COLLEEN FULLER, MAYOR, GUNNEDAH SHIRE COUNCIL
If you haven’t already heard, council has opened applications for our newly revised Small Grants Program under Section 356 of the Local Government Act 1993 (NSW).
We have combined the Community and Sporting Grants, Arts and Cultural Grants, and Access Incentive Grants into one program and made some changes so more community-based organisations and registered charities can apply for funding support.
If you’ve got ideas, projects, or initiatives you’ve been wanting to put in place that could benefit the broader community, now’s the time to take a look at the eligibility criteria on our website and see if you can apply.
There are so many hard-working individuals, groups and organisations in this community and we want to help them to keep on doing what they’re doing, and also grow and expand where possible.
If you have questions about the grants program, you can speak with our community and social planner Debra Hilton by ringing council on (02) 6740 2100.
The Small Grants Program will close at 5pm on Monday 28 September.
Congratulations to the successful nominees in Business NSW’s New England North West Business Awards, including Many Fabrications and Engineering, and The Plains Inc.
Our own business chamber has opened nominations for the 2026 Gunnedah Business Awards to celebrate businesses, leaders, employees and community initiatives. The categories include Business of the Year Award, Employees’ Choice Award, Best Community Project Award, and Apprentice or Trainee of the Year Award.
You don’t need to be a chamber member to nominate or be nominated, and you can nominate yourself or your own business.
If you know a business or an individual who deserves to be recognised, I encourage you to nominate via the chamber’s website by Monday 14 September.
I travelled to Sydney last week with our general manager for the Country Mayors Association’s general meeting at NSW Parliament House.
The regional housing crisis was the focus of the meeting, and we heard from key figures in NSW politics, housing and infrastructure.
We can’t grow our shire, attracting new businesses and skilled workers, if there is nowhere for them to live. We need solutions. We need the support of the state and federal governments to address this vital issue.
They are promising funding, but we need more immediate solutions. They’re wanting, and they’re pushing, for local government to become more involved in local housing, but we are under-resourced already.
In June, Local Government NSW released the Unlocking Homes plan, calling on the state government to back the proposed new system for funding essential infrastructure to aid housing supply in regional and outer metropolitan areas.
The Unlocking Homes plan calls on the NSW government to:
· Establish a $5bn interest-free loan facility for councils to bring forward construction of the stormwater systems, roads, and infrastructure needed for housing construction to commence.
· Commit to forward-funding $3bn of state and regional infrastructure in growth areas.
· Update the list of infrastructure that developer contributions can be used for, to allow councils to build social infrastructure, such as childcare facilities, libraries and pools, that create liveability for communities.
I thank Local Government NSW for advocating for these vital issues on our behalf. We must work together to ensure that the voices of rural and regional areas are heard, so that we can continue to grow our communities.
Council’s done a lot of work in the housing space and will continue to do so. We will actively apply for any funding opportunities that will improve the outcomes for our shire.
On a final note, the online petition pushing for the former Banksia facility in Tamworth to remain in public hands and to be converted into a drug and alcohol detoxification unit is closing on Friday 11 September.
If this is something you are passionate about, I encourage you to sign the petition via the website of Member for Tamworth Kevin Anderson.
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