Central West Village Voice - Issue 046

VILLA

Gorgeous villa with internal garage plus separate internal laundry. Features include high ceilings, living flame gas fire and a large rear garden.

The large lounge/dining room and master bedroom enjoy stunning views of the surrounding undulating hills with a lovely private courtyard area. The master bedroom also boasts an ensuite bathroom plus an entire wall of built-in wardrobes.

$629,000

This villa is something to behold. With 2 gorgeous bedrooms, each with private bathroom and the best in modern fixtures and fittings. The master bedroom is furnished with walk-in robes and has a private ensuite.

The single garage gives you direct access to the home which makes access a breeze. It has a natural living flame gas fire in the living area and zoned heating and air conditioning throughout.

$579,000 2211 VILLA

A refurbished freestanding villa with a private courtyard and attached garage, it boasts three bedrooms and two bathrooms, a spacious living area and newly designed modern open kitchen. Reverse cycle air conditioning and flued gas heating are included.

You will love the private courtyard that is perfect for that mid-morning, relaxing coffee.

$569,000 2211 VILLA

The Megalong-style villa packs a huge range of features into its cleverly designed layout with the very best in modern fixtures and fittings. It boasts 2 large bedrooms, the master with walk-in robes and private ensuite. The second bathroom is perfect for guests. The single garage has easy access directly into the home, which has a living flame gas fire in the living area and zoned heating and air conditioning throughout.

$639,000

This stunning home has the best of open-plan living areas. Each bedroom has its own ensuite, essentially creating two separate private wings. The master bedroom has built-in wardrobes, and there is a cozy gas fire in the living area for those winter nights.

The kitchen is equipped with stone bench tops, dishwasher, oven and cooktop. The home has fully ducted and zoned air-conditioning throughout. The single garage is fitted with an automatic roller door.

NEW “KURRAJONG” VILLA

$579,000 221

This ingenious floor-plan offers two bedrooms, two bathrooms and an internal single garage. The master bedroom has walk-in wardrobes and its own ensuite. The second bedroom also has an ensuite, which creates two separate living quarters. The superb kitchen is equipped with stone benchtops, dishwasher, oven and cooktop.

The living room boasts a cosy living gas fire, and it has fully ducted and zoned heating and cooling throughout.

Assistance still available for landholders impacted by bushfires

livestock diseases following a bushfire or severe weather event.

Local Land Services have locally based staff across the state who can provide support and advice following natural disasters like bushfires and floods, on a range of topics, including:

• animal health

• weeds and pest animals

• agriculture

State election wrap up for our region.

The race was run and won in convincing numbers for incumbent Member for Bathurst, Paul Toole, however, a state-wide swing saw the Labor party take a majority position to lead the state for the next term.

During the bushfire emergency, staff from the NSW Department of Primary Industries (NSW DPI) and Local Land Services, through the Agriculture and Animal Services Functional Area (AASFA), assisted landholders by providing livestock assessment, veterinary assistance, emergency fodder and euthanasia and burial of animals.

While the AASFA response has been demobilised, landholders wanting support, assistance and advice with relation to bushfire recovery and agriculture and animals can still contact Local Land Services.

In the short-term, there is the immediate work involved in repairing infrastructure such as fences and on-farm storage, as well as ensuring that immediate animal welfare responsibilities such as provision of adequate food, water and shelter are met.

Additionally, there is also the increased potential for

• natural resource management

• land management

• general biosecurity

Local Land Services staff can be contacted via 1300 795 299 or www.lls.nsw.gov.au.

Additionally, the NSW DPI Bushfire Hub houses some great resources, and it can be accessed via www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/emergencies/bushfires.

Landholders and primary producers impacted by the bushfire emergency that are yet to complete the Primary Industries Natural Disaster Damage Survey are encouraged to do so via www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/damage.

Mission Australia’s Youth Survey 2023

said the Youth Survey was an essential platform for young people to express their concerns, aspirations, and experiences and amplify their voices to instigate change.

“Young people can experience significant challengeslike housing insecurity and mental health concerns, “she said.

After three terms in the position, you would expect to possibly see some swing against Paul Toole locally, but that did not eventuate and a swing to the national party in the Bathurst Electorate (as at current count a 2% increase) saw him comfortably retain his seat, albeit now in an opposition position for the first time in his political career.

Labor’s Cameron Shaw secured 16% of the vote and Lithgow based Independent candidate Martin Ticehurst taking nearly 7% of the vote, coming in ahead of Greens and Shooters candidates.

It was indeed a strange election with other candidates keeping very quiet, not releasing any policies or information except via their own Facebook pages and much of it very late in the race.

The state-wide labor campaign seemed to be very city centric, and time will tell how this will affect the regional strategy of the outgoing LNP government.

“We have seen in budgetary costing release during the campaign that Labor intends to redirect funds from the Great Western Highway Project, The Snowy Hydro Legacy Fund and the Regional Growth fund to fund their election promises and initiatives, that reallocation of funds will be entirely targeted at projects in the Greater Sydney region,” said Paul Toole.

Investment in regional Australia was seen as an economic boost for the region, positioning the regions as the future economic powerhouses alongside our major metropolitan neighbours, however without long term strategic planning and ongoing infrastructure investment there will be an impact on future generations.

Whilst there has been no official announcements at this stage on what a cabinet will look like in the Chris Minns led government, local labor supporters suggesting a wait and see approach would be more beneficial.

Over the next month to 6 weeks we will see where the chips fall in the makeup of a new government, and will better understand where that leaves the region in a pivotal time in its history, as long standing base industries start to transition. A regional economic policy would be a very encouraging announcement to hear early in the term of this new government.

As the largest survey of its kind, Mission Australia’s Youth Survey 2023 will provide a valuable snapshot of what young people think and feel.

Last year, nearly 4,600 young people in NSW completed the survey, with the environment, equity and discrimination and mental health topping the issues young people want the country to address, and financial concerns and housing instability affecting many.

Mission Australia’s Youth Survey Report 2022 found that one in 20 (5.0%) respondents and their families in NSW could not pay their bills or car expenses. A similar proportion (5.9%) sought financial help from family and friends or a charity.

Mission Australia NSW State Director Nada Nasser

Survey results will be published in November and shared with government and non-government organisations and the general public.

Youth Survey 2023 is open from March to August and takes 20 minutes to complete.

Young people can record their responses online through arrangements with participating schools or groups or through Mission Australia’s website.

To take part in the survey, visit www. missionaustralia.com.au/youthsurvey.

Any political payback from over the mountain would be detrimental to the entire region, and one can only hope that the words of the new premier about ushering in a new age of politics that is more respectful and civil can be adopted at all levels of government in the region, from our Councils through to State and Federal representatives.

As I have said many times, a rising tide lifts all boats, and working together this region can continue to look forward to a bright and successful future.

Editors Note

It has always been the policy of this publication to share the good news of the region, and investments in regional initiatives and community groups have always been great news to share. I do acknowledge that may have seemed biassed to some, however respect to those in office and celebration of the good news in the community is the entire focus of our publication, and we make no apologies for that.

Local Land Services is continuing to provide support, assistance and advice to landholders impacted by the recent bushfires as the transition from emergency to recovery continues.

Mission Australia calls on all young people aged 15-19 to have their say in the charity’s 22nd annual Youth Survey.

FARMERS IN CRISIS: DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY RIFE AMONG AUSSIE FARMERS

New research shines a light on Australian farmer mental health with saddening statistics around self-harm and suicide, sparking calls for government support and industry-wide collaboration to create farmer-to-farmer support networks across the country.

New research released this week paints a saddening picture of the mental health of Australia’s hard-working farmers with close to third (30%) reporting a decline in their mental health over the past few years.

The National Farmer Wellbeing Report[1] commissioned by Norco – Australia’s oldest and largest 100% farmer owned dairy co-operative - in partnership with the National Farmers’ Federation, has found that in recent years, nearly half of Australian farmers (45%) have felt depressed, with almost two thirds (64%) experiencing anxiety. For one in seven (14%), it’s a frequent experience.

Even more devastating, close to half of Australian farmers (45%) have had thoughts of self-harm or suicide, while close to a third (30%) have attempted self-harm or suicide.

Shining a spotlight on a national health crisis needing urgent attention, this data adds to existing bodies of research which found that one farmer commits suicide every 10 days2 and Australian farmers are twice as likely to commit suicide when compared to the general population2.

More than a quarter of farmers (27%) say feelings of loneliness or isolation, combined with limited access to mental health services have had the biggest impact on their mental health over the past five years.

Impact of natural disasters

According to the Report, the top three factors impacting farmer mental health were weather or natural disasters (47%), financial stress (36%) and inflation and cost pressures (35%).

Quantifying the impact across the country, it also found that 88% of Australian farmers have had their farming operation significantly impacted by natural disasters over the past five years, with an average cost of $1.4 million per farm.

When asked what was most emotionally taxing about the experience, more than half (54%) cited the financial burden, followed by the impact on animals and loss of stock (39%), and the physical rebuild and recovery process (37%).

One in five Aussie farmers (20%) reported feeling completely defeated and wanting to give up following an event, and of the 40% of farmers who have contemplated leaving the industry, close to a quarter cite the impact of natural disasters as the main reason why.

Michael Hampson, Norco Chief Executive Officer comments that while the research findings are incredibly saddening, it was important to be able to understand just how pronounced the issue of mental health had become, especially in light of recent natural disasters.

“We saw first-hand the devastating impacts the unprecedented flooding event twelve months ago combined with the ongoing wet weather has on our farmers, many of whom are still rebuilding physically, financially, and emotionally.

“Overlay this with years of heavy drought, bushfires and now rising input costs across all farming sectors and it’s unfortunately the reality that many farmers are doing it tough.

The research has solidified an issue that we were concerned existed, however the breadth and depth of this issue is really quite profound. What we now need to do is consider how we, as an industry and a country for that matter, can help address these challenges and work collectively to better support our highly valued and hardworking farmers well into the future,” he says.

Supporting and valuing Aussie farmers

Potentially contributing to the issue, the Report found that more than three quarters (76%) of Australian farmers believe that the role they play is undervalued by the Australian public. They also believe that rural and remote communities are forgotten about and left behind when it comes to public policies and services, with one in ten (11%) calling for more support and funding from the Government.

Michael Hampson adds that its devastating that such a high proportion of farmers don’t feel that what they do is valued.

“Our farmers really are the backbone of this nation and work tirelessly to deliver essential goods to feed the Australian public, so it’s clear that more work needs to be done to acknowledge this and plug the appreciation gap.

“To help ensure our farmers feel valued, there’s really no better place to start than by making sure that we, as Australians, choose Aussie farmer products over foreign companies and imported products,” he says.

close to one in five (17%) did not want to seek or receive help, while one in ten (11%) felt too embarrassed to do so. One in seven farmers (15%) also reported difficulty accessing suitable services in their community.

David Jochinke, National Farmers’ Federation Vice President comments that the data highlights a sense of shame and stigma that’s still felt by many farmers when it comes to discussing their mental health, and urges Governments and industry representatives to step in.

“Farmers are built tough and can certainly endure a lot, but it’s incredibly important that we work to normalise the issue of mental health and give our farmers both permission and a safe space to share their struggles.

“But to do this effectively, we need to have the right resources and support mechanisms in place to adequately address their challenges.

“This is a complex issue that requires a robust and whole of industry approach, and we applaud Norco’s commitment to creating mental health advocates in farming communities, and we support their calls for greater industry participation on this front.

“But beyond that, were also calling on all levels of government to urgently assess the resourcing they provide to farming communities as its clear their unique needs are not being met by existing services.

“We need dedicated resourcing to tackle farmers’ mental health challenges, and that needs to come from each level of government with leadership from the Commonwealth,” he adds.

Proven benefits of farmer-to-farmer support

Supporting efforts to create a ‘farmer army’ of mental health advocates across the country is Norco dairy farmer and crisis counsellor, Ross Blanch, who, for the past four years has been operating a farmerto-farmer help line established and run by Lifeline Queensland.

“This is a simple, first step that Australian consumers can get behind. But beyond this, we also need to consider ways in which we can actively help address the issue of declining mental health within our farming communities.

Hampson adds that Norco currently has a number of support initiatives already in place which include providing mental health training, access to mental health tools and support, fundraising for research and hosting community wellness events.

But he also says that as a 100% farmer-owned co-operative, Norco is taking a longer-term view on this issue.

“When it comes to the issue of mental health, we know that farmer-to-farmer support is key, as farmers in need are most likely to open up to a fellow farmer, or someone who understands firsthand the struggles they’re experiencing.

“To help build these support networks, Norco is committing to creating mental health champions in and around our organisation,” he says.

“This would include having our field officers, select coop farmer members, senior executive team and Board of Directors all being offered enrolment in a program such as the Lifeline Crisis Supporter Training, so that key members of our organisation have the right tools and can develop the necessary skills to identify and provide support to those in our farming communities who may be struggling.

“But we also know that the issue is far bigger than just our farming communities alone. It really requires an industry-wide approach to ensure that farmers across the country have access to the support and services they require - because the future of our industry really does rely on it,” he adds.

Barriers to mental health support – calls for Government support

Findings from the Report indicate that many farmers are suffering in silence with more than half (51%) not wanting to burden family or friends with their problems or are simply not comfortable discussing them.

For those who have experienced mental health challenges,

Initially motivated by the emotional toll the drought was having on farmers, the Lifeline service saw a 40 per cent increase in community referrals following last year’s floods. And for Ross, while it initially started as a way of helping and giving back, he couldn’t have imagined the impact it would have.

“Farming is tough, both financially and emotionally, but farmers tend to brush off their issues and say they’ll be alright – but it’s extremely important they have someone to talk to who understands and has experienced the same struggles they are,” he says.

“I am now speaking to farmers as far south as South Australia, to as far north as Rockhampton in Queensland, and I have between 150 and 200 farmers that I regularly check in with.

“In the work that I do, I help farmers change their thinking patterns and after an hour and a half of conversation and support, they’re different people – it’s a process and service which truly saves lives,” he adds.

If you or anyone you know needs help:

Lifeline on 13 11 14

Kids Helpline on 1800 551 800

Beyond Blue on 1300 224 636

Suicide Call Back Service on 1300 659 467

Headspace on 1800 650 890

ReachOut at au.reachout.com

MensLine Australia on 1300 789 978

Head to Health at headtohealth.gov.au

[1] Research was conducted by Pure Profile on behalf of Norco, in partnership with the National Farmers’ Federation between February 2 and February 17, 2023. The research surveyed 1,338 Australian farmers aged 18+ with representation from all states and territories across Australia, as well as a cross section of farming sectors.

[2] National Rural Health Alliance. Farmer Suicides –Exploring Ten Years of Coronial Data (2009-2018)

160th Anniversary marked with booklaunch

Visitors from as far away as Albury came to help Bathurst Baptist Church celebrate its 160th anniversary on Saturday 18th March.

Among the attendees were former pastors Frank Willis, Gary Baker, Rob Feeney and Bob Smith.

Bathurst Baptist Church was formed in 1863 and the first church was built at 100 Keppel Street, on the site now occupied by Veritas House. The church met in Keppel Street until 1974. Seventeen people who were part of the Keppel Street congregation came to the anniversary.

A new larger church was built in Stewart Street and opened in in July 1974. However, within a few years the church had outgrown this site, despite an extension being added.

November 1985 saw the church buying a 2-hectare block of vacant land at the corner of Ophir and Eglinton Roads. It was a grassy paddock with just a few farmhouses nearby.

The Stewart Street building was sold to the Salvation Army and in 1987-88 the Eglinton Road church complex was constructed with much work done by voluntary labour from the church family. The building was opened in November 1988.

Today the church is surrounded by new housing estates that have sprung up in the past thirty years.

The history of the church has been recorded in a book titled “Scattering the Good Seed ~ 160 Years of Baptists in Bathurst”. The book was compiled by Keith Painter, building on previous

writings, photos and research done by Geoff Benson and Elaine Fox.

The book was launched at the anniversary event by the Secretary of the Baptist Historical Society of NSW, Ronald Cardwell. Copies are available online at www. mountainmistbooks.com

Activities of the church include Sunday service at 9.30am, Cafe Church at 6pm on the 1st and 3rd Sundays of the month, and Playtime on Wednesday mornings at 10am.

2023 CARILLON BUSINESS AWARDS

The Carillon Business Awards have long been regarded as the premier business event in the Bathurst Region, and in 2023 the Bathurst Business Chamber is excited to announce that Kelso Electrical is once again the major sponsor of this prestigious event.

In 2023 the chamber has updated the business awards categories to align more with Business NSW categories as well as incorporate more People’s Choice categories. There are now 13 business categories that will require an entry submission and 4 people’s choice categories. The business categories do not require nominations. Businesses can enter one or more categories and the submissions will be judged by an independent panel of judges. The People’s Choice categories are based on nominations and public voting. Last year there were more than 6000 public votes, and we believe that 2023 will see even more.

Now in their 38th year, the Carillon Business Awards 2023 powered by Kelso Electrical are set to inspire a new generation of business leaders and entrepreneurs and celebrate those that have been a part of the Bathurst community for many years. The

Bathurst Business Chamber is looking forward to celebrating each and every business and employee in the region and welcome all entries. Entries open May 15th, 2023, and details can be found on our website.

Brad Schumacher from Kelso Electrical said “We are pleased at Kelso Electrical to provide major sponsorship support to the Carillon Business Awards for yet another year. The celebration of Bathurst businesses and individual professional achievements is important to our regions business economy, and as a local business ourselves relying on the support of other local businesses, we continue to support events such as the Carillion Business Awards as our way of giving back to the community. We wish all entrants the very best for this year’s event”

The chamber encourages businesses, employees, and the general public to get involved in this fabulous event celebrating business in our region.

To view the updated categories, visit https://www. bathurstbusiness.com.au/award-categories

Important Dates 2023

15th May – People's Choice Nominations Open

15th May - Business Awards Entries Open

16th June - People’s Choice Nominations Close

15th July - Business Awards Entries Close

17th July - Judging Opens

17th July - Popular Voting Opens

11th August - Judging closes

11th August - Popular Voting Closes

9th September - Gala Event

Pre-retirement Planning

Retirement Planning

De ned Bene ts Super

Daniel Crump Financial Planning can help you:

• prepare for retirement

• manage your money so that you don’t run out

• legally manage your tax and maximise your age pension entitlements.

NO HIDDEN AGENDAS. We are not owned by any financial institutions or super funds who might want to bias our advice.

Commemorate the ANZAC story with a History Talk

Author Anne Hutchison is back with a new book and fresh insights into researching and writing about historical lives. In her latest book, Private CRL Smith, Anne tells the story of a young Aussie on the Western Front during World War 1.

The History Talk: A Digger’s Story will be held at Bathurst Library on Keppel Street on Thursday 13 April at 6pm in the lead up to ANZAC Day. Anne will talk about the research process of collecting memorabilia and anecdotes of her family member and how she brought everything together into a cohesive story. This event is part of the NSW Heritage Festival.

The book is based on the private war diary of Charles Robert Lumsden Smith who fought in France and Belgium. You won’t find his name amongst the heroes written about in the history books, but he was one of the many unsung heroes of a war too willing to sacrifice young lives.

Patou Clerc, Bathurst Library Manager, is looking forward to having Anne Hutchison back in the library. “Last year Anne held a very engaging author talk for her book No Ordinary Life. She has a way of giving interesting insight into the subject of the book, while also explaining some ways of researching your family history.”

For more information visit www.bathurst. nsw.gov.au/library or call the library on 6333 6281. Bookings are essential.

Appointments are now available in Lithgow and Bathurst. To book please call 0418 148 622 or visit danielcrumpfp.com.au for more information.

D Crump & Co Pty Ltd t/as Daniel Crump Financial Planning (ABN 83 642 812 904) is an authorised representative of Catalpa Pty Ltd AFSL 530665 ABN 57 648 557 340

Lions Club of Mount Panorama is seeking additional stallholders for future market days.

First Saturday of each month at Lions Berry Park, Bathurst Come and be part of the markets.

Further Details

Email: macquarielions@gmail.com facebook.com/riversidemarketsbathurst

Identity theft is on the rise –how safe are you?

Discover what you can do to protect yourself from identity theft at a special talk at Bathurst Library next month.

From 2-4pm on Monday 3 April the library will host a presentation by ID Support NSW about how to protect your personal information and what to do if you think someone has stolen your identity credentials.

Each year, one in four Australians are victims of identity crime. ID Support NSW is part of the NSW Department of Customer Service and has been established to make it easier for people to access support if their government proof of identity credentials are compromised, stolen, or fraudulently used.

Manager Library Services Patou Clerc said recent data breaches have made identity theft a worrying concern for many local residents.

“This talk will provide practical advice on what you can do right now to protect your personal information,” she said. “Importantly, it will also provide valuable information about warning signs to watch out for and what to do if you think your information has been compromised.”

Central West Media has consolidated its two previous publications into the new Central West Village Voice, Covering the entire Lithgow and Bathurst region, and distributed fortnightly on Thursdays.

If you are looking for a way to grow your business, speak to one of our friendly team and they will design a marketing plan that suits your budget and gets results.

Central West Village Voice

Publisher Rich Evans on behalf of Central West Media Pty Ltd Emails: editor@villagevoice.net.au sales@villagevoice.net.au

For more information or to book your place, phone the library on 6333 6281.

Office Details

Call our office on (02) 6355 4258

Office: 35 Wolgan Street, Portland NSW 2847

Postal Address: PO Box 227, Portland NSW 2847

Visit our website at www.villagevoice.net.au

Notice to all advertisers and contributors

The Village Voice accepts no responsibility for any advertisement, submitted article or feedback published. Any advertisement, submitted article or feedback is published at the risk of the contributor, who accepts liability for any intended publication. By contributing to this publication, you agree to indemnify the publisher and warrant that the material is to the best of your knowledge accurate and is neither deceptive or misleading, in breach of copyright, or in breach of any other laws and regulations.

WE CAN HELP YOUR BUSINESS REACH MORE LOCAL READERS EVERY WEEK FROM BATHURST TO BLACKHEATH

GOLD AND BRONZE AT PARKES MASTERS GAMES

Bathurst Pan Dragons had a fantastic regatta paddling with Orange Colour City as a combined team in the inaugural Parkes Masters at Lake Endeavour Parkes on 26th March 2023. The weather was a pleasant 27 degrees for the 2km and 200m races. The 2km heats were up first, circumnavigating the 200m course almost 4 times.

Paddlers represented teams including from Canberra, Parkes, Bathurst, Orange, Dubbo, Wagga, Narrabri, Forbes, Lithgow & Blue Mountains - a truly Western Region event.

We achieved gold in the 2km with a time of 12min 23.53sec, later finishing with bronze in the mixed 20s 200m final in the afternoon with 1min 2.65sec.

There were races for men, women & mixed teams with either twenty or ten paddlers in each boat. Newly re-elected Phil Donato (Member for Orange) praised the dragon boating event for encouraging community members to have fun, keep fit & have social bonding with the great sport of dragon boat racing. Bathurst trains at Chifley Dam, more info is at www. bathurstpandragons.org

Pictured Right: Combined team of Bathurst Pan Dragons & Colour City (Orange)

Pictured Right: Coach Deb Clarke presenting Kerry Fry with a gold medal for the 2km event

Pictured Top: Women 20s team heading to the start line for a 200m heat

Bathurst Celebrates Local

This

When did Bake, Table & Tea begin and what was the reason behind its inception?

Bake, Table & Tea opened its doors in October 2015. After the shock of having to walk away from a business that we poured our heart and money into for over 10 years, we knew that there would be a big gap for Bathurst having a quality kitchenware store. I combined my love of tea and baking to come up with the concept of our Tea Gallery Café and all things baking, tabletop and tea in one store.

What has been the biggest win over the last few years?

Becoming a destination store! We have so many visitors coming to our store saying that they have made the trip to Bathurst specifically to see our store. We are now in our 8th year of business and it is wonderful to experience with our new and also our loyal customers what we are achieving as a growing business.

What has been the biggest challenge over the last few years?

Surviving as a business during COVID lockdowns and restrictions. We are still being affected by COVID in many ways from price hikes, stock uncertainty, staff shortages and financial strains. Personally I feel like I have missed out on 2 years of my children’s life as I had to throw myself into doing ridiculous hours to ensure our business survived.

What was the best business advise you’ve ever been given?

Don’t put all your eggs in one basket, which is easier said than done! And also to be passionate about what you do and the rest will follow.

What’s your favourite thing about Bathurst?

I have lived in Bathurst since 1994, coming here to attend CSU and I love the friendly community feel Bathurst has. I loved what the University gave Bathurst in its culture and vibrancy and hope that we as a city can get back to that. I am excited with all of the tourism and events that Bathurst hosts. I know Bathurst will continue to grow and get better.

Final thoughts…

Supporting local businesses, organisations and people is paramount for Bathurst to stand out and thrive. Without locally owned and run local business, Bathurst will not be unique or attractive to visit. Local business cannot survive on tourism alone, we also need the support of our local community to still be here in another 10 years. I love what we have created with Bake, Table & Tea and I am very proud of my staff and the support of my family that make it all happen.

Pop in and say hi to Melissa and her creative team at Bake, Table & Tea, located at 76 George Street in Bathurst or phone 6324 5422.

A Bathurst Regional Council / Bathurst Business Hub initiative

In partnership with Central West Village Voice, we want to celebrate the stories and successes of our local Bathurst Region businesses. From our local retailers and foodies through to our industrial and construction firms, we are looking to celebrate the wide variety of businesses that make up our strong, diverse

issue, we talk to Bathurst’s long-time business owner Melissa Kelly from Bake, Table & Tea, who has kindly shared her thoughts on business and Bathurst.

for playground equipment in Bathurst

√ $954,250 for construction of Bathurst Rail Museum

√ $650,000 for replacing footpaths in Bathurst

√ $300,000 for upgrades to the Civic Ballroom at Lithgow for use as an evacuation centre

√ $205,000 for upgrades to Machattie Park

√ $54 million for the CSU Medical

REGION RALLIES BEHIND FARMERS HIT BY HILL END BLAZE

In what many are calling the worst blaze in NSW since Black Summer, about 18,000 ha of land across the Tambaroora/Pyramul area has been razed.

Last week I rode shotgun with Cullen Bullen RFS, with the team supporting the Hargraves Brigade overwatch team.

We were stunned by the huge amount of work Hargraves RFS (and many others including local farmers) have done in the area to control this blaze. Until you see it, it’s hard to appreciate what they have achieved in such rugged country. Absolute legends.

The call has gone out for donations of hay, grain or cash to help farmers who’ve had their paddocks obliterated. With winter coming, some farmers have zero feed. For some, lambing will be starting soon.

Donations of hay, including good quality lucerne hay, and high protein grain - which is essential during lambing - are still greatly needed.

The response to the call for donations so far has been amazing.

An extremely generous local family in our region has offered 200 round bales.

Bathurst RSL Club has very generously donated a huge $19,000 to purchase hay.

That money purchased semi-trailer loads of hay that was delivered to farmers in the Hill End area earlier this week. I was glad to be there for the hay drop, and met Pyramul farmer Chontelle Rowland-Jones who said that up to 85% of her farm had been burnt in the blaze.

If you would like to donate to help buy some for farmers, this is how you can do it through our local Lions Clubs:

Lions District 201N4 Fire & Flood Account

National Australia Bank

BSB 082 811

A/C 130 866 857

Mark it “Hill End Fire”

Once funds are received, Lion Anne Jones, from Geurie Lions Club (and the Lions Disaster Relief Co-ordinator) will organise the hay.

If you can spare any hay, please call Penny on 0417 629 708 who will co-ordinate with local farmers in need. Any help will be very much appreciated.

SPECIAL DISASTER GRANTS NEEDED FOR FIRE-HIT FARMERS

I recently asked the Prime Minister in Question Time about when we can expect to see a full suite of disaster support become available for residents and farmers whose homes and livelihoods have been devastated by the bushfires. Fortunately, the bushfires have finally been declared a disaster. The disaster declaration is a good start as it unlocks some assistance measures which are urgently required. It’s something local residents and I have been pushing for. While these assistance measures will be a help, affected farmers are still unable to access the $75,000 Special Disaster Grants.

These grants will mean that primary producers can access up to $75,000 to

help them recover from the impacts of the fires.

The Prime Minister said that the NSW Government (through the Premier) would have to request the Special Disaster Grants and they haven’t yet. He went on to say that if he did receive a request, it will be prioritised. This needs to happen fast.

These grants are deservedly available to farmers impacted by the floods and severe weather, so why not these bushfires?

You can see the full question and answer on my Facebook page.

SUPER DOOPER LITHGOW SHOW!

Where are the scones?

That’s what Doreen, Carol and Margaret wanted to know when I joined them for a cuppa and a catch up at the Lithgow Show!

Sadly commitments up in the Hill End area with Cullen Bullen Rural Fire Service meant that I couldn’t get a plate in this year to build on my coveted encouragement ribbon from ‘22. However, with fine weather this year, the

Lithgow Show was a cracker!

And it all happens through a hard working team of committee members and volunteers led by Dave Peters (who was also leading firies out at Hill End on top of show duties!).

Congratulations Lithgow Show Society on a mighty effort and a terrific show!

EUGOWRA OLDEN EAGLES SOAR!

Isurvived! It was an honour to run on with the Eugowra Olden Eagles at the Masters of the Mandagery in Forbes recently! Thank you to all of the spectators and teams who travelled so far to support the day.

There’s still along way to go with the Eugowra rebuild, so please keep the support coming.

And a big thank you to Andrew Barnes, the organising team and all who made the tournament such a success.

GOLD CROWN CARNIVAL!

I really enjoyed attending the Finals Night of the Gold Crown Carnival at Bathurst Harness Racing Club on Saturday!

Although I didn’t pick any winners, it was a great night of racing action (despite the early storm) and showcased why the club is such a powerhouse of harness racing in

Australia.

The facilities are first class and the backstage tour was also one of the highlights of the night!

Congratulations to the club on another highly successful carnival! Looking forward to the next one (although I could use some better

STATE ELECTION WRAP UP

As the dust on the NSW elections settled, I congratulate all of the candidates and members from our region who were elected to the NSW Parliament in the recent state election.

VOICE TO PARLIAMENT INFO NIGHT

If you’d like to learn more about the ‘YES’ campaign to secure an Indigenous Voice to parliament, an information night will soon be held in our region.

This will be a great opportunity to learn about the national YES campaign, have all of your question answered, and to hear about local community efforts to achieve a YES vote in the upcoming referendum.

Where: Conference Rooms 1 & 2 at Bathurst Memorial Centre, 105 William St, Bathurst.

When: 5pm-6:30 pm on Tuesday 4th April

To register, visit: https://events. humanitix.com/together-yescommunity-information-sessionor-bathurst/tickets

60 YEARS OF LIFELINE!

In March 1963, Lifeline opened its telephone lines for the first time.

60 years later, Lifeline’s support line is dialled by someone in need every 30 seconds.

In our area there are Lifeline offices in Bathurst and Orange with about 120 dedicated volunteers, who I thanked last week in Parliament for all that they do for our communities.

There’s been no shortage of support from Lifeline across our region recently.

When the townships of Eugowra, Cudal, Molong and Canowindra were devastated by flood and storm events last November, the teams from Lifeline Central West were quick to spring into action. Four months on, the support of Lifeline has never faded or wavered.

If you or somebody you know needs support, Lifeline can be reached on 131114, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

We wish Lifeline a very happy 60th!

Elections are very tough on candidates and families and I sincerely hope they all get a break over the coming weeks. While the government has changed, for me, the fundamental mission of making life better for the people of our regional communities remains the same. I will work constructively where I can with the new NSW Government but won’t hesitate to call them out when action is needed. They need to start with disaster support for our region including home buy backs, local government support and flood mitigation works in the devastated Cabonne Shire plus a full suite of assistance for the Hill End area, including the $75,000 Special Disaster Grants for farmers.

For the Coalition it’s all about rebuilding.

The National Party’s

return of 11 seats in this state election is a historic low – unprecedented in the post-World War Two era. It’s the fewest seats since 1947.

As I have said previously, I grew up in a National Party family and I’ll never forget when, as a student, I heard former Nationals leader Ian Sinclair give a speech in person. It really made an impression on me. It gives me no joy to say it, but those heady days seem a world away. It just isn’t the party it used to be.

And while the counting is still continuing at the time of writing, the Liberal Party has its own issues to deal with. A return of 25 to 28 seats would mean that, while not hitting historic lows, the challenge is to regain momentum and go forward, not back in four years. Governments work best with effective oppositions. Politics is changing and so are the regions. The lesson for all of the major parties is clear. If you want to win government, you need regional seats. Ignore the regions at your peril.

VALE ALEX BEDWELL

It was an honour (albeit a very sad one) to attend the service to celebrate the life of World War Two Veteran Alex Bedwell in Bathurst this week.

Late last year I was fortunate to be able to spend time with Alex and interview him on video about his wartime experiences as a part of our Central West Veterans’ Voices series.

RUNS ON THE BOARD FOR BATHURST AND LITHGOW

√ $14 million for highway upgrades between Lithgow, Bathurst and Orange

√ $181,818 for Bathurst’s War Memorial Carillon

√ $11.4 million for expanding and supporting aged care facilities in Lithgow

√ $398,500 for crisis accommodation in Bathurst

√ $1.2 million for CCTV in Bathurst and Calare communities

√ $200,000 for new synthetic courts at Wattle Flat Recreation Ground

√ $480,000 for Wallerawang Community & Sports Club

√ $19.75 million in federal funding for bushfire recovery projects in Lithgow and Calare communities

His service included seeing action aboard HMAS Ballarat in the Pacific and the surrender of Japan in Tokyo Bay. He was highly respected and much loved throughout the region.

My sincere condolences to Alex’s family and many friends. Lest We Forget.

√ More than $1.6 million for supporting childcare centres in Calare, including Bathurst Family Day Care

√ $925,000 for the Bathurst Animal Rehoming Centre

√ $60 million for drought and COVID-19 recovery to our local councils for local projects

√ Record Australian Government funding for hospitals, schools, childcare and the NDIS

√ $125,000 for canteen facilities at Bathurst

Sportsground

√ New headspace service for Lithgow

√ 47 mobile phone towers and base stations for Calare

New exhibitions opening at BRAG

DANELLE BERGSTROM - Afterglow and LEANNE WICKS - Birds Like Us will open on 31 March and be open to the public from 1 April - 11 June 2023.

Afterglow by acclaimed Australian-Swedish painter Danelle Bergstrom is the artist's first career survey and presents key works from the last 25 years of the artist's practice.

Based in Hill End since 1997, Bergstrom now lives between Australia and the Åland islands, an autonomous archipelago in Finland.

Afterglow traces Bergstrom’s own life as it is reflected in the overtures and undertones of her subjects, from major landscape paintings and portraits to intimate sketches and drawings.

Birds like us by Leanne Wicks presents knitted portraits of artists associated with the artistic programs of Bathurst Regional Art Gallery and the Cementa art festival. Blending her lifelong passions of birding, ornithology, and knitting, each portrait merges the personality and practice of artists with Australian birds to create a unique and whimsical knitted installation.

For more information visit the gallery or their website www.bathurstart.com.au

Council Updates

Heritage Assistance Grants

Applications are now invited for small grants, under Section 356 of the Local Government Act 1993, for Council’s Heritage Assistance Funds. Applications must be made on Council’s application form which is available on YourSay Bathurst. Applications close on 9 June.

Free Child

Restraint Checks

Ensure all children are safe and secure when travelling in vehicles. There will be free child restraint checks by authorised Child Restraint Fitters at Bathurst Toyota on Wednesday 5 April from 11am to 1pm.

The community is also invited to Bathurst Library on Wednesday 5 April at 11am to talk with a representative from Transport NSW.

Bookings are essential, email Kym.Snow@transport.nsw. gov.au to secure your place.

Village Meetings

Council will be holding its next round of meetings with residents in rural areas during April, May and June 2023.

Each meeting will be held at the following locations:

• Rockley, Sportsground Hall – 18 April at 6.00pm

• Perthville, Community Hall – 9 May at 6.00pm

• Trunkey Creek, Community Hall

– 22 May at 6.00pm

• Sunny Corner, Community Hall

– 29 May at 6.00pm

• Wattle Flat, Recreation Hall – 30 May at 6.00pm

• Hill End, ‘Hosies’, 23 Clarke Street – 13 June at 5.00pm

NRL Tickets on sale

Tickets are now on sale for the round 9 NRL Telstra Premiership at Carrington Park between Penrith Panthers and Wests Tigers, to be played at Carrington Park on Saturday 29 April.

For more information visit bathurstnrl.com.au

Coffee with a Councillor

Catch up with the Mayor and Councillors in a relaxed and casual setting. Light refreshments provided. Monday, 15 May from 9.00am –11.00am at BMEC

Welcome to Bathurst Lunch

New to Bathurst? Let us welcome you with a free lunch! Come along and meet your new golf buddy, coffee pal, tennis partner, or playground friend.

WHEN: 26 March

TIME: 11:30am-1:30pm

WHERE: Morse Park, near the Bathurst Visitor Information Centre

Register by 19 March

https://bit.ly/3DguuHt

QUOTES

QUOTATION 37.00816 - BATHURST FLOOD STUDY UPDATE

Bathurst Regional Council is seeking quotations from suitably qualified and experienced consultants to undertake a flood study update for the Macquarie River and associated tributaries affecting the Bathurst City and surrounding development areas. This project involves conducting a flood study that will provide the main technical foundation for the development of a revised Bathurst Floodplain Risk Management Plan. Works include data collection and review, topographical survey, consultation with key stakeholders, hydrological analysis, creation of a new hydraulic model, review of rating curves, flood damages assessment, levee analysis, dam break scenarios, advice to council regarding land use planning and a flood study update report.

Interested parties are required to register via the E-tendering Portal www.tenderlink.com/bathurst to download the quotation document at no charge.

If you experience difficulties accessing the above website, please call the Tenderlink Helpdesk on 1800 233 533. All electronic quotations shall be submitted in the format specified in the quotation document. Failure to do so will result in the quotation not being considered by Council.

Submissions close 10am Tuesday 18 April 2023

Council Policy is that the lobbying or liaison with Councillors prior to the consideration of a Quotation by Council will lead to the rejection of the Quotation.

EXPRESSION OF INTEREST

FOOD AND DINING BATHURST WINTER FESTIVAL 2023

Council is seeking an Expression of Interest for a food and dining area for the 2023 Bathurst Winter Festival. For further information please contact Council’s events team on 6333 6111 or visit bathurstwinterfestival.com.au/get-involved

ROADS ACT 1993 - NAMING OF ROADS

Notice is hereby given that Bathurst Regional Council, in pursuance of Section 162 of the abovementioned Act, proposes to name the road shown hereunder:

PROPOSED NAME: Burdett Grove LOCATION: The new road created by the subdivision of Lot 6 DP255968 off Weeronga Way, Kelso.

Any person may lodge a written objection to the proposed name prior to Monday 1 May 2023. Any such objection should set out clearly the reasons for the submission. Submissions should be addressed to The General Manager, Bathurst Regional Council, Private Mail Bag 17, Bathurst NSW 2795. Submissions can also be made via https://yoursay.bathurst.nsw. gov.au/roadnaming Authorised by resolution of the Council on 15 March 2023.

TEMPORARY ROAD CLOSURES

2023 HI-TEC OILS BATHURST 6 HOUR

The Mount Panorama Motor Racing Circuit will be under traffic control from 8am Wednesday 5 April 2023. Full Circuit closure will commence 6am Friday 7 April 2023 until midnight Monday 10 April 2023, with access for accredited persons only and admission gates operating for public viewing from 8am Friday 7 April. All enquiries should be directed to the Bathurst 6 Hour Event Office on 6333 1600 (8am – 6pm) or Bathurst Regional Council on 6333 6111.

2023

CLUBGRANTS SCHEME CATEGORY 1

Bathurst Regional Council invites community organisations to apply for funding from the 2023 ClubGRANTS Scheme, under CATEGORY 1 criteria.

Applications close on Friday 21 April 2023.

All applications are required to be completed via ClubGRANTS Online. No manual applications can be received.

For further information and a link to ClubGRANTS online visit:Council’s website: www.bathurst.nsw.gov.au or - ClubsNSW website www.clubsnsw.com.au, or contact Cultural & Community Services on 6333 6523.

TENDERS

TENDER 36.00812 - PREFERRED CONTRACTORS LIST FOR MINOR WORKS Bathurst Regional Council is seeking tenders from suitably qualified and experienced contractors interested in being included on the Preferred Contractors List for minor works and maintenance for the 2023-2024 Financial Year. The Preferred Contractors list will be used by Bathurst Regional Council to contact appropriate contractors to carry out minor works as they arise.

Interested parties are required to register via the E-tendering Portal www.tenderlink.com/bathurst to download the tender document at no charge. If you experience difficulties accessing the above website, please call the Tenderlink Helpdesk on 1800 233 533. All electronic tenders shall be submitted in the format specified in the tender document. Failure to do so will result in the tender not being considered by Council.

Submissions close 10am 18 April 2023.

Council Policy is that the lobbying or liaison with Councillors prior to the consideration of a Tender by Council will lead to the rejection of the Tender.

NOTICE OF PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT

DEVELOPMENT APPLICATION NO 2023/59

LOT: 2 DP: 1179068 WILLIAM STREET, BATHURST.

DEMOLITION OF AN EXISTING TOILET BLOCK AND CONSTRUCTION OF A TOILET BLOCK.

Exhibition period: 27 March 2023 to 13 April 2023.

Plans and documentation submitted with this application can be viewed on Council’s online DA tracking system http:// masterview. bathurst.nsw.gov.au or at the Civic Centre during business hours. Any submissions may be included without alteration in public reports, on Council’s website and to the applicant for comment.

BATHURST NRL - TICKETS ON SALE

Back-to-back NRL Premiers, Penrith Panthers return to Carrington Park, Bathurst, for a Round 9 clash against Wests Tigers on Saturday 29 April 2023. Tickets on sale now via BathurstNRL.com.au

Black Gold opens new conference facility

The Barton Centre.

It was a full house on the afternoon of 16 March for the grand opening of a brand new state-of-the-art conference facility at Black Gold in Wallerawang.

The Cluff family purchased the old Wallerawang public school 27 years ago to create a retreat for school groups to attend, but could never have imagined what the business and facility has now become.

“We named the entire facility after the Barton family - The Barton Centre. This amazing family were the catalyst and donators of the Wallerawang School site in which The Barton Centre now resides!” said Brad Cluff, who was the MC of the afternoon.

“Mrs. Edwin Barton (Mrs. James Walker's daughter) presented two and a half acres of land next to the railway to construct a new school. Negotiations were completed in 1881 and the successful building tender was that of Mr G. Donald, who was the first Mayor of Lithgow. The school and residence were occupied on 20th May, 1882,” continued Brad.

The business now comprises a significant accomodation offering, a top rated restaurant and now world class conference facilities that are a major attraction to the region.

Each of the rooms in the facility were named after local families who had made an impact on the Wallerawang community and the Black Gold business over the nearly three decades it has been running.

“Our team has been working tirelessly to create a space that inspires creativity, collaboration, and innovation, and we can't

wait to see all the incredible work that will come out of this centre,” said Brad Cluff.

“Now that The Barton Centre is fully equipped with the latest technology and tools, we're ready to accept bookings for our

stylish, state-of-the-art facility,” concluded Brad.

For more information about the facility or Black Gold, visit their website at www.blackgoldmotel.com.au

BIGGEST BUSINESS ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN IN THE LITHGOW REGION

The Lithgow Regional Business and Lifestyle Expo 2023 is part of the Revive Regional Business in Lithgow project that has been funded under the Bushfire Local Economic Recovery Fund, co-funded by the Australian and NSW Governments. The Expo will be held on the 6 and 7 of May at the Portland Foundations and include an art exhibition in The Annex highlighting our creative arts community

It is an opportunity for local businesses and lifestyle groups (charities, sporting clubs, cultural groups) to help showcase what the Lithgow Region has to offer to residents of Greater Sydney who may be thinking of a tree change.

To ensure that no business or community group misses this once in a lifetime opportunity to help shape our future, The Chamber is extending the closing date from this Friday 31 March to Friday 7 April.

Our Business and Lifestyle Expo involves the largest media campaign promoting the Lithgow Region in Greater Sydney and Regional NSW . The Live.Work.Play campaign, is designed to attract new residents and businesses into our region and was launched last Wednesday on Sydney metro western, southern and southwest train lines. The campaign is designed to promote the Business & Lifestyle Expo as the activation event to launch a new website that the Chamber launched last week called the Escape to the High Country

The Live.Work.Play campaign will start its Greater Sydney, Wollongong and Newcastle bus campaign this Saturday 1 April, followed by a Nine Now streaming TV campaign starting on Monday 10 April, together with banner (website) ads on nine. com.au. The campaign will finally be followed by the Greater Sydney Smooth FM radio campaign running for 10 days from

the last week of April until 7 May. The Chamber will also do a state-wide business mailout and Facebook advertising for Greater Sydney.

Steve Ring, Vice-President of the Chamber and BLER Program Director said, ‘This is the greatest amount of ad spend that the business community in the Lithgow region has ever had available, to promote the community to the outside world. This is the final stage of the Chambers grant funded under the Bushfire Local Economy Recovery Fund.

‘The major drawcard that the Chamber is using as part of the Live.Work.Play campaign is the attraction of affordable housing opportunities, lifestyle options and proximity to Sydney metro for those people who will continue in hybrid jobs roles.

To book your Business & Lifestyle display booth visit the Chamber website – WWW.LITHGOW.ORG.AU

For more details about the Expo, or if you’d like to include your business’s work opportunities on the new Escape to the High Country website email events@lithgow.org.au or call 0403 397 645

Pictured: Alexandra and Tim, owners of El Latte Cafe who will be featured on the new Escape to the High Country website. The couple moved from Sydney to Lithgow so that they could get away from the stresses of the city and find opportunities to grow with their young family. They love living in the Lithgow region and have found the Lithgow community warm and welcoming.

‘My Grandfather’.

Grandfathers come in all shapes and sizes. Some are ‘children should be seen and not heard’ and a little gruff, others love cuddles and listening to make-believe stories about the antics of an adventurous mouse.

Yvonne Jenkins Memorial Award Announced Applications for Council Financial Assistance Now Open

Some are tall and athletic and into sports, others are couch potatoes. Some are missing from the lives of their grand-children – by death, distance, illness, or broken family relationships or just the busyness of life.

What are your memories of your grandfather?

The title of the essay for the 2023 Lithgow & District Family History Society’s Yvonne Jenkins Memorial Award is ‘My Grandfather’.

Limited to 1,000 words, this competition is an opportunity to write down your memories or record the story of a grandfather you never knew. The closing date is 30 April 2023. The winner will be announced in August and will receive free membership of the society for the following year. For further details email the secretary at secretary.ldfhs@ gmail.com or through the Society’s Facebook page.

Lithgow City Council is calling for financial assistance applications from not-for-profit organisations to undertake local community projects and activities.

“There are many community based not-for-profit organisations around the Lithgow area that are doing great work in their communities,” said the Mayor Maree Statham. “Council’s Financial Assistance Program offers grants of up to $3,000 to community organisations to help them with local projects and activities that demonstrate a broad community benefit.”

“I would like to remind organisations that applications for Round 1 close on 30 April 2023,” concluded the Mayor.

Examples of financial assistance requests that Council may assist with include:

• Projects that empower young people and vulnerable community members.

• Programs that retain, respect and strengthen the local community and support the unique needs of various groups across the city.

• Initiatives that celebrate and empower the multicultural community and our First Nations people.

• Programs that focus on promoting positive health, including mental health, and wellbeing at all stages of life.

• Events or initiatives that support and celebrate the cultural and creative richness of our community.

• Projects that balance, protect and enhance our diverse environment, both natural and built.

All requests for Financial Assistance must be on the official Application Form. Application forms and guidelines can be obtained by visiting Council’s website at http://council.lithgow. com/financial-assistance/ . Funding will be available from the beginning of July 2023.

Submit your application to council@lithgow.nsw.gov.au Or by post to 180 Mort St Lithgow 2790.

Further information about Council’s Financial Assistance program can be obtained from Council’s Manager Community and Culture, Matthew Johnson on 6354 9999.

URGENT COMMUNITY NOTICE

Due to an unforeseen health issue, A Reader’s Heaven in Lithgow will have a change in operating hours for the next two months.

Owner Paul Philips will be undergoing surgery in the next few days and will take some time to recover.

Paul and Jo would like to thank their friend Stephen Cunningham for stepping in to assist during this time.

We wish you a safe surgery and speedy recovery Paul.

The business will be open

Wednesday - Friday 9:30am - 5:30pm and Saturdays from 9:30am - 3pm.

POSITION VACANT

NDIS Plan Management Role

NDIS Plan Management role PPT up to 50 hrs per fortnight with flexibility for days and hours to allow meeting with participants, and compilation of NDIS billing data, and claiming payments from NDIS portal.

High attention to detail to implement financial management practices using PRODA and MYOB. Empathy, confidentiality, and knowledge of local providers and ability to communicate with a range of disadvantaged people to explore NDIS funding options.

Closing date Friday 14th April 2023.

Email application to:

People, Culture Coordinator pccoordinator@linc.org.au

Want to have a go at table tennis?

Lithgow Table Tennis is pleased to announce that it is putting on open sessions for anyone interested on Saturdays from 3pm to 5pm, starting from 4 March 2023, at the rear of 27 Railway Parade Lithgow (behind Waratah Dental).

It will be free for the first session attended, then $5 subsequently.

Lithgow Table Tennis has 4 tables set up in the old Trades Hall and there are a number of club bats available for those without one.

The sessions are being run by Kevin Wright, fairly new to the area but with over 40 years playing experience, an accredited umpire and holder of a volunteer WWC certificate.

"We know that there is any number of people that grew up playing or still play in their garage or have seen the sport on TV or the internet. They may not know that it is available here locally. Here is a good opportunity for them to come along and see what it is really like." said Kevin.

Lithgow Table Tennis

From 4 March 2023, Saturdays 3-5pm

Rear of 27 Railway Pde, Lithgow

Free then $5 a session

No bat no problem

Waste 2 Art Community Recycled Textiles

Competition and Workshops: Call for Expressions of Interest

Lithgow City Council is very excited to announce the Waste to Art Community Art Competition is back with the theme of Textiles and Fast Fashion!

Waste 2 Art is a FREE waste inspired art competition and exhibition sponsored by NetWaste and Lithgow City Council that celebrates the reuse and recycling of waste in the Lithgow/Seven Valleys region.

Waste 2 Art aims to challenge the way we look at waste –and have fun producing creative and innovative ways to reuse, repurpose and upcycle materials that might otherwise end up in landfill.

“Waste 2 Art not only makes us rethink how we consume fashion from an environmental and economic point of view, but also expands our creativity and offers some wonderful tips and resources on how to reduce, reuse, share and upcycle materials into some fantastic new creations – without spending any money,” said the Mayor Maree Statham.

“I am thrilled to be part of the 2023 Waste 2 Art

competition judging panel and look forward to seeing all the wonderful local creations”.

“We have an exciting program of events, workshops and exhibitions coming up over the next few months, and would love to hear from local creatives, textiles artists, and community groups interested in being part of the program”, concluded Mayor Statham.

Do you have an example of an innovative and creative use of recycled fashion or art and craft you would like to display in our Waste 2 Art Ideas Showcase exhibition?

Perhaps you have some skills in repurposing old things into new or an idea for a workshop, or would like to be part of a group project?

If you would like to know more, contact Kylie Blakemore, Council’s Community and Cultural Development Officer on 6354 9999 or visit our website and download a copy of the entry form www.council.lithgow.com/waste-2-art-2023/

RETURN AND EARN MACHINE IN PORTLAND

Portland residents now have two locations to return and earn with the most recent Return and Earn machine that opened in December last year.

Lithgow City Council residents are already enthusiastic recyclers, having returned over 27 million containers for recycling since Return and Earn launched in December 2017.

“This Return and Earn machine will provide the local community with greater ease and convenient access to redeem their eligible bottles and cans for the 10c refund,” said James Dorney, CEO of TOMRA Cleanaway, network operator for Return and Earn.

Users of the Portland machine have the option to print a voucher for the refund amount, redeemable for cash at Portland IGA, or they can opt for an e-voucher or payment into their bank account or PayPal by downloading the Return and Earn app before visiting.

They can also choose to donate their refund to one of the charity partners listed on the machine or one of the hundreds of charities listed on the Return and Earn app.

“Return and Earn has become a key fundraising channel for many charities and community groups in NSW. More than $42 million has been raised from donations and fees from hosting return points since the scheme launched in 2017,” Mr Dorney said.

PCYC Lithgow is currently featured as the local donation partner on the Portland machine. The Club offers support to the community through fitness and recreational programs as well as driver education for learner drivers. Local recyclers can also support the latest state-wide donation appeal ‘Protect our Planet’ by donating to either the Australian Marine Conservation Society or Bush Heritage Australia.

To date more than 9 billion containers have been returned

for recycling through the network of 600+ return points across NSW.

“By using the Portland machine as well as your household recycling, we can all do our bit to reduce litter and landfill, and contribute to a more sustainable future,” said Mr Dorney

The Portland Return and Earn machine is located at 33 Bell St Portland and is open from 7am to 7pm daily.

For more information on Return and Earn including checking container eligibility or the status of your nearest return point, visit: www.returnandearn.org.au

To download the Return and Earn app, search for ‘Return and Earn’ in the App Store.

Lithgow City Council secures funding for the realignment of the Wolgan Road

“These past two years of prolonged rainfall have put a terrible strain on the resources of all Councils across the state,” said Lithgow City Council’s Mayor, Councillor Maree Statham. “The failure of the Wolgan Road is a key example of the challenges facing Councils and their communities.”

Since its closure in November 2022, Lithgow City Council, Public Works NSW, WSP Golder, Gracey & Sons Earthmoving, and the Mingaan Wiradjuri Aboriginal Corporation have worked tirelessly to construct a temporary detour road known as the Donkey Steps. However, the road navigates complex geography and with incredibly steep grades, this cannot be the permanent solution.

“With their only access closed to all traffic, the Wolgan community have suffered unimaginable hardship,” continued Mayor Statham. “Compounding this, just last night the Council endorsed a comprehensive, independent Slope Risk Assessment which clearly identifies the insurmountable risks associated with use of the damaged road and acknowledges that reconstruction is not possible. This was not an easy decision to make and cannot be easy news for this community to hear.”

“Fortunately though, we are able to reaffirm both Council and Government’s commitment to the project through Transport for NSW’s advice that $30 million will be made available to make an alternate alignment a reality,” said Mayor Statham. “While the project has many challenges ahead, this really is phenomenal news. With Council walking in lockstep with Transport for NSW and Public Works NSW, we will achieve the very best outcome for this struggling community.”

This funding has been made available under the Natural Disaster Recovery Arrangements, a program funded and administered by the State and Federal Government, and delivered by local Councils.

“This project will be one example of what can be achieved through the collaboration of all three levels of Government,” finished Mayor Statham. “We sincerely thank the NSW and Australian Governments for this level of commitment to Lithgow and look forward to delivering the project on behalf of the Wolgan Valley community.”

Brads Garage in Lithgow are looking for a reliable all round mechanic to help out at their workshop here in Lithgow.

No specialisation is required but they must be Customer Focused and as we have a lot of Female customers we want someone who is focused on Customer Care

Come

Moment in Time’

Hartley Historic Site – April and May 2023

In a joint undertaking between the National Trust and the National Parks and Wildlife Service, the award winning exhibition ‘A Moment in Time’ will be opening as a display at the Hartley Historic Site during April and May 2023 as an element of the Australian Heritage Festival . The exhibition provides a focus on the Hartley Valley, the original custodians, the first Europeans, the road makers that followed and the settlers that came to call it home.

Join us at the opening on Saturday 1st April at 11am to hear noted historian Paul Brunton’s commentary on the heritage significance of the Hartley Valley. Paul Brunton AOM, Emeritus Curator of the State Library of New South Wales, has led a life dedicated to the history of Australia and is widely respected across the heritage community. He has published and curated exhibitions covering many facets of our colonial history.

Opening: Saturday 1st April, entertainment from 10.30 for the official opening at 11am. Coffee cart from 10am. Reserve a free seat by booking at https://www.trybooking.com/CFLJC

Where: Hartley Historic Site - Corney’s Garage

Getting there: Located in Hartley Historic Site just off the Great Western Highway near the Jenolan Caves Road turnoff.

Exhibition Access: 1st April—28th May 2023 10am-1pm,1.30pm-4pm daily, closed Mondays

Admission : Adults gold coin donation. (Accompanied children free).

On exhibition: The Hartley Rock - The Late Devonian Rock has lain in the Hartley Valley for over 300 million years, discovered while ploughing by Mrs Pat Connell and her late husband Bill .Pat is pictured with Ramsay Moodie from Lithgow Branch of the National Trust who are presenting the exhibition from April 1st April to 28th May in cooperation with National Parks and Wildlife Service.

‘A

Easter Festival

Harmony Week Storytime

Lithgow Library held a special Harmony Week event on Wednesday 22 March 2023 to celebrate Australian multiculturalism, and the successful integration of migrants into our community.

Mayor Maree Statham acknowledged that “Australia is one of the most successful multicultural countries in the world and we should celebrate this and work to maintain it. Harmony Week is about inclusiveness, respect and belonging for all Australians, regardless of cultural or linguistic background, united by a set of core Australian values”.

To help the audience celebrate, the library staff along with students from the AHSI presented a variety of activities such as painting a Harmony Week handprint, face painting, henna art, traditional dancing, stories, songs and traditional food.

To keep informed about future events at all our libraries, please remember to check out the library Facebook page, the library webpage, or contact your local branch.

Smoke Testing

Lithgow City Council has engaged the services of FITT Resources to conduct smoke testing of over 250 properties in the Lithgow area laneways between Academy Street and Ferro Street. Smoke testing is carried out to locate defects in the public sewage network and in house service lines. These defects can result in storm-water run off entering the sewer system, resulting in additional load to the system. The smoke testing will be undertaken from a 4 week period commencing on 3rd April 2023.

Ensuring the sewerage capacity of the region for sustainable growth and development has been identified as measure to enhance the natural environment in the Community Strategic Plan 2035.

Waste2Art

Lithgow City Council is calling for entries for the 2023 Waste 2 Art Exhibition.

This community art exhibition and competition aims to educate, inform and challenge the way we look at Waste, and is an initiative of Netwaste.

Entries close 4.00pm on 9th May 2023 and should be sent to Community & Cultural Development Co-Ordinator, PO Box 19, Lithgow NSW or emailed to council@lithgow.nsw.gov.au.

Monday, 24 April at 7pm In the Council Chambers, 180 Mort Street, Lithgow

On Exhibition

Members of the community wishing to address the Council meeting are required to register by midday on the day of the meeting. Register online at: www.council.lithgowcom/addressing-council. Copies of the agenda can be found on the website.

School Holiday Fun

Council is inviting you to have your say on the following:

• Community Land

The following proposed Licence Agreement is on public exhibition from 29 March to 28 April 2023. Please contact Council or visit Council’s website for further information, including how to make a submission.

Licence Agreement

Premises:Part Wallerawang Memorial Hall, Tweedie Street, Wallerawang Being part Lot 1 in DP15683

Licensee:Wallerawang Kids Club Inc. Anglican Parish of Lithgow

Licece term:5 years from the commencing date

Permitted use:Kids club (Tue – Sat) Church gatherings and associated services (Sun – Mon)

Licence fee:On commencement the licence fee is $543.56 pa + GST to be reviewed on 1 July each year by CPI

Green Waste Collection

A Green Waste collection will be provided on 3rd April 2023. Residents are reminded that a SERVICE BY REQUEST will apply. Residents can register via Council’s website www.council. lithgow.com or alternatively phone Council before 12.00pm FRIDAY 31st March 2023.

Scan here to view career opportunities with council

Tuesday 11th -

Craft activity at 2.30pm - Heat Pack Easter BunniesLithgow Library

Kite making from 2.30pm at Portland Library

Wednesday 12th -

Storytime - 10.30am - Lithgow Library

Lego from 2.30pm - Lithgow Library

Paper Plate Bunny Craft - 2.30pm - Wallerawang Library

Thursday 13th -

Decorate biscuits at 11.00am - Lithgow Library

Friday 14th -

Movie afternoon with popcorn from 2.30pm. - Lithgow

Library

Monday 17th -

Baby bounce and rhyme time at 10.30am - Lithgow Library

Lego - 2.30pm - Lithgow Library

Tuesday 18th -

Kids Trivia - 2.30pm - Lithgow Library

How to make a pet rock - 2.30pm - Portland Library

Wednesday 19th -

Storytime - 10.30am - Lithgow Library

Lava lamp jars for earth day - 2.30pm - Lithgow Library

Lego - 2.30pm - Wallerawang Library

Thursday 20th -

10.30am - Paint by numbers - Lithgow Library - Bookings required

10.30am - Autumn Nature Journal - Eskbank House

Museum

Friday 21st -

2.30pm Movie afternoon with popcorn - Lithgow Library

Saturday 22nd10am - Youth Week Event - The Union Theatre

New Art for Tabulam

The Tabulam Cottages Fund Raising Committee has continued its’ support of the Portland Art Purchase Society by again buying a colourful piece of art for the walls of Tabulam.

The Tabulam Committee have purchased virtually all the art works that exist at Tabulam and will be hoping to have this continued well into the future. The residents have always been keen to see what the next piece of art is and

where it will go on their walls.

Lynette Day, the new CEO of Lithgow and Portland Health facilities, which runs Tabulam, was on hand to accept the new art work which was presented on behalf of the committee by its’ chairman, Neville Castle. Lynette was pleased to hear of the Committees’ support for Tabulam over more than 20 years.

Special screening of Iconic Film

The Australian war drama, Gallipoli, will be shown in a special screening on 22 April at the Crystal Theatre in Portland.

The classic film will be shown in conjunction with a producers talk by new Portland resident Su Armstrong who worked on the 1981 film starring Mel Gibson.

Su has had a career spanning decades of well known films and was a production manager on Gallipoli, which gave her a behind the scenes view of how the film came together.

The screening will start at 7pm, with a 15 minute Q&A before the film commences and is offered FREE of charge to the community ahead of ANZAC Day.

PUBLIC EDUCTION AT WORK IN OUR REGION

The Greater Lithgow Valley Community of Practice brings together the NSW Department of Eduction schools within the local area.

Term 1 has seen a urry of activity across the Greater Lithgow Valley Community of Practice.

The most recent has been the NAPLAN for schools across NSW. The National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) is the only nation-wide assessment of students’ literacy and numeracy skills. It provides parents important insights into their child’s progress at school, and helps schools to see whether our students are reaching important literacy and numeracy goals.

This information will form the basis for school improvement and strengthening of professional practice for teachers who are committed to providing explicit quality instruction in every classroom.

In the area of Creative Arts, many students participated in Pulse Alive which is a large-scale event, providing high-quality opportunities in the performing arts for students and teachers from NSW public schools in Greater Sydney and beyond. Pulse Alive provides performance opportunities for students of all abilities from Kindergarten to Year 12.

In terms of Leadership, many students participated in Grip Leadership in both Primary and Secondary schools- The GRIP Student Leadership Conference is unique in that it concentrates speci cally on training student leaders for their role as SCHOOL LEADERS. The style, topics, and content of this conference all focus on what the students can do RIGHT NOW. The goal is that student leaders across our schools leave the conference with a clear vision, a solid understanding and dozens of ideas for their time as a leader. Many of our Year 6 students have taken part in transition to Year 7 at both Portland Central School and Lithgow High School. Our public schools provide a wealth of opportunities and experiences, ensuring students have the skills to succeed.

In continuing our connection to Aboriginal Histories and culture, some students have participated in a Dance workshop conducted by the Bangarra Dance Theatre at Cowra High School. The aim of the workshop was to foster the development of dance skills and cultural signi cance for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander boys and girls Years 7 – 12 whether they were experienced or inexperienced dancers. Students learnt contemporary Indigenous repertoire from some of the leading artists from the company.

Relieving Principal: Fiona Bell

319 Main St, Lithgow Ph: 6351 3106

Relieving Principal: Shelley Kennedy

15-23 Castlereagh Hwy, Cullen Bullen

Ph: 6359 0543

Principal: Melinda Suttor

School

77 Barton Ave, Wallerawang

Ph: 6355 1210

Principal: Jenny Lamborn

Lithgow High School

1A Pau St, Lithgow

Ph: 6352 1422

Principal: Foty Loupos

Meadow Flat Public School

2630 Great Western Highway, Meadow Flat Ph: 6359 5259

Principal: Michael Wood

Hampton Public School

19 Old Bindo Rd, Hampton

Ph: 6359 3231

Principals: Belinda Greer

Lithgow Public School 163 Mort St, Lithgow Ph: 6351 2297

Principal: Mark Davies

Portland Central 12A Wolgan St, Portland Ph: 6355 5233

Principal: Matt Quirk

Zig Zag Public School 23 Victoria Ave, Lithgow Ph: 6351 2352

Principal: Vicki Gillmore

@villagevoicelithgow

Wraps,

Lions at the Heritage Trades Trail

My mate Mick and I were moving the ewes the other day down from Bushrangers Hill, and him being an agricultural expert as well as the Sage of Wiseman’s Creek, I asked Mick, “just who was Beau Brown”?

“I’m surprised you didn’t look him up on Google” said Mick. Got ya thought I. Well Mick, Google on this subject had around 358 million results, none of which answered the question. There’s Beau Brown the 7 foot tall YouTube star, BB the author of Baby Doctor, BB the plumber, BB the acting student …. need I go on?” No, said Mick emphatically.

So, I asked Jeff, our local corn farmer from the Historical Society whose family has been here for seven generations. He told me that Beau Brown was a local from the Bathurst district, who subscribed a lot of the money for the Beau Brown Pavillion at the Showground.

When you are there do check out the Beau Brown. It’s state heritage listed, and an amazing piece of architecture. It was a skating rink (I

presume roller) in Ashfield in Sydney, and it was dismantled, brought up here in 1891, and reassembled. What foresight. Go and have a close look all round at the detail, especially the roof on the front entrance.

This year the Bathurst Heritage Trades Trail is on 15 & 16 April with a mega one venue event at the Showground – bot to be missed!

Financial Planning Column by

Global banking turmoil and your super

It all started a couple of weeks ago with the collapse of mid-tier US institution Silicon Valley Bank. Soon another mid-tier bank in the US, Signature Bank, collapsed.

If you have been brave enough to look at your super balance in the past few days you will know that the share market has since fallen more than 5% and is now trading at four months lows. In that two weeks markets have fallen because the recent turmoil in banking has spooked investors who remember the pain of the Global Financial Crisis 13 years ago.

Things got a whole lot spookier last weekend when top tier global banking institution Credit Suisse was bailed out by the Swiss government in a deal that prioritised shareholders over bond holders and was then folded into arch-rival UBS.

So, are we right to be spooked? Are we about to experience a second Global Financial Crisis?

In the words of Yogi Berra, “Is this déjà vu all over again?”

Not according to the people in the know.

US banking system sound and resilient

In his press conference when increasing

interest rates for the ninth time, the chairman of the Federal Reserve, Jerome Powell moved to reassure markets by describing the banking collapses as “isolated incidents” and the banking system as “sound and resilient”.

Australian banks are unquestionably strong

Here in Australia, the assistant governor described Australian banks as “unquestionably strong”, with the banks’ capital and the liquidity positions being well above the regulator’s required levels.

Still, the banking turmoil is far from good news for the global economy which is already at risk of recession. We expect to see credit in the banking system tighten as institutions become more conservative, which will in turn reduce business and consumer spending, further hindering global economic growth.

Investment outcomes are more important than super fund returns

As independent financial planners who specialise in retirement, we know that while volatility is a normal part of investing, it is the enemy of the retirement portfolio. Most retirees

are both short and long-term investors and are required to sell assets to fund living expenses from time to time.

Retirees should avoid selling quality assets at depressed prices at all costs.

At Daniel Crump Financial Planning, we employ a framework that compartmentalises your money into buckets that are invested according to their purpose. This bucketing approach, when supported by a continuous planning cycle, involves judicious rebalancing, where we seek to take profits while avoiding crystallising losses. In this way, your investment outcomes disconnect from the ups and downs of your super fund’s returns during turbulent times.

So, you can have confidence to spend today knowing that you’re still being responsible for the future.

Daniel Crump is the founder of Daniel Crump Financial Planning. This article is general and does not consider your personal circumstances. If you would like advice specific to you, give us a call on 0418 148 622

Leo, Roving Reporter

Report from: My desk

Story filed: The Bathurst Arms Fair

Hi folks, Leo here. A couple weeks ago me and a friend of mine (and as children under 18 years old had to be accompanied by an adult) my mum went to the Bathurst Arms Fair down at the showgrounds. This wasn't the first time we've been, we went in 2019 before Covid. As one would guess that there were a lot of firearms, and well, one would also be correct in saying there were A LOT of firearms - from flintlocks to lever actions, bolt actions and some modern things that go bang.

It wasn't just a room full of guns, well it kinda was but there were swords, bayonets and knives galore, which were all very cool (and expensive) but my favourite thing was going though all the old military surplus stalls and checking out the cool clothes.

One stall in particular was really cool. They had a bunch of East German officer caps from the cold war, Not sure if they were original or replicas but they seemed pretty legit.

One cap fitted my head like a glove but unfortunately they were out of my price range.

My friend and I went around the stalls trying on different military hats and looking at some helmets and we agreed that there were some really good looking bits of gear. My mum was at the other end of the stall going through a rack of old military coats and shirts.

Amongst them were British, Australian and East German naval coats and I think that these were all original. My favourite was the East German naval coat. It would have made an excellent winter coat for the cold weather, unfortunately again like the officer's cap we did not purchase it (I think everything there was a bit overpriced as it was 80 bucks a coat. I don't know, maybe I'm just Scrooge McDuck?).

On our way out we passed one last clothes stall - nothing too interesting about this, but there was a lovely original 1973 RAAF (Royal Australian Air Force) coat that caught my mum's attention. She showed me and I thought it was quite interesting too,

I tried it on and it was a little big and missing one brass button. Apart from that it was reasonably priced, looked good on and I could grow into it and it would be great for winter. The Arms Fair was a lot of fun; I got to hang out with one of my best friends and I had a really good time. Anyway, I've got to head off now as I need to pick up a 1973 RAAF coat from the dry cleaners. Until next time

LITHGOW VALLEY FILM SOCIETY

Sunday 2nd April 2.00pm

NEW RELEASE DAYLIGHT SAVING ENDS

THE QUIET GIRL IRISH FILM

Set in 1981, this film tells the story of a young girl, Cait, who is sent away for the summer from her dysfunctional family to live with ‘her mother’s people”. These are Sean and Eibhlin Cinnsealach ; a middle aged couple she has never met. Slowly, in the care of this couple, Cait blossoms and discovers a new way of living, but in this house where affection grows and there are meant to be no secrets, she discovers one.

Starring: CATHERINE CLINCH, CARRIE COWLEY, ANDREW BENNET, MICHAEL PATRIC, CAROLIN BRACKEN, KATE NICK CHONAIGH

Easter Monday 9th April 2.00pm

LANCASTER.

DOCUMENTARY

Winning a war is not easy. Lancaster tells the story of the iconic WW2 bomber, through the words of the last surviving veterans. Starting with the Blitz, we follow our 38 contributors as they join- up, learn to fly, and go to war. With the enemy strong and RAF Bomber Command badly equipped , losses were high. But eventually , the tide turned with the introduction of the Lancaster was both loved and feared.

16 Main Street, Lithgow

Last week's solutions

Welcome to the Portland Soundtrail

The Portland Soundtrail was commissioned by the Portland Business Association in 2022.

It is an immersive sound walk, that takes you deep into the history, the hearts and minds of the locals.

Covering the unique history of the “town that built Sydney”, there are surprising stories as you explore the laneways and spaces of this old industrial town.

Thank you for visiting Portland, please visit our website and leave your feedback about the Soundtrail.

How to experience the Portland Soundtrail

1) Download the Soundtrails App from the App Store then select and download the Portland Soundtrail in the App.

2) Make sure your phone is fully charged and use headphones for the best experience.

3) Start near the silos and follow the map, the Soundtrail will start automatically and will change as you move to different areas.

5) The walk takes approximately 1.5 hours, take your time and enjoy the surrounds.