August 11, 2020

Gunnedah Shire Council is offering groups and individuals the opportunity to have a piece of Gunnedah’s history in your home.

The seating has been replaced at the Civic Cinema, and the old chairs are now up for sale.

Gunnedah Shire Council Cultural Precinct Team Leader Lauren Mackley said the royal red chairs were first installed nearly 20 years ago, in 2001 when the Civic was first built.

“Going to the movies has always been a much-loved part of life,” Ms Mackley said.

“These seats have given cinema-goers a front row (and a back row) seat for classic cinema moments from Shrek to The Notebook and King Kong.

“The chairs are part of Gunnedah’s history, from a child’s first performance to their first time seeing a movie on the big screen.”

There will be three viewing days for individuals and community groups who are interested in purchasing chairs.

Individuals and groups must prebook a ticket for the viewing days on Seat Advisor through the ‘Buy tickets’ link at www.thecivic.com.au

The viewing days and times will be:
• 3.30-5.30pm Monday, August 17
• 3.30-5.30pm Tuesday, August 18
• 3.30-5.30pm Wednesday, August 19.

Chairs will be for sale and collection. The purchaser must organise their own removal and transport. A nominal fee will be charged for each seat depending on the amount of seats purchased and the chairs condition.

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Media contact: Eliza Gallen (02) 6740 2100.

August 11, 2020

An innovative exhibition inspired by the importance of space in artworks will open at the Gunnedah Bicentennial Creative Arts Gallery on Friday, August 21.

“The Space Between” is an exhibition by Hayley Ward and Patricia Petersen that explores the use of space within a painting based on ideas and philosophies from Asia.

Patricia Petersen has just returned from studying significant contemporary Asian ink brushwork artists in Singapore, China and Japan, which inspired her artworks.
“I have always been fascinated by the Asian concept of giving respect and equal importance to the painted and unpainted space of a painting,” Patricia said.

“Traditionally, the painted area can be seen to energise the white space. Paul Gauguin, who was influenced by Japanese wood block prints stated that ‘The most important in art is what is not stated’.”

Hayley Ward explores the Japanese practice of Boro and the concept of Wabi-Sabi using found objects and encaustic wax paint.

Boro are well-used Japanese textiles that have been mended or patched together using sashiko (little stabs) stitching. Wabi-Sabi relates to a particular Japanese aesthetic and celebrates the earthy, imperfect and variegated.

“I hope to bring attention to the overlooked beauty of worn and discarded objects that are no longer valued and to encourage people to reassess our throwaway culture,” Hayley Ward said.

What: “The Space Between” Exhibition 2020
Official Opening: 6pm Friday, 21st August, 2020
Exhibition continues until: Friday, 18th September, 2020

Light refreshments provided.

Free tickets can be booked through the “Buy Tickets” link at www.thecivic.com.au Gunnedah Shire Council is asking guests to book a free ticket to attend the opening to ensure COVIDSafe protocols.

Captions:
Patricia Petersen works on an artwork

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Media contact: Eliza Gallen (02) 6740 2100.

5 August, 2020

Gunnedah Shire Library has demonstrated the theme of this year’s Local Government Week celebrations: Councils do, helping the community learn, discover and access services despite the challenges of COVID-19.

The library’s efforts during the COVID-19 closure have been formally recognised, with Brain Training Expanded achieving Highly Commended in the NSW Local Government Excellence Awards in the category of Special Delivery Initiative.

During the lockdown period the library team continued to deliver the Brain Training program to seniors, hand delivering resources to retirement villages, nursing homes and other residences across the Shire.

Gunnedah Shire Librarian Christiane Birkett said that Brain Training was designed as a form of ‘mental gymnastics’, helping engage and stimulate seniors throughout the isolation period.

“During the time the library was closed to the public we delivered 279 brain training programs a week,” Mrs Birkett said.

“Now that the library has reopened to the public we are running Brain Training again in person, and participants are enjoying the social aspect of being back in the library.

“It is just fantastic to see people using our library, whether physically or remotely, and enjoying lifelong learning opportunities.”

Rose Newall, a Brain Training participant said while some of the timed activities like colouring with your left hand were challenging, the program was good fun and gave her something to think about while in isolation.

“This library has done so much for me personally, I normally visit 3-4 times a week so I appreciated having these services delivered to me at home,” Mrs Newall said.

Brain training was one of many programs that continued to run throughout the shutdown period. Library staff members were busy behind the scenes with a variety of projects, including:

• Organising more than 5000 weekly activity packs for both adults and children,
• Hand delivering more than 1000 library loans during the month of April, and
• Collaborating with Arts North West for the Panorama Project, helping the Gunnedah community document and exhibit their unique experiences during this challenging time.

Those wishing to participate in upcoming library programs are encouraged to phone the library to book their space, with groups capped due to COVID-19 restrictions.

For further information about library services, contact the library team on (02) 6740 2190.

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Media contact: Eliza Gallen (02) 6740 2100.

August 4, 2020

“Councils do” is the theme for Local Government Week 2020, a theme that has never been more relevant than during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Local Government Week, which this year runs from August 3 to August 9, is designed to showcase the work councils do in their local communities, including the wide variety of services they provide.

Gunnedah Shire Council general manager Eric Groth said the top two priorities of Council during the Coronavirus were the health and safety of the community, and the continuation of Council’s essential services.

“COVID-19 has proven a rapid learning curve for everyone,” Mr Groth said.

“Gunnedah Shire Council is an integral part of the community, and has a responsibility as a leader in our Shire.

“I’m proud of the way our Council and our community has not only faced this significant challenge, but has found new and innovative ways to operate, some of which are likely to have benefits long after this pandemic is over.

“Council’s role goes beyond roads, rates and rubbish to many other services that are part of our everyday lives, like the aged care provided by GoCo, the parks and sporting facilities, the cultural precinct and library and, this year in particular, support and assistance for business development.

“Council has taken a lead role in ensuring the Shire’s economic future through programs such as Invigorate Gunnedah alongside grants for businesses and sports and community groups.”

Fast facts from Gunnedah Shire Council’s 2019-20 year:
• Top movie – The Lion King, followed by Frozen II and Toy Story 4.
• Best attended exhibition – Sirens of Gunnedah with 2705 patrons.
• An average of 789 patrons attended exhibitions, 660 people booked for live shows and 609 meetings were booked at the Cultural Precinct.
• 7584 visitors attended the Visitor Information Centre in 2019-20
• Gunnedah’s favourite author was Nora Roberts.
• During the lockdown period of April-May 2020, 2194 activity bags were delivered or picked up at Gunnedah Library
• During the lockdown period of April-June, 2020, participants in the Library’s Brain Training program soared from 182 (January-March) to 1189.
• 35,217 people delivered waste to the Gunnedah Waste Facility.
• 1992 people visited the Bower Bird shop.
• The busiest month at the Gunnedah Waste Facility was April, with 3230 visitors – 356 more than April 2019 (before Coronavirus)

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Media Contact: Eliza Gallen (02) 6740 2100.

August 3, 2020

Two exciting new mural projects and improvements to a preschool are three of the projects included in new funding following Gunnedah Shire Council’s call for new community resilience projects late last year.

Gunnedah Shire Mayor Jamie Chaffey said the Dorothea Mackellar Memorial Society, Ooranga and Arts Gunnedah had been granted funding through the Federal Government’s Drought Communities Program.

“These are three really exciting and worthwhile projects that were nominated through our call for new projects to stimulate local spending, provide employment and use local businesses and supplier while delivering a long-lasting public benefit,” Cr Chaffey said.

“It is fantastic they have been approved by the Federal Government.

“The Dorothea Mackellar Memorial Society has worked with Gunnedah Maize Mill to come up with a plan for a new silo mural to feature one of Australia’s best-loved poets, Dorothea Mackellar. This will be a wonderful addition to our appeal on the silo trail along with the popular mural already at Gunnedah’s Water Tower Museum.

“Arts Gunnedah will also create a new street art mural to follow on from those in place at the Conadilly Street arcade. This community project involves a number of artists and members of the community.

“Ooranga was successful in securing funding for upgraded facilities at Curlewis Preschool, including new toilet facilities. This preschool is an important service in the Curlewis community.

“All of these projects are initiatives that have far-reaching benefits for the community, and include employment or use of local businesses.

“We are very pleased to have been able to work with the Federal Government to support these and many other projects, and thank our federal colleagues for helping us to build our resilience during the time of drought and beyond.”

Captions: Gunnedah Maize Mill's Stephen Dangerfield and Gunnedah Mayor Jamie Chaffey with Phillipa Murray and Owen Hasler from the Dorothea Mackellar Memorial Society at the site of the new Dorothea Mackellar silo mural.

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Media contact: Eliza Gallen (02) 6740 2100.

31 July 2020

Gunnedah Shire Council has welcomed Member for Tamworth Kevin Anderson's announcement of $9 million for the upgrade of Rangari Road, but note with surprise and disappointment the amount falls short of meeting Mr Anderson's election commitment.

Gunnedah Shire Mayor Jamie Chaffey said $12.9 million was required to improve the safety and conditions of Rangari Road, an important regional link road as well as a daily transport route for those who live in the area.

"Council acknowledges and thanks the State Government for its continued support of our community, and the region, with the announcement of the funding which complements the funding announced for Kelvin Road," Mayor Chaffey said.

"These two announcements will ensure the remainder of Kelvin Road and the length of Rangari Road from its intersection with Kelvin Road, will be sealed to the boundary with Tamworth Regional Council.

“Two years ago, Council applied under the Resources for Regions Program, in partnership with Tamworth Regional Council, to seal the entire length of Rangari Road within the two local government areas. We were then advised that our application had been withdrawn from consideration due to the project being funded by Transport for NSW, following the local member’s election commitment. Unfortunately, it appears only part of that funding has materialised at this stage.

"Council looks forward to receiving further detail on the announced funding, finalising a funding deed with the NSW Government and commencing the works as soon as possible.

“We also look forward to continuing to work with the Member for Tamworth to secure the remaining required funding to seal the section remaining unfunded within Gunnedah Shire, along with the promised ‘State of the Art’ Gunnedah Hospital.

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Media contact: Eliza Gallen (02) 6740 2100.

29 July, 2020

As the temperature drops, Gunnedah Shire Council is reminding residents to check regulations before lighting backyard fires, following a recent increase in reports of smoke pollution.

Backyard burning and the incineration of waste are prohibited throughout the Shire, though there are some exceptions in areas where no domestic waste collection service is available.

Where backyard burning is prohibited, there are some situations where fires can still be lit outside in NSW. These include:

• Barbecues or camping,
• Eligible hazard reduction work,
• Certain agricultural purposes, and
• Authorised fire-fighting training.

Council Coordinator of Regulatory Services Wade Berryman said Council’s Burning of Vegetation Policy sets out safe practices for backyard burning to help protect resident’s health and the environment.

“Backyard barbeques and toasting marshmallows on the fire pit are still allowed, but it is important to operate them in the correct way. Using only dry wood and starting the fire with small kindling will help reduce excessive smoke,” Mr Berryman said.

“Burning household rubbish and green waste should be avoided, unless you live in an area where there is no waste collection service.

“Smoke pollution can cause health effects for both you and your neighbours. These effects may include itchy or burning eyes, throat irritations and other more serious conditions.

“People are sometimes unaware that their activities are causing a nuisance, so please check the regulations before going ahead with a burn to ensure it is being conducted safely and won’t attract penalties or fines.”

To obtain a fire permit or report an issue with smoke pollution, visit www.gunnedah.nsw.gov.au or phone Council on (02) 6740 2100.

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Media contact: Eliza Gallen (02) 6740 2100.

27 July, 2020

The arrival of a new Council purchasing and procurement platform has been met with enthusiasm by local businesses.

Gunnedah Shire Council launched its partnership with VendorPanel at a business breakfast last week, attended by more than 50 people.

Gunnedah Shire Mayor Jamie Chaffey said it was great to see a solid representation from a large range of industries at the breakfast.

“The number of people who made it to the breakfast event showed there is a demand for this innovative platform where businesses can list themselves on a register available to councils across the Namoi region and beyond,” Cr Chaffey said.

“VendorPanel allows staff from the Walcha, Tamworth, Liverpool Plains, Gunnedah and Gwydir councils to find and select registered local and regional businesses.

“This is an exciting opportunity for any registered business that might have a service or product required by local government – from builders to caterers, and from water services to advertising – to ensure they are considered by local government.

“I urge any businesses that might benefit to book in for a virtual information sessions on Tuesday, July 28 at 9am or 6pm or Wednesday, July 29 at 9am or 6pm to learn more about how to register.

“Bookings are already strong for these events, and we would like to see as many suppliers as possible register. It is free to register and is open to any registered business.

“VendorPanel is one of the strong measures Gunnedah Shire Council is taking to ensure our businesses – and our economy – remain resilient during this challenging time. We have also recently announced the Invigorate Gunnedah package with a range of community and business initiatives to support revitalisation throughout the Shire. Along with programs such as the Section 356 Community and Sports Small Grant program, Council is doing its utmost to ensure we continue to grow and diversify, both in our economy and our community life.

To register for the VendorPanel information sessions, visit https://gunnedahshire.localised.com.au/ and scroll to the Newest Projects section.

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Media contact: Eliza Gallen (02) 6740 2100.

23 July, 2020

Gunnedah Shire Council is reviewing its waste collection services and calling on the community to provide feedback about kerbside and commercial collections.

Council’s current waste, recycling and garden organics kerbside collection contract is reaching its expiry in 2021 and new contracts are being planned and developed for both residential and commercial services.

Council’s Waste Manager Sheridan Cameron said there are a number of factors to be taken into consideration for the new contract, including community needs, cost of services and environmental impacts.

“We value the range of viewpoints in our community and want to engage with residents and local business owners about their satisfaction with the current service and preferences for future services,” Mrs Cameron said.

“We want to hear from residents so that we can provide a more effective and efficient delivery of the kerbside service and reduce the amount of waste disposed of to landfill.

“Waste management is one of the core services of Council and relevant to all residents, so I encourage everyone to register their views through this survey so that we are able make an informed decision about future changes.”

Changes to the current services that are being considered include:

• Bin capacity, for example larger bins for residents;
• Collection frequency, including comparing weekly and fortnightly collection of bins;
• Commercial Recycling.

There are two surveys available for people to provide feedback regarding residential and commercial waste services:

• Residential Waste Survey: for all local households, including residents who are renting or do not currently receive a Council kerbside collection. To access this survey visit: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/S3VYCPX
• Commercial Waste Survey: For local business owners who have or are interested in a commercial kerbside pick up. Commercial businesses that are renting may wish to also consult with their landlord as this service is not compulsory. To access the survey visit: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/KSSWWZQ 

Hard copies are available at the Gunnedah Shire Council Administration Building, Gunnedah Shire Library and the Civic Centre.

The survey will be open until August 20, 2020. For further information about waste management in the Gunnedah Shire, visit www.gunnedah.nsw.gov.au.

 FAQ - WASTE, RECYCLING AND GARDEN ORGANICS KERBSIDE COLLECTION COMMUNITY SATISFACTION SURVEY

1. WHAT CHANGES IS COUNCIL CONSIDERING?
Council is reviewing waste management service costs and is considering the best options to service the needs of the community and the environment. Changes to bin sizes, collection frequency and services are being considered, such as larger recycling bins and the introduction of recycling collection for local businesses. Please fill out the community waste survey on the Council website to provide feedback.

2. I AM A LOCAL BUSINESS OWNER, DO I NEED TO FILL OUT BOTH THE RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL WASTE SURVEY?
Yes. The residential waste survey refers to the kerbside collection service for households and the commercial waste survey refers to the waste collection service for businesses. Council would like to find out what you like and dislike about each of these services and what they can improve on.

3. I WORK FOR A LOCAL BUSINESS, DO I NEED TO FILL OUT THE COMMERCIAL WASTE SURVEY?
No. Only business owners are required to fill out the commercial waste survey.

4. WHY DOES COUNCIL WANT TO KNOW ABOUT MY HOUSING STATUS AND AGE GROUP?
This information is useful for Council to gauge whether a good representation of the community is being captured in the community feedback.

5. I DON’T WANT MY WASTE SERVICES TO CHANGE, DO I STILL FILL OUT THE SURVEY?
Yes. If you like the current services you should provide this feedback to Council so this opinion can be considered as they analyse options.

6. I DON’T NEED A BIGGER RECYCLING BIN, CAN I KEEP MY CURRENT BIN?
Council is considering providing larger recycling bins to all residents to encourage residents to recycle more. If this option is chosen, it will be the new standard bin size and all resident recycling bins will be upgraded.

7. WHY IS COUNCIL CONSIDERING CHANGING FROM WEEKLY TO FORTNIGHTLY COLLECTION OF THE RECYCLING BIN?
Council is considering fortnightly collection of the recycling bin as this may reduce the service cost.

8. I DON’T HAVE ENOUGH GENERAL WASTE BIN SPACE, CAN I HAVE MORE THAN ONE BIN?
The Council is encouraging residents to recycle as much as possible and recommends recycling more to free up space in the general waste bin. If you require extra bin space, please contact council. Additional charges will be incurred.

9. IF I DON’T PUT OUT A BIN FOR COLLECTION, WHY DO I STILL GET CHARGED A FEE ON MY RATE NOTICE?
If you live in an area provided with a collection service, you are entitled to use that service. Council must pay its contractor to service the whole area, thus Council passes the cost of collection onto all residential properties entitled to access this service.

10. WHAT CAN I PUT IN MY BINS?

• The green waste bin only accepts garden waste.
• The recycling (yellow-lid) bin accepts recyclable packaging from the kitchen and bathroom and tin/aluminium cans.
• The general waste (red-lid) bin is suitable for all other household waste, excluding hazardous and problem waste such as paint, oil, batteries, gas bottles, fire extinguishers or syringes. For further information, visit the Council website (www.gunnedah.nsw.gov.au) for a guide to waste bins and services, ‘Sorting for our future’.

11. WHAT IS FOGO?
FOGO stands for Food Organics Garden Organics. It relates to the co-collection of food organics and garden organics in the green-lidded organics bin. Food waste includes vegetables, meat, fish, dairy, bread and essentially all leftovers or waste food from the household. A FOGO service is going to be reviewed in 2026

21 July, 2020

A total of nearly $30,000 will be made available to nine Gunnedah Shire organisations through the Section 356 Community and Sports Small Grant program for a range of projects.

Selection panel member Cr Ann Luke said six community organisations and three sporting organisations had been approved for grants worth a total of $29,602.22.

“We look forward to seeing some great improvements for community and sporting groups through the latest round of the Section 356 Community and Sports Small Grants,” Cr Luke said.

“Many factors are taken into account when considering the applications, including value for money, eligibility criteria and other information provided by the applicant to support the project. The groups that have been successful met all of the criteria.

“It has been a challenging year for community and sporting groups and it is good to see some interesting projects going ahead, as well as some much-needed maintenance work.”

The successful applications are:

• Gunnedah and District Historical Society - $2490 towards a new air-lock front door for the Water Tower Museum
• Gunnedah Hospital Auxiliary Kiosk - $2600 towards the supply and installation of an air-conditioner
• Gunnedah Miners Support Association - $2569 towards the conversion of historical mining photos to digital format
• Gunnedah Liquor Accord Incorporation - $3950.91 towards new equipment to enhance COVID-19 safety in venues
• Gunnedah Early Childhood Intervention - $3351.19 towards adaptive equipment for children with disability
• Gunnedah Country Women’s Association - $1145.45 towards removal and replacement of floor covering in the CWA kitchen
• Black and Blue Boxing - $3586.12 towards new boxing equipment
• Gunnedah Jockey Club - $5000 towards upgrades to the jockey change room
• Gunnedah Bulldogs AFL - $4909.55 towards new training and game day equipment.

Council’s Section 356 Small Grants (Community and Sports) program has been in place since 2005/2006, and is designed to support the work of local not-for-profit, charitable community and sporting groups and organisations.

Representatives from successful organisations are invited to attend a brief presentation ceremony at the Rotunda at Wolseley Park, Gunnedah on Friday 24 July at 11.30am.

To RSVP please contact Debra Hilton on 02 6740 2162 or debrahilton@gunnedah.nsw.gov.au

Caption: The Water Tower Museum will get a new front door through Gunnedah Shire Council’s Section 356 Community and Sports Small Grant program.

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Media contact: Eliza Gallen (02) 6740 2100.