtained by emailing training@ombo.nsw.gov.au 

My Right To Be Heard

This video features five people with disability who provide personal insights into their lives and the importance of being heard. The Deputy Ombudsman and Disability Services Commissioner also appear in the video, sending a strong message about the obligation of all agencies and their staff to adopt an inclusive and ‘person centred’ approach to complaint handling. The Commissioner’s message is supported by practical advice from one of their most experienced complaints handlers. Check out the video below. 

Tips for Accessible Complaint Handling

This is a practical guide for frontline staff about adopting a person-centred and inclusive approach to complaints. Check out: NSW Ombudsman Tips for Accessible Complaint Handling

Welcome to Gunnedah! A vibrant, warm and friendly town surrounded by the expansive Liverpool Plains and framed by the Nandewar Ranges.

The Koala Capital of the world offers much more than just our famous furry friends! With a population of approx. 12,826, Gunnedah is a commodity hub and major destination on the intersection of the Kamilaroi Highway Touring Route and Oxley Highway.

Gunnedah also offers excellent lifestyle amenities and embodies a warm welcome that is only found on rural Australia. Gunnedah Shire Council is committed to providing a friendly and helpful service to all stakeholders. We are dedicated to Gunnedah being a liveable and accessible community for all ages and demographics. Additionally, we actively promote economic and business development in the region and are proud to be a one-stop-shop for enquiries regarding our responsibilities under other NSW laws including the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act, the Public Health Act and the Companion Animals Act.

Council's functions include:

• Provide for development in the local area.
• Provide for local services and facilities that benefit ratepayers, residents and visitors.
• Protect health and provide for the welfare, wellbeing and interests of the local community.
• Represent and promote the interests of ratepayers and residents.
• Establish and support organisations and programs targeting the local community.
• Protect the environment and improve local amenity.
• Attract and provide infrastructure for commerce, tourism and industry.
• Manage, improve and develop resources available to Council.

The Gunnedah and District Chamber of Commerce and Industry is an independent representative organisation for the Gunnedah and surrounding business community. The Chamber provides a comprehensive range of services including lobbying, advocacy, networking and technical advice for members.

For more information visit:

www.gunnedah.org.au

If you're thinking business, consider the possibilities that Gunnedah has to offer:
A well-developed transport infrastructure linked to the rest of Australia and particularly the seaports and airports of Newcastle, Sydney and Brisbane - a pathway to the world.

• A labour pool with ready access to training and education facilities
• An abundant supply of energy, raw materials and open space for manufacturing facilities
• Ready access to the Internet, and technical support services
• A well-structured business incentive program with a supportive and forward thinking Council

With significant improvements in road, rail and regional air links and the new era of rapid communication systems, Gunnedah is strategically located relative to the major metropolitan and regional centres on the east coast of Australia.

Gunnedah is within a few short hours by air from Sydney in the south and Brisbane to the north. Major roads and rail transport interchanges connect some of Australia's most important agriculture producers to the major international ports of Sydney, Brisbane and Newcastle.

Gunnedah is the centre for a number of regional industries exporting to overseas markets. These include grain production, cotton processing, animal feed production, brick manufacturing, leather processing and coal mining. The area has a diverse and skilled employment base.

Whether your business is ready to expand or relocate, or you are considering a new enterprise, Gunnedah presents a very real opportunity to help you grow.

For more information please contact Council's Economic Development Department on 02 6740 2100.

The Gunnedah Community Scholarship Fund is an initiative of our local community and provides an opportunity for our local youth to succeed in their tertiary education by encouraging students to embark on a journey of lifelong learning by financially supporting those moving on to pursue tertiary studies.

The fund was established in 2003 and has assisted hundreds of local students over the many years. Scholarships have covered many disciplines including accounting, agriculture, allied health, animal science, law, architecture, arts/theatre, civil engineering, education, information technology, medicine, nursing and social work.

The fund is open to all local students under 25 years wanting to further their training and education at university, TAFE, or an accredited training organisation.

A scholarship can help with expenses like:

• Purchasing textbooks,
• Relocation and other travel costs,
• Living expenses, and
• Contribution towards tuition fees.
  
  

The Pamela Helen Rickard Scholarship

Gunnedah Shire Council can now add a new scholarship to our extensive list – "The Pamela Helen Rickard Scholarship".

Very generous sponsors, who have asked to remain anonymous, have donated a substantial amount of funds for this scholarship, which are to be disbursed as $2,500 per student, per year, with a maximum of three full-time students per scholarship year, to attend the Australian National University (ANU) in Canberra, preferably to study Asian Studies, Economics or Business Management. In the event that no student is looking to undertake studies in these areas, there is the potential to look at a scholarship for a student who will be enrolling in any other ‘full-time’ course at the Australian National University (ANU) in Canberra. The funds will be disbursed each year until all expended.

The sponsors have created the scholarship in honour of Pamela Helen Rickard, who was the Dux of Gunnedah High School in 1969. Pamela attended the Australian National University from 1970 to 1972, undertaking a combined Asian Studies/Economics degree and was a prize-winner in Economic History.

Pamela spent many years in administration at Monash University, including in the role of assistant to the Dean of the Faculty of Law in the 1990s, utilising her strong personal skills backed by her academic studies, including a Graduate Diploma in Business Management.

The sponsors said Pamela was always very proud of her Gunnedah roots, and believed deeply in the value of education and the encouragement and provision of opportunities for young people.

Sadly, Pamela has passed away and in honour of her memory, the scholarship will be open to students of the Gunnedah Shire to support their undergraduate studies at the Australian National University, Canberra.

A note was found among Pamela’s last writings that talked about the establishment of a fund to help Gunnedah students. Thank you to our anonymous sponsors and thank you to Pamela Helen Rickard.

Gunnedah Community Scholarship Fund Applications have now opened

Applications for the 2025 round have now opened.

You can find the application form here: Gunnedah Community Scholarship Fund application form 2025 

Applications will close on 8 January, 2025.

For more information about the fund, please contact Gunnedah Shire Council on (02) 6740 2100 or council@gunnedah.nsw.gov.au.

Anyone wishing to make a donation to the Scholarship Fund can do so by sending their donation to:

Gunnedah Community Scholarship Fund
Gunnedah Shire Council
PO Box 63, Gunnedah NSW 2380

Applications for 2024-25 Round 2 are open. Closing date is Friday, 22 November, 2024.

Each financial year, Council invites eligible community and sporting groups and organisations to apply for financial assistance under Section 356 of the Local Government Act 1993.

The program has been in place for 20 years, and is designed to aid the continuation of existing local projects or help fund projects that meet the needs of our growing community. The level of funding available under the program is dependent on the project but can be up to $5,000 (GST exclusive) with priority given to those applications that demonstrate benefit to their organisation but also the broader community.

Eligibility
• Community and Sporting Groups located within Gunnedah Shire;
• Applicants must be non-profit and community based;
• Applicants must be incorporated bodies or auspiced by an incorporated organisation;
• The grant sought must be of a non-recurrent nature;
• The grant amount requested must be $5,000 or less (GST Exclusive);
• Projects must not have received funding from the State or Federal Governments or other sources including Council for the same purposes for which Council funds are sought;
• Applicants must clearly indicate which funding stream they are applying under (Community Small Grants OR Sports Small Grants);
• Council encourages applications, which target communities in the outlying villages; 
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community organisations and other multicultural organisations are encouraged to apply;
• Applicants are only eligible for funding once every two (2) years; and
• Organisations under an existing financial Agreement with Council are ineligible to apply.

 Declaration of Expenditure – S356 Small Grants 2023-24 - FILLABLE

Declaration of Expenditure – S356 Small Grants 2024-25 - FILLABLE

Policy

POLICY - Small Grants under Section 356 LGA - Adopted 21 June 2017

Forms

2024-25 Application_S356 Community Sports Small Grants.pdf

For more information on the 2024/25 round, contact Gunnedah Shire Council’s Community and Social Planner on (02) 6740 2100 or email council@gunnedah.nsw.gov.au.

The Gunnedah Community Scholarship Fund, an initiative of our local community, provides an important opportunity for our youth to pursue their tertiary education.

The fund commenced in 2003, and was established in part as a constructive response to the alarming facts presented by Professor Ingrid Moses (former Vice Chancellor of UNE Armidale) that this region has one of the lowest post-secondary education retention rates in the country. This initiative is the only known fund of its kind in NSW, which is a great initiative for the Gunnedah Community.

It is only through the generous donations from members of our local community that we are able to continue to offer financial scholarships to our young people who wish to undertake further studies. 100% of all donations are distributed directly to our local students.

For more information on the Gunnedah Community Scholarship Fund please click here.