I am available at other times as well.

Please feel free to contact me direct, either by email: tn@munni.com.au; by my mobile: 0427 047336, or through my office: 49921862 to make a time.

The acting General Manager, Shaun Chandler and I attended the Hunter Council Joint Organisation meeting in Thornton last Thursday.

We met the Mayors and GMs from most other member Councils, including Lake Macquarie, Singleton, Mid Coast, Port Stephens, Maitland, Upper Hunter, Muswellbrook, and Cessnock.

The Mayor and Interim GM from Newcastle were absent.

This is a great forum to discuss matters on a regional scale and the group passed a resolution to hold a strategic planning day in December.

There appears to be much goodwill among the Hunter Councils and I will be pro-active in furthering this good will.

Councillors will be attending a workshop convened by the Office of Local Government on Wednesday October 18.

Entitled ‘Hit the Ground Running”, it is designed to equip councillors with the tools needed to perform their duties and to help them understand their responsibilities.

Clarence Town River Country Festival October 27-29 is the second year of the Clarence Town Hoedown.

Now bigger and better, with a weekend of entertainment at venues around Clarence Town.

For details of what’s happening across the weekend, please check the website www.clarohoedown.com.

Councillors were given the most up to date information on our wooden bridges network by Executive Manager of Infrastructure and Assets, Steve Hitchens, last Friday.

Steve also presented some alternative strategies and scenarios for Councillors’ consideration.

Once we have figures from consultants, Morrison and Low, in the coming weeks, we will be able to formulate a strategy that will prioritise the repair and/or replacement of the bridges over the next few years.

Council and Councillors understand and appreciate the widespread effect and inconvenience of the current load limits on bridges and we will be focussing on the most beneficial and swiftest solution possible.

And while we’re on Clarence Town, the Clarence Town Rural Fire Brigade is holding a Barefoot Bowls Fundraiser on November 17th, surprisingly enough at Clarence Town Bowling Club.

And this in from Bob Doyle on the Cattle Drive held on the weekend:

The annual cattle drive from GB Jones Trevallyn to the Evans riverside property yesterday attracted the biggest number of riders over its history.  Maybe 8 years. 

There were 35 riders who left Trevallyn with a mob of cattle, drove them down to Fishers Hill Rd, then  along Fishers Hill road, picked up 2 more mobs and then at the Summerhill junction picked up another 2 mobs that started from David Caines property around past Eaglereach. 

The drive finished up with 45 horses, (and a) number of cattle, for the Cutting day that benefits among groups the Vacy School.

The cutting day itself on my crude estimate had its best turn up of spectators. 

The actual event is always fully booked with both professional and novice horses and people.  A good day.

Another well run community event in Dungog Shire.

Until next week.