MACLEAY VALLEY FLOOD RECOVERY CENTRE

Residents and businesses affected by the recent flood event in Kempsey Shire can seek assistance and advice through the Macleay Valley Recovery Centre located at 42 Smith Street Kempsey in the old Target building.

The Centre will be open 7 days a week while the need exists. Its hours of operation are:

• Monday to Friday - 8am until 6pm
• Saturday and Sunday - 9am until 4pm

For more information phone the Centre on 6562 1736.

For those requiring assistance, representatives of key welfare, business and insurance agencies will be on hand, or via referral from the site, to give help, advice and information to affected residents and business people.

PUBLIC EXHIBITION OF DRAFT MANAGEMENT PLAN
28 Day Exhibition Period – 8/5/09 to 5/6/08

Kempsey Shire Council is required to produce a Management Plan annually which outlines details of Council’s work and activities for the next three years and also provides a statement of Council’s revenue policy for the next twelve months.

The Draft Management Plan, Budget and proposed Fees & Charges will be on public exhibition until Friday, 5 June 2009. You are encouraged to view this document at the:

• Civic Centre in West Kempsey,
• Libraries at Kempsey, South West Rocks and Stuarts Point
• Crescent Head Country Club
• Hat Head Bowling and Recreation Club
• Bellbrook General Store and
• Willawarrin Post Office and General Store
• Frederickton Newsagency
• Smithtown General Store
• Gladstone General Store

The document is also available on Council’s website www.kempsey.nsw.gov.au.

You are invited to make comments on the Draft Management Plan in writing. Submissions will be received up to 3pm on Friday, 6 June 2009 and will be considered prior to Council considering the adoption of the Management Plan at its meeting on 9 June 2009. Submissions should be addressed to the General Manager, Kempsey Shire council, PO Box 3078, West Kempsey, NSW, 2440.

MANAGEMENT PLAN PUBLIC MEETING TONIGHT (June 2)

Due to flooding lasting week Council has rescheduled the Management Plan Public meeting for TONIGHT (June 2) at 6.00pm at the Council Chambers in Elbow Street, West Kempsey to give everyone the opportunity to discuss on various aspects of the Draft Management Plan.

ROAD CLOSURES SOUTH WEST ROCKS
Macleay River Marathon, Sunday, 7 June 2009

Residents are advised that the southbound lane of South West Rocks Road, from Jerseyville Bridge to the Hat Head turnoff will be closed to all traffic between the hours of 7.30am and 10.30am on Sunday, 7 June 2009. A sixty km speed restriction will be imposed for northbound traffic in the same area. Traffic controllers will be in place at the Jerseyville Bridge to divert traffic.

COUNCIL MEETING AT BELLBROOK – 9 JUNE 2009

Council would like to remind residents that the next Council meeting on Tuesday, 9 June 2009, is being held at Bellbrook. The newly elected Council wanted to hold some of its Council meetings outside Kempsey and this will be the first time a full Council meeting has been held at Bellbrook. The residents of the Bellbrook area are particularly invited to come along and see the Council at work in discussing the issues affecting our Shire. The meeting will commence at 9.00am at the Bellbrook Community Hall and will go for most of the day. Everyone is welcome to attend even if it is for only part of the meeting.

TURNERS FLAT BRIDGE
CLOSED INDEFINITELY DUE TO STRUCTURAL DAMAGE

Kempsey Shire Council advises residents and users of Turners Flat Bridge that it is closed to all traffic indefinitely due to structural damage to three segments of the bridge caused during the recent flood. Council will order materials to conduct repairs as soon as possible but until then the bridge will remain closed.

Motorists are requested to use Willi Willi Road as an alternative route.
Council apologises for any inconvenience caused by this closure.

AUSTRALIA DAY 2010
Australia Day Award Nominations Open All Year

Australia Day is a community celebration!
26 January 2010 is a day for acknowledging community and national spirit in NSW, where the nation comes together to celebrate what’s great about Australia.

One way of celebrating is acknowledging the contributions made by others in our community. There are many people in our community who deserve to be nominated for an Australia Day award. As a trial for the 2010 Australia Day Awards we have decided to accept nominations all through this year.

If you know of someone who would be worthy of one of these awards, consider nominating them. Categories for the awards are:-

• Citizen
• Young Citizen
• Sports
• Community Service
• Community Entertainment, Music and Arts

Nomination forms can be obtained and nominations lodged online at www.kempsey.nsw.gov.au. The closing date to lodge nominations in the 2010 Australia Day Awards is Friday, 13 November 2009.

PUBLIC NOTIFICATION OF DEVELOPMENT CONSENTS - ISSUED BY COUNCIL

Consent has been granted for the following applications.

A record of consents may be inspected, without charge, at the Customer First Centre of the Kempsey Shire Council, Civic Centre, Tozer Street, West Kempsey, between 8.30 am and 4.30 pm from Monday to Friday (public holidays excepted).

NOTICE OF PROPOSED DEVELOPMENTS

The following applications have been received and are notified in accordance with Council’s Policy.
NOTE: Not all applications received require public notification.

The applications and plans relating to the developments to which this notice refers may be inspected at Council’s Customer First Centre, Tozer Street, West Kempsey, any time between 8.30am and 4.30pm from Monday to Friday (public holidays excepted) for the period stated above.

At anytime during which the application may be inspected, any person:

1 who has received written notice of a proposed development from Council; or
2 who owns land and who contends that his enjoyment of that land will be detrimentally affected if a proposed development is carried out; or
3 who feels that a proposed development will adversely affect the character or amenity of the surrounding area may object in writing to council.

A person or associate of the person who makes a submission in relation to the application must make a disclosure of any reportable political donation or gift made in the previous 2 years (and up to the time the matter is determined).

The disclosure (Disclosure Statement of Political Donations and Gifts) will need to accompany the submission. A Disclosure Form and further details can be obtained from Council’s website or Customer First Centre.

If the application will need to be considered by Council, a precis of submissions received will be included in a report to Council for determination of the application. Copies of submissions may be included in the Appendices to the Business Paper unless specifically requested by the writer not to be included and the submission is clearly headed “confidential”.

NOTIFICATION OF CONSIDERATION OF PROPOSED DEVELOPMENTS

The public are advised that it is intended to consider the following development related issues lodged with the Sustainable Development Services Department at the Council Meeting of 9 June, 2009. The meeting will commence at 9.00am.

Further information on the Development Proposals can be obtained by contacting:
Sustainable Development Services Department.

CHEMICAL SENSITIVITY REGISTER

In accordance with Council’s Policy on Chemical Sensitivity, residents within the Kempsey Shire area are asked to advise Council if they are chemically sensitive. On receipt of written notification accompanied by a Doctor’s Certificate you will be included on Council’s Chemical Sensitivity Register. Should you have any concerns or questions relating to this matter pleas contact Council’s Shire Services Department on 65 663200.

COMMUNITY CONSULTATION REGISTER

Council has established a Community Central Consultation Register so that members of our community can register their interest in participating in focus group and other consultative opportunities. All you need to do to be included is fill in a registration form and return it to Council. Forms are available from Council’s Customer First Centre, all branches of the Shire Library, or online at www.kempsey.nsw.gov.au (go to Communications, then Forms Index (Alpha), and you’ll find under ‘C’, Central Consultation Register).

COMMUNITY NEWSLETTERS

Council produces six community newsletters each year. Two x 2 page newsletters are distributed inside the Mid Coast Observer in March and September and four x 4 page colour newsletters are included with the Rate instalment notices distributed at the end of January, April, July and October.

If you pay your rates in one lump sum you will not receive rate instalment notices and will, therefore, miss out on receiving these quarterly newsletters. If you’d like to receive one you can contact Megan Barber on 65 663334 and arrange for one to be posted to you. Alternatively, you can pick up a copy at the Customer First Centre or any of the Shire Library Branches in Kempsey, South West Rocks, Hat Head and Stuarts Point. Council’s newsletters are also available electronically via our Website www.kempsey.nsw.gov.au. (go to ‘Communications’ then ‘Council Newsletters’).

STAFF EXCELLENCE AWARDS

As part of its ongoing commitment to customer service excellence, Kempsey Shire Council recognises the outstanding achievements of staff members through an Award of Excellence, which is made on a quarterly basis. If you think that an individual member of Council’s staff, a team of Council workers or an entire Council Department is deserving of such an award, please consider nominating them. A nomination form is available at the Customer First reception desk at the Civic Centre in Elbow Street, West Kempsey on online at Council’s website www.kempsey.nsw.gov.au under ‘communications’, under ‘s’ in the ‘forms index’. Alternatively, phone Megan Barber on 65 663 334 and she will be happy to post one to you. Once you have completed the form drop it in to the Customer First Centre or mail it to Kempsey Shire Council, PO Box 3078, West Kempsey, 2440.