Animalimpound facilityofficially opens

COLLEEN FULLER

Gunnedah Shire mayor I’m excited to share that Gunnedah Shire’s new animal impound facility is now officially open.

The purpose-built facility on Quia Road includes a modern shelter, free-range exercise yards, veterinary treatment room, office space, rehoming orientation yard, and a public reception area.

The $1.9m-dollar project was jointly funded by the NSW Stronger Country Communities Fund Round 5, the Australian government’s Local Roads and Community Infrastructure (LRCI) Program Phases 2 and 4, and council.

I’m really pleased to see this project finalised, and thanks goes to both current and former members of staff for their significant input throughout the process, from design to completion.

The new facility sets council up for the future and will enable our community safety team to increase engagement with our community, ably care for lost and displaced animals until they go home, and continue working with Gunnedah Veterinary Hospital and rescue organisations like Gunnedah Animal Welfare League to create safe havens for animals who need a new home.

Applications for Gunnedah Shire Council’s Mayor for a Day program are closing on Friday 10 July.

This interactive program is an opportunity for students from year 10, 11 and 12 to join me on Tuesday 4 August to see the inner workings of local government and what civic leadership involves during NSW Local Government Week.

Successful applicants will have the opportunity to meet council staff, including trainees, tour council facilities and projects, and meet some of the councillors and council stakeholders.

If you know any young people who are interested in local government, let them know they can apply online via council’s website and Facebook page until 5pm on Friday.

I’m really looking forward to meeting some of our young people and demonstrating the significance of the role we play in our shire.

Recently myself, deputy mayor Kate McGrath, councillor Rob Hooke and our general manager headed to Canberra for the Australian Local Government Association’s 2026 National General Assembly.

This assembly attracts more than 1,000 representatives from local governments from across Australia to debate national policies and advocate directly to the federal government.

The week also includes the discussion of motions focused on community issues.

Gunnedah endorsed five motions for the 2026 event and all five motions were passed, however, three were incorporated into wider motions with similar outcomes.

Two motions were presented without change and endorsed without amendment.

The first was that when assessing applications for new water storage projects, the Australian government would consider the potential for flood and drought mitigation as a result of increased water storage, and the risk of increased incidences of floods and droughts due to climate.

The second was to call on the Australian government and Murray-Darling Basin Authority, as part of the 2026 Murray-Darling Basin Plan Review, to model and consider the impacts of population growth and drinking water on water allocations for the environment and other water users, including communities and irrigators.

The resolutions resulting from the motions are used by the Australian Local Government Association board to inform policies, priorities and strategies that help to advance local governments.

The board also communicates resolutions to the relevant Australian government minister.

I was privileged to open Gunnedah Shire’s 2026 NAIDOC Week Art Exhibition at the Gunnedah Bicentennial Creative Arts Gallery on Friday.

A highlight was seeing the Deadly Dancers from Deadly Dance Academy perform, and I thank the dancers and their teachers for sharing this with us before we walked through the gallery to see this year’s artworks.

It’s wonderful to see our First Nations people expressing their culture in so many different ways through this community NAIDOC exhibition which has been running for more than 20 years.

Thank you to everyone who contributed to this special display, including curator Hollie Crawford, a Bundjalung/Gomeroi woman who also ran a workshop to assist First Nations women to prepare works for the exhibition.

If you haven’t already had a look, make sure you visit the gallery before the exhibition finishes on Friday 7 August.