Mayor Tiemens acknowledges Cr Mandy Brown’s service

This week I would like to begin by acknowledging the resignation of councillor Mandy Brown from Narrabri Shire Council for health reasons.

Mandy has served our community with dedication and a strong sense of responsibility.

During her time on council she brought a thoughtful perspective to discussions and worked constructively with fellow councillors and staff on a wide range of issues affecting our shire. As an experienced business operator and active community volunteer, Mandy also brought a wise and practical set of eyes to council deliberations.

Local government can be demanding and at times challenging, and Mandy always approached the role with care and a genuine commitment to the community.

I would like to personally thank her for the support she has provided during my time as mayor and for the work she has done on behalf of residents across Narrabri Shire.

Our thoughts are with Mandy as she focuses on her health treatments, and we wish her all the very best during this time.

I sincerely hope that once she is through this period and feeling stronger again, she may consider returning to council in the future, as her experience and dedication would be warmly welcomed.

Tourism was also very much in focus this week as Narrabri Shire hosted the 2026 Destination Country and Outback Visitor Experiences Summit.

Narrabri Shire was selected to host this important regional tourism event, bringing tourism operators and industry leaders from across regional NSW together to discuss ways to grow visitor experiences and strengthen regional tourism.

Ahead of the summit we welcomed the chief executive officer of Destination NSW, Karen Jones, along with members of her team and representatives from Destination Country and Outback NSW. A big thank you to Fiona Barden and Lucy White from Destination Country and Outback NSW, along with our own Gilly Goddard and Rindy Maledini, and Angie and Morgan Jones, for helping showcase the very best of Narrabri Shire during the visit.

We took the group on a tour of key venues and attractions around the Shire so they could experience firsthand what our region has to offer visitors.

The feedback was extremely encouraging. Karen and her team were genuinely impressed with the quality of many of our hospitality venues and the welcoming atmosphere they experienced across the shire. They were also impressed with the range and quality of eateries and accommodation available across Narrabri Shire.

Attractions such as Sawn Rocks made a particularly strong impression, highlighting the natural beauty that makes our region so special.

The team was also very impressed with The Crossing Theatre, noting the quality of the facility and the opportunities it provides for regional events. Karen indicated that Destination NSW is keen to work with us to attract more conferences and larger events to Narrabri in the future, which would bring additional visitors and economic activity into our community.

The recent rainfall across the district has also been very welcome. While the falls have been mixed and patchy across the shire, they have still been helpful in many areas after a dry period, lifting spirits and providing some relief for our farmers and graziers.

I have also received a number of calls this week regarding concerns about bulk fuel deliveries across the shire. It is critical that our farmers, contractors and transport businesses continue to receive their required allocations of fuel.

Narrabri Shire is one of the great agricultural regions of Australia and the second largest agricultural shire in the country, so reliable fuel supply is absolutely essential for our farming and freight industries. We should not find ourselves struggling in regional areas simply because of panic buying in major cities.

I have raised these concerns with federal representatives and urged that all available powers be used, if necessary, to ensure that essential regional industries continue to have access to bulk fuel at a reasonable and reliable price.

While on the topic of community matters, I would also like to share a few brief updates and reminders for residents.

Council has received several reports regarding unsafe use of e-scooters in parks and shared community spaces, including near misses involving children and other members of the public. This is a serious safety concern, particularly for young children, older residents and families enjoying these areas.

It is important to remember that in New South Wales it is illegal to ride privately owned e-scooters on roads, footpaths or shared pathways, including in parks. If you witness unsafe or illegal use or experience a near miss, please contact NSW Police. Further information is available on the Transport for NSW road safety website.

Residents should also note that from Monday, March 16 to Monday, March 30, the Narrabri Aquatic Centre’s 25-metre indoor heated pool and children’s splash pool will be closed for essential annual maintenance. The 50-metre outdoor pool will remain open during this time and the indoor facilities are expected to reopen on Tuesday, March 31. Council appreciates the community’s understanding while these necessary annual works are completed.

Thankfully, the outdoor pool will still be warm, which is one of the reasons schedules these works at this time of year.

Council’s annual road reseal program is also commencing this week, with almost 34 kilometres of road sections scheduled for resealing across Boggabri, Narrabri and Wee Waa. This program helps protect road surfaces from wear and weather and extends the life of our sealed road network.

Residents near the works will receive notification from the contractor and while no permanent closures are expected, there will be temporary lane closures, reduced speeds and minor delays. Traffic management will be in place and motorists are asked to follow signage and directions from traffic controllers.

Finally, Narrabri township has now moved to Level 3 water restrictions after reaching the trigger set out in council’s Drought Management Plan. Level 3 provides a little more flexibility, including sprinkler use between 7pm and 7am, however it does not mean unrestricted water use.

Residents are asked to continue being water-wise. Council staff continue to progress water security work including the new Saleyard Bore and planning for a portable water treatment plant. If conditions continue to improve, we will review the restriction level in due course.

As always, thank you to everyone across Narrabri Shire for continuing to look after our community and support the many projects and initiatives underway.