Kempsey is also my home and I know this community has many ideas and a lot of thoughts on how council is performing and what we should be doing.

On Thursday we will have the first Community Catch-up in Kempsey for many years. It's a meeting where we discuss the big picture of what your council should be doing for you.

This is your chance to have your say. Are you happy with the Clyde St car park redevelopment? Do you think we're making the right choices in our sports field developments?

Is there a part of the Kempsey CBD or the surrounding suburbs that needs attention?

The councillors will be there and the staff will be there, but will you be there? `

Please visit https://yoursay.macleay.nsw.gov.au/community-catch-ups for more information on the event, and to lodge a question or register to attend and I hope to see you there.

On Friday we officially opened the Country Universities Centre (CUC) Macleay Valley, a state-of-the-art facility providing opportunities and career paths for community members in the shire - and located on the ground floor of Kempsey Central.

The centre offers a space where those studying can use fantastic facilities such as high speed internet and computers, while also having the opportunity to connect with other students in the area.

Offering the CUC to the community has been a vision for Kempsey as long as I can remember. We want people living in the Macleay to have the same opportunities and study options as those in the city.

The CUC Macleay Valley is going to change people's lives and bring skills to the Macleay that will continue to develop our region and economy.

If you're a local student or thinking about enrolling into university, please get in touch with the centre manager Kinne at the centre.

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