After more than a decade in the making, it was a proud day for the Macleay Valley with the official opening last Thursday of the Slim Dusty Centre.

The new multi-function centre and museum pays tribute to one of Kempsey’s most famous sons, but also to the values of mateship, a fair go and the best of country life that Slim Dusty proudly represented. 

The centre is important, not only to the Kempsey Shire, but to the wider Mid North Coast region as a unique Australian cultural centre with world-wide appeal. 

It also provides the Macleay with a quality function centre for business or social events, a great tourist attraction, and a place local residents and visitors alike can get together to enjoy a meal while experiencing a unique part of Australia’s and the Macleay Valley’s history. 

Congratulations to the Kirkpatrick family, the Slim Dusty Foundation Board, Centre’s CEO, Kathryn Yarnold, and everyone who played a part in taking a vision of what could be achieved and seeing it through to the fantastic facility that now stands proudly overlooking the entrance to South Kempsey.

A seed of respect

I received a wonderful email recently from a local resident who shared with me some of his thoughts, and frustrations, about the challenges we are facing in building a safer community. 

While admitting he was not a poet, he shared with me a poem he had jotted down and I found his message inspiring in its simplicity. 

The poem is called A Seed of Respect, and when we talked the author gave me permission to share it with the community, in the hope it prompts every one of us living in the Macleay to show respect and kindness to others in our community.

 A Seed of Respect

Let’s put an end to the Spectre image and its ugliness

Start the new day with Respect and friendliness.

Life in the Macleay Valley isn’t just about you and me

It’s more about what you can bring to the community.

Be kind to faces and other races

Take care of our town and the surrounding places.

For we are all only custodians of this land

Respectfully, leave only your footprints in the sand.

Help yourself to a little respect!

Reporting to keep community safe

There are also practical ways we can help keep our community safe. 

One way is to assist the police to protect residents by helping them in gathering information by reporting incidents when they occur. 

This also sends a clear message about what we value and accept within our community.

Police Assistance Line – 131-444 – When reporting crimes that are not in progress or have no known offender (eg. malicious damage, break and enter or stealing).

Emergency Services – 000 – When needing assistance from the police, ambulance or fire brigade in an emergency situation.

Crime Stoppers – 1800 333-000 – A community based policing service that gathers details of criminal activity volunteered by members of the public.