Mayoral Column - 3 May 2023
Published on 03 May 2023
At the recent April Council meeting, it was pleasing to see Councillors accept the nomination to formally name the upgraded regional BMX facility in Carmichael Park the ‘Neville Tomlinson BMX facility’. Neville Tomlinson, who served as Bellbird Fire Station Captain for 37 years between 1971 and 2008, was instrumental in first establishing the track and naming it in his honour is a fitting tribute.
In parallel, a series of construction works incorporating track upgrades and supporting infrastructure will be completed over coming months. Stage 1 of this project is made possible thanks to funding of $250,000 secured through Round 8 of the NSW Government’s Resources for Regions. I also note the previous commitment by the Federal Member for Hunter for further funding for stage 2, which is welcomed.
The proposed name of the BMX facility is currently on exhibition. You can make a submission via Council’s website. Details can be found in the Have your Say section or by using the search function. I’d particularly like to recognise Deputy Mayor John Moores for his efforts in progressing the naming of the facility.
The draft Operational Plan 2023-24, which outlines Council’s priorities for the next 12 months, is also currently on exhibition. The plan continues our commitment of careful budget management, while taking immediate steps to act on community feedback to increase our investment in road maintenance and other improvements.
I encourage community members to visit Council’s website to learn more about the plan and have their say.
Ahead of a predicted uptick in the number of people experiencing COVID-19 over the cooler months, we currently have boxes of rapid antigen tests (RATs) and facemasks available to all community members free of charge. Council sourced the supplies from NSW Health to improve access to COVID-19 testing and further protect the community.
Supplies are available for pick up in the entrance foyer of Cessnock and Kurri Kurri Libraries. I’d encourage everyone to follow COVID safe practices when collecting their facemasks and RATs, and to stay at home if experiencing cold or flu symptoms.
Finally, I’d like to provide an update on an important initiative I last mentioned in my column on 22 February. In partnership with Singleton Council, a temporary BlazeAid camp was established in Millfield to provide much needed labour support to local landholders across Cessnock and Singleton, who had been unable to re-build fences that were damaged during the July 2022 Floods.
Over the seven-week operating period, a team of 46 volunteers repaired or constructed a total of 13.65km of fencing. I was pleased to contribute to these efforts as a volunteer alongside Councillor Hawkins on 30 March. A special thank you to the NSW Reconstruction Authority for their generous funding support, and to all the volunteers.