Who are we? GwydirGwydir ShireShire CouncilCouncil recognisesrecognises and and rewardsrewards Where is the ? staff well, we invest in the learning and development of our people, we operate ethically and fairly at all times, we have family and life friendly workplace practices and all our staff and management are passionate and engaging to work with in an absolutley wonderful rural setting.

Strategies

A Healthy and Cohesive Community • We have healthy spaces and places • Our community is an inviting and vibrant place to live

Building The Business Base • Our economy is growing and supported • We are skilled and have access to excellent Gwydir Shire rural setting educational opportunities An Environmentally Sustainable Shire The Gwydir Shire is in the centre of the ‘Fossickers Way’, a route • Our community understands and embraces which off ers the traveller a relaxing alternative to the New England environmental change or Newell Highways. The Shire covers 9,122 km2 and encompasses • We use & manage our resources wisely a diverse landscape that is both picturesque and productive and is approximately 560 km north of Sydney, 160 km north of Tamworth. Proactive Regional And Local Leadership The Shire’s urban areas include Bingara, , Warialda Rail, • We are an engaged & connected community Gravesend, North Star, , Coolatai and Upper Horton. • We work together to achieve our goals

The Roxy Greek Museum Roxy Greek Museum Wins National Award The Roxy Greek Museum housed in the Roxy Theatre, The Australian War Memorial and Tweed Regional Bingara recently took out top prize at the Museums Gallery & Margaret Olley Art Centre. and Galleries National Award ceremony in Sydney. ‘We are really honoured to win this award and are The museum, which is dedicated to Greek very proud to have a facility of this calibre in our small immigration and their involvement in cafes and town, and for it to be recognised by an institute such theatres throughout NSW and Queensland, was as Museums and Galleries is really exciting’ said awarded  rst prize in the Permanent Exhibition or Georgia Standerwick, Economic Development Offi cer Gallery Fit-out category for projects under $150,000. for Gwydir Shire Council. ‘Winning this award is testament to the hard work and dedication of Gwydir Other entries in the Permanent Exhibition or Gallery Shire Council, its staff and volunteers, the Roxy Greek Fit-out category included the Royal Australian Mint, Museum Committee and curator Peter Prineas’.

Naroo Frail Aged Hostel Naroo Frail Aged Hostel in Warialda The former Yallaroi Shire Council established Naroo in opportunity with Naroo now employing a total of 40 1991 in response to a community need for residential staff . Operating 365 days of the year, the residents aged care outside of the hospital system. Since its are cared for in a fully accredited facility which has inception ‘Naroo’ has grown from a ten (10) bed, low ‘person centred’ care as the ultimate goal. care, self-help facility to a 36 bed ‘ageing in place’ facility, with some of the residents requiring a high Located on the north eastern side of Warialda, the level of care. facility boasts beautifully maintained landscaped grounds, vegetable gardens and  ower beds. The Since 2004 Gwydir Shire Council has been dementia wing has internal and external gardens responsible for the management of Naroo. The growth which allows for sensory enhancement for the of the facility has provided considerable employment residents.

The Living Classroom The Living Classroom The Living Classroom is an ecological “wonderland”, The Purpose built Primary Industries Trade Training a research centre and showcase for the future Centre for Cert III delivery with multiple pathways of agriculture and for city and country living, an for primary industry courses. Includes a residential inspiration for regional, national & international bunkhouse and a multipurpose teaching facility which visitors, a centre for education and for includes full kitchen, landscaped gardens, outdoor experimentation for all generations, and for all levels entertainment and parking areas. of learning.

LG Focus mag ad Aug 2015.indd 1 10/08/2015Page 8:08 1 am The Great Freight Debate!

In these turbulent times of an freight network (BCR range 0.67 - Warrumbungle and Narrabri Shire When additional cotton and grain which ever increasing freight task, 1.67 @7% discount rate, mean BCR Councils. These governments all face  ow into the network from west and 1.16) to produce lower overall freight the same basic road challenges: they north are accounted for, the total area and never enough money costs to cotton and grain growers, are each home to very productive of agricultural production reaches well in the kitty or political will to increase the productivity of the agricultural economies and strong over $2 billion dollars (i.e. inclusive of to grasp the nettle, local Inland Rail project and to give land use communities, but they are burdened representative cotton and grain  ows government is at the coal front investment certainty to local industry by a costly and hard-to-sustain road from Walgett and Balonne LGAs, 2011 of this issue and driving the which relies on predictable and effi cient asset base which will need to attract Census data). transport planning. greater investment and be subject to winds of change. better prioritisation if it is to continue The network - over 12,000 kilometres Road sustainability - willingness to support local industry productivity, of roads - has little opportunity to Juturna Consulting, in concert with to examine best practice global road-user safety and community secure major new capital funds from the Australian Rural Roads Group, approaches to sustain the region’s connectedness. governments in the prevailing  scal has recently lodged an ambitious overall 12,000 kilometre local road climate. Yet at the same time, the $150 million dollar submission to network. This includes considering The region covered by the Network public sector roads ‘system’ does Infrastructure Australia, which will commercial and partnered  nancing ranks as one of the richest agricultural not off er signi cant avenues for further highlight the pressing need and operational approaches, provided zones in the nation. In 2011, the last productivity-based funding allocations. to address the massive challenges they can demonstrate transparently available census year, it produced This program has been designed to be facing the freight task in Australia in the better value for money to the almost $1. 8 billion in agricultural submitted to Infrastructure Australia coming years. community and industry. production. Several of the participating and in turn, to the New South Wales shires rank as the most productive government and Infrastructure NSW The submission, which has brought The program has been developed agricultural local government areas in for formal recognition as a ‘national together the expertise and the collegiately by local governments Australia. infrastructure priority list’ project, based professional and  nancial commitment working together to support more on: of  ve Councils in the North West of effi cient and sustainable road and rail Annual value of agricultural NSW, is a critical project, destined to infrastructure in the interests of more production for the North-West • National agricultural productivity: overhaul the road network in some productive regional communities. Network ($m) Source: NSW Agriculture The Network services one of of the most productive regions in the The authors are the  ve local Census (2011), NSW Department of Australia’s most productive country. governments that make up the region Trade and Investment gross value agricultural regions: the North- West - Gwydir, Moree Plains, Gunnedah, added  gures. produces over $2 billion in mostly Not merely an upgrade, but a carefully grains, cotton and cattle annually; and strategically considered and smart freight improvements can priced freight network designed bring much greater effi ciency to a to support and complement the nationally-signi cant task. imminent Melbourne – Brisbane Inland Rail project, and potentially linking • Inland Rail: The Network off ers a commodities to the new Wellcamp direct and signi cant improvement Airport in Toowoomba, opening up to the productivity and supply huge new export possibilities for this chain alignment of the Inland Rail region and beyond. project - itself a project of national signi cance, which becomes more The report, titled The North-West pro table in direct proportion to Freight Network (‘the Network’) railhead road transport cost savings. details a road investment and sustainability program designed for a • Innovative market investment 57,000 square kilometre agricultural approach to  nancing roads: The powerhouse region of north-western Network is open to a commercial New South Wales. It has two main road investment and operational features: model which has not yet been employed in Australia, but has Road productivity - a productive $160 proven productive for markets and million aspirational capital upgrade communities alike in other places program to the region’s core road such as Europe and the USA.

LGPage Focus 2 mag ad Aug 2015.indd 2 10/08/2015 8:08 am • Economic Merit - the economic 1 Roads should deliver cheaper the true costs of road maintenance, analysis of the potential of and safer road and rail freight - increasing exponentially, at a much these freight network upgrades this occurs through upgrading key greater rate than the allowable suggests that the Network networks for safe and sustainable CPI increases. Many councils are could deliver productive gains access by the most productive now forced to apply for large rate for the regional economy. The road freight combinations, variations to staunch the budget business case has limited designed as a network so that shortfalls, putting even greater itself to being justi ed by the road and rail complement each pressure on ratepayers in rural effi ciency gains from cotton and other, not compete with one communities, many of whom have grain freight  ows alone. Gains another. been feeling the pain of spiralling should therefore be considered costs, drought and a constrained conservative. Additional 2 Roads must promote more agricultural industry for some years. bene ts that could be modelled reliable and effi cient industry include: a) gains to the Inland land use and development In a 2014 report from Infrastructure Rail project in terms of price at choices by de ning a clear high- Australia, it was noted that: railhead diff erential; b) gains to productivity road and mainline adjoining local government area rail freight network which gives The current Australian system commodities; c) gains to wider investors long-term con dence assumes that roads are an answer regional commodities. when investing in facilities to most transport problems and nearest to the lowest-cost freight seeks more and more funding to • Deliverable - the Network is solutions. that end, with little consideration deliverable through potential 3 Roads need to  nd a more of alternatives that most other commercial operational models, sustainable way to be developed parts of the world thanks to the preparatory work maintained and  nanced by enjoy, such as signi cant heavy that this region completed for working together as a region intercontinental rail networks Infrastructure Australia in 2013 and being open to diff erent and dominant heavy mass transit regarding baseline condition approaches, including market- systems. of network. Proposal is fully based approaches, if they provide compliant with Infrastructure transparently better community With expenditure pushing above Australia’s Bingara Accord on value for money and service $20 billion dollars annually, there productive road investment levels. has never been more money agreed in 2014 (http://www. poured into the nation’s roads. infrastructureaustralia.gov.au/ 4 Local governments should work Yet in late 2013, Infrastructure publications/ les/The_Bingara_ together actively, along with Australia’s State of Play report on Accord.pdf). higher governments and markets economic infrastructure ranked to  nd solutions to achieve the roads as by far the nation’s worst This pilot provides enormous greatest road infrastructure asset class, by all measures.” opportunity for public and private bene ts. Realistic net freight partnerships in meaningful savings to transport users This pilot addresses all of those investment in large scale should drive the decision making issues and has de nitively proven infrastructure, while providing process. that the data is able to be sourced, inter-generational bene ts to all researched and applied to what is Australians, with a more effi cient, The Australian Rural Roads Group, arguably the greatest issue facing cost eff ective and less ad hoc a likeminded association of local decision makers in this country. template than the current system. governments from around Australia, The diff erence being that this has been working tirelessly to The North-West Freight Network package has been researched, address the ever growing local road template is at the forefront of truly costed and designed to return funding and maintenance challenges developing a vision to making some maximum value for dollars spent, facing local government, and headway on the freight task which opening the door to a more constantly encouraging political will threatens to overwhelm this country. marketable private investment from higher levels of government to We need all tiers of government and model.  nd solutions to the problem. industry to encourage con dence and willingness in both the public The authors share four broad When ‘the funding gap’ is discussed, and private sectors to invest in objectives for their transport rate pegging is the usual suspect, SMART*, large scale infrastructure infrastructure which have shaped without which councils would have projects that will take this nation this proposal: been better able to keep abreast of capably into the next century. *Speci c, Measurable, Assignable, Realistic, Time-related

... to invest in large scale infrastructure projects that will take this nation capably into the next century.

www.australianruralroadgroup.com

LG Focus mag ad Aug 2015.indd 3 10/08/2015Page 8:08 3 am SocialS i lS Services i Our Social Services team works hard to ensure that high quality professional Children’s services are available to the entire community. Gwydir Shire Council off ers a range of outstanding Children’s Services starting with our supported playgroup development worker who provides Gwydir Fitness Centres playgroup experiences in Bingara, Warialda and Gravesend. Gwydir Council has developed the Council facility which off ers children and a Youth Week program for the Shire and Warialda Fitness Centre which has been Playgroups are run through our Toy families a holistic approach to education runs a Youth Space in Bingara. An annual in operation since 2013. Members enjoy Libraries in Bingara and Warialda which and care. Youth Exchange with Willoughby City are the envy of many other Shires in our the 24/7 access to this modern facility. Vacation Care is run in Warialda, Council is held giving our young people the Region. Gwydir Council’s Social Services Council is currently in the process of Gravesend and Bingara for four weeks opportunity to see what life is like in the team off ers parent education and play establishing a similar facility in Bingara during school holidays and off ers city, and to host students from Willoughby experiences for families and provides a safe and this facility is in the  nal phase of workshops, excursions and fun activities allowing them a country experience. We and protected environment for our children construction. The Project is being funded for children aged 5-12 years. strive to provide a balanced and exciting via grants from NSW Sport and Recreation, to grow and learn. service for the young people of our Shire. Gwydir Shire Community Grants and The Youth Service covers Gwydir Shire Tharawonga Mobile Resource Unit is a At the Bingara Neighbourhood Centre community fundraising. Reciprocal access as an advocacy and referral service. This mobile service which facilitates Preschool residents have access to many diff erent rights will be available when the Bingara service allows clients to access many and Playgroups in our most remote towns visiting services as well as the ability Fitness Centre becomes operational. Both forms of counselling including health and and villages. to discuss issues and be referred to facilities have cardio equipment, weights wellbeing, careers, mental health and professional services. and an exercise room. Bingara Preschool is an exceptional relationships. The service also provides

Gwydir Shire Council received Federal involved the launch of a smart phone/ Government funding under the ‘Your device app. Best Riverside Camping Spot Community Heritage’ program to tell Users can download the Soundtrails the stories of the Orange Tree Avenue in app onto a smart phone or iPad, and Bingara locals have always known that that they Over 45,000 campers had their say and the top Finch Street, Bingara. see themselves on a GPS map and walk were living in a little slice of heaven, nestled twenty sites were split into  ve categories. They The Orange Trees have become a freely in and out of sound  elds; a rich between rolling mountains and the picturesque were best riverside, best costal, best tropical, symbol of community pride. It is a weave of memories, voices, myths, and Gwydir River; the area is a haven for  shermen best red dirt and best bush camp site. archival photographs. and nature lovers alike. living memorial to Bingara residents The Gwydir River and adjacent town of Bingara who served at war. During the year, ‘Bingara is our latest and most The free camp spots along the Gwydir River won the best riverside category with a massive the oranges are left untouched. The impressive Soundtrail to date; a have become increasingly popular with leisure 50% of the vote. Runner up was Renmark harvesting of the fruit by local children fascinating insight into the people  sherman, family camping groups and grey SA on the Murray River. The magazine stated happens only once a year following a of Bingara, the community and their nomads seeking to escape the rat race, even if ‘The town of Bingara itself is becoming an ceremony. This is known as Orange collective songs, stories and history. only for a few days. The secret is well and truly increasingly popular destination with RVers, Picking Day and is a mark of respect to The Bingara Soundtrail is now the out: the very popular ‘Caravan and Motor Home thanks to welcoming locals, attractions and those who fell in the wars. third in the Gwydir Shire, with original On Tour’ magazine recently asked their readers overall RV friendly attitude. Orange Picking Day started in 1960 compositions, local voices, and to compare thousands of camp sites across and has continued every year from one excellent production, Soundtrails truly Australia and the winners were announced in the Be sure to add the Gwydir and Bingara to your generation to the next. This program brings a place alive! Winter 2015 issue of the magazine. travels before too many cotton on!’

GLR - Opportunity for Youth in Gwydir Gwydir Libraries exploring the Boundaries Gwydir Shire libraries are continually exploring Gwydir Shires innovative library services have the realms of innovative ways to reach been recognised by the State Library of NSW members across its vast Shire. In additional with a very rare visit by the State Librarian to to the existing successful branches in both branches to take place on 8 September. Bingara and Warialda, Council has expanded Gwydir Shire’s Library Service managers the services through the introduction of an and staff will proudly be showcasing the Outreach Program. achievements of the Outreach Program.

The program was developed as part of the ‘One Book, One Region’ is a promotion where library service strategy to deliver library groups of readers are encouraged to read the services to outlying villages and communities same book from a reading list so as to open who may suff er from geographical isolation, or up a communication line. The books are all Gwydir Shire Council is an important The GLR recently purchased a dual may not have access to information services chosen for the literary content and are award partner in the Gwydir Learning Region control car for the speci c purpose of which support traditional library usage. winning novels. (GLR). The GLR is a nationally establishing a Learn to Drive School. recognised and awarded body. Council A Council Offi cer is the accredited and the GLR pride themselves on driving instructor. ‘It is very important continually making opportunities that the young people of our region available to the youth of Gwydir Shire. enjoy the same services that are found in much bigger centres’, said Mayor Gwydir Shire now has three Trade John Coulton. Training Centres located in Bingara and Warialda (Automotive, The GLR has also introduced Learn Hospitality, and Primary Industries). A to Weld courses for the community brand new initiative is a Driver Training and these are held in the Automotive Gwydir Shire Councillors with their Stig author visit to Bingara Gwydir kids ‘book face’. School at the GLR Automotive Trade Trade Training Centre in Warialda on a copy of ‘The Rosie Project’ Training Centre, Warialda. Wednesday or Thursday evening.

GwydirGwydir ShireShire CouncilCouncil LockedLocked BagBag 55 •• 3333 Maitland Street •• BINGRARABINGARA •• NSWNSW • 2404 PhonePhone Bingara: Bingara: (02) (02) 6724 6724 2000 2000 || Wariada:Warialda :(02) (02) 67296729 3000 email:email: [email protected] [email protected] | |www.gwydir.nsw.gov.au www.gwydir.nsw.gov.au

LGPage Focus 4 mag ad Aug 2015.indd 4 Published by Local Government FOCUS July 2015 | (03) 9416 9900 | www.lgfocus.com.au10/08/2015 8:08 am