Council’s plans will see the ongoing delivery of core services while still looking to include cultural programs and recreational facilities that build a more connected community.

Nearly $15 million is being spent maintaining and improving our 1,200km road network, including major upgrades to Marine Parade, Stuarts Point and Middleton Street, South Kempsey. Our rural areas are a key feature of the forward program with 26km resheeting of gravel roads, along with five bridge replacements and five timber bridges repaired.

Works to improve public amenities and recreational areas will be in several locations around the Shire from Clyde Street Mall to Crescent Head, Back Creek and Gladstone.

It will be a busy year ahead as the organisation’s new management team continues the good start already made to improve corporate systems and processes so services are more efficient and financial management is tightened.

Please take time to visit Council’s website to see our budget and planning documents that lay out the varied projects and scope of works we aim to achieve over the coming years to help grow our valley.

A big thank you to the Macleay Valley NAIDOC Week Committee for again organising a range of activities for our community to enjoy. I was honoured to be part of yesterday’s traditional flag-raising ceremony following the community march that signals the opening of NAIDOC Week.

This year’s theme – Because of Her, We Can! – shines a spotlight on the role of Aboriginal women in preserving their cultural heritage; pioneering for change and better opportunities; protecting and nurturing family.

In the special activities planned for this week, we can share in the Aboriginal culture and language, the arts and history that Aboriginal men and women have contributed to our valley. By joining together as a community, we show the value we all bring and the privilege we share in living in the Macleay Valley – in Dunghutti Country.