Community fundraising

Reasoning behind our rate rises

Cr Peter Maxwell made comment on the Rates Reconciliation report presented to the Cobar Shire Council Ordinary Meeting last Thursday.

Cr Maxwell said councillors had decided at the last meeting to pass on a rate rise to all ratepayers on a pro rata basis through every rating category.

“What that does, in effect, is raise the rural rate more because valuations have changed whereas housing, mining and business haven’t increased that much in town,” Cr Maxwell explained.

“This time next year the rural industry could be quite a bit more depressed than it currently is and council has agreed to bear that in mind when doing the rate increase next year and where we apportion it to.

“We took into account that the residents of Cobar will have a fair increase in their water rates in the interim so we bore that in mind, “ he said.

“That’s [an explanation] just so the public knows what our thinking was.”

The COHOES Roosters Old Boys Club has teamed up with the Cobar Hospital Auxiliary committee to purchase a folding moveable privacy screen for the Cobar Health Service at a cost of $2,400. Cobar Health Service Nurse Manager Karen Manns (pictured above at right with COHOES Jason Howell and Cobar Hospital Auxiliary secretary Beryl Martin) said the hospital was in need of a privacy screen which can be used a number of ways including providing privacy at the back of the hospital when a deceased patient is collected by the undertaker/coroner. The back door of the hospital opens onto an open parking area and is in direct line of sight for four rooms of the adjacent Lilliane Brady Village retirement home.

Goonrey returned as president

Jim Goonrey was unanimously re-elected as the Cobar Bowling & Golf Club’s president at the club’s annual general meeting on Monday night.

Smedley Nicholson and Peter Brien were elected as vice presidents with Shane Carter returned as the treasurer.

Bob Clark, Robert Neale, Scott Toomey, David Knight and Greg Read were elected as directors.

Christine Brown and Len Burton were put forward for Life Membership and both were approved unanimously.

Secretary/manager Jason Howell reports financially the club had a record year of net profit which comes on the back of a very good year last year.

Mr Howell said the club has a number of capital spending projects in the pipeline including: installation of a new CCTV security system; a new sound system, new teleconferencing facilities; re-surfacing the carpark; bowling greens and garden maintenance projects; new signage; and minor improvements to the golf course.