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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

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

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.

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.”

Txt the editor 0492 439 786

HEY ! Are you over making great comments and posts on the zillions of Facebook sites around here? Well we're not. But here's another way. Just send a text message to 0492 439 786 on whatever cheers you up or makes your blood boil. They'll be read all over Orange & Cabonne.

Here's this weeks crop....

Vaping reminds me of the old steam engines that used to grace our railway tracks, and especially the head of steam that used to be omitted by trains leaving station platforms. There is a certain artistry about the way experience vapers can create atmospheric images and three dimensional shapes during exhaling exercises. Vaping adds a new dimension to civilisation's social habits.

Political Student

Why should the government screw younger taxpayers to cover the cost of aged care? Those elderly and destitute should receive basic humanitarian assistance from the state, but most elderly have estates that could be liquidated to pay for their care. Ah but, what about the middle aged wealthy kids inheritances?? Wait for the bleating ”we’ve worked all our lives”!!! Sorry you wealthy oldies, if your own greedy kids won’t look after you and shove you in a home why should the rest of us pay for it.

May, Orange

World union vs Canberra: Canberra said that there is no economical repair until we beat this virus! World Union's José says: faith can move mountains and ask it will be given and seek you shall find and knock the door will be open but pls help others so you can have good karma and pls use vaccine and medical check-up and mask then reopen the lockdown or put everything or business moving to accelerate economical growth in a liberal positivisms way. If you love money without violating justice and freedom and happiness liberty and dignity and kindness and rights and human rights and dignity! World union dream era and imperator in resistance.

PC, Manildra

The COVID-19 pandemic is killing 1000 Americans a day. Trump’s response is the stock market is doing great, near record results. So the pandemic is real. Australia, decide your future. We can rebuild the economy, death is permanent, I choose life over ASX.

Anonymous, Molong

What's a finals series in both leagues going to be jj Cudal

Bring me on the warmer weather please. Molong

I hear the fish are biting on the Lachlan at Forbes

Fisherman, Molong.

Have your say about a new inclusive play space in Molong

Cabonne Council is seeking input into a proposed new play space at the Dr Ross Memorial Recreation Ground.

Play is for everyone, and our play spaces should be too. Cabonne Council has been awarded a grant as part of the NSW Government’s Everyone Can Play program to create an inclusive play space at the Dr Ross Memorial Recreation Ground that is accessible for everyone.

To help us ensure Council is creating the best space for you, Council is inviting you to complete a brief Public Space survey available on Council's Website (cabonne.nsw.gov.au) by clicking “Have Your Say” from the homepage.

If you have any questions about this project, please come and talk to Council at a drop-in session at the Dr Ross Memorial Recreation Ground on Thursday 8 October

between 12 and 1:30pm.

The Premier Must Take Water Off the Nats

After Damning Auditor-General’s Report: Greens

An Auditor-General’s “This Report shows Report released today that the National Party examining the NSW has failed regional Government’s ‘Support communities. By not for regional town developing a water water infrastructure’ strategy to ensure is damning and we could survive demonstrates a gross the worst droughts, dereliction of duty towns ran out of water by the Government and many others to manage the state’s approached ‘Day precious water Zero’. resources sustainably “Now, the and equitably, government’s answer Greens MP and water is new dams instead spokesperson Cate of developing a Faehrmann said. sustainable water

The report’s key Wyangala Dam - despite $600m wall raising proposal "still needs a strategy based upon finding was that the business case" the best science. Department of Planning, Industry and Environment has not “The Report also found that funding through the Safe and effectively supported or overseen town water infrastructure Secure Water Program has not been allocated transparently planning in regional NSW since at least 2014. It has also lacked or did not prioritise investing in town water risk. Further, a strategic, evidence-based approach to target investments in around a third of projects with funds committed to local water town water infrastructure. utilities were done so without going through the Technical

“The only conclusion to be reached from this damning Review Panel process. report is that the Water Minister isn’t up to the task of “We live on the driest continent on earth and climate change ensuring this state’s water resources are managed sustainably means it’s only going to get drier. It’s clear that the experts and equitably. It’s now up to the Premier to act,” said Ms knew the risks facing town water supplies and knew what Faehrmann. needed to be done, so how can the Water Minister defend

“Twenty years ago, the Water Management Act made such incompetent management of our state’s water? provision for a strategic water plan for NSW, which the “Last summer countless regional towns were left facing day government has failed to do. This is a gross dereliction of zero. I would call on the Premier to consider whether we will duty on the part of the Water Minister, particularly as we are be prepared for the next drought if NSW is stuck with a Water talking about making sure that towns don’t run out of water. Minister asleep at the wheel.,” said Ms Faehrmann.