It is shaping up to be another significant week in our shire, with several important matters on the horizon – including the upcoming visit of the NSW Legislative Assembly Committee on Community Services.
This inquiry will be holding hearings in Narrabri and Tamworth next week, and I am proud that our community is front and centre in the push for better healthcare in rural and remote NSW.
For too long, decisions about rural health have been made far from the people they affect. That must change.
Many individuals and organisations across our shire and far beyond have called for a major shake-up, including the splitting up of Hunter New England Health.
While we have had some recent wins – such as the reversal of the plan to remove pathology services from Narrabri Hospital – the broader challenges remain. Communities like Wee Waa continue to wait for fully restored 24/7 hospital services and trust in the health system has been badly damaged.
Thank you to everyone who has shared their experience, prepared a submission or spoken up for our communities.
On a more practical note, I want to apologise for the unexpected closure of the council administration building earlier this week.
A small fire broke out last Friday in the front kitchen of the building.
Thanks to the swift actions of council staff, the fire was quickly contained and all employees were safely evacuated.
While damage was minimal, the lingering smoke and fumes meant it was necessary to close the building temporarily as a safety precaution.
Thank you to everyone for your patience and understanding.
Council phone lines have remained open, and our customer service team is still available to assist with any queries.
Among the other updates across the shire, I would like to encourage residents to take part in the 2025 Australian Liveability Census.
This national initiative gives our community the chance to highlight what we value and what needs improving. It only takes around 15 minutes to complete and is open until June 30. The link is on council’s website.
On the infrastructure front, new water mains are being installed along Lenore Crescent in Wee Waa to strengthen our local network, and maintenance and rehabilitation works on the sewer system are underway.
Council is working closely with residents to minimise disruption and thanks everyone for their cooperation.
We are also pleased to confirm that the Narrabri town water supply remains safe.
The most recent PFAS testing again shows levels well below proposed Australian drinking water guidelines. Results are published on council’s website.
A major step forward has been the completion of council’s cemetery digitisation project.
Residents and visitors can now search burial records, view drone photos and headstone images, and even navigate to graves via GPS, all through a user-friendly online platform. Eulah Creek Cemetery will join the system shortly.
Community feedback on council’s draft Delivery Program, Resourcing Strategy, and Operational Plan will close today (Thursday, June 12) at 5pm.
If you have not yet reviewed these important documents, please do so. Copies are available on the Your Say page of the website.
Before I close, I want to address the growing problem of tagging and graffiti in some of our towns and villages. It not only looks unsightly – it cheapens the appearance of our whole shire.
Council staff have done a terrific job keeping public property clean, but graffiti on private buildings is now a real concern.
I encourage property owners to help solve this problem by cleaning graffiti off walls and fences.
While council does have some enforcement powers in this area, it’s preferable that landlords and tenants take the initiative.
This is a shared responsibility, and I thank everyone in advance for doing their bit.
