Hi, it’s Digby Rayward here again. It’s my pleasure to present this week’s Council Connect.
As we all know, the state election is coming up early next year, and now is the time to ask the appropriate questions of the standing politicians.
We don’t yet have a clear sense of who is standing, but we’re engaging them all at every opportunity. Some of the media we’ve already put out on road funding has been a big hit, with over 30,000 views, so we’re on the right track, but we still have to get rubber on the road.
Yesterday, the Mayors of the Hunter Joint Organisation, there are 10 of us, and nine went to Sydney. Dungog didn’t make it; I was tied up with a whole lot of stuff here. But they had a day addressing a number of politicians there, and certainly some of the stuff on the agenda affects Dungog directly, so they’re speaking for us there. So that was great, great to see. We certainly help each other, The Hunter JO Mayors.
But talking about advocacy, Dungog will be launching our own campaign, it’s called ‘Fair Funding for Dungog’. Hopefully, we’ll be able to launch that following the council meeting next Wednesday night. There’ll be T-shirts, and they’re looking great.
So you know, to be successful, we need the community behind us, speaking with a strong voice. So keep an eye on that, and we’ll be asking for your support as we negotiate our positions with the parliamentarians.
So moving on, look. I’ve often spoken to you about the importance of volunteers in the community, and in our last chat I also mentioned a number of new council employees joining our team. Some of those are giving great direct support to the volunteers engaged in what are called the 355 Committees. Now, these committees are run by volunteers who manage community halls and grounds like the Clarence Town Hall and the Paterson Sportsground. There are quite a number of them, and their work is absolutely vital. But sometimes that needs guidance and advice, and it’s good to see that happening. And those committees are starting to get themselves organised. There are a few that are a little bit behind the eight ball, but they are coming on, and we really encourage the volunteers to look for ways they can support those 355 Committees.
Another couple of things on the radar right now to keep your mind on are the three bridges in our shire, which are noted in the Review of Bridges to be Retained Under the Timber Trust Bridge Strategy by Transport for NSW. This review was just released last week and there are three bridges on that list now: the Cooreei Bridge, the Vacy Bridge, and the Brig O’Johnston Bridge. You can take a look at the strategy. I’ve got a Mayoral Minute coming up on Wednesday night, which explains some of that, but the bridge to me that’s important is the Clarence Town Bridge, the Brig O’Johnston Bridge, and what they’re actually going to do with that if it’s reclassified. Are they going to pull it down?
They’ve never been keen to run an option to retain it as a walkway or a cycleway. We’ll be asking those questions as well. Anyway, keep an eye on that one. It’s going to be an important one, especially for Clarence Town and Vacy. The Vacy Bridge is listed for removal. That was 10 years ago, and nothing’s happened, so we’re asking a few questions about the Vacy Bridge as well.
Now, a couple of events to put in your diary. Don’t forget the Dungog Show coming up. Great show with great entertainment. Bring the kids along on the 13th or 14th of November. Put that one in your diary! And we also have the Clarence Town Swim-In. If you don’t know it, it’s from the 28th of October to the 1st of November. It’s a military vehicles, with army ducks that get under the river of Clarence Town, and they base it at the caravan park at Clarence Town. It’s really worth a visit to see these guys in action. They are very enthusiastic.
Anyway, I got a few things on the table today, so I’ve got to keep moving. But that’s about all for me. Take care, and until I see you again next time. Cheers
