Mayoral Column - 23 August 2023

Published on 23 August 2023

Last week, Council hosted a joint-Ministerial roundtable of local industry, mining companies, energy producers, unions and universities with NSW Minister for Finance and Natural Resources Courtney Houssos MLC and NSW Minister for Energy Penny Sharpe MLC.

The roundtable, held in the Council Chambers, provided an opportunity for local stakeholders to share insights and perspectives on the establishment of a Future Jobs & Investment Authority in the Hunter region, how it should operate, as well as discuss the core priorities for our region. The new authority will be one of four located in traditional mining regions across the State.

We know that maintaining our position as an economic powerhouse of the State relies on continuing to diversify our local economy. This initiative is about supporting our communities, and supporting our workers and their families, while ensuring they have every opportunity as the area moves towards new and emerging industries. It was great to see two NSW Ministers come out to Cessnock to hear directly from local stakeholders with a stake in our economy about the future of our region.

Council recently held its annual School Leaders’ Morning Tea, where students who hold leadership positions at local schools are invited to the Performance Arts Culture Cessnock auditorium to hear from an inspirational guest speaker. This year, students from 26 schools across the Cessnock Local Government Area were in attendance and the guest speaker was Elana Withnall, a Central Coast-based athlete who has represented Australia across three disciplines; Heptathlon, Bobsled, and Rugby Sevens. Elana’s ‘just keep going’ attitude has seen her overcome serious adversities, including breaking her back in 2016, while continuing to work toward her childhood dream of being an Olympian. Elana’s story resonated deeply with all in attendance. The School Leaders’ Morning Tea was an excellent way to conclude Local Government Week for 2023, and I am looking forward to next year’s event already!

Council recently provided support to a Community Resilience Mapping & Planning Forum held at the Laguna Community Hall. The community-led event was designed to progress the design of a draft Disaster Risk Reduction & Resilience Building Action Plan, and to establish a community resilience working group. Council was represented by Director Works & Infrastructure, Paul McLachlan and Community Resilience Officer, Melissa Boucher, who also facilitated the day. I look forward to seeing this important community-led initiative progress. I look forward to hearing more about this initiative and answering question on other topics, when I join Ward A Councillors at the next meeting of the Wollombi Valley Progress Association (WVPA) on 31 August at the Laguna Community Hall. I hope to see everyone there!