From the Mayor's Desk: Deserved recognition for our hinterland

Published on 05 October 2021

I remember in 2018 when we first began our Community Catch Up series with a meeting at Willawarrin. We heard from the community that one of their priorities was to attract more tourists to the Upper Macleay and help support the local businesses.

It’s great to share that Council has recently secured a feature on the Macleay Valley hinterland in the established and recognised magazine Australia Traveller, showcasing places to eat, stay and explore to their 600,000 subscribers. Too often our upriver communities are in the media recounting natural disasters so it’s wonderful to see this positive coverage.

I encourage you to read this feature, available digitally on the Australian Traveller’s website. It will make you want to discover these quintessential Aussie experiences in our backyards right away.

Get ready for International Day of People with Disability

As we start to look ahead to a summer that will see restrictions reduced and communities coming together again, one of the celebrations on the horizon is International Day of People with Disability. Held on December 3 each year the day reminds us to celebrate achievements of people with a disability and question our own understanding and community barriers.

This year’s program will see a Big Day Out festival and market day held at Riverside Park on Friday 3 December. The Glitz and Glamour Ball will take place on Saturday 5 March 2022, an evening full of entertainment and dancing in an accessible environment.

Shark surveillance improvements

The State Government has announced their 2021/22 Shark Program with $21.4 million for coastal councils including us here in Kempsey.

You may have wondered what the yellow buoys are at some local beaches. These are shark listening stations, which detect tagged sharks nearby. The 2021/22 program will see increased coastal surveillance using these stations and expanding Surf Life Saving NSW’s drone surveillance to cover more beaches and keep us all safe in the water.