WINTER 2012

Junee Shire Council Newsletter

Junee Community Centre

On 25 June a new Centre Manager, Amy Murphy, commenced at Junee Community Centre. Amy brings with her 15 years experience working in the community service and government sectors.

The Centre has recently undergone some changes with a number of renovations taking place including painting the interior and exterior of the building, the laying of new carpets, installation of new paths, and an access ramp at the rear of the building. The Junee Community Centre offers a range of services including:

Meals on WheelsSocial SupportDomestic Assistance (assistance with housekeeping)Respite CareHome Maintenance and home modifications.Photocopying, faxing and telephone facilitiesEmergency relief services (including food vouchers)Recreational and support groups

Upcoming events include: Centacare will be conducting the new “Keeping Kids in Mind” program in October. This program aims to assist separated parents promote positive changes in their lives. It is specifically targeted towards parents where there is medium to high levels of ongoing conflict. The program consists of five weekly group sessions that will run between

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10am and 1pm. There is a small cost for attending the program, attendees will receive a workbook and morning tea will be provided.

On Tuesday 23 October, the centre will celebrate Pink Ribbon Day with a community morning tea at the centre from 10.30 am and everyone is welcome to attend. There will also be a raffle and pink ribbon merchandise for sale. Entry will be by a gold coin donation.

Junee Community Centre is open from 9am to 3 pm Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, and is open from 9am to 1pm on Thursdays. For further information about any of the programs on offer, please call the centre on 6924 2666.

Junee was among the big winners at the Inland Tourism Awards on 28 July receiving the silver award.One of the finalists in the local government category, Junee Shire Council missed out on the top award by a mere half-point. We now have eligibility to enter the State finals.

Congratulations to all involved.

Junee Shire CouncilBelmore Street

Junee NSW 2663

Ph: 02 6924 8100Fx: 02 6924 2497

Em: jsc@junee.nsw.gov.au

Responsibilities of Your Council

Recreation Facilities

Culture & Education

Economic Development

Appearance of Public Areas

Health & Human Support Services (exc. hospitals)

Traffic Management & Parking Facilities

Enforcement of By Laws

Town Planning, Policy & Approvals

Commercial Enterprises

Environmental Management

Junee Shire CounCil GetS touriSm AwArd

WINTER 2012 2

williAm Street upGrAde

new loCAl

environmentAl plAn At its July meeting the Council considered a detailed report on the proposed Local Environmental Plan (LEP). The documentation has now been sent to the NSW Department of Planning and Infrastructure (DoPI).

Owing to several zoning changes being made, the DoPI may require Council to re-exhibit the proposal for a further 28 days. If a re-exhibition is not required, the plan will be sent to the Minister for Planning and Infrastructure.

Once the plan has been gazetted, it will replace the current LEP 1992. For further details please contact Ralph Tambasco (Director of Development and Environmental Services) on 6924 8100.

ByrneS roAd reConStruCtion

Following the wetter than average conditions of the past two years or so, and more specifically the extremely wet period in March of this year, the Council has been successful in securing part funding to reconstruct Byrnes Road between the edge of town and the abattoir.The prolonged wet weather has led to a rise in the water table which now sits only half a metre below the bitumen. This leads to a weakening of both the subgrade and pavement which manifests itself as rutting and shoving of the pavement and a breakup and potholing of the bitumen seal.As a part of the reconstruction there will be a slight change in alignment with the road moving toward the railway to provide greater distance between the power poles and the road.

GundAGAi roAd

Anyone who has recently driven to Gundagai and beyond would have noticed that substantial roadworks are currently underway at the intersection of Gundagai Road, a regional road, and Burnt Creek Lane, and extend for a length of 1.5 km.

When traveling west from Gundagai to Junee, the intersection at Burnt Creek Lane was not visible until a vehicle had crested the hill; this did not allow for sufficient stopping sight distance- ie the distance required for a driver to first identify and react to a hazard on the road and then stop the vehicle before colliding with that hazard. The location also served as a school bus stop and for these two reasons, the old alignment was seriously deficient when it came to road users’ safety.

Once complete, the reconstruction will resolve these deficiencies, making for a much safer section of road and generally improving driver comfort and ride quality. Stopping sight distance will be increased from the substandard distance of 156m (suitable only for a maximum speed of 80 km/h) to a distance of 225m.

Construction activities to date have included the excavation and placement of approximately 14 000m3 of fill to the new road embankment, the removal of 14 000m3 of rock and the installation of a new pipe culvert under the new road embankment.

Half the funding for the project has been sourced from the NSW Government’s REPAIR Programme and the remaining half has been provided under the NSW Government’s Block Grant funding scheme. It is a requirement of both funding streams that the funds be spent on a regional road.

Works are expected to be completed in late September

The Council is about to commence an upgrade of William Street, between Ducker Street and its eastern end.

The works will include new kerb and gutter, replacing the substandard brick dish drains, a renewed, narrower pavement and an augmentation of the stormwater pipes to improve the drainage of the street.

The works are expected to commence in the coming weeks and residents of William Street who may be affected will be more closely consulted prior to and throughout construction.

The project is being funded under the Federal Government’s Road to Recovery Program.

WINTER 2012 3

pArk lAne dAm

Park Lane Dam will receive a facelift following works to stabilise the banks to remedy the impacts of carp.

Since the drought broke, the dam has enjoyed full capacity, but this has provided ready access to the banks for the introduced carp population. The carp had undermined the banks so much that it was only a matter of time until the Council’s pump shed fell into the dam. Junee Tourist Park’s fence was another casualty as the carp chewed away at the banks in search of food and shelter.

The pump shed has been stabilised and protected from future undermining, but the dewatering of the dam has provided the Council with the opportunity to clean it out, remove all the carp and complete function and beautification works.

A new platform will be built on the northern bank, providing safer and increased access to the dam for fishing. The banks will be stabilised with rock sourced from the roadworks on Gundagai Road before planting with native wetland species is completed.

Once all the works are complete, native fish, which have been re-homed temporarily in the basin above Burns Park, will be returned and a restocking of natives will take place.

The dam forms an important resource for both recreational fishers and the greater community. All of the sporting fields and a great number of the gardens in town are irrigated using the water from the dam.

keepinG of CompAnion

AnimAlS reminder

A major report will be prepared by staff for the September Council meeting to consider whether or not the Organic Waste Trial should be extended to other areas of Junee township.

orGAniC

wASte triAl

If you are an owner of cats and dogs, you are responsible and have a legal obligation to ensure they are microchipped and registered as required under the Companion Animals Act. You have a legal obligation to ensure that your animal:

does not escape your property

does not become a nuisance to your neighbours

does not harm/injure or make people feel threatened, and

is on a lead when being walked.

Remember there are heavy fines for non-compliance.

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ColleCtion of fire wood

Junee Shire Council reminds residents that the felling of any standing timber (whether living or dead) on Council’s roads and public reserves is illegal. BEWARE: on-the-spot fines will be issued to anyone caught doing so.

There has been at least one instance where a felled tree ended up lying across a road. Those responsible left the scene with the tree still across the road, presenting a very serious hazard to the public.

Conservation areas along roadsides require protection and preservation as food and habitat for native fauna, such as birds, mammals and reptiles as well as threatened or at-risk flora.

A permit is required from Forests NSW before removing material from public lands. You can download or view the “primefacts” sheets at:http : / /www.dpi .nsw.gov.au/ forests/publ icat ions/col lect ing- f irewood

WINTER 2012 4

Junee JumpS into BASketBAll

Junee Junction Recreation and Aquatic Centre hosted the “Junee Jumps into Basketball Day” on Wednesday July 18th. Close to 100 Year-4 students from Junee and surrounds attended the day which was part of the Prime Minister’s Olympic Challenge to encourage children to get active. The children were given the opportunity to try basketball in a fun, safe and inclusive environment with coaches from Wagga Heat and Blaze State League Basketball teams. It was fantastic to see students from all five Junee Shire schools mixing together and having a great time learning some new skills. Thanks to Trish Suckling from Active After Schools for organizing the day.

Have your children had fun with their basketball sessions so far this year, whether it be with Swish Start Basketball, Active After School this term or the Junee Jumps into Basketball Day? If so, we have some great news – Aussie Hoops Basketball is coming to Junee in Term 4 2012. Aussie Hoops is the fun and exciting national program for primary school kids. The Aussie Hoops program uses a “game sense” approach where children learn basketball through playing lots of games and activities. Aussie Hoops is for all boys and girls up to 12 years of age and ALL abilities! If your primary school age child is interested in further developing their basketball skills and learning to play the game while having fun, please call Lisa Diggins on 0406 589 705 to register your interest.

Trees and vegetation planted under or near power lines and other electricity infrastructure can interfere with the reliability of the energy supply when fully grown, causing unnecessary power interruptions and dangerous safety hazards.

To help prevent serious supply interruptions and safety incidents and to assist manage vegetation in local areas, Essential Energy has provided Councils with guidelines for planting, details on how to access trimming services and information about their ongoing vegetation maintenance program.

Essential Energy has asked that you consider the following:

Look up before you plant. Consider how big the tree or vegetation will grow and what structures will be affectedPlant taller varieties away from powerlinesDo not plant on the nature strip without Council approval

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plAn Before you plAnt

Remember that access to powerlines is required for future maintenance and repairs.Select plant species that are native to your areaAvoid plant species that could invade the surrounding environmentPlant away from underground electricity pits, pillar boxes and padmount transformers.Consult a local nursery before planting to determine the height the plant will grow.

A free guide is available at the Council to assist green-thumbs and property owners select appropriate species to plant under to near powerlines.

More information can be obtained by calling 13 23 91 or visit essentialenergy.com.au/trees

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Junee Business and Trades to support the Year of the Farmer On 15 September 2012 there will be a 100 mile dinner in Railway Square Junee.‘Paddock Providore’ will be held in order to celebrate the fantastic local produce in this wonderful food processing region in what is the Year of the Farmer. Tickets go on sale from 1 August. For more information about the dinner, please visit our website at http://www.visitjunee.com.au/play/the-paddock-providore-dinner.aspx

New Members for JBT JBT have had a fantastic response to a recent membership drive. We would like to welcome our new members; Junee Ex-Services Memorial Club, HB Accounting PL, Judd’s Horse Supplies, Hart Bros Seeds, AMP Studios, RS Taylor Plumbing Services, Rhonda Heffernan, Kellie Crawford, Nicole Hopkins and Grassroots Agronomy. For more information about becoming a member please visit our website at http://www.visitjunee.com.au/work/join-junee-business-and-trades.aspx

Junee Business and Trades visits Kaybunda Lavender Farm

Junee Business and Trades held its June ‘Business after Hours’ event at Kaybunda Lavender Farm in Old Junee. Around 18 local business people and community members attended to meet the new owners of Kaybunda, Jodie and Bill Russell, and learn more about what the business does and how it adds to Junee’s tourism industry. Jodie and Bill spoke of their plans to expand the farm and their ideas on providing a more interactive tour of their facilities for visitors. Guests also enjoyed the opportunity to network with other local business people and hearing about upcoming opportunities through Junee Business and Trades. Junee Business and Trades holds ‘Business after Hours’ events every two months, which are hosted by a different business each time.

Visit our webiste at www.visitjunee.com.au/work

Check us out on Facebook: http://goo.gl/yKu15 For more information contact Nicole Barton on 0422 767 667

WINTER 2012 5

Junee BuSineSS And trAdeS

Bowel CAnCer prevention proGrAm The recently launched Bowel Cancer Prevention Program, involving Sydney Swans great Paul Kelly, and launched by Jack and John Singleton, is already proving a success in the Riverina.

More than 270 faecal occult blood test reports have been received by Douglas Hanly Moir, one of the important partners in the program, with 32 positive results (12%) being referred for further testing.

Murrumbidgee Medicare Local CEO Nancye Piercy says “People over 40 may not have previously thought to undertake the test for bowel cancer. The intensive awareness program has encouraged this age group to undertake the simple test.”

“And women should also remember that the cancer affects them just as much as the men in our community” she continued.

“The Murrumbidgee Medicare Local area has some of the highest rates of colorectal cancer, and early diagnosis means better chance of survival” adds Program Manager Jenny Rava.

The program is available to anyone over the age of 40 and will run until 30 September 2012. Simply book an appointment with your GP, do the take-home test and return it to your Doctor.

CouncillorsMayor: Lola Cummins

Deputy Mayor: Norm Bray

CouncillorsBob Callow

Andrew Clinton

Robin Cuttle

Paul Holdsworth

Jill Macaulay

Ron MacPherson

Neil Smith

StaffGreg Campbell, General Manager

Col Macaulay, Director Engineering Services

Ralph Tambasco, Director Development and Environmental Services

John Whitfield, Director Corporate and Community Services

ContACtS:Office:BelmOre Street, Junee

PO BOx 93, Junee nSW 2663PhOne: 6924 8100fax: 6924 2497email: jsc@junee.nsw.gov.au

emerGenCieS:SeWerage BlOckageS: 6924 1040

DOgS/animalS: 0427 694 272rOaDS: 0429 396 412 0427 481 599

Junee Shire CouncilBelmore Street

Junee NSW 2663

Ph: 02 6924 8100Fx: 02 6924 2497

Em: jsc@junee.nsw.gov.au

The Southwest Regional Family Day Care scheme was honoured to have two nominees for this years Educator of the Year Regional Awards. Sally Splitt and Monique Turton were both nominated by families who wanted to recognise the fantastic work they do as educators of young children, offering quality care in a family environment.

Sally Splitt took out the regional award for Educator of Year.

FOR the past 11 years, Sally Splitt has been caring for some of Junee’s children as part of Family Day Care and has been recognised for the vital role that she plays in providing a foundation in children’s lives.

Mrs Splitt is one of 25 registered educators in South-West Regional Family Day, which covers not only Junee, but Cootamundra, Young, Coolamon, Ganmain, Tumut and Gundagai.

After winning the local divison, Mrs Splitt has a chance to win the state division and possibly the national award. Junee Shire Council congratulates Sally on this award and wishes her luck at the State awards. Photo courtesy of Junee Southern Cross

South West Regional

Family Day Care.

Do you require Child Care?

South West Regional Family Day Care have

vacancies in Junee.

For more information please call 026924 1017 or fdc@junee.nsw.gov.au

Sponsored by Junee Shire Council.

Junee Shire Youth is on Facebook. Become a fan today and keep up to

date with happenings in Junee. Have your say and be heard.

You can now follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/Junee_Shire

WINTER 2012 6

reCoGnition of loCAl CArerS

Please note that council elections will be held on 8 September 2012.

Councillors Bray, Cuttle, Macaulay and McPherson have not renominated.