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Council News WAGGA WAGGA CITY COUNCIL
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Issue 57
FIRST PRINTED SATURDAY 15 AUGUST 2015
Weekly information from us to you
Lake level right as rain Water height up by a metre-and-a-half thanks to winter downpours
A wet winter has been a boon for Lake Albert, with the popular recreation spot’s water level rising by 1.56m since May.
The news comes as community consultation on the Lake Albert Management Plan (LAMP) drew to a close on 31 July after two months of invaluable feedback from residents and user groups. Wagga Wagga City Council staff will now incorporate the community’s ideas, thoughts and comments into the LAMP review to go before Council later this year. “We’ve received some really important feedback from the community during this
consultation,” Director Environmental and Community Services Janice Summerhayes said. “The community has had their say on everything from the water levels to new recreation facilities at the lake.” In positive news for the lake, the licence application has been submitted to allow a test bore to be drilled for groundwater. At its May meeting, Council endorsed a request for $20,000 in funding from the Wagga Wagga Boat Club to investigate the availability of groundwater near the lake. However, the proposed drilling site is heavily saturated due to the recent rain, which means a test bore won’t be possible until the area dries out. While the rain will slow down the groundwater investigation, it has been of great benefit to the lake.
The water height on 8 May was 189.62m above sea level and after a wet winter has risen to 191.18m on 13 August – with inflows still entering the lake. One topic to be explored in the LAMP review is the expansion of the stormwater harvesting area. “Increasing stormwater harvesting also means having to look at how we manage the additional silt, rubbish and nutrient load, which causes blue green algae,” Director Infrastructure Services Heinz Kausche said. “After a period without rain, that first flush of stormwater picks up everything from animal waste, fertiliser, chemicals and more. “Any increase to stormwater harvesting will also mean additional projects such as wetlands and gross pollutant traps must be also considered.”
SCIENCE at the Movies A FREE NATIONAL SCIENCE WEEK EVENT
INFLOWS: Lake Albert’s water level has risen by 1.56m since May due to good winter rain. Water was still flowing in from Crooked Creek (main) after recent downpours.
Enjoy a midweek break with two Australian science documentaries. Possum Wars When possums and people vie for real estate, it’s war! Seed Hunter A highly entertaining documentary about a topic that is vital to the future of the planet.
Forum 6 Cinemas
Wednesday 19 August Possum Wars: 6pm Seed Hunter: 7.15pm
This is a ticketed event. Book and collect your tickets at the library. This Inspiring Australia initiative is supported by the Australian Government as part of National Science Week
Council News nabs top award
Wagga Wagga City Council has been honoured at the Local Government NSW (LGNSW) annual awards dinner in Sydney on 6 August. Praised by the judges for its innovation, WWCC’s weekly publication Council News took out the RH Dougherty Award for Reporting to Your Community (population 30,000 to 100,000). Mayor of the City of Wagga Wagga Councillor Rod Kendall and General Manager Phil Pinyon were on hand to accept the award. The RH Dougherty Awards are presented each year during Local Government Week to recognise high quality communication by councils to their communities. This is the third prestigious RH Dougherty Award for Council in a row, having won the Excellence in Communication category in 2013 for the Wagga Waggafest short film competition and in 2014 for The Funbobulator. LGNSW president Councillor Keith Rhoades AFSM said a number of high quality entries were received, showing the importance councils are placing on communication
and engagement. “Local government communication and reporting has gone from strength to strength,” he said. “They make smart use of technology and deliver budget efficiencies to achieve greater community engagement and better service delivery.” Council News was created by rethinking how to meet the Department of Local Government’s legislative advertising requirements, while keeping the community informed about Council projects, services and initiatives. “Council News is a onestop shop for important community information,” Mayor of the City of Wagga Wagga Councillor Rod Kendall said. “By using Council’s advertising expenditure in a smarter way, Council News has saved ratepayer money while creating what’s now an award-winning resource for residents.” The publication of Council News aligns with the Community Strategic Plan – Ruby & Oliver, which recognises the importance the community places on access to information.
Cello Riot “Life without playing music is inconceivable for me.” Albert Einstein Clare Brassil (Cello Riot) will perform as part of National Science Week. Join her as she reimagines her cello through the prism of science with an amplifier, effects processor and loop pedal. Wagga Wagga City Library Lower Ground Level Thursday 20 August 5.30pm-6.30pm
HONOURED: Mayor Rod Kendall (right) presents Communications Officer Joshua Lang with the RH Dougherty Award.
RH Dougherty Award Reporting to Your Community (population 30,000 to 100,000) Wagga Wagga City Council: Council News
microVISION Join Microscopist John Harper to get up close and personal with the invisible world, invisible to the naked eye that is! This family science event will allow participants to explore the micro world and then capture it on your mobile device. Wagga Wagga City Library Children’s Area Saturday 22nd August 10am - 12pm Bookings Essential Call: 02 6926 9700 or wcl@wagga.nsw.gov.au
FREE NATIONAL SCIENCE WEEK EVENTS This Inspiring Australia initiative is supported by the Australian Government as part of National Science Week
$mart Home$
winning ways to save
Judges’ comments: An innovative response to Council messages being lost in translation was born within the Council’s Media and Communications Team via a weekly A3 four page newspaper written, compiled and designed internally and printed within the local paper The Daily Advertiser. It was also made available online, via social media and in hard copy at the Civic Centre Arcade.
SHARE YOUR STORY. WAGGA WAGGAFEST
SHORT FILM COMPETITION
$6,000
UP FOR GRABS
G GA C I T Y C G A pWr Ao u D ly p r e s e n t sO U N C I L G A W
! G N I M FIL T E G , N. N O O O E S M E S CO O L C S E ENTRI EST. 2011 ENTER WAGGA WAGGAFEST
SHORT FILM COMPETITION 2015 ENTRIES CLOSE SUNDAY 30 AUGUST 2015, TERMS & CONDITIONS APPLY WAGGA.NSW.GOV.AU/WAGGAFEST
Free seminars hosted by local experts to help you save money on your new or existing home
mobile library timetable
20 August The Design: Make it happen 27 August The Gadgets: Turn it on 3 September The Body: Building for healthy living 10 September The Great Outdoors: Grow and save Wagga Wagga City Council Meeting Room cnr Baylis and Morrow Streets 6pm - 7:30pm Full program available at: www.wagga.nsw.gov.au/environment For further information contact Alice Kent on 1300 292 442
Collingullie Tuesday August 18, 3.45pm – 4.45pm Humula Wednesday August 19, 9.15am – 11.15am Tarcutta Friday August 21, 9am – 10am Ph: (02) 6926 9771
www.rrl.nsw.gov.au
Council News - A Wagga Wagga City Council publication
Councillor Column
There are moments in life as a Councillor where it becomes painfully clear that no one is actually listening to what you are saying.
I experienced one of those moments some weeks ago when I rose in the questions and statements section at the end of a Council meeting to congratulate local artist Tony Curran on being exhibited in the Art Gallery of NSW as a finalist in the Archibald Prize, and to also congratulate the young artists whose work is currently exhibited in our own gallery in the Ngulagambilanha: to be
Jenny and Forrest (front)
Forrest tops list of names for zoo’s donkey “Hello my name is Forrest, Forrest Gump.” After receiving more suggestions than ways to cook shrimp, the Botanic Gardens Zoo’s newest addition has been officially named after the iconic movie character. More than 120 submissions were sent in to Wagga Wagga City Council as Jenny the donkey’s fairy tale turned into more of a Hollywood blockbuster. A special sub-committee featuring the Mayor and Star FM’s Pip and Whitto met this week to sort through the suggestions before the panel settled on Forrest. “Just like the movie, Forrest and Jenny go together like peas and carrots,” Director Environment and Community Services Janice Summerhayes said. “We received suggestions from right across the Riverina, including some really creative names like Electric Batman, Kong and Dinosaur. “In the end it came down to Dusty in honour of Slim and the donkey’s home town of Tamworth, and Forrest because of the movie’s main characters Forrest and Jenny. “Forrest was the most common suggestion Council received and it won over the panel as well. “I’m sure he will hear ‘run Forrest, run!’ called out by all the families and visitors over the coming years.” Forrest has been settling in well at the zoo since he arrived from a hobby farm near Tamworth in July. All the media coverage is new for Forrest, but Jenny is used to the spotlight after her quest for love captured the city’s attention last August. “The amount of interest shown about these two miniature donkeys just proves what a great attraction the Botanic Gardens Zoo is for families and visitors. “Now her Prince Charming has been found and named a year later, let’s hope its happy ever after for Jenny and Forrest.”
Perfect match Jenny
Forrest
Black and White
Grey roan with some chestnut on his ears
Born in 2011 The second last foal of the longstanding pair of donkeys who were the zoo’s previous inhabitants.
Born 15 October, 2014 From a hobby farm near Tamworth
returning home exhibition. As I stood up, I could almost hear the crickets in the background of the chamber that was empty, apart from bleary eyed Councillors after an extended evening of debate and the dedicated staff who were on hand, and kept away from their families, to assist us in the course of these long deliberations. So with the hope that more
councillor.poynter@wagga.nsw.gov.au people read this section of the paper than attend Council meetings, I would like to do three things. Firstly I would like to congratulate Tony Curran on his significant achievement of being chosen as an Archibald Prize finalist. Tony is one of the many fine artists who live and work in our town, and we are a richer community for their presence and contributions to our life.
Secondly I would like to offer congratulations to the artists exhibited in the Ngulagambilanha exhibition; a joint project between our gallery, NSW Education, the Art Gallery of NSW, and students and staff of public schools in our region. The work is magnificent, and demonstrates a genuine understanding of home and our world, that is sometimes absent in our debates
at Council meetings. I recommend it to you all. Finally thanks to the dedicated Council staff, who are sometimes held up to public ridicule, and rarely get acknowledged for the important work they do.
Councillor Kevin Poynter
Science Week starts today
From telescopes to microscopes, Wagga’s budding scientists will be ready to ignite their imaginations during National Science Week. Riverina Science Hub’s program for this year’s celebration of science will have something for mum, dad and all the kids. Science Week runs from 15 to 23 August and is Australia’s annual celebration of all things science, with thousands of events held across the nation. In Wagga, events include Star Gazing and Solar Observations, Kitchen Science for pre-schoolers, the music and science fusion of Clare Brassil’s Cello Riot, two free science documentary screenings at Forum 6 Cinemas and microVISION a hands-on microscopes event. Throughout Science Week, the Civic Centre will be lit up each evening with CLOSER, a piece of digital projection art created by the region’s high school students. The exhibition showcases microscopic imagery of local environments and was created through a series of workshops by Artist Yenny Huber from dLUX MediaArts. Two new eight inch Dobsonian telescopes purchased by the Friends of the Wagga Wagga City Library will be showcased at Star Gazing with Michael Maher on Monday 17 August and will then be available for short-term loans to approved groups. On Friday 21 August, the library will launch a new collection of Science Kits designed for four to seven-year-old scientists at the Kitchen Science Storytime
ZOOM IN: CLOSER, a digital projection art exhibition, will light up the Civic Centre façade throughout National Science Week. Workshop participant Lisette captures images for the exhibition with a mini microscope attached to her iPad. from 11am. If you can’t get out and about, keep your eyes on the Riverina Science Hub’s YouTube channel for three short films exploring the working lives of three young Riverina professionals who practice science daily through their chosen professions. The diverse range of programing for this year’s Science Week has been made possible through an Inspiring
Australia grant. Also helping recognise the contributions scientists make to the community are the hub’s partner organisations – Wagga Wagga City Library, Charles Sturt University, Wagga Observatory, Friends of the Wagga City Library and The Riverina Anglican College. To get involved during National Science Week, contact the library on 6926 9700 or email wcl@wagga.nsw.gov.au.
Are you a landholder on the Murrumbidgee River?
Sunday 16 August 2015
free
tip day!
You’re invited to a number of community meetings being held on the feasibility of higher managed environmental flows for the Murrumbidgee River. Darlington Point 9am - 11am Wednesday 19 August Darlington Point Club Narrandera 2pm - 4pm Wednesday 19 August Narrandera Ex Servicemens Club Galore 9am - 11am Thursday 20 August Galore Hall Collingullie 2pm - 4pm Thursday 20 August Collingullie Pub Oura 9am - 11am Friday 21 August Oura Hall Gundagai 1pm - 3pm Friday 21 August Gundagai Services Club
For more information
Contact Paul Doyle on 0428 780 056 or email Paul.Doyle@mdba.gov.au
free entry - sunday 16 august Wagga Wagga City Council are pleased to advise that the next FREE ENTRY to Gregadoo Waste Management Centre will be held on Sunday 16
August.
Residents can dispose of general domestic waste including garden rubbish, mixed recyclables and general household waste free of charge. Please note: special wastes such as tyres, builders waste, refrigerative items, mattresses and gas bottles are not included in the free disposal day and will be charged as per normal fees and charges. Free disposal is limited to cars, vans, utes and single axle trailers only.
MORE INFORMATION For more information contact Wagga Wagga City Council on 1300 292 442 or visit our website for full list of fees and charges.
www.wagga.nsw.gov.au Council News - A Wagga Wagga City Council publication
Play your part in building the Tolland Skate Park Wagga Wagga City Council is progressing with the development of a skate facility at Chambers Park in Tolland, and we want to run the proposal past you. The project will be designed and constructed by an industry leader in skate facility development, with construction expected to begin in December 2015.
It is proposed to provide a series of “street style” skate activities such as a: • 40 degree bent penny • water wheel with platform • hipped banks • peaked bank with rail • rollover The facility will be located on
the southern end of Chambers Park adjacent to existing shelters, seating and basketball court. The implementation of this exciting development meets recommendations set out in Council’s Recreation and Open Space Strategy, and the project will enhance the access to recreational facilities for the youth of Tolland.
Your trash is our treasure Do you still have that mix tape you never sent to an unrequited love? Maybe a copy of ‘1982 with a bullet,’ the first album you ever bought with your own pocket money? If you need to start your spring cleaning early, bring your shed’s buried treasure to the Wagga Wagga Art Gallery and put it to good use. Realartworks Inc are currently in residence at the gallery and they are working on their [nothing is]: Useless project, which is a creative exploration around society’s compulsion to consume the new and asks “what is useful?” and “what is useless?”.
THIS WEEK:
WAGGA WAGGA TRAIL MARATHON RUNNING WEEKEND
Sat 15 to Sun 16 August The 95% off road course follows the Wiradjuri Walking track. The running weekend caters for the whole family from a 2km run for the kids to a 42.2km marathon for those looking for a real challenge. Event hub: Wagga Beach, Johnston Street. Ph: 0428 423 633
WAGGA MODEL AERO CLUB IMAC COMPETITION
Sat 15 to Sun 16 August 9am to 5pm Sat, 9am to 1pm Sun. This event brings together many of Australia’s top aerobatic pilots. Connorton Field, Olympic Highway (South of Wagga, before Uranquinty).
Using obsolete technology exclusively, a number of visiting professional and emerging artists with and without disability will be creating an interactive exhibition using sound, image, text and light for exhibition in September. They want your old cassette tapes to be re-purposed alongside thousands of other obsolete objects to become part of an amazing installation. And it’s not only cassettes – floppy discs, VHS tapes, video cameras and even medical imaging equipment. If it’s random, weird and
Ph: 0437 869 733
TARCUTTA MARKETS
Sat 15 August 8am - 2pm Tarcutta Memorial Hall, Sydney Street, Tarcutta. Ph: 0477 472 154
RCM 2015 CONCERT SERIES: GUITARIFFIC! Sat 15 August 7.30pm Wagga Wagga Art Gallery, Civic Centre, cnr Baylis and Morrow Streets. Ph: 6925 3522 (Riverina Conservatorium of Music)
CHARITY PAINTBALL DAY
Sat 15 August 9.30am - 2pm Enjoy the garden and join
cnr Baylis and Morrow Street. Ph: 6926 9700
WAGGA WAGGA POULTRY CLUB SALE
Wed 19 August 7.30pm Featuring the crème de la crème of the 2015 Festival right on your doorstep! Wagga Wagga Civic Theatre, Burns Way, off Tarcutta Street. Ph: 6926 9688
Sun 16 August 1pm - 4pm Mt. Austin Primary School Hall, McKell Avenue. Ph: 6926 4901
SYDNEY COMEDY FESTIVAL SHOWCASE 2015
facebook.com/ waggaevents
For support in organising
MY PLACE IN SPACE – your event, contact Council’s Events Unit at STAR GAZING Mon 17 August 6pm - 8.30pm Free. Michael Maher from the Wagga Observatory will share his extensive knowledge of the night sky. Wagga Wagga City Library - Forecourt, Civic Centre,
CLEAN UP WAGGA WAGGA
DAY
With only weeks left until entries close for the 2015 Wagga Waggafest short film competition, this year’s judges have been announced. Ready to cast their expert eye over submissions for the fifth Waggafest are Peter Cox, Sonya Gee and Lex Marinos. Cox was one half of the Backyard Ashes project, Gee is an ABC Open producer for the Riverina, and former Wagga resident Marinos is a renowned actor and director. There are more than $6000 in prizes up for grabs this year, so grab some friends and a camera or your smartphone and get filming this weekend. Entries must tell a unique Wagga story based on the theme “the best is yet to come” and be between two and four minutes long. Past entrants have gone on to gain national acclaim, with the 2014 overall
in the activities for kids, adults and families. Entry: Gold coin donation. 1 Kildare Street. Ph: 0434 345 486 Sun 16 August 9am - 11am Adults $2.00. Wagga Wagga Showground, Bourke Street. Ph: 6928 7244
events@wagga.nsw.gov. au or 1300 292 442 Mon to Fri. To promote your event or for a full list of events go to: visitwagga.com or call 1300 100 122.
The Wagga Wagga Tidy Town Committee with support from Wagga Wagga City Council is coordinating Clean Up Wagga Wagga Day to help reduce litter in our City.
Sunday 6 September Gather some friends, select an area you want to tidy and register your activity with Clean Up Australia at cleanupaustraliaday.org.au. Please note that roadside sites cannot be registered.
For further information contact Alice Kent on 1300 292 442
wagga.nsw.gov.au/environment
Contact us p 1300 292 442 e council@wagga.nsw.gov.au w www.wagga.nsw.gov.au a Civic Centre Cnr Baylis & Morrow Sts PO Box 20 Wagga Wagga NSW 2650
Follow us @waggacouncil Share your #waggaview
walls on completion. For more information and to provide feedback, residents are encouraged to contact the Project Officer John Conlan on 1300 292 442 or via email at playgrounds@ wagga.nsw.gov.au. Closing date for community comment and submissions is 30 August.
Talented trio to judge Waggafest
TAKE FIVE BAND COMPASSION FUNDRAISING CONCERT
Sat 15 August 9am, noon and 3pm All funds raised go to Relay for Life.7 Gillard Road. Ph: 0431 116 236
ERIN EARTH OPEN DAY
analogue, then it has the potential to be used in unexpected and creative ways. Drop your old items in at the front counter at the gallery where staff will be only too happy to take them off your hands. Donations are open until 31 August.
Chambers Park is well situated to capture this population through the nearby Community Centre, sportsground and the recently upgraded suburban playground. Council will also hold art workshops with the Tolland youth to help design and then place appropriate art on nominated sections of the skate park outer
winning film A Wagga Wagga Winter Tale screened in Federation Square in Melbourne and taking out prizes at other film festivals. The build-up to this year’s Waggafest has been the biggest yet. Sold-out Winter School short-film animation workshops were held in the July school holidays, while the community’s kids helped design the promotional material at the “Draw Your Best” activity on Australia Day. Entries for this year’s Waggafest close on 30 August. For more information on the competition or to view past winning entries for inspiration, visit wagga.nsw.gov.au/ waggafest. Any businesses interested in sponsoring a prize for this year’s Waggafest can call 6926 9194 or email media@wagga.nsw. gov.au for more information and to get a sponsorship pack.
Meet Ally
This week’s pet is a female Labrador called Ally. Ally is a bouncing ball of energy and would enjoy a young family to grow up with. She’s just like any other dog and wants your love and attention. You can adopt Ally from the Glenfield Road Animal shelter for $323.40. This fee includes microchipping, lifetime registration, first vaccination, desexing and worming. You can meet Ally and her buddies at the Glenfield Road Animal Shelter, Monday to Saturday from 1pm to 4.15pm. For further information, contact the friendly Animal Management Rangers on 6971 4651 or visit wagga.nsw.gov.au/animals.
Public Notices SUSPENSION OF ALCOHOL FREE ZONE
Wagga Wagga City Council wish to advise that due to the community event “Spring Street Festival”, the dedicated “Alcohol Free Zone” relative to area bounded by Johnston Street, Ivan Jack Drive, Morrow Street and Baylis andFitzmaurice Streets, (Victory Memorial Gardens) will be suspended from 10am to 9pm Saturday 19 September 2015. Any further enquiries should be directed to the Manager Regulatory Services on 1300 292 442
NOTICE OF TEMPORARY ROAD CLOSURE
Notice is hereby given under Roads Act Part 8 Division 4 of the temporary closing of: Road: Tongaboo Ln between Edward St and Morgan St. Date: Sunday 23/8/15 Reason: Electrical upgrade works adjoining St Vincent De Paul construction Detour: As per signs via
Peter St and Baylis St.
PUBLIC EXHIBITION - SMOKE-FREE TRIAL WAGGA WAGGA CBD
Council hereby gives public notice of the exhibition of its intention to introduce a 12 month smoke-free trial within Baylis and Fitzmaurice Streets and in Forsyth Street (between Berry Street and Peter Street) and amend Council’s Smoke-Free Outdoor Areas Policy accordingly. The policy will be on exhibition for a period of 28 days, from Monday, 10 August 2015 until 5pm on Monday 7 September 2015. Inspection of Policy The policy is available for review at Wagga Wagga City Council, Cnr Baylis & Morrow Sts, Wagga Wagga, during the hours of 8.30am to 5pm Monday to Friday (public holidays excluded) within the above exhibition period. The policy can also be accessed online at www. yoursaywagga.com. au/smoke-free-cbd. Submission Procedure Council invites written public submissions on the policy; persons wishing to make a submission
in relation to the policy should do so prior to the close of the exhibition period. Submissions should be in writing and may be delivered to Wagga Wagga City Council or mailed to the General Manager, Wagga Wagga City Council, PO Box 20, Wagga Wagga, NSW 2650 or emailed to council@ wagga.nsw.gov.au. Persons making written submissions regarding the policy are advised that any submission received within the submission period will be subject to the Government Information (Public Access) Act 2009 and the Privacy and Personal Information Protection Act (PIPPA) and may be attached to the final report, in its entirety or in part, to Council unless explicitly requested by the person making the submission that they do not wish this to occur. Any questions relating to the smoke-free trial or the Smoke-Free Outdoor Areas Policy may be referred to Greg Minehan on 1300 292 442.
Phil Pinyon GENERAL MANAGER
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wagga.nsw.gov.au/councilnews Council News - A Wagga Wagga City Council publication