Community News: A fire, subsidised trees and a well deserved thanks.
Well, that’s week two of lockdown almost done, and hopefully there wont be too many more.
It’s been great to see our community once again come together and do the right thing. From checking in at the supermarket to limiting their time away from home and most impressively - getting out to get vaccinated.
Quite rightfully the deputy premier John Barilaro pointed out just how well Edward River was doing in his daily press conference this week, stating 41% of our eligible population is now fully vaccinated.
We are leading several other LGAs in NSW and in fact throughout Australia and that is something I’m really proud of.
Tree Subsidy Extended
A few things I wanted to share with you this week. Firstly, we’ve extended our Rural Tree Planting Scheme, originally due to end today until next Friday 3 September.
Application forms are on our website for local residents living on properties of one hectare or greater.
We are pleased to offer over 50 varieties of native plants to help locals green up their properties.
Lockdown clean-up
We all love dogs and we adore our famed walking paths in the Edward River area.
However Council has received reports of dog owners not cleaning up after their four-legged friends, particularly along our Beach to Beach walk and along Davidson Street in Deni.
We ask residents to be responsible pet owners and clean up after them so we can all enjoy our walks.
Fire in our garbage truck
On Wednesday afternoon, one of our garbage trucks was doing its usual rounds when the driver noticed smoke coming from the back.
Quick thinking led him to dump the burning rubbish and call for back up to put the fire out.
Turns out a resident had placed hot coals and ashes in their bin which caught alight.
Fortunately the truck was undamaged and our staff uninjured - but it could have been a lot worse.
We ask residents to please not endanger others but following the rules and not disposing of hot ashes in their Council rubbish bins.
Election update
At our next Councillor Workshop we will be considering advocating for postal voting for our delayed council election now scheduled for December.
Other states in Australia were able to conduct elections during lockdowns last year and my concern is, with the situation in Sydney and other parts of NSW, we as a State may not be ready for in-person voting in December.
Our term has already been extended twice and I don’t see why when postal voting is an option, we can’t go to the polls in December.
COVID-19: Businesses
Support for
The latest state-wide lockdown is placing immense pressure on our local business community. To assist businesses during this challenging period, an overview of the available support programs and initiatives are linked to the QR code below.
Council services open
We are still here to support you, with staff available via phone and email. If you require support or would like to discuss any concerns, please contact our Community and Economic Development team on 03 5898 3000 or email council@ edwardriver.nsw.gov.au.
Edward River Library
During lockdown, the Library is closed to the public, however we are offering a ‘click and collect’ and a ‘call and collect’ service.
Our team lead by Peter Papandriopoulos (above) will have your orders ready for you to collect between 2.00pm and 3.00pm each day.
You can still access our digital services as normal, including: BorrowBox, Indy Reads, Libby Magazines, Story Box Library and Hoopla Streaming services.
Free Waste Weekend
During the last two weeks, many of us have taken the opportunity to clean up around the house. In light of this, we have moved our planned October free waste weekend forward to 4 & 5 September at the Deni landfill.
The free weekends allow for the disposal of larger items such as mattresses, refrigerators, other white goods and furniture. This is for residential properties only and does not include tyres, commercial waster, construction and/or demolition waste.
A strict COVID safe plan will be in place including the mandatory use of masks and social distancing.
Stay safe.
Cr. Norm Brennan, Mayor.