21 July 2026
Luminosity Youth Summit 2026
Council’s Youth Working Group Chair Councillor Linda Newell and working group member Joanne Biggar will attend the Luminosity Youth Summit on 23 and 24 July.
The two-day national forum will feature national and international high-profile presenters and local business leaders who will engage young attendees in keynotes, workshops, presentations, masterclasses and interactive sessions.
Cr Newell will assess whether the Youth Summit could be a worthwhile event to take local youth to next year.
Draft Artificial Intelligence Policy on exhibition
Council’s draft Artificial Intelligence Policy is on public exhibition for 28 days.
The policy will govern Council’s use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the conduct of Council business and aims to assist Council in recognising and realising opportunities made possible through the use of AI while managing risks associated with it. The intention of the Policy is to inform the public about how Council will use AI and the internal controls that Council will have in place.
While not mandatory, the draft AI Policy recommends Council adopt the NSW AI Assurance and Assessment Framework.
The draft Asset Artificial Intelligence Policy is on public exhibition at Council’s office at 63 Elgin Street and online at www.gunnedah.nsw.gov.au. Submissions should be received by 5pm on Thursday, 13 August, 2026.
The policy will be adopted if no submissions are received.
Council working groups gain new members
New members have been endorsed for four of Council’s working groups.
Sanson James will be joining the Sister Cities and Friendly Relationships Working Group as a representative of St Mary’s College.
Emily White will be the alternate Homes North Community Housing representative in the Crime Prevention Working Group, in place of Courtney Styles.
Julie Frend will be a community representative in the Access Working Group, and Ray Williams will be a community member representative in the Australia Day Working Group.
Your say: Proposed landing fees, operational and risk mitigation helicopter landings at Gunnedah Airport
A Council resolution to implement landing fees for aircraft greater than 5700kg, and write to NSW Health about the operational risks of using the Gunnedah Airport instead of the Gunnedah Hospital helipad are on public exhibition for 28 days.
Gunnedah Shire residents are invited to have their say on the following resolution endorsed by Council:
1. That Council implement a new landing fee for aircraft greater than 5700kg, at $140 per tonne (must have approved pavement concession). That the proposed fee be publicly exhibited for 28 days, as provided by Section 610F of the Local Government Act 1993. If any submissions are received, a further report will be prepared for consideration of Council if no submissions are received, the fee will be adopted.
2. That Council note that staff will as an operational and risk mitigation matter, notify NSW Health that Council facilities, including the airport, are no longer open to patient transfer by helicopter unless an appropriate audit of the facilities is undertaken by NSW Health within two months of written notification to the same level as that undertaken on the Gunnedah Hospital Helipad with respect to the AW139 helicopter, and that all pavement concessions for the aircraft are revoke; unless NSW Health undertake to indemnify Council for any risk associated with the use of the AW139 at Council facilities.
The above resolution follows on from a Council resolution in April that Council would investigate the introduction of appropriate landing fees to recover all anticipated costs of NSW Health utilising any Council facilities as a Helicopter Landing Site and bring a report back to Council.
Council has stated in our Aerodrome Fees and Charges that Council will not charge landing fees and parking fees for emergency services aircraft that are using the Aerodrome for emergency purposes, however, the Westpac Rescue Helicopter AW139 is rated above the Aerodrome pavement strength, including the apron where the helicopter lands.
The proposed fee would cover the additional anticipated wear and tear on Council's infrastructure and consequent anticipated shortening of lifespan of the pavement. This fee would be in addition to any compensation for actual damage requiring remediation to occur to make good the asset, should that occur.
It is proposed that the same fee for the airport be applied at any other facilities where patient transfers may occur by helicopter.
The resolution is on public exhibition at Council’s office at 63 Elgin Street and online at www.gunnedah.nsw.gov.au. Submissions should be received by 5pm on Monday, 17 August, 2026.
Depot Decommissioning and Renewal of Emulsion Tank – Additional Emulsion and Liquid Waste Disposal Costs
Council endorsed an increase of $41,073 (excluding GST) to the existing 2025/26 – Depot Decommissioning and Renewal of Emulsion Tank project budget to allow for additional clean-up costs of emulsion and other liquid waste that is onsite at the Bennett Road Depot.
Advocacy priorities identified at 2026 Local Roads Congress
Under the theme of ‘Shaping Policies for Stronger Communities’, delegates at the 2026 Local Roads Congress in June identified a list of recommendations as key priorities for Local, State and Federal governments to improve the NSW local road network.
Councillor Rob Hooke, Councillor Robert Hoddle and Council’s Director of Infrastructure Services Jeremy Bartlett were among the delegates who were advocating for priorities including:
· The reduction of cost-shifting to councils;
· Ensuring natural disaster funding arrangements allow resilience improvements to be included as a part of restoration works; and
· Providing dedicated funding for proactive betterment works to improve the overall resilience of the road network.
The discussions and presentations from the Congress inform the Roads & Transport Directorate’s advocacy focus over the next 12 months.
Council calls for more roads funding LGNSW 2026 Annual Conference
Council will submit a motion to the Local Government NSW (LGNSW) 2026 Annual Conference to call on the State Government to increase funding for roads.
Council is asking LGNSW to call upon the NSW Government to:
1. Double ongoing recurrent funding from NSW Governments through Fixing Local Road and Regional Roads Programs to provide stability and certainty to councils to enable long-term planning and resourcing to occur with respect to roads; or alternatively;
2. Amend rate pegging restrictions to give councils the ability to raise the required revenue to maintain and renew transport infrastructure assets without the need to go through Special Rate Variation processes, and have transport infrastructure assets operate in a similar manner to Water, Sewer and Waste Services on a full and reasonable cost recovery basis outside of the current General Fund arrangements.
The LGNSW conference will be held in Wollongong from 22-24 November.
Caption: Gunnedah Shire Council has been working with Sarah Mitchell MLC, left, to push for the Gunnedah Hospital helipad to be reinstated as the primary landing site for emergency aeromedical services instead of the Gunnedah Airport. She is pictured here with Gunnedah Shire Mayor Colleen Fuller OAM with the helipad in the background.
ENDS
For more information, contact Gunnedah Shire Council’s Communications team on (02) 6740 2100 or communications@gunnedah.nsw.gov.au.
