Happy New Year to all residents of Narrabri Shire. I trust you had the opportunity to take a well-deserved break over the festive season and spend quality time with family and friends.

As we step into the new year, I want to share that the fight for improved healthcare services at Wee Waa Hospital will begin to gain momentum again this month. A dedicated group of Wee Waa residents, Roy Butler MP, and I will be meeting with the Minister for Health in the coming weeks.

This meeting is an important step towards ensuring that our community’s healthcare needs are properly addressed. We have a simple yet reasonable set of requests: a doctor is assigned to the hospital, an emergency department that opens 24 hours per day and a hospital that has patients in their wards. Not an unreasonable request! I will keep you updated on the progress of these discussions. I also plan to raise concerns regarding Narrabri Hospital, ensuring the broader health needs of our region are heard and prioritised.

An update on the number of signatures for the Save Wee Waa Hospital Petition: 2199. We still need another 7801. Thank you to everyone who has sent these petitions on to family and friends throughout NSW.

Council offices reopened last Monday, and I would like to extend my gratitude to those who worked tirelessly throughout the holiday period to ensure essential services continued. Your efforts did not go unnoticed and were greatly appreciated by the entire community. Thank you for your commitment to keeping our shire running smoothly.

On another note, I recently attended a bushfire incident that was quite concerning. It served as a powerful reminder of the importance of being prepared for fire emergencies. Whether it is your home, business, farm, or property, having a fire survival plan in place can be lifesaving. I strongly encourage everyone to visit the Rural Fire Service (RFS) website at https://www.rfs.nsw.gov.au/plan-and-prepare to access resources on creating a fire survival plan.

Let us all take proactive steps to ensure the safety of our families and properties during this bushfire season.

I am also pleased to announce that nominations are now open for the 2025 Senior of the Year Award. This is a wonderful opportunity to recognise the remarkable contributions made by seniors in our community. Nominations will close on Friday, January 31, 2025. If you know someone who deserves to be celebrated for their service and dedication, you can nominate them by visiting the council’s website or by collecting a nomination form from the council’s administration building on Maitland Street, Narrabri.

The winner will be honoured at the 2025 Seniors Festival luncheon in March, which promises to be a memorable event. I have no doubt the judges will face a difficult decision once again, given the many outstanding seniors in our shire who continue to give back to our community in countless ways.

Thank you for your continued support and involvement in our community. Let us make 2025 a year of progress, resilience, and shared success.

To order photos from this page click here