DARRELL TIEMENS, MAYOR, NARRABRI SHIRE COUNCIL

The CREATE Festival opened on Friday with the unveiling of two new sculptures, an eagle and a goanna, out the front of the Visitor Information Centre in Narrabri.

A big thank you goes to the Port of Newcastle for its generous donation to fund these sculptures. If you haven’t seen them yet, stop by and have a look.

CREATE runs until 18 October, and I encourage everyone to get along and support the events. This year’s theme is ‘Water’, with exhibitions, workshops and plenty of other activities on the program.

There are some great pieces of art to see, and it’s a rewarding way to spend time with your family. Have a look at createfestival.com.au for the full rundown. I look forward to catching up with you at some of the events.

Thank you to everyone who came along to last week’s Community Conversations. It’s helpful to hear directly from residents about what’s going well and what needs attention.

Council staff were at the old NAB Block in Wee Waa from 9am yesterday, Wednesday 7 October, and at the Boggabri Country Markets on Saturday 10 October, from 8am. There’s no need to book. Just come over and have a chat.

The following week, we’ll be at Pilliga Community Centre on Wednesday 14 October from 10am, and the Baan Baa Hotel on Sunday 18 October from midday.

If you can’t make it to one of those sessions, the Community Satisfaction Survey is another way to have your say.

It covers council services, local facilities, communication and priorities for the shire. Please take the time to tell us what you think.

The survey is open until 5pm on Monday 19 October, at yoursay.narrabri.nsw.gov.au

On our roads, work continues at the Violet Street Bridge. Concrete has been poured for the deck across Span 4, and earthworks are underway on the Tibbereena Street approach.

Turrawan Road works start this week, including rehabilitation, patching and resealing. The traffic island at the Maules Creek Road intersection will also be replaced.

Please keep in mind that the Turrawan Road bridge will be closed on Wednesday 14 October from 7am to 4pm, and allow for that when planning your travel.

On Rangari Road, initial tree removal and pruning is largely finished, with work on the Bayley Park Creek Causeway and culverts getting underway this week.

There are also two dates worth keeping in mind. Council’s Financial Future Strategy is open for comment on the Your Say website until 20 October, and Australia Day Awards nominations close on 30 October.

We all know people who quietly do a great deal for our towns and villages. If someone comes to mind, please put their name forward for an award.

To order photos from this page click here