Council Connect: 4 April 2025

Published on 04 April 2025

Hey, I'm Digby Rayward, and it's my pleasure to present this week's Council Connect.

I guess, because the sun's out, we might as well talk about the weather. So we've certainly had our rainy periods, which have been most uncomfortable for our road crews; they've been flat out. And as you know, wet weather, roads, dirt roads and potholes don't go well together. But congratulations to these guys and ladies, who have been working very hard. We ask people to be patient while we get through this period. We still have some effects from the January floods, and we were lucky we only received the tail end of the cyclone. It was a nuisance to us and certainly caused a few road blockages and flooded bridges. But that passed, and it's almost as if we're getting used to that scenario.

We'll press on from the weather with what else has been happening. Well, the General Manager and I went to Sydney to attend the Country Mayors Association, which is a gathering of mostly the smaller council Mayors, and we addressed a number of politicians and put motions forward. And I'm very pleased to say Dungog got a motion forward regarding the Grants Commission. That's a New South Wales Grants Commissioner, and they have a formula that distributes federal funds across all the councils in New South Wales. And that formula is absolutely woeful to tell you the truth, right? It favours the bigger councils. But I'm very pleased to say that we got home percentage support for our motion while being at this Grants Commission to change its rules and follow the legislation, which actually says that we need horizontal fiscal equalisation, which means spreading the money out fairly.

We'll also be meeting with the Minister for Roads again shortly, and we're pushing hard for the reclassification of roads. We're on the short straw with that one as well, and we’re trying to change it a little bit so that the roads to critical infrastructure, I've mentioned this before, like roads to Chichester Dam that are so important for everybody, that we shouldn't be funding those roads. They should be funded from another source, whether they include them as a state road, which if it's a state road, it’s funded by the state. It's absolutely essential we get some support for our road funding.

Also an important thing is that Dungog is part of the Hunter Joint Organisation, that's a group of ten local councils, and we've actually been lobbying the politicians. I think I've mentioned this before, too, about the upcoming mine closure of BHP, and another big mine closes in 2030, and it's estimated that there could be up to 10,000 job losses. Our concern, of course, is that those people who are living in the Dungog shire who may be employed by these mines or the associated businesses with the mines get an opportunity to be employed somewhere else. It's critical that the governments don't sit on their hands and wait till the mines shut down. We're looking for action to get that going now.

Another important thing coming up—I want you to take notice of this—is a Community Grants Workshop. Now, we all know we survive on grants, right? Council has employed an independent expert, Christine, from The Independent Funding and Grants Collective. She’ll be running this workshop. It's this coming Wednesday night at the Doug Walters Pavilion from 5-7 p.m. So don't miss out—I want you to be there!

Now, while you're thinking about getting into a bit of action and going to the workshop, I want you to think about the fact that Easter is coming up. The Dungog Rodeo kicks off on Friday night and goes through till Sunday. Last year about 9000 people attended. So it’s well worth going, and it's a great attraction for the shire! And on the same day, earlier in the morning, is the Gresford Billy Cart Derby.

There was a false rumor going around that the Mayor had to compete in this Billy Cart race, but I’m trying to suggest that’s not going to happen. We’ll wait and see.  

Finally, we've got some action on the Clarence Town Bridge. If you've been past there lately, you'll see the surveyors have put some flags out that show something is happening. The initial work is due to start early May.

Well, that's about all. Let's hope the sun stays out, the road crews get on with it, and everyone has a good time. I'll catch you when it’s my turn to be here again. Thanks very much.