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Message from the Mayor and General Manager
Contributing to Council Objective 2.1.4 To promote participation in activities that increase the usage of Council’s community, recreation and leisure facilities
$1.1 MILLION BOOST FOR COMMUNITY INFRASTRUCTURE
Council has received $1.1 million in NSW Government grant funding through the Stronger Country Communities Fund to upgrade amenities at locations across Maitland.
The majority of the funding will target inclusiveness, with $560,000 heading towards amenities upgrades at Cooks Square Park in East Maitland and $400,000 to Maitland Park Outer Fields, to provide facilities that are better equipped to accommodate and encourage female participation in sport. The remaining $140,000 will support upgrades at the Steamfest rally ground, enabling the construction of a storage shed, viewing platform, and rail tracks to preserve and display heritage industrial equipment.
Contributing to Council Objective 2.1.1 To plan for a broad range of community, recreation and leisure infrastructure and services that meets the needs of a growing community
YOUTH HAVE THEIR SAY ON HAROLD GREGSON PARK PLANS
Harold Gregson Park in Central Maitland is set to be transformed as part of the fourth and final stage of the Maitland Regional Sports Complex upgrades, funded by the NSW Government Public Spaces Legacy Program.
A concept plan for the site includes new pathways, BBQ and picnic spaces, overnight RV parking, plus a new space designed for young people.
In December we asked our youth to share their ideas for this space. 246 responses were received, which will be used to inform a final concept plan for the space. Construction is planned to commence this year.
Contributing to Council Objective 3.2.1 To seek and support major sporting and cultural events appropriate to the capacity of venues across the city
SHOWCASING OUR NEW ATHLETICS CENTRE
In January , we saw the biggest event yet to be held at the Maitland Regional Athletics Centre since its upgrading and reopening in October 2020.
The city’s state of the art facility hosted 1,000 athletes and their families for the 2022 NSW Country Championships, which an Athletics NSW spokesperson described as ‘one of the best’.
UPGRADES TO LOCHINVAR SPORTS COMPLEX
Contributing to Council Objective 2.1.2 To build a range of community, recreation and leisure facilities based on sound asset management principles.
We will see a range of upgrades and site improvements at the Lochinvar Sports Complex, after securing $306,862 in funding from Round 8 of the Resources for Regions grant program. The funding includes installing seating adjacent to the sportsground and constructing a new footpath to improve accessibility to the spectator seating from the amenities and roadside parking areas. The upgrade will also connect both the sports complex and the adjacent Rural Fire Station to the sewer line. The current septic system will be decommissioned, including removing the transpiration pits.
LOCAL ROAD PROGRAMS AND WORKS
Contributing to Council Objective 5.2.2 To enhance connectivity between local amenities through improvements to our on and off road cycleways. KEY CONNECTIONS IN OUR SHARED PATHWAYS
The Morpeth to Walka Water Works Shared Project will see significant progression after $956,480 was secured for Stage 2B of the project, through Round 8 of the Resources for Regions Round Grant Program. This work will extend the pathway from the Steamer Street stage for 2 kilometres back along Morpeth Road to Tank Street. Once completed, the community will be able to enjoy a shared pathway scenic loop from Tank Street to Queen’s Wharf and back along Steamer Street to connect to Morpeth Road, under the shade of the famous Morpeth fig trees.
ALLANDALE ROAD RECONSTRUCTION SUPPORTING IMPROVEMENTS TO THE THORNTON ROAD NETWORK
The next stage of the Thornton Road network upgrades are a step closer with Council securing $200,000 in funding from the
NSW Government’s Resources for Regions program, to undertake a business case to support the Thornton Road and Glenwood Drive intersection.
This grant funding will enable the engagement of a specialist consultant to help identify design requirements, stakeholder engagement and business case development to help prioritise works and support evidence based requests for future infrastructure grant funding.
Contributing to Council Objective 5.1.2 To deliver improved safety, quality and amenity of local roads through increased road construction and maintenance programs
COMMUNITY PROGRAMS AND EVENTS
Contributing to Council Objective 1.1.4 To develop and support partnerships that increase community benefits and create a sense of community
YOUTH SPACE ACTIVATION PROJECT AT NORM CHAPMAN OVAL
Council once again teamed up with Newcastle based community youth organisation
UP&UP to bring colour to our youth facilities, this time at the rebound wall at Norm
Chapman Oval in Rutherford. Young people were encouraged to get hands on in designing and creating the space, with dozens coming down on the day to pick up a spray can and pitch in as the bright and engaging design came together.
The project was part of Council’s Youth Space Activation Project, funded by the NSW
Government’s Stronger Country Communities Fund. The result is a rebound wall with a design that reflects the community and will encourage Rutherford’s young people to make the space their own in a respectful manner.
Contributing to Council Objective 1.4.2. To partner and collaborate with the community to build capacity to solve identified social issues.
As part of our response to the ongoing impacts of COVID-19, Council contributed $12,000 to the
Maitland Neighbourhood Centre’s Christmas hampers program in the form of fresh food vouchers. The vouchers helped enhance the hampers by providing access to fresh meat and veg for more than 1,000 of the community’s most vulnerable people.
Staff supported the preparation, packaging, and readying for delivery of the 400 Christmas hampers for families in need, with Council a proud contributor and supporter of our ever growing Food Assistance Network, and the role it plays supporting our community.
Contributing to Council Objective 2.2.2 To service community creative needs through the effective management of Maitland Regional Art Gallery
PROJECTS, GRANTS AND AWARDS FOR MAITLAND REGIONAL ART GALLERY
Archibald Prize exhibition tour
Maitland Regional Art Gallery hosted the Archibald Prize 2021 exhibition tour from 22 January to 6 March 2022.
It was a ticketed event that saw over 13,300 visitors to the Gallery to experience one of Australia’s oldest and most prestigious art awards. Artist talks were included as part of the event, with Kathrin Longhurst and Mirra Whale providing exclusive discussions around their Archibald Prize finalist portraits.
Digitisation project brings collection online
Over 6,000 pieces from Maitland Regional Art Gallery’s art collection can now be explored and enjoyed by the community from the comfort of their homes, with the culmination of an extensive digitisation project bringing the entire collection online. The digitisation and accessibility of the collection was identified as a priority for the Gallery in early 2020, with this major milestone under Phase One of Council’s Digital Collections: Opened Minds project now reached.
Two grants secured from the NSW Government will allow Maitland Regional Art Gallery to continue to provide free programs for teen audiences, and those living with dementia and their carers.
For teens, the Gallery is one of five recipients in the 2021 round of the Audience Development Fund, a NSW Government grant program delivered through Create NSW and administered by Museums & Galleries of NSW. The awarded $10,000 will support a new program called Take One, presenting a series of labs in performance based practice at the Gallery for young creatives.
From the NSW Department of Communities and Justice, the Gallery received $19,206 under the ‘Reducing Social Isolation for Seniors’ program which will fund another year of conversations, connection and creativity at the free Art & Dementia program in 2022. The sessions are guided by a trained facilitator who uses art as a trigger for conversation and self expression through art making, and is a great opportunity for those living with dementia and their carers to reconnect, and for carers to connect with each other.
Recognition of ‘Our Place’ codesign project
Maitland Regional Art Gallery was recognised with two awards at the Museums & Galleries of NSW Imagine Awards: the Innovation and Resilience Award, and the Imagination Award.
The recognised ‘Our Place’ codesign project brought together local First Nations students with architecture students from the University of Newcastle to work together and redevelop the gallery’s garden space. The Imagination Award will support the launch of this space, with a community event designed by the participating young students, including artist talks, creative activities, Indigenous plantings, and music in a celebration of art, architecture, and Country.
Contributing to Council Objective 1.2.1 To realise the development of new spaces, activities and programs that unlock Central Maitland’s unique heritage and character.
HERITAGE
Contributing to Council Objective 6.2.3 To encourage adaptive and creative usage of privately owned heritage buildings
FOUR EXCITING HERITAGE PROJECTS HAPPENING AROUND MAITLAND
Council successfully secured $153,000 in NSW Government funding to deliver projects over the next two years, which will conserve, promote and seek to understand more of Maitland’s rich heritage and history.
The projects include:
• The Morpeth Aboriginal cultural history project, working closely with the local Aboriginal community to ensure that
Aboriginal History, which precedes Morpeth’s colonial history by thousands of years, is accurately documented and shared.
• The Maitland Town Hall interpretation project, digitally capturing the associated heritage of the Maitand Town
Hall. • Continuation of stage two of conservation works to the historically significant East Maitland
Glebe Cemetery, restoring and preserving gravestones, vaults and iconic monuments.
• Development of a digital tour experience to bring to life the sights, sounds and stories of the Walka Water Works site, its mysteries and the people who worked there.
ENVIRONMENT
Contributing to Council Objective 2.1.3.1 Plans of Management for Community and Crown Land to support efficient management of community land, including passive and active recreation facilities
WALKA WATER WORKS CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC
Council has been exploring future use options for Walka Water Works, and as part of this process, has undertaken condition assessments of the site funded by the State’s Crown Reserves Improvement Fund. Qualified assessors have identified the presence of asbestos, most likely associated with the site’s historical use as a power station.
While asbestos has only been identified in some parts of the site, the health risks of asbestos exposure are well documented, so the entire site is closed to the public until further notice as a precaution. Walka Water Works is owned by NSW Crown Lands and managed by Council so we will be working with Crown Lands as the site owners on an asbestos management plan.
The contamination assessment by specialist contractors is expected to be completed by June 2022, with major remediation works to commence in July 2022. Council will be providing updates to the community through social media and the website as they become available at mait.city/WalkaClosure.
Contributing to Council Objective 10.2.1 To review, coordinate and collaborate with the community on environmental and sustainability programs
COUNCIL AND LANDCARE SIGN MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING (MOU)
Supporting the delivery of sustainable land conservation, a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed between Council and the Hunter Region Landcare Network (HRLN).
The MOU will result in new Landcare sites on public land and on the ground support such as training, tools and seedlings from Council and HRLN.
For the community, this means the opportunity to get involved in more environmental programs through local Landcare groups.
Contributing to Council Objective 10.3.1 To provide opportunity for residents to participate in environmental education and awareness programs and projects
MATTRESS MUSTER
Our popular recycling event, the Mattress Muster, returned to Maitland Showground this February with 1,620 mattresses collected from households across Maitland.
The Mattress Muster is one of our most successful circular economy events, giving thousands of mattresses a new life by turning them into new roof sheeting for houses, carpet underlay, and mulch for gardens. This is important because mattresses are a problem waste that use a lot of space in landfills when they’re not recycled.
This year is the final year that the NSW Environment Protection Authority will be funding the program, with our Domestic Waste Management Charge in 2022/23 funding future mattress recycling programs.
Contributing to Council Objective 10.3.2 To provide strong environmental leadership for the community.
COUNCILS MOVING TO 100% RENEWABLE ENERGY
Matiland City joined councils from across the region, including Lake Macquarie, Central Coast, Upper
Hunter, Cessnock and Muswellbrook in a joint energy procurement project to maximise energy cost stability and meet environmental outcomes. By teaming up, we secured a long term electricity contract with Mojo Power, backed by new renewable electricity generation projects in regional NSW and the Hunter Region.
Many of our major sites, such as Maitland Regional Art Gallery, Maitland Library and Maitland Aquatic
Centre, plus street lights around the city are now sourcing their power from the contract. We will transition to 100% renewable energy status at many of our major venues by 2025 as more regional power projects come online.
Contributing to Council Objective 10.3.1 To provide opportunity for residents to participate in environmental education and awareness programs and projects
BOLWARRA COMMUNITY PLANTING DAY
Kicking off a new Landcare site at Bolwarra, the Bolwarra Community Planting Day saw over 40 volunteers come together to plant 380 natives on Council land behind the tennis courts at John Wilkinson Sporting Complex.
Through our Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Hunter Region Landcare Network, we are improving support for current groups such as Earthcare Park, who work on land within Council’s care and control, as well as establishing two new Landcare sites this year. The Bolwarra Landcare site is the first one, and a community expression of interest will help to confirm the second site.
