News
Kerry Burchett is 2020 NSW Volunteer of the Year winner The Centre for Volunteering recently announcrd the 2020 NSW Volunteer of the Year Award recipients for the Central West region. Among them was Adult Volunteer of the Year – Kerry Burchett from Molong. Kerry, together with husband John, has been volunteering with St John Molong Cadet Division for the past 25 years. She now leads the division, looking after equipment, supplies and logistics. She also conducts weekly training for the team of volunteers as well as providing first aid at dozens of community events each year. Kerry was a founding member of the Molong St John Ambulance Cadets, which is one of only two that continue to operate in regional NSW. Volunteers from across Central West were recognised for their outstanding contributions at a special virtual ceremony for the
John & Kerry Burchett 2020 NSW Volunteer of the Year Awards on Thursday. About 100 guests, volunteers and community leaders came together for the virtual event to recognise and celebrate the region’s volunteers. Well done Kerry for sharing your life to help young people find their lives. Express, one of the oldest - if not the oldest in country NSW? Keen traveller, Phill Leggett of Molong brought Rozzi and Paul a copy of ‘The Western Herald’ - that has been proudly serving Bourke & District for 133 years’. It is thought to be the oldest newspaper in country NSW. Let’s blow our trumpet ... the Molong Express is even older ... 144 years since the Leathem family from Tumut set up what is possibly now ‘the oldest’ and most successful paper in country NSW! Still growing ... Still Molong!
Its Mental Health Month Cheryn Johnson of Molong Health One has sent us the following activities that will be running during the Month. “I am really excited about the Africian Drumming workshop, we have a gentleman coming up from Bathurst to run this”, said Cheryn. The goal is to gauge if we have enough community interest to run an African drumming class each week - aimed towards our young people. There is really great evidence that indicates that this can really support and improve our young generations mental health.” • Community Garden Every Thursday 9.30 -10.30 • Tai Chi Tuesdays 11.30 - 11.45 • Yoga on the Greens Monday 12 October • African Drumming Workshop Wednesday the 21 October, 1.30 To register your interest and obtain further details please contact: Cheryn Johnson @ Molong HealthOne on 63694207 or email Cheryn.johnson@health.nsw.gov.au 4 MOLONG EXPRESS, Thursday 1 October 2020
Short & Sweet
Councils sign new cooperative agreement
Blayney, Cabonne and Orange Councils have formed a new strategic alliance to work on better cooperation and joint initiatives. Leaders of the three councils met to sign a new Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to guide the new relationship. The MOU agreement states the three councils will be “working collaboratively and sharing resources (to).. achieve economies of scale, build capacity and increase workplace productivity and ensure the long term financial sustainability of each individual council.” Blayney Mayor Cr Scott Ferguson said he was pleased to be signing the agreement. “Staff from the three councils have already been working cooperatively for years and we want to extend that,” Cr Scott Ferguson said. “We’re already doing a lot together in the areas of tourism and waste management, but there’s room to do a lot more.” Cabonne Mayor Cr Kevin Beatty believes there are many benefits of cooperation. “The way the Netwaste network operates offers a good model for this new way forward together,” Cr Kevin Beatty said. “We can negotiate a better deal with waste contractors by working together in an area like recycling, but at the same time we can each continue to operate different systems of local bins and by choosing to buy into the elements that suit local communities.” Orange Mayor Cr Reg Kidd is optimistic about the potential for the future. “The new MOU gets the balance right between a commitment to work on the projects we have in common, while retaining our local identity,” Cr Reg Kidd said. “It makes it clear that each Council will continue independently as its own entity, and that’s the best way to deliver better value for our communities.” The preliminary topics on the list for shared activity includes: • Joint tenders and purchasing arrangements • Open exchange and sharing of technical expertise and information • Workforce and staff secondment, professional development opportunities • Cross border roads construction and maintenance • Councillor and staff training • Review and coordination of strategic documents • Sharing of services and plant • Regional economic development and strategy
Cabonne Deputy Mayor Re-elected unopposed
Water rising is a dam good sight
Orange City is on level two water restrictions as the combined water storage level hit the trigger point of 60 per cent overnight. The last time the combined storage level of Spring Creek Dam and Suma Park Dam was 60 per cent, was in April 2018. Today Suma Park is at 50.71%. Spring Creek is at 100% with water flowing at a height of 97 mm over the spillway. Combined storage is at 60.05%. Orange Mayor Reg Kidd said previously, residents had lived with level two water restrictions regardless of how far above 60 per cent the storage level of the dams. “I congratulate the whole city on getting us through this difficult drought,” Cr Kidd said. “Orange has been a leader in the state in terms of water saving and we have set a benchmark for other cities. “I could not be more proud of how the whole city banded together to conserve our water, and stave off harsher restrictions. “We’re heading into summer with a good amount of water in the dams so it is time now to ease our restrictions back to level two, the odds and evens system. “We have previously lived with the odds and evens system for over a decade regardless of how high the storage levels in the dam were above 60 per cent. “Saving water is second nature to us here in Orange. “Our independent modelling is showing steady increases in the combined storage for quite some time into the future. “We must keep up the good work and use water where we need to but be mindful about wastage. “We still need to make every drop count but it’s great that this summer we’ll be able to reap the rewards of a well looked after vegie garden and the kids will be able to jump into backyard pools and the littlies will be able to splash about in those inflatable paddle pools. “After a tough year it’ll be good to hear the sounds of summer.” Orange City Council’s Infrastructure Committee Chair Jeff Whitton said the steps Council had taken in previous years to help secure Orange’s supply had paid off. “We would have been a lot worse off if we hadn’t raised the dam wall four years ago and without stormwater harvesting or the Macquarie Pipeline,” he said. “The systems we put in place, along with the commitment to reduce water use from the community, has seen us through this difficult time.”
Cabonne Council’s Deputy Mayor Jamie Jones has been re-elected unopposed for his second term in the role. Cr Jones was the only nomination for the position. His re-election continues an unchanged leadership team for the council, with Mayor Kevin Beatty entering the second year of an automatic two-year term, after being re-elected as Mayor last september. Cr Beatty congratulated Cr Jones on his reelection and thanked him for his work in the previous term. “I look forward to working together in the next twelve months,” he said. Somebody drove past this Molong house on Sunday evening and deliberately ran both bins down. Brainless! See it - Report it!
