4 May, 2022 Gunnedah Shire Council’s annual Arts and Cultural Grants Fund is now open for applications. Council’s Cultural Precinct Team Leader Lauren Mackley said the program aimed to help community groups deliver existing projects and to support new projects and initiatives that help meet the needs of the growing community, while strengthening cultural identity and connection to place. “Gunnedah Shire Council is one of the few Councils in NSW that provides funding for arts…

4 May, 2022 Work will begin soon on a new Orange Grove Bridge following the demolition of the damaged existing bridge in the next week. In March 2021, Gunnedah Shire Council was allocated funding through the NSW Fixing Country Bridges Program funding and the Federal Bridge Renewal Program to replace the bridge at a cost of about $1.2 million. The remainder will be met by Gunnedah Shire Council. Council was forced to close the bridge…

3 May, 2022 The first round of the Business Partner Program 2022 has opened, giving Gunnedah’s new and existing businesses an opportunity to kick-start their ideas. The program has assisted many Gunnedah Shire businesses and organisations to expand operations, launch new initiatives, or upgrade key infrastructure. “The Business Partner Program is a great opportunity for businesses to get new projects off the ground and realise their ideas,” Gunnedah Shire Council Director Planning and Environmental Services Andrew…

29 April, 2022 Live children’s theatre is returning to The Civic on Monday, May 16. Beep, a Windmill Theatre Company Production, is a slightly sideways tale about unexpected friendship, finding where you fit and learning to mix it up a little. In Mort’s Village everything has its place, every day is the same and everyone likes it that way. Until one morning, crash, boom, bang… down comes Beep.  What is this annoying interruption to Mort’s…

28 April, 2022 Discover the stories hidden within the art of James White at the Gunnedah Bicentennial Creative Arts Gallery in May. The former Boggabri man will launch a new exhibition, “Memories”, on 27 May, and the local community is invited to walk down memory lane and embrace the nostalgic. Mr White grew up on a family farm, but left the paddocks behind to travel the wider world, and it’s this collective imagery, and the…

22 April, 2022 Flood Recovery Costs A report exploring options for the waiving of user fees and charges for the disposal of household items in declared disaster events will be prepared for a future Council meeting. The notice of motion was put forward by Cr Ann Luke “after seeing all the heartache” due to flooding events. It was supported by her fellow councillors. Cr Luke said it was a logical step to ensure Council could…

21 April, 2022 The truck wash at Gunnedah Saleyards will be closed from Tuesday, May 3, for the construction phase of the precinct upgrade. The closure is due to the renewal of the truck wash that is part of the saleyards upgrade, which will deliver a new state-of-the-art truck wash facility. The current facility will be closed for up to 20 weeks. An alternate site was considered for the duration of the construction period, however,…

April 21, 2022 In a submission to the NSW Country Mayors’ Association, Gunnedah Shire Council has identified its top five areas of concern. Gunnedah Mayor Jamie Chaffey told Councillors at the April Ordinary Council meeting that the Executive of the NSW Country Mayors’ Association, of which he is the Deputy Chair, were encouraging member councils to submit motions on priority issues. The association’s survey of councils in December 2020 found the top three single issues…

April 21, 2022 Gunnedah Shire Council will apply for an Additional Special Variation of rates following a change to the rate “pegging” process that could lead to Council being unable to deliver all services and maintain assets in years to come. Council this week voted to apply for a permanent Additional Special Variation of 2.5% to rates in line with its budget predictions for the next few years. The 2.5% figure was the long-term modelling…

19 April, 2022 Gunnedah Shire Council is seeking members to join the Sister Cities and Friendly Relationships Working Group. Gunnedah Shire Mayor Jamie Chaffey said the working group provided an exciting opportunity to strengthen ties with our existing Sister Cities, and to explore new possibilities. “The working group’s purpose is to look at the Sister City relationships we already have and to look at other partnerships that might lead to exciting things for Gunnedah Shire,”…