Meeting with Shooters Fishers and Farmers Party
Deputy mayor, Cr Digby Rayward and general manager, Coralie Nichols met with shooters fishers and farmers MLC, Robert Brown, and state local candidate, Lee Watt to discuss the critical issues for Dungog Shire Council and our priorities to deal with these issues.
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The GM and I have previously met with local member, Michael Johnsen and Labor candidate, Martin Rush.
We have presented the priorities listed below to each candidate and to the sitting member, as follows:
- Council is seeking a commitment to a one-off bulk roads and bridges funding package for Dungog Shire Council through the Fixing Country Roads Program, to help ensure Council benefits equitably in the same way as comparable local government areas via RMS maintenance of State-classified roads. Council values its road maintenance backlog at $21 million for road and $16 million for timber bridges.
- Council is seeking a commitment to review in a timely manner the Block Grant Allocation formula.
- Council is seeking the NSW Government to conduct a formal evaluation of the financial, operational and community impacts of Council’s proposal to reclassify the Maitland to Dungog Main Road (MR101) to ‘State’ classification under the Roads Act 1993.
- Dungog Shire Council is seeking the NSW Government to conduct a formal financial and legislative evaluation of potential options and alternatives to restoring the State heritage-listed Brig O’Johnson Bridge at Clarence Town.
- Dungog Shire Council is formally requesting that the NSW Government commit to a blanket application for ‘hardship’ (either time-limited or permanent) applying to all Regional Growth Fund applications put forward by Dungog Council to alleviate the burden of financing grant co-contribution.
Update: Martins Creek Quarry
The Land and Environment Court has extended the stay to the quarry until March 12, 2019, albeit with stricter provisions than the temporary Environmental Management Plan allowed.
The interim provisions allow for the following:
- No more than 449 000 tonnes in any 12 month period to be dispatched from the quarry by road, down from 650 000 tonnes;
- No more than 90 laden trucks will be dispatched from the quarry in any one calendar day, down from 130;
- No more than 20 laden trucks will be dispatched from the quarry in any one hour period, down from 30.
Daracon is also required to pay a contribution to Council of 50 cents per tonne of product transported by road, on a monthly basis.
Daracon has submitted a Notice of Intention to Appeal, which is listed for directions on 13 February in the Supreme Court of NSW.
Council has not made any decisions regarding this appeal.
Upper Hunter Candidates Forum
The Cancer Council invites you to attend the forum, Saving Life 2019, to be held at Silks Function Centre, Muswellbrook Race Club on Monday, February 4 from 7pm to 8.30 pm.
Meet the candidates for the NSW Upper Hunter Electorate and hear their commitment to the Saving Life 2019 campaign.
For more information and to RSVP and submit questions, contact Glen Parsons by Friday, January 25, 2019, on 0428 101 252 or email: glenp@nswcc.org.au.
