Council News #416 - 8 October 2022

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Wagga Wagga City Council weekly newsletter

Saturday 8 October 2022 | Issue #416

Help protect our region's vulnerable birds

Events & Tourism

Wagga Wagga City Council is encouraging residents to celebrate Australia’s Bird Week and get involved in bird conservation efforts this month through a range of activities the whole family can enjoy.

Three ways you can celebrate Australia’s Bird Week

The 2022 National Bird Week runs from Monday 17 October to Sunday 23 October and is a wonderful opportunity to get to know your feathered neighbours while being present in nature with family and friends.

Council's Environmental Education Officer Christina Reid said there are 163 threatened species in our Local Government Area, with a total of 53 vulnerable bird species.

“You can help protect these vulnerable species and celebrate National Bird Week by taking part in the Aussie Bird Count, visiting one of Wagga Wagga’s prime bird watching spots, or even by creating a bird-friendly garden to encourage birds to your backyard,” Ms Reid said.

“The Aussie Bird Count is a national initiative that Council has supported for three consecutive years, and it provides us with important data on how many birds are actively sharing our environment. ...continued next page

BIRD'S EYE VIEW: Environmental Officer Samantha Pascall and Environmental Education Officer Christina Reid look to the treetops in hope of spotting a threatened bird.

Community

CARING FOR TEENS: Council's Youth Development Officer Alex Osgood is encouraging anyone who spends time with young people to learn vital mental health first aid skills at the upcoming two-day course.

Mental health first aid: learn how to support our teenagers Warning: this article discusses youth mental health and suicide.

Become a Youth Mental Health First Aider during October, which is Mental Health Month, with a two-day face-toface course hosted by Wagga Wagga

City Council in partnership with the Murrumbidgee Local Health District (MLHD) and the NSW Advocate for Children and Young People.

The Youth Mental Health First Aid training course, which normally costs $350 per person, has been reduced to

$20 plus a booking fee, thanks to funding from the NSW Advocate for Children and Young People.

The course will be facilitated by accredited psychologist and MLHD District Clinical Leader John Dean.

Council's Youth Development Officer Alex Osgood said the course was ideal for teachers, parents, carers, youth service providers, and anyone who works with young people, directly or indirectly.

“You might even be a manager at a takeaway or retail store,” Alex said.

“So many of us work with young people, build great relationships with them and may notice changes in their behaviour, but lack the skills or toolkit to know what to do beyond initially asking if they’re okay.

“This course covers everything from that early conversation right through to crisis support where you may need to be with a young person until professional help arrives to take over.”

The Youth Mental Health First Aid training course is proudly hosted by Wagga Wagga City Council in partnership with the MLHD and funded by the NSW Advocate for Children and Young People.

To register, head to events.humanitix. com/youth-mhfa-october For more information, please contact Wagga Wagga City Council's Youth Development Officer Alex Osgood on 1300 292 442 or email youth@wagga.nsw.gov.au

Youth Mental Health First Aid training Please note that this is a face-to-face 14-hour educational course, not a therapy or support group.

You must be over 18 years of age and be present for the full two days in order to become an accredited Youth Mental Health First Aider.

Session 1 (25 places) Monday 17 October 8:30am – 2:30pm Tuesday 18 October 8:30am – 4:30pm Session 2 (25 places) Monday 24 October 8:30am – 2:30pm Tuesday 25 October 8:30am – 4:30pm Cost: $20 + booking fees Venue: Wagga Wagga City Council Meeting Room at the Civic Centre, Wiradjuri Country Included: Lunch, tea/coffee and a copy of your own Youth MHFA manual to take home. Sessions to be facilitated by accredited psychologist and MLHD District Clinical Leader, John Dean.

Registration link: events.humanitix. com/youth-mhfa-october

Broken garden hoses go in the red lid bin.

Garden hoses are not recyclable, they consist of a variety of materials which are difficult to separate. However, a quick internet search shows lots of garden hose upcycling ideas rather than sending them straight to landfill!

To learn more visit: wagga.nsw.gov.au/householdwaste

THIS IS A PAID ADVERTISING FEATURE BY WAGGA WAGGA CITY COUNCIL

pet

Environment & Animals

Work underway on Duke of Kent community building

Aussie Bird Count: get involved From front page “By taking part, residents contribute to a vital pool of information through a userfriendly app.

“The beauty of the initiative is that while it’s great to access some of our amazing wildlife areas to record birds, the information you can garner from your own backyard is just as important.

“If you are unable to leave the house or can’t get away from work, you can record what bird species you can see from your window or a local park.”

In 2021, there were 265 observers who spotted 19,268 birds in our Local Government Area, with 132 different bird species identified, including 12 species listed as threatened.

To take part, download the free Aussie Bird Count app and simply stand or sit quietly in one spot for 20 minutes and note what birds you see. Dawn and dusk are ideal, and you can submit multiple counts from multiple locations.

Council's Environmental Officer Samantha Pascall said Wagga Wagga and its surrounds have some prime bird spotting locations if you would prefer to simply be present in nature.

“Transformed from disused treatment ponds, Marrambidya Wetland is open all year round and provides habitat for migratory and non-migratory birds,” said Ms Pascall.

“Birramal Conservation Area is known to support the locally threatened Superb Parrot which is frequently spotted in the woodland areas.”

Lastly, National Bird Week might be the perfect excuse to bring your nearest and dearest together by finally installing that bird bath.

“Creating a bird-friendly garden provides year-round food, water and shelter for different bird species,” said Ms Pascall.

“Planting species native to our area such as wattle and bottlebrush is the best addition to any bird-friendly garden as they will provide the right food and shelter for our native birds.”

For information on the Aussie Bird Count visit: aussiebirdcount.org.au For information on Marrambidya Wetland visit: wagga.nsw.gov.au/ wetlands For bird friendly garden inspo visit: aussiebirdcount.org.au/gardening

Wagga Wagga City Council has started works on the Duke of Kent community building.

Council’s Project Manager Henry Collie said the existing building has been demolished and construction of the new facility is expected to begin in the coming weeks, weather permitting.

“The site is currently being cleared,” Mr Collie said.

“The next steps are to survey the site and set out the footprint of the building.”

Once complete, the building will accommodate the Wagga Wagga Veteran & Vintage Motor Club, University of the Third Age members, and other community groups.

Several parking bays at the entrance of Kent Crescent will be unavailable during construction.

The Duke of Kent community building, which is located next to the Duke of Kent Oval at 26 Shaw Street, is expected to be completed by the end of June 2023.

This $800,000 project is funded by Wagga Wagga City Council.

CONSTRUCTION BEGINS: Project Manager Henry Collie on site.

Council

Potential flooding: keep yourself up-to-date The rising river level in the Murrumbidgee and recent heavy rainfall has already resulted in a number of roads being closed in the Wagga Wagga Local Government Area.

Drivers are reminded to avoid flooded roads and obey road closure signs. To stay up-to-date about road closures, visit wagga.nsw.gov.au/flooding Council will continue to follow the directions of the NSW SES and monitor infrastructure to ensure maximum safety and minimum disruption to our services.

For more emergency information, advice, and access to the latest river heights and rainfall forecasts: NSW SES: ses.nsw.gov.au NSW SES Facebook: facebook.com/MERRHQ Latest River Heights and Rainfall Observations: bom.gov.au/nsw/flood/southwest.shtml Latest NSW forecasts & warnings: bom.gov.au/nsw/index.shtml Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) NSW Twitter: twitter.com/BOM_NSW

OF THE

WEEK

#adoptdontshop

THANK YOU: Vegetation Management Officer Christopher Holman and Environmental Officer Samantha Pascall.

Have your say on the One Tree for Me initiative Wagga Wagga City Council’s environment team is thanking residents for helping get more than 12,800 seedlings in the ground in 2022 and is encouraging participants to complete a short survey to help plan for next year.

Council is continuing to work towards the One Tree for Me campaign aim of getting 65,000 seedlings planted in our local area over the next six years – one seedling for every resident.

The goal is getting closer, with Council donating a total of 12,800 native seedlings in 2022: 8000 seedlings for the One Tree for Me seedling giveaways; 3500 seedlings for Schools Tree Day; and 1300 seedlings for National Tree Day. A total of 22,978 seedlings have been planted since the campaign began.

Council’s Environmental Education Officer Christina Reid said it takes a lot of planning to make the initiative happen each year, so the team is starting early for 2023.

“To help us plan and expand the One Tree for Me program, we are calling on residents who participated to complete a short survey,” Ms Reid said.

“This is your opportunity to tell us what worked well and share your ideas on how we can expand the program to reach our goal of 65,000 seedlings.”

Environmental Officer Samantha Pascall said the 2022 campaign was momentous and at times very moving for Council’s environment team.

“The greatest highlight for us was the community’s enthusiasm to receive both the seedlings and information about how to care for them,” Ms Pascall said.

“Local residents gravitated towards smaller flowering shrub seedlings that they hadn’t heard of before, such as the Native Juniper or the Yellow Buttons.

“It was empowering to see residents come back to collect more seedings, excited to tell us how their current seedlings were going and asking for advice.

“It made it such a great project to be involved in.”

Please have your say on the One Tree for Me initiative by completing the survey at surveymonkey.com/r/ MKBYZK3 For more information, visit wagga. nsw.gov.au/onetreeforme

His name means 'king' or 'home ruler', and Enzo is ready to add his royal presence to your household.

Despite his lofty name, this one-yearold male is very playful and just loves a belly rub.

You can adopt Enzo (Imp. No.: C22/0431) for $222, which includes desexing, vaccination, worming, FIV test, microchipping, lifetime registration and ID tag.

6971 4651 | graswagga.com.au Weekly mowing report Commencing Monday 10 October 2022 • Ashmont • Kooringal Road • City Centre levee • Tarcutta area • Rawlings Reserve • Collingullie • Willans Hill Asset • Currawarna Protection Zone • Forest hill area • Humula

Get Council News straight to your inbox Subscribe now wagga.nsw.gov.au/subscribe

Vacancies SCADA / Information Technology (IT) Support Officer Closing: Monday 17 October 2022 Vegetation Management Officer - Weeds $2,211.18 gpf + super Closing: Monday 17 October 2022 Events Officer $2,908.36 gpf + super Closing: Sunday 23 October 2022 Manager Engineering Design Services Closing: Monday 24 October 2022 gpf = gross salary per fortnight Wagga Wagga City Council is an EEO employer

WHAT’S

ON WAGGA WAGGA + SURROUNDS

THIS WEEK: DEMONSTRATION GARDENS – VEGETABLE SWAP OR BUY Sat 8 Oct, 8am to 12pm 53 Shaw St. Ph: 0411 417 956

WOLLUNDRY SATURDAY MARKETS Sat 8 Oct, 8am to 1pm Wollundry Lagoon, Civic Centre Precinct.

Ph: 0488 102 835 OPEN STUDIO GALLERY Sat 8 Oct, 10am to 3pm Art Studio, 11 Small St. Ph: 0413 786 209 PRIMARY STUDENT ART CLASS TERM 4 Mon 10 Oct, 4pm to 5.30pm The Curious Rabbit, 44 Johnston St. Ph: 6921 5391

@cityofwaggawagga

ART CLASSES WITH LEIGH HEWITT Mon 10 Oct, 6pm to 8pm The Curious Rabbit, 44 Johnston St. Ph: 6921 5391 70S UNPLUGGED Wed 12 Oct, 11am to 12pm Wagga Wagga Civic Theatre, Burns Way. Ph: 6926 9688 LEGO BLOCK PRINTS KIDS WORKSHOP Thu 13 Oct, 3.45pm to 4.45pm Unique State Art Space, 43 Thomson St. Ph: 0437 699 995

RIVERINA PRODUCERS MARKET Thu 13 Oct, 1pm to 6.30pm Wagga Wagga Showgrounds, Bourke St. Ph: 0428 263 297 THURSDAY TRIVIA Thu 13 Oct, 7.30pm Thirsty Crow Brewery, 153 Fitzmaurice St. Ph: 6921 7470

/waggaevents visitwagga.com For event organising and promotion support, contact Council’s events unit: events@wagga.nsw.gov.au or 1300 292 442 Mon - Fri.

SUBSCRIBE news.wagga.nsw.gov.au/subscribe

Enquiries: 1300 292 For more details and to apply, visit:

wagga.nsw.gov.au/jobs

Public Notices ALL NOTICES NOW ONLINE AT: wagga.nsw.gov.au/ the-council/ news-and-updates/ public-notices

1300 292 442 wagga.nsw.gov.au

R251000208

Community

Events & Tourism