Dubbo gifts bronze roos to sister city
DUBBO Mayor Ben Shields, councillors Greg Mohr and Dayne Gumley, and CEO Michael Mcmahon self-funded their attendance to an official ceremony in Minokamo, Japan, to mark the 30th anniversary of the sister city relationship.
On Saturday, October 19, Dubbo’s anniversary gift of three kangaroos, made by Wongarbon-based sculptor Brett Garling, was unveiled at River Port Park, Minokamo, by Dubbo Regional Council Mayor Ben Shields and Minokamo Mayor Seiichi Ito.
Mayor Ito also revealed a pathway through the park is to be called Dubbo Road.
“Minokamo have been very generous to Dubbo throughout the sister city partnership, providing us with the Shoyoen Gardens and sending someone from Japan every year to tend to it,” Cr Shields said.
“We wanted to do something special for our friends and they had been very clear about how much they loved our kangaroos. We felt this sculpture would be a great gift and it was very well received by Mayor Ito and the people of Minokamo.”
The two Mayors also signed a new declaration, vowing to further strengthen the sister city relationship. The formal document signed by the two mayors said: “On the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the sister city relationship between the Dubbo Region and Minokamo City, the involved parties wish to reaffirm the declaration regarding the sister
Construction of the new Dubbo Cycle Velodrome and Criterium Track is progressing well, with the facility on schedule to open later in the year.
“The current drought gripping the region is providing challenges insofar as the landscaping and turfing options – a situation well out of Council’s control,” Dubbo Regional Council Director Liveability Skye Price said.
“Given the severity of the current drought conditions and minimal likelihood conditions will change in the short-term future, Council will install minimum turf and investigate alternative, contemporary surface options throughout facility.
“Short to mid-term, Council will be working to top dress the area to reduce the effect of dust as much as possible until conditions improve enough to finalise the landscaping and turfing options outside of the summer months,” she said.
“Once complete, the cycle facility will provide the region with an excellent sporting facility – one that clubs, organisations and supporters who use the venue can enjoy and be extremely proud of,” Mrs Price said. city relationship as signed on the 2nd of June 1989.
“We also hereby announce the further promotion and strengthening of our cooperative relationship in the areas (of Education and Youth Exchange, Tourism, and Health & Wellbeing), as well as our continued efforts to further the friendship and mutual understanding between our two countries.
“May the essence of goodwill expressed in this document become a blessing for future generations and contribute to peace and prosperity in the world,” the declaration said.
Since Minokamo and Dubbo formally became sister cities, countless delegations including school groups have travelled between the cities.
Dubbo Regional Council will return the favour when it hosts a delegation from Minokamo led by Mayor Ito between November 20 to 24 this year. A number of exciting events are planned for the visit.
DRUGS, a firearm and stolen livestock were among property seized during a search warrant at a home in Bourke on Monday afternoon.
Rural Crime Prevention Team officers and detectives from Central North Police District executed a search warrant of a home on Alice Edwards Village at Bourke.
Police say during their search officers seized two sheep (pictured above) which were identified and returned to their owner.
Rural Crime Prevention Team State Coordinator, Detective Inspector Cameron Whiteside, said the outcome of the warrant was a great collaboration between rural crime Investigators and detectives from the Central North Police District.