The first Putting the Pieces Together artistic workshop was held last Saturday, the 5th of November, with participants from Gunnedah’s Young Access group painting, drawing, and decorating giant puzzle pieces. The members of Young Access created a wonderful and diverse jigsaw pieces, designed to create giant cubes which will tour in a travelling exhibition through the North West, showing how arts and people with disabilities can fit together with the community.

Young Access provides an opportunity for artists and young people with disabilities to explore and socialise through art and other hobbies in a supportive environment. The group is run in conjunction with Gunnedah Community College, GoCo, and Gunnedah Shire Council, and draws on members of the community to participate in the workshops.

“The workshop was wonderful, and I was happy to see that the it was quite well-organised, and designed for people to work with their abilities, which helped increase their self-esteem,” Julie Frend, mother of one of the participants, said.

“Everyone felt included in a happy atmosphere.”

This Saturday, the workshops will continue with young people making their own jigsaw puzzles to take home and enjoy with their families as the final ‘Putting the Pieces Together’ workshop. The workshops will continue on 19 and 26 of November seeing the members creating mosaics.

The touring exhibition Putting the Pieces Together will open in the Mooki Room of the Gunnedah Creative Arts Centre on International Disabilities Day, 3rd December, 2016. The exhibition will include ninety-six jigsaw puzzle pieces that will form sixteen cubes that have been created by young people with disabilities throughout the North West.

For more information regarding participation in the workshop, please contact Gunnedah Community College on 6742 5630.

Tom King-Warren, Julie Frend, Harrison Neader and Chris Frend

Tom King-Warren

Harrison Neader

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Media Contact: Eliza Gallen 6740 2100.

Councillor Owen Hasler has been elected to the Executive of the Association of Mining Related Councils at the Annual General Meeting held in Picton and hosted by Wollondilly Shire Council on Friday, 4th November.

Councillor Hasler has been a member of the Executive since 2014 and joins Chairperson Councillor Peter Shinton (Warrumbungle Shire), Vice-Presidents Councillor Lillian Brady (Cobar Shire) and Councillor Chris Connor (Wollongong City Council), and fellow executive members Councillor Hollie Jenkins (Singleton Shire) and Councillor Jim Nolan (Broken Hill City Council).

Councillor Hasler was also returned as the AMRC nominee to the Department of Planning and Environment sponsored Resources Advisory Forum which has been reviewing aspects of the state mining approval processes and community engagement related to proposed mining developments across the state.

"Given the importance of coal mining in our region, I believe that it is important that Gunnedah Shire Council has a strong voice and input into such discussions relating to mining approvals and Government decisions which impact on the industry and our community. Consequently, I am pleased to have received the confidence of my fellow delegates in returning me to both positions as their representative," Councillor Hasler stated.

Much of the discussions at Friday's General Meeting which followed the AGM related to the progress of negotiations about Voluntary Planning Agreements which have been taking place between the association and representatives of the Minerals Council over the past year.

"As a member of the Association's negotiating team I am pleased that the delegates are supportive of the outcomes to date, and they have given us clear instructions as to how to progress further negotiations such that I believe that we should be in a good position to conclude the matter in the first half of 2017," Councillor Hasler explained.
Councillor Hasler was accompanied to Picton by fellow delegate and Deputy Mayor Councillor Gae Swain.

“Councillor Swain and I, and the other delegates, were very appreciative of the excellent tour program, welcome dinner, and business program organised by Wollondilly Shire, and thank Deputy Mayor Robert Khan and fellow Councillors Michael Banasik and Noel Lowry for their council’s hospitality and willingness to exhibit their community for the benefit of the Association’s delegates," Councillor Hasler continued.

“Congratulations should be extended to Councillor Hasler. We’re pleased that Gunnedah will continue to have strong representation with the AMRC,” Acting General Manager Colin Formann said.

Photo: Councillor Owen Hasler (outer right) and Deputy Mayor Councillor Gae Swain (outer left) at Picton.

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Media Contact: Tom Plevey 6740 2100.

Late yesterday, Gunnedah Shire Council General Manager Eric Groth, Director Infrastructure Services Wayne Kerr and Mayor Jamie Chaffey met with Member for Tamworth Kevin Anderson to discuss progress on the promised second rail overpass in Gunnedah.

The meeting came about on the back of Gunnedah Shire Council’s October meeting where it was resolved that clarification be sought on the timeframe for the construction of the NSW Government’s proposed second rail overpass in Gunnedah. Initially, the project was given a completion date in 2016, and aside from the roundabout, further works are yet to commence.

During the meeting, Mr Anderson stated that he remained committed to delivering the project at an affordable cost to the community and the state. Mr Anderson will make representations to RMS and Minister Gay on behalf of the Gunnedah Shire Council and community.

Yesterday afternoon, prior to the meeting, Councillors participated in a discussion where all 9 Councillors were unanimous in their strong view that the project must be delivered for the benefit of the community, as promised on numerous occasions since 2012. “We’re disappointed at the lack of action, but look forward to working with Mr Anderson to ensure the project is completed” Gunnedah Shire Council Mayor Jamie Chaffey said.

The second road over rail bridge will provide an unrestricted Higher Mass Limit (HML) freight route through Gunnedah and will improve local traffic efficiency and road safety. The new route replaces the existing New Street level crossing which will be permanently closed as part of this project.

If the project does not go ahead, there will be a number of quite serious impacts for the Gunnedah community and users of state highways. Future impacts may include the closure of level crossings, banking of traffic through the town and the town being spilt in half every 30 minutes with only one access point between the northern and southern sides of town. This will mean significant wait times and raises concerns about access for emergency vehicles.

“The rail line splits the town into two during regular train movements. No other option will gain a second access over the rail line and deliver an outcome that supports our growing community” Councillor Chaffey continued.

When the commitment was made, The State Government proceeded to construct a roundabout worth more than $3million dollars, and undertook a range of technical, environmental and social investigations and concept designs at significant cost.

“A lot of money has been spent already on the project. Why throw that away? The unsubstantiated cost increase was created to stop the overpass construction proceeding as per the design that was promised to the community. I called on Mr Anderson to gain access to the complete cost justification from the RMS and suggested a third party review of the cost justifications. It’s quite simple really, I’m asking the State Government to pull the dollars back into line with the reality of the actual project and just build it” Mayor Chaffey concluded.

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Media Contact: Eliza Gallen 6740 2100.

Late yesterday, Gunnedah Shire Council General Manager Eric Groth, Director Infrastructure Services Wayne Kerr and Mayor Jamie Chaffey met with Member for Tamworth Kevin Anderson to discuss progress on the promised second rail overpass in Gunnedah.

The meeting came about on the back of Gunnedah Shire Council’s October meeting where it was resolved that clarification be sought on the timeframe for the construction of the NSW Government’s proposed second rail overpass in Gunnedah. Initially, the project was given a completion date in 2016, and aside from the roundabout, further works are yet to commence.

During the meeting, Mr Anderson stated that he remained committed to delivering the project at an affordable cost to the community and the state. Mr Anderson will make representations to RMS and Minister Gay on behalf of the Gunnedah Shire Council and community.

Yesterday afternoon, prior to the meeting, Councillors participated in a discussion where all 9 Councillors were unanimous in their strong view that the project must be delivered for the benefit of the community, as promised on numerous occasions since 2012. “We’re disappointed at the lack of action, but look forward to working with Mr Anderson to ensure the project is completed” Gunnedah Shire Council Mayor Jamie Chaffey said.

The second road over rail bridge will provide an unrestricted Higher Mass Limit (HML) freight route through Gunnedah and will improve local traffic efficiency and road safety. The new route replaces the existing New Street level crossing which will be permanently closed as part of this project.

If the project does not go ahead, there will be a number of quite serious impacts for the Gunnedah community and users of state highways. Future impacts may include the closure of level crossings, banking of traffic through the town and the town being spilt in half every 30 minutes with only one access point between the northern and southern sides of town. This will mean significant wait times and raises concerns about access for emergency vehicles.

“The rail line splits the town into two during regular train movements. No other option will gain a second access over the rail line and deliver an outcome that supports our growing community” Councillor Chaffey continued.

When the commitment was made, The State Government proceeded to construct a roundabout worth more than $3million dollars, and undertook a range of technical, environmental and social investigations and concept designs at significant cost.

“A lot of money has been spent already on the project. Why throw that away? The unsubstantiated cost increase was created to stop the overpass construction proceeding as per the design that was promised to the community. I called on Mr Anderson to gain access to the complete cost justification from the RMS and suggested a third party review of the cost justifications. It’s quite simple really, I’m asking the State Government to pull the dollars back into line with the reality of the actual project and just build it” Mayor Chaffey concluded.

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Media Contact: Eliza Gallen 6740 2100.

Gunnedah’s GoCo Community Care has won two categories in the Community Transport Awards at the Community Transport Organisation Annual Conference 2016, beating out 91 other community transport groups in NSW.

Hope Cahill and Jill Woodhead won the prestigious Volunteer Of The Year award for their work caring for and comforting a client in his final days. Hope and Jill went beyond their transport obligations, and regularly visited the client in the Gunnedah District Hospital. They then went on to visit him in the Tamworth Base Hospital, 72km away, when his condition deteriorated further, even bringing his beloved pet dog to be by his bedside in his final hours.

“It’s great to see the volunteers rewarded, especially when they’ve been as selfless as Hope and Jill,” said GoCo Community Care Team Leader Sharon Tibbs, “This recognition by the NSW Community Transport Organisation is a fantastic way of showing not only the people of Gunnedah but the entire state of NSW exactly what our volunteers do, and that volunteering doesn’t go unrewarded.

“It’s a very prestigious award, and one we really think Hope and Jill deserve.”

GoCo itself also won the Social Impact Award, in recognition for the impact the organisation has had on the people of the Gunnedah Shire community.

“We’re very proud of that one, too. There are plenty of community care and transport organisations in NSW doing fantastic work, and to be chosen as the winners of the Social Impact category is a huge honour.”

The NSW Community Transport Organisation is the peak body representing all the community transport services in NSW, and provides support and leadership to members statewide. The Awards were of the CTO’s Annual Conference 2016.

Media Contact: Tom Plevey, (02) 6740 2100

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The Gunnedah Shire Council Community Scholarship Fund provides an opportunity for young people from the Gunnedah Shire to apply for funding to help contribute towards the costs of studying a Certificate IV or higher in 2017.

As the associated costs of going off to university or TAFE outside of Gunnedah can be large, the Gunnedah Community Scholarship fund is designed to help ease this burden, with the hope that the recipients will use their education to benefit rural Australia.

“Even though our young people may leave Gunnedah to pursue further education, we should never lose sight of the importance of encouraging our youth to achieve their career goals. It’s especially heartening to know that many of these young people are returning to the region in later years, bringing their professional skills and experience and, in many cases, young families with them,” said Gunnedah Shire Deputy Mayor and GCSF Chairperson Gae Swain.

Scholarship winners can use the fund to study any subject they wish, and past winners have used it to study a wide variety of courses, from accounting to social work – anything beneficial to rural Australia, and especially Gunnedah Shire.
The scholarship is funded in partnership with local businesses and individuals, and the Gunnedah Community Fund continues to welcome all support, from both inside and outside the Gunnedah Shire. The fund always welcomes new benefactors who wish to further the education of local students.

“It is only through the corporate support and donations of the community that we are able to continue to offer scholarships to some of our young people undertaking their studies. Every dollar donated and raised for the fund goes directly towards our young people studying.
“The Gunnedah community has consistently demonstrated that it collectively wishes to promote such higher educational endeavors in the firm belief that in the longer term the rural sector, this community and the nation will benefit,” said Cr Swain.

The Scholarship was started in 2003 in order to encourage Gunnedah Shire students to engage in higher learning, in response to the troubling fact that this region has one of the lowest post-secondary education retention rates in Australia. Over the last thirteen years, the GCSF has distributed over $300,000 worth of funds to student of the Gunnedah Shire.

Applications opened on Monday the 19th of September 2016 and close on Monday the 19th of December 2016.

Successful applicants will be announced on Friday, the 20th of January 2017, with a presentation ceremony Tuesday the 31st of January 2017.

To apply, the application form can be accessed using the link below:
http://bit.ly/GSCCS17 

For those who wish to contribute to the future of Gunnedah and its students, donations can be delivered as cash or cheque (made out to “Gunnedah Community Scholarship Fund”), or paid via BPAY or BPOINT following the issue of a tax invoice. Alternatively, donations can be mailed to:
Gunnedah Shire Council
PO Box 63
GUNNEDAH NSW 2380

For any further information, please contact Sewa Emojong on (02) 6740 2100.
Media Contact: Tom Plevey (02) 6740 2100

A challenging and rewarding position exists for a Project Officer with the Dorothea Mackellar Memorial Society Inc. The position requires an enthusiastic and self motivated person with excellent communication, technical and organisational skills. An affinity with school students and a love of literacy is an advantage.

The position is part-time, average 25 hrs per week, and will have overall responsibility for the planning, co-ordinating and managing of the Dorothea Mackellar Poetry Awards. Further information can be obtained at dorotheamackellar@bigpond.com or 02 6742 1200. Applications close 14 November 2016.

Gunnedah Shire Council’s End of Term Report is now available, detailing the achievements of the previous Council made from 2012 to 2016.

The principal highlights included:

• Achieving a financially sustainable position by decreasing expenditure and forward planning to ensure Community assets are appropriately funded, maintained and updated;
• Being recognised as ‘Fit for the Future’ in the recent 2015 Local Government Reforms;
• The undertaking of an organisational review and implementation of efficiencies in Council operations which resulted in $1.7 million in annual and recurrent savings over the four-year term;
• Completion of back-to-back significant capital works programs well in excess of council's previous programs, resulting in a reduction of Council’s infrastructure backlog;
• Funding and increase in the availability of serviced industrial land.

"To come out of this period of structural change across the local government community of NSW in such good shape was a significant achievement by the Council and senior staff responsible for guiding us through that difficult period," stated former Mayor, Owen Hasler.

"We have been comprehensively assessed as very competent in many of our areas of operation including financial, engineering, and community services. Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART), the Local Government Review Team, the Office of Local Government, and our peers in Local Government NSW, have noted that Gunnedah Shire Council are a progressive and economically-sustainable Council focused on operational efficiency and high-quality service provision," Councillor Hasler continued.

"This places us in an outstanding position to set significant targets for the next four years and I look forward to working with new Mayor, Jamie Chaffey and my council colleagues to continue the same high standard of service provision"

"I would encourage members of the community who are interested in better understanding the quality services that our council provides for residents in Gunnedah Shire to have a look at the Report," he concluded.

The full End of Term Report is available for download from Council’s website below.

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End of Term Report Highlights

• 850m of sewer mains replaced.
• 11.07km of sewer relining undertaken.
• 14.3km of new road constructed.
• 12,329ML of water supplied.
• 61,775 trips delivered by Community Transport, covering 469,803km.
• 33 Community Hub Events staged.
• $38,690 of funding delivered to 7 local businesses, under the Business Partner Program.
• Enacted a new Local Preference Policy, developed in conjunction with the Chamber of Commerce, resulting in improved opportunities for local businesses to work with Council.
• 35 community groups received $72,060 worth of funding.
• 21 sporting groups received $53,125 worth of funding.
• 280 GoCo Packages provided.
• 88,652 hours of support provided to aged and disability customers and their carers.
• $145,500 distributed to 146 Community Scholarship recipients.
• An average of 145 customer requests processed each month.
• Installation of 17 CCTV cameras in the CBD, with more to come.

One of the 43 (out of 104) NSW local governments deemed Fit For The Future by the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART).

Media Contact: Tom Plevey (02) 6740 2100

The Retrospective Collection of Marius Vanderkley will open at 6pm, on Friday the 21st of October, exhibiting the life’s work of renowned Dutch artist Marius Vanderkley. Marius was a prolific artist whose heart ran with any medium, but his love was pastels and acrylics.

Marius’ hometown was short distance from the hometown of the great Dutch Impressionist, Vincent Van Gogh, and as a young man Marius studied and deciphered the original works of Van Gogh which was evident in his practice. Marius worked with Oscar winner, George Pal, designing sets and characters within their animation studio in Eindhoven, Holland.

Marius immigrated to Australia to flee the torture of his war-torn home, and used his art as his form of healing to overcome this torment. He was an avid and active participant in many art societies throughout Australia.
Marius passed on March 9th, 2016 in Manilla, NSW. Due to this event, no more product to be forthcoming.

“Marius was an inspirational artist, who freely shared his time and wisdom to inspire others. The Retrospective Collection of Marius Vanderkley is an incredibly moving exhibition that captures his artistic nature and evolution of his life through his art,” said Gunnedah Shire Council, Cultural Officer, Lauren Mackley. Gunnedah Bicentennial Creative Arts Centre has the honour of exhibiting artworks Marius created throughout his life.

The official exhibition opening of The Retrospective Collection of Marius Vanderkley starts at 6pm Friday the 21st October, 2016 at The Gunnedah Creative Arts Gallery, 83 Chandos Street, Gunnedah. Live music, food and wine will be provided on the night. The exhibition will run until the 20th of November.

The Retrospective Collection of Marius Vanderkley is a tribute and a testament to the life of a man who truly had a compulsion to create.

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Join GoCo and New England Partners in Recovery for fun on the green with your team. GoCo Barefoot Bowls & BBQ will be held at the Gunnedah Services and Bowling Club on Wednesday, 21 June 2017 from 11.30am to 3.30pm to raise awareness about mental health and connect people with the support available in the Gunnedah community.

‘Last year’s Barefoot Bowls & BBQ event was a great success, and there has been so much interest in running it annually, we have now set a date for this year’s event!’ GoCo Partners in Recovery Support Facilitator Barb Heath said.

“It is a wonderful way for people to connect with each other and have fun, whether you want to play or spectate and have some lunch, everyone is invited” she concluded.
GoCo Partners in Recovery assists people experiencing mental illness to make choices and take control of opportunities in their lives. GoCo provides a range of support options for disability, aged care and transport.

To sign up for Barefoot Bowls & BBQ or for more information about GoCo services, contact Barb Heath on 6740 2181 or drop into the GoCo office at 80 Marquis St, Gunnedah.

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Media Contact: Eliza Gallen 6740 2100.