February Council meeting briefs

27 February 2024

Council supports Namoi Unlimited move

Gunnedah Shire Council this week resolved to support the Board of Namoi Unlimited (Namoi Joint Organisation) in its move to dissolve the organisation.

The board advised the best option for the region was for each of the member Councils to commit to an informal alliance that would deliver the same opportunities to collaborate and advocate on regional issues.

The current members of the Namoi Joint Organisation are Tamworth, Gunnedah, Walcha, Liverpool Plains and Gwydir.

Koori Kids School Initiative support

Council will continue its contribution as an associate partner with the Koori Kids School Initiative for a further three financial years (2023/2024 to 2025/2026 inclusive).

Koori Kids engages young people in a range of school initiatives to promote education and awareness of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture. Each year Koori Kids conducts the NAIDOC Week School Initiative Competitions for school-aged children. This is broken up into the primary and secondary school categories of: colouring-in, short story writing and creative and essay writing. Each year, Council will contribute $450 towards the program.

Working Groups nominations and changes

Libby Wicks and Caine Dorrington have been endorsed as the Indigenous Organisation representatives on the Gunnedah Crime Prevention Working Group and Sonya Lodge will now be the Community Representative on the Access Working Group.

In October and December 2023, the Gunnedah & District Chamber of Commerce & Industry informed Council of changes to representatives on a number of Working Groups. The required membership changes are:

• Crime Prevention Working Group - Damien Roman and Cameron Moore (alternate) • Access Working Group - Lisa Berges • Economy and Growth Working Group - Jasmine Alloway, Ben Hennessy and Michael Broekman • Sister Cities and Friendly Relationship Working Group - Renee Torrens and Anthony Bishop • Business Partner Program Advisory Group - Josh Cameron and Craig Neale.

Fees waived for Gunnedah Multiple Sclerosis

Council has endorsed a request from the Gunnedah MS Incorporated Group to waive hire fees by 50 % for its annual Christmas Fair held at the Gunnedah Showground on November 25, 2023.

Gunnedah MS is a not-for-profit group servicing the needs of residents within the shire that are affected by the auto-immune disease.

The group wrote retrospectively to Council requesting an in-kind donation of $330 towards the event held last year.