You'll hear a lot more about our fire recovery and water conservation work in the weeks and months to come, as council continues our work with our community to keep rebuilding, while welcoming assistance from those around Australia who are offering help.

I've got to give a big thank you to the men and women of the Australian Defence Force who provided amazing support with fencing work and road clearing up river. I was also in Canberra last week to talk with national leaders about the ways we can work together moving forward.

On Friday we officially opened the new Turners Flat Bridge. I was joined at the opening by our Federal Member Pat Conaghan, as the bridge is the product of council successfully working with the Federal Government's Bridges Renewal Program, with council and the government each contributing $2 million.

The $4 million dollar bridge opened to traffic last month, but now with the approaches all sealed it was time to recognise the great work that has been done. The new bridge is a welcome sight for the community, looks to have come in under budget, and despite the additional obstacles caused by the fires, I am thrilled that council has been able to deliver this important project in the first month of the New Year.

Not only is the new concrete bridge safer and wider, it has been raised by 1.8 metres with an eye to the impacts of floods on the old bridge. Well done team.

One of the best things we can do at present is support our own. To that end, we're staging the inaugural Farm Feast on the banks of the Macleay, which we hope becomes an annual event to celebrate the fantastic produce of our region.

The festival runs for two days from February 11, and I can't wait for the Tuesday night dinner feast with our special celebrity guest, chef Lyndey Milan. For tickets search 'Macleay Valley Farm Feast' on Eventbrite.

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