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spirit All the action from Community shines at Carols by Twilight Races Candlelight
Students shine at Warren Central School’s presentation night
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Body found on local property By TESS VAN LUBECK ORANA Mid-Western Police are investigating following the discovery of a man’s body last week on a property approximately 30 kilometres from Warren. Emergency services were called to the property on the Quambone-Warren Road at around 10.40am on Wednesday, December 11, following reports of an unresponsive male found in Marthaguy Creek. A crime scene was established and a report is being prepared for the coroner. The Warren Star understands the incident is not being treated as suspicious, and no further information is available. By TESS VAN LUBECK TAKING months to complete, the Environment Protection Agency (EPA) fi nalised its flood clean up project on the Macquarie/Wambuul River recently, celebrating with an afternoon tea for patient locals. Held at the WoW centre on Wednesday, December 11, the event was a way of thanking the community for their active involvement in the environmental initiative that dismantled the giant debris dams blocking the waterway. Removal of “Raft Six” and “Raft Seven” were the fi nal pieces in an eight-month long battle to clear extensive flood debris located between Warren (Top) Weir and Marebone Weir. The Warren Star understands that at the onset of the
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EPA celebrates “raft” removal Karlene Irving, Isabella Fernandez, and Katrina Leske at the afternoon tea to celebrate finalisation of the “raft removal” flood clean up project on the Macquarie/Wambuul River. project, which included initial mapping of the area by local Bron Powell, many locals were sceptical about the project’s methodology and staying power. EPA Senior Community Engagement Advisor, Georgia Goode, said it was satisfying to see the project through, though there was some apprehension from community members that they could be left high and not-so-dry from the work if the project had failed. Since the program commenced in early April, approximately 5554 cubic metres of woody debris and 234 cubic metres of human-made rubbish has been removed from the watercourse by Northern Rivers Marine Services contractors (NRMS). Chair of the Warren Branch of the NSW Farmers Associa-
Warren Star W St Holiday H ld C Closure l The Warren Star office will be closed from December 20, 2024 until January 16, 2025. Our next edition of the Warren Star will be ready for you on Wednesday, January 22, 2025. We hope you have a lovely Christmas and a Happy New Year!
tion, Simon Cant, was heavily involved in the river raft project throughout, with debris stockpiled on his land. He said the strategy and clean up had been a “mammoth” effort but very worthwhile for what it has achieved. “This project far exceeded my expectations. It was a huge effort, taking over eight months to complete,” he told the Warren Star. “I was concerned that despite good intentions, they would get started and then ‘run out of funding’,” he added. “I raised these reservations at the outset, and the EPA said they would stay the course, and they did!” Director of Incident Management and Environmental Health Regulatory Operations at the EPA, Arminda Ryan, also told the Warren Star that the job was more complex than
Georgia Goode from the EPA, stakeholder, Simon Cant, with Bron Powell at the afternoon tea to celebrate finalisation of flood debris clean-up on the Macquarie/Wambuul River. PHOTOS: WARREN STAR.
anyone initially appreciated. “Until you get the contractors (NRMS) working, it was very hard to tell that most of [the piles of debris] were three metres deep,” she said. Since April, teams of the contactors have been clearing these blockages from the waterways. The only work remaining now is to take away the separated stockpiles of timber, tyres, chemical drums, metals and white goods from local landholders’ properties. In looking to the future, Mr Cant offered some thoughts on how to reduce the scale of devastation with the next flood by targeting a key offender. “My next river focus will be to see legislation that recognises exotic woody debris (like the willow) as a serious threat to riverbank stability,” he said. “Currently it is considered, along with native timbers, as
fish habitat and therefore is protected. [However,] it behaves very differently to say a redgum, which sinks and provides a hollow. It is nonsensical that the destructive willow shares the same protection and status,” he added. “Our upper catchment neighbours must be made to realise the harmful significance of allowing their willow stockpiles to wash into the river,” Mr Cant concluded. Ms Ryan emphasised what a team effort the whole project had become. “The EPA would like to thank the community for working with us, for coming along to our drop-in sessions the whole way through, particularly thanks to the council for advocating strongly for the community and working with us,” she concluded.