July 22, 2021

Council continues cultural groups’ support

Gunnedah Shire Council will extend its support of the Gunnedah Shire Band for another five years.

Council resolved to extend the lease and financial arrangements with the band for a further five years at this month’s ordinary council meeting.

Council also resolved to continue its financial contribution to the Dorothea Mackellar Society for the next five years.

Gunnedah Mayor Jamie Chaffey said the organisations were an important part of the Shire’s cultural fabric, and Council was proud to continue to support both Gunnedah Shire Band and the Dorothea Mackellar Society.

Council a bronze sponsor for Amazing Enviro Race

Gunnedah Shire Council has thrown it support behind The Amazing Enviro Race to be held in August.

At least two Gunnedah schools are taking part in the Sustainable North West event on August 26 that promotes sustainability through both a virtual and in-school challenge in line with COVID-safe guidelines.

Council will provide $1000 to become a Bronze Sponsor of the event that targets 13-19-year-olds to: educate and inspire; engage students in a unique and challenging way and to show how changes in their behaviour will reduce their carbon, water and waste footprint; and learn about new technologies.

The Mackellar Centre – home to the Dorothea Mackellar Society.

ENDS

Media and communications team contact: (02) 6740 2100.

July 8, 2021

A final call has gone out for stallholder applications for the inaugural Harvest Gunnedah festival.

Harvest Gunnedah will be a feast for the senses, with attendee’s invited to eat, discover and celebrate Gunnedah. The spring event will be held on Saturday, October 2 at the Gunnedah Riverside Racecourse.

Chair of the Harvest Gunnedah Committee, Gunnedah Shire Councillor Colleen Fuller said over 30 businesses had already applied.

“There are a range of businesses from the local area, New England and the Hunter Valley, with breweries, wineries, distilleries and a wide range of food producers joining in the festivities,” Cr Fuller said.

“This is a perfect opportunity for food and beverage producers to showcase their products and expand their client base.

“In May we also announced Paul West of the popular television series A River Cottage Australia as our festival ambassador and this is sure to be a drawcard.

“Stall holder applications close on the 30th of July and we have room for more to join.”

Ideas for stalls include:

• Farm direct produce;
• Jams/chutneys;
• Gourmet foods;
• Street food stands and trucks;
• Patisseries;
• Natural products;
• Wine tasting and sales.

For more information and to register as a stallholder visit www.harvestgunnedah.com. Registrations close Friday July 30, 2021.

The festival has received funding of $17,000 through the Australian Government’s Building Better Regions Fund, along with $20,000 awarded to the Gunnedah Jockey Club through the Back to the Track program.

ENDS

Media contact: Communications Team (02) 6740 2100.

July 7 2021

From July 12, use of the Service NSW QR code will be mandatory at all workplaces and retail businesses.

QR codes have been placed across our Gunnedah Shire Council facilities and visitors and staff will be required to check in and out when visiting these locations. An alternate option will be provided for those without a smart phone.

The data captured by the Service NSW COVID-Safe check-in is only used for the purposes of contact tracing by NSW Health and is deleted after 28 days.

Thank you for your cooperation and please chat to our friendly staff if you need assistance.

For more information about the latest restrictions, health advice and testing clinic locations please visit www.health.nsw.gov.au.

July 1, 2021

Gunnedah Shire Council has commenced work on an upgrade to the busy Bloomfield and Henry Street pedestrian crossing, which will be relocated to improve safety and traffic flow.

Council received $297,000 in funding through the NSW and Federal Governments’ Road Safety Program for safety upgrades which include moving the crossing servicing St Mary's College and St Xavier's Primary School.

The works are already underway and involve relocating the existing crossing from the corner of Bloomfield and Henry Streets to further along Henry Street and installation of raised concrete pedestrian blisters with kerb ramps. Footpaths in the surrounding areas will also be widened and stormwater works completed.

Mayor of Gunnedah Shire Cr Jamie Chaffey said the upgrade will help ease congestion and ensure students have a safe journey to and from school.

“The surrounding school communities have been advocating for this upgrade and it has been great to have both the NSW and Federal Governments’ come on-board with the funding needed to make it happen,” Cr Chaffey said.

“This project is a wonderful example of the community working with all three tiers of government to achieve a great outcome.

“The majority of construction works will be completed before the end of the school holidays, helping to minimise disruption.

“As is standard procedure, signage and traffic management will be in place to ensure the safety of pedestrians, motorists and the team carrying out the works. Please be cautious when school returns as there may be changes to traffic flow and parking availability.”

Final finishing works will be completed by the end of August, 2021.

Caption: The crossing on Bloomfield and Henry Street is being relocated to further along Henry Street.

ENDS

Media and communications team contact: (02) 6740 2100.

July 1, 2021

Last week’s visit from Animal Welfare League NSW proved to be a great success, with 99 local cats and dogs attending the Mobile Vet Truck (MVT) for veterinary services.

Gunnedah Shire Council partnered with Animal Welfare League NSW to bring the MVT to Gunnedah Showground over two days, as part of the ‘Paws Up for Pet Registration’ campaign.

Services offered on-board included free micro-chipping and health checks, as well as discounted vaccinations.

Council Coordinator of Regulatory Services Wade Berryman said it was encouraging to see such a strong interest in animal health from local residents.

“The team at Animal Welfare League NSW did a fantastic job caring for some of our resident’s beloved pets,” Mr Berryman said.

“Over the two days 79 dogs and 20 cats attended the mobile clinic. Interestingly, Rocky was the most popular pet name across both species.

“It is wonderful to be able to provide this service in Gunnedah and it’s been really well received and supported by the community. We will be looking to offer this again towards the end of the year.

“As part of the ‘Paws Up for Pet Registration’ campaign we are also reminding the community that registration is a two step process. If you have recently had your animal micro-chipped, either on-board the MVT or at your local vet, be sure to complete step two and register them through Council or Service NSW.”

All cats and dogs, other than exempt cats and dogs, must be registered by six months of age. Cats should be desexed by four months of age and dogs before they are six months old. Discounted registration fees apply for those who supply a desexing certificate.

For further information about responsible pet ownership, visit www.gunnedah.nsw.gov.au/index.php/everyday-living/pets-animals.

Caption: From left to right -  Susan Crow (Vets Beyond Borders), Karen Chua (Animal Welfare League Vet) Derek Thompson (MVT Coordinator), Toby Jaeger (Council Compliance Officer) and Wade Berryman ( Council Coordinator of Regulatory Services) outside the Mobile Vet Truck.

ENDS

Media and communications team contact: (02) 6740 2100.

July 1, 2021

From July 5, 2021, JR Richards & Sons will be collecting Gunnedah’s kerbside bins as part of the new waste contract with Gunnedah Shire Council.

Larger 240L yellow lid recycling bins have been delivered to households, with collections transitioning from a weekly to fortnightly service. Red lid general waste bins will continue to be collected weekly and, for residents with green lid green waste bins, these will continue to be collected fortnightly, on the alternate week to the recycling bin collection. Unless residents have received notification from Council, their bin collection day will remain the same.

Residents are invited to refer to the information pack included with the delivery of their new recycling bin. The collection calendar and map explaining what week recycling bins will be collected, either Week A or Week B. The transition from a weekly to a fortnightly collection frequency will occur from Monday July 5 (Recycling Collection Cycle Week A). Monday July 12 will mark the commencement of Recycling Collection Cycle Week B.

Also included is a handy Gunnedah Waste Services Collection Guide that reminds residents of the five material types that are accepted in the yellow lid recycling bin:

1. Clean paper and cardboard;
2. Glass bottles and jars;
3. Aluminium cans and foil;
4. Steel cans;
5. Plastic bottles and containers.

Any other materials are considered contaminants and should not be placed in the recycling bin.

All residents are asked to place their empty 120L recycling bin upside down on the kerb for collection with their new recycling bin from Monday July 19.

Residents can download the free Recycle Coach app or click here  for more information related to Council’s waste services.

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Media and communications team contact: (02) 6740 2100.

June 29, 2021

Gunnedah Shire Council is reminding the community to be vigilant in light of the recent COVID-19 outbreak in Greater Sydney.

On Saturday, June 26, the NSW Government introduced restrictions in regional NSW that are expected to be in place until at least Friday, July 9. The restrictions mandate the wearing of face masks in public indoor spaces and a return to the one person per 4m² rule in venues.

The restrictions mean masks must now be worn while visiting the following Council facilities:

• Elgin Street Administration Building;
• Gunnedah Shire Library;
• Gunnedah Cultural Precinct – Visitor Information Centre, Civic Theatre, Smithurst Theatre, Town Hall and Bicentennial Creative Arts Centre;
• GoCo offices in Gunnedah, Tamworth and Barraba;
• Gunnedah Memorial Pool Complex – spectators and instructors will be required to wear masks at all times, as well as participants who will not be submerged as part of their activities.

A stay at home order has also been issued for Greater Sydney, including the Blue Mountains, Central Coast, Wollongong and Shellharbour until Friday July 9. Anyone who has visited the Greater Sydney region on or after June 21 must follow the stay-at-home orders for a period of 14 days after they left Greater Sydney.

Mayor of Gunnedah Shire Cr Jamie Chaffey has thanked residents and businesses for quickly adjusting to the new restrictions.

“Thank you to the community of Gunnedah for your patience and continued compliance during what has been a challenging 18 months,” Cr Chaffey said.

“At this time all Council services will remain open, however masks must be worn indoors and some venues will be operating with reduced capacity limits. I encourage community members to check signage before entering venues and to follow the directions of staff.

“This latest outbreak has reminded us that anyone with any COVID-19 symptoms, no matter how mild, should get tested. Options for testing include a clinic at the Gunnedah Hospital and drive-through clinics operating on certain days at Laverty Pathology and Gunnedah Showground. Visit the NSW Health website for the full list of testing locations and operating hours.

“It’s also crucial at this time to continue to support our local businesses. These new restrictions have impacted our hospitality venues in particular, please ensure you continue to shop local and support our great cafés and restaurants.

“We need to remain vigilant, look after each other and keep up the good work in helping prevent the spread of this virus.”

For information about changes to Gunnedah Shire Council services, visit www.gunnedah.nsw.gov.au/index.php/gunnedah-shire-covid-19-advice. For health advice, case alerts and testing clinic locations visit www.health.nsw.gov.au.

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Media and communications team contact: (02) 6740 2100.

Due to the recent COVID-19 cases identified, NSW Health has updated capacity limits and introduced face mask rules which came into effect on Saturday June 26 at 6pm and will last until at least Friday July 9.

The following Council facilities will require all visitors to wear a face mask indoors as a condition of entry:

• Elgin Street Administration Building
• Gunnedah Memorial Pool Complex – mask required in the complex including change rooms and pool side. Swim instructors and those not getting their face wet will be required to wear a mask while in the pool;
• Gunnedah Shire Library;
• Gunnedah Cultural Precinct – Visitor Information Centre, Civic Theatre, Smithurst Theatre, Town Hall and Bicentennial Creative Arts Centre;
• GOCO- on the Go Community Care offices in Gunnedah, Tamworth & Barraba.

Remember if you’re feeling unwell please stay home and arrange a COVID-19 test. To keep up to date with COVID-19 information and restrictions visit NSW Health: https://www.nsw.gov.au/covid-19/rules/what-you-can-do-nsw

We will continue to review and adjust these measures as the COVID-19 situation develops.

Non-residents of the Gunnedah Shire are permitted to enrol and vote in the September 2021 local government elections if they meet eligibility criteria and submit the necessary forms to Gunnedah Shire Council.

You are eligible to vote as a non-resident in a council area if you are:

• an owner of rateable land in the council area, or
• an occupier or rate-paying lessee of rateable land in the council area.

Non-residential rolls are prepared and certified by each council's general manager, and the NSW Electoral Commissioner must confirm that the voters listed are eligible for enrolment on the non-residential roll. However, you are responsible for checking that you are eligible for inclusion in the non-residential roll for a council when you make an application.

You can apply to be included on the non-residential roll of another ward or council area by contacting the local council office or visiting their website.

To enrol to vote as a non-resident, please complete and submit the applicable form below. Submissions close July 26, 2021.

Form - 2021 Local Government Elections - Non-residential roll - individual owners occupriers occupiers and ratepaying lesees

Form - 2021 Local Government Elections - Non-residential roll - joint-corporate-trustee owner

June 21, 2021

Gunnedah Shire Council has released a new School Holiday Program packed with a variety of activities the kids will love.

The winter program runs from June 28 to July 9 and features everything from speed and agility training, a juggling workshop to how to master the basics of chess.

Council Manager of Customer and Community Relations Charlotte Hoddle said the program offered plenty of opportunities to try something new.

“The winter program has lots of options for kids to hone their sports skills, with a speed and agility clinic, basketball, netball and tennis workshops, as well as water sports at Lake Keepit,” Ms Hoddle said.

“Cultural activities include an improvised comedy and drama skills workshop with actor Alastair Tomkins, a juggling and rhythm workshop, chess for beginners and an open day at the Gunnedah Conservatorium.

“We are pleased to bring back the Sydney Puppet Theatre to Gunnedah performing the acclaimed show Oh, Rats! - I hope the subject is not too familiar given the mouse plague we have been experiencing. Following the performance, the puppeteers will host a workshop where attendees can design their own puppet and shape a voice and storyline for their character.

“The Civic Cinema will be hosting two fantastic $10 holiday movies, with a screening of Spirit Untamed at 10:30am on July 1, and Moonbound at 10:30am on July 8.

“I also encourage families to consider a trip to Gunnedah Shire Library, where staff have organised fun activities for children of all ages over the break.”

The full program is available here. Bookings can be made online at www.thecivic.com.au or in person at the Gunnedah Visitor Information Centre.

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Media and communications team contact: (02) 6740 2100.