Author name: Dugald Saunders

Arts programs to proceed thanks to funding

Dubbo, Mudgee & Gulgong /

A quartet of quality arts programs will proceed in the region, thanks to funding secured through the NSW Government’s Country Arts Support Program. Member for the Dubbo electorate Dugald Saunders said Orana Arts will receive in excess of $15,000 which will go towards unique creative projects. Projects funded include The Power Of Sound in Mudgee, The Gulgong Arts HUB for Youth and Community, Youth EnviroArts and the Out West 48-Hour Film Challenge. “Our region has a thriving arts sector and it is great to see so much thought go into providing these opportunities,” Mr Saunders said. “The Power Of Sound […]

Arts programs to proceed thanks to funding Read More »

Celebrate the seniors making our region thrive

Dubbo, Mudgee & Gulgong, Narromine & Trangie, Wellington /

Locals can nominate seniors who are helping to make the western region an inspiring place to live in the 2021 NSW Seniors Festival Local Achievement Awards. Member for the Dubbo electorate Dugald Saunders said the awards program celebrates the work and achievements of seniors who make us proud every day. “Seniors have gone above and beyond for our community as volunteers, carers and role models in a challenging year where our State has faced bushfire, flood, drought and a health pandemic,” Mr Saunders said. “If you know a senior who helps make our community a better place to live, then

Celebrate the seniors making our region thrive Read More »

Regional Seniors Travel Card 2.0 is (almost) here!

From my Desk /

Regional seniors will continue to benefit from the regional seniors travel card, with year two applications opening on January 18, 2021. The regional seniors travel card is a $250 prepaid Visa card designed to assist eligible seniors in regional, rural and remote areas of NSW offset the cost of essential travel expenses. The card can be used to pay for fuel, taxis, pre-booked NSW TrainLink Regional train and coach services, helping them to access essential services. More than 337,000 seniors from across the state successfully applied for the card in 2020, injecting approximately $59.36m into regional economies. The majority of

Regional Seniors Travel Card 2.0 is (almost) here! Read More »

2021 – Looking forward

From my Desk /

The eternal optimist in me would like to think that after years of drought, bushfires and COVID-19 we, as a society, may be given a break in 2021. But the realist in me suggests there will be issues that present themselves this year that will test us. Despite everything we have been through in recent years, everyone across our region has shown an incredible ability to roll with the punches and bounce back, which gives me a great feeling of hope and pride heading into the New Year. Every day we get one step closer to beating COVID-19, and from

2021 – Looking forward Read More »

2020 – Looking back

From my Desk /

When the clock ticked over to midnight and we said goodbye to 2019, little did we know that a year that featured the continuation of the worst drought in living memory and a black summer of bushfires could be outdone. The early part of 2020 featured not only the continuation of the fires, drought and dust storms, but it brought a new threat to our way of life – the COVID-19 pandemic. Along with the incredible work of our fire services, rain helped to put out the fires and provide renewed hope across our region by filling rivers and dams,

2020 – Looking back Read More »

Dubbo Electorate to benefit from $100 million boost to TAFE NSW

All regions /

TAFE NSW campuses in Dubbo and Mudgee are set to benefit from their share of a $100 million state-wide investment in TAFE NSW facilities and equipment. The investment will focus on campus maintenance programs including plumbing, minor construction and fire safety. Funding will also be allocated for a range of new training equipment including a CAT grader, thermal imaging camera, air seeder and a sand blasting booth at Dubbo’s Mitchell Highway campus, and cots and bedding equipment, milling machines and a tooling machine at Mudgee’s Ulan Road campus. Member for Dubbo Dugald Saunders welcomed the announcement, which will provide quality

Dubbo Electorate to benefit from $100 million boost to TAFE NSW Read More »

Funding to finish educational display building in Mudgee

Mudgee & Gulgong /

A long-awaited project that was halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic will be able to be completed thanks to funding from the NSW Government. Member for the Dubbo electorate Dugald Saunders has announced that $26,602 has been allocated to the Australian Rural Education Centre (AREC) in Mudgee to put a roof on its rammed earth display building. The complex showcases alternative and sustainable building techniques, and Mr Saunders said it will be a wonderful educational tool for the region. “More and more we’re seeing businesses finding different ways to do things, and AREC is at the forefront of that with

Funding to finish educational display building in Mudgee Read More »

Multicultural support funding available

Dubbo, Mudgee & Gulgong, Narromine & Trangie, Wellington /

Member for the Dubbo electorate Dugald Saunders is encouraging culturally diverse groups to apply for a share of $1 million in new funding to support community-led responses to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Mr Saunders said the funding program will help support the community during the ongoing challenges surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic. “We have people from a very diverse range of cultures in our region now and they bring so much to our towns and cities,” Mr Saunders said. “There is a real emphasis on integrating into our communities, and I know that is definitely the case in our

Multicultural support funding available Read More »

Regional Seniors Travel Card moves into second year

Dubbo, Mudgee & Gulgong, Narromine & Trangie, Wellington /

Seniors living in the Dubbo electorate will continue to benefit from the Regional Seniors Travel Card, with applications for year two to open on Monday, 18 January, 2021. The Regional Seniors Travel Card is a $250 prepaid Visa card designed to assist eligible seniors in regional, rural and remote areas of NSW offset the cost of essential travel expenses. Member for the Dubbo electorate Dugald Saunders said the card was a huge success in the first year of a two-year trial, which saw more than 337,500 applications across NSW. “The regional seniors travel card was an election commitment by the

Regional Seniors Travel Card moves into second year Read More »

Our HSC high achievers, and a boost for young learners

From my Desk /

We find ourselves once again in uncertain times with the COVID-19 outbreak in the Sydney’s Northern Beaches region. With Christmas fast approaching, it is just as important as ever for all of us to keep up-to-date with the situation at https://www.nsw.gov.au/covid-19 and follow the health advice. It’s also vital that people continue to practice good hand hygiene and physical distancing, stay home if sick, and get tested. We lost Easter to this pandemic – we don’t want to lose Christmas as well. *** I want to take this opportunity to congratulate all of the Year 12 students in our region

Our HSC high achievers, and a boost for young learners Read More »

Scroll to Top