STEP FORWARD
DUNGOG SHIRE COUNCIL has called tenders to design and construct the new Clarence Town Bridge.
After conducting technical investigations and community engagement, Council has gone to market with tenders to be submitted by 5 December.
The Australian and NSW governments have pledged $20.6 million to the new Williams River crossing with $11 million from the state government and almost $9.6 million from the federal government.
The new bridge will be built adjacent to the Brig O'Johnston Bridge to allow the return of heavy and wider vehicle access to Clarence Town after several years of detours due to width and load capacity restrictions placed on the existing heritage listed bridge.
The new bridge also features a 2.5-metre-wide walkway/cycleway on its northern side.
HAVE YOUR SAY
The NSW Drug Summit 2024 is giving the community the opportunity over the next two weeks to join the conversation on the best ways to address drug use and its harms.
Two regional forums have been held at Griffith on 1 November and Lismore on 4 November
ahead of the two-day summit in Sydney on 4-5 December.
The NSW Government wants to hear your views, concerns and suggestions on how to improve the health and wellbeing of communities and people impacted by drugs.
Members of the community can have their say by completing a survey, with the responses to directly inform the summit discussions and help the government develop practical solutions.
Consultation closes 17 November with the survey at: www.haveyoursay.nsw.gov.au/drug-summit
CLUBGRANTS AVAILABLE
Applications are now open for the NSW Government’s Infrastructure Grants program -Clubgrants Category 3.
Not-for-profits, community groups and organisations are encouraged to apply with grants of between $50,000 and $250,000 for projects that matter to the local community.
Funding is available for infrastructure projects in four categories including Arts and Culture,
Sport and Recreation, Community Infrastructure and Disaster Readiness.
Clubgrants invests in projects from upgrading local halls, to lighting sporting grounds, art exhibits, community transport or infrastructure that supports youth.
For more information before applications close on 25 November please visit: https://www.nsw.gov.au/grants-and-funding/responsible-gambling-grants
ADVISORS REQUIRED
Nominations are being called for community members to join the Hunter-Paterson Environmental Water Advisory Group.
The Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water is seeking applications for the membership appointments which are for up to five years.
The Environmental Water Advisory Group meets two to four times per year and may also undertake occasional field trips during some meetings.
Members can include water managers, recreational fishers, water users, landholders, Aboriginal peoples, environmental scientists, a variety of community and stakeholder groups, and government and non-government partner agencies.
Applications including a curriculum vitae are to be submitted by 20 November:
ROLL UP, ROLL UP!!
It’s time to head for the Williams Valley from Friday for this year’s Dungog Show.
Dungog Agricultural and Horticultural Association president, Jeanie Briggs-Seers, is excited to welcome the community back for two amazing days at Dungog Showground.
The 129th Dungog Show promises something for everyone from the Grand Parade, pavilion displays, the Dachshund Dash, dog high jump to the judging of cattle, horses, goats and much more.
Cowgirls with Wings trick riding will star in the main arena on Saturday afternoon with the adrenalin to keep pumping during the motorbike jumps.
More details from the Show’s Facebook page: www.facebook.com/DungogShow
TIME TO TALK
A community get together in Singleton next Monday evening will set the foundations for a Men’s Table to be established in the town.
Community influencers and local champions are encouraged to be at The Albion Hotel in John Street on Monday 11 November, 6.30-8pm.
The Men’s Table creates a unique environment for men to talk openly about their lives, challenges, highs and lows, with a group of eight to a dozen men who they learn to know and trust.
It’s all about a safe space where men can "go beyond banter" to have better conversations and connections over a meal each month.
Next week’s Get Together will discuss holding an Entree Event for interested men in February to learn how a Table works and help decide whether they would like to be part of a local Men’s Table group.
Register at: https://events.humanitix.com/men-s-health-get-together-singleton and for more about The Men’s Table go to: https://themenstable.org
HOSPITAL PLANS
The Branxton community is encouraged to provide feedback on the latest designs for the Cessnock Hospital Redevelopment.
Information drop-in sessions will take feedback on Tuesday 12 November at Cessnock Hospital main foyer, 10am–12pm, and Wednesday 13 November, 9am-1pm, at Cessnock Village Shopping Centre.
The $138 million redevelopment will include construction of a new two-level acute services building to house an expanded emergency department, two inpatient wards featuring single and two bedrooms with ensuite bathrooms, a new medical imaging service and day surgery spaces.
Consultation with staff and the community will continue throughout the project with construction expected to begin next year following the appointment of a main works contractor.
For more information got to: www.hneinfra.health.nsw.gov.au/projects/cessnock
STILL DELIVERING
Funding from Round 8 of the former NSW Nationals and Liberals Government’s Resources for Regions Program continues to delivery for Singleton.
Work is expected to begin this week on a major outdoor mural that will be the first of two significant artworks to pop up in Singleton to create a public art trail.
Following a competitive selection process, Singleton Council chose a vibrant mural of a bushland sunrise designed by artist Ellie Hannon to transform the New England Highway underpass in John and Queen Streets.
Designer and landscape architect David Cianci has also been commissioned to create a landmark sculpture for Townhead Park over the next three months.
An art trail is a key priority in both Council’s Arts and Culture Strategy 2020-2030 and Hunter Valley Destination Management Plan 2022-2030 which is designed to connect communities and key spaces across Singleton enhancing the tourism potential of the area.
USED CAR ADVICE
Young people and their parents looking for a first car are being urged by the NSW Government to use a guide that protects most shopping for a particular price point.
The Used Car Safety Ratings show the wide gap between a safe second-hand vehicle and a poor performer in a crash.
The annual ratings produced by Monash University in partnership with Transport for NSW and other transport agencies around Australia and New Zealand help motorists choose the safest used car that fits their budget, needs, and lifestyle.
The annual guide shows a driver of the lowest rated vehicle is ten times more likely to be killed or seriously injured in a crash than a driver in the safest vehicle.
The vast majority of the vehicles given a ‘Safer Pick’ rating were manufactured from 2008 onwards, demonstrating the benefits of more advanced safety equipment and design improvements.
Checkout the guide at: https://towardszero.nsw.gov.au/sites/default/files/2024-10/ucsr-brochure-2024.pdf
ELECTRONIC ID
The NSW Government’s Tag Discount Program is now live and available to support producers with the costs of eID devices for sheep and goats.
The use of electronic identification devices or eID tags will become mandatory from January next year for all sheep and goats born from this date.
Under the biosecurity program, producers will receive a discount of $0.76 (including GST) per eID device purchased until 31 October 2025, or when funds are exhausted.
The discount program will ensure there are eID tags available to producers from $1.00.
To take advantage of this program, producers must have an active Property Identification Code (PIC) and purchase eligible devices from participating retailers or directly from manufacturers during the specified period.
For more information on the implementation of eID for sheep and goats visit the NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development website:
PAYRISE UPDATE
Educators and health workers have now reached agreements with the NSW Government for pay rises.
The state’s 95,000 public school teachers have accepted a three-year award agreement for a three per cent pay increase annually for the next three years, formally completing last year’s four-year pay deal.
Agreement has also been reached with the Health Services Union to increase wages and deliver benefits for more than 50,000 health workers.
The agreement covers a range of professions including allied health roles, hospital cleaners, scientists, security officers, patient transport officers and more providing a one year pay increase of 3.5 per cent plus 0.5 per cent in superannuation.
The agreement includes a memorandum of understanding that commits to working cooperatively to achieve a three-year wage agreement on the expiry of the one-year award.
THINK RECYCLING!
We are being asked to discover new ways to reduce, reuse and recycle during National Recycling Week 2024.
The campaign’s call to action during 11-17 November is, ‘Join the Cycle’, which urges councils, workplaces, schools, and individuals to engage in improving their recycling knowledge and building better recycling practices.
Joining the cycle means much more than recycling correctly, it’s about refusing, reducing, reusing, repairing and rethinking the way we approach the products and materials we use in our everyday lives.
The goal is to keep these resources in use over and over again, rather than letting them become waste by sending them to landfill.
Planet Ark research shows almost three in four Australians believe they are doing enough to increase recycling rates in their own home, despite council solid waste collections remaining a significant contributor to overall waste levels.
So, if you’re unsure about what to recycle check with your local council or check Planet Ark’s Recycling Near You platform: https://planetark.org/programs/recyclingnearyou
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