It was terrific to see some much-needed rain fall in the region on the weekend, and while there has been some widespread coverage of the falls in the media it is important for us to remember that this drought is not over.
That is vitally important to note as we don’t want the important message of buying regionally this Christmas to diminish.
The social media push to Buy From The Bush has gone gangbusters, and the NSW Government has acted the create a one-stop portal for our businesses to put themselves forward to those looking for the perfect Christmas present.
I’m encouraging local businesses to list on the new ‘Buy Regional’ hub, which is connecting metropolitan shoppers with our local small businesses in the lead-up to Christmas.
If you are a small business owner and want to get involved in the Buy Regional hub, please send your details to buyregional@dpc.nsw.gov.au
And remember, if you or anyone you know needs drought support, please visit www.droughthub.nsw.gov.au
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Late last week the NSW Government announced the launch of the $500 million Fixing Local Roads program, which has been developed specifically for regional and rural councils to carry out vital maintenance and repair work on local roads.
The Fixing Local Roads Program is a commitment of $500 million over five years to provide one-off grants to councils to help them repair, maintain or seal their local roads.
This investment will aid in the reduction of council maintenance backlogs for local roads and assist in keeping communities connected.
Applications are now invited from eligible councils for the Fixing Local Roads funding and will be received up to midnight on 2 December 2019.
Further information is provided in the Program Guidelines. The Fixing Local Roads Guidelines, application form, contact details and other relevant information can be found at www.rms.gov.au/fixinglocalroads.
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Last Wednesday I had the honour to host the NSW Police and Emergency Services Minister, David Elliott, in Dubbo where we presented a new Category 7 vehicle to the Dripstone Rural Fire Service.
The vehicle will help the volunteers during what is expected to be a hectic fire season, and will allow them to tackle difficult fires in a safer manner.
Minister Elliott also visited the Dubbo Police Station where he launched Project Walwaay, an amazing program that has police from Orana Mid-Western Police District working with at-risk youth.
This style of proactive policing is very effective, and from the early results we’ve seen is of great benefit to not only our community but also to the children themselves.
I look forward to following the progress of the program and hopefully it can be rolled out in other regions.
Until next week,
Dugald