AVOID FEES AND CHARGES ON YOUR WATER USAGE ACCOUNT

Three-monthly Water Usage Accounts are now overdue. Reminder notices have been issued which include a $7.00 late fee. If payment is not received within fourteen days of the reminder, further action will be taken. Please note that payments made other than at Council may take up to 3 days to be credited to your account. Further action includes the following fees:-

• Final notice $12.00
• Notice of entry $39.00
• Disconnection $127.00
• Reconnection $127.00

If you are having problems paying your account please contact an accounts officer on 65663339 as Council is prepared to enter into a mutually agreeable arrangement to enable payment of this account over a period of time.

Please treat your Water Usage Account with the urgency it deserves to avoid unnecessary costs. Interest is charged at 9% per annum and begins accruing from the due date.

PAYMENT OF RATES – REMINDER

Ratepayers are reminded that the first rate instalment is due for payment on or before 31 August 2009. Failure to finalise the payment by the due date will result in interest charges. Ratepayers who have been granted a “Pensioners Rebate” have until 31 May 2010 to finalise their account in full, however, arrears on a Pensioners account must be finalised immediately and is the subject of daily interest charges.

Should you be experiencing difficulties in paying your rates, please contact Council to make a suitable arrangement for settlement of the account.

WATERMAIN CONSTRUCTION, ELBOW STREET, WEST KEMPSEY

Macleay Water wishes to advise that it will be undertaking construction of a new watermain under the roundabout at Elbow, Kemp, Sea and Belgrave Streets, West Kempsey, from Monday, 17 August, to Friday, 21 August 2009.

To reduce traffic disruptions and to maintain the integrity of the roundabout, this work will be completed using under boring techniques.

Traffic control will be operational during the construction phase to direct vehicles and pedestrians around the worksite. Whilst most work is scheduled to be completed between the hours of 7.00am and 4.00pm, it may be necessary to conduct work outside these times.

Macleay Water apologises for any inconvenience caused by this essential construction work.

For any further information please contact Customer First Centre on 65 663200 or email ksc@kempsey.nsw.gov.au.

CONTROL OF GIANT PARRAMATTA GRASS

Council wishes to advise that Giant Parramatta Grass spraying with chemical registered for its control is conducted from August till January. If you would like to know more about this program contact Council’s Weeds Officer, Greg Egan, on 65663200.

ROAD WORKS IN PROGRESS – HAT HEAD ROAD
60KM SPEED ZONE APPLIES

Council wishes to advise that they are undertaking flood damage repairs along Hat Head Road from Kinchela to Hat Head.

The work will continue for approximately 2-3 weeks (weather permitting). All work will be carried out between the hours 7:00am and 4:30pm. 60km speed limit will apply 24 hours daily for the duration of works. Speed zones are enforceable. Lanes may be closed at times with traffic control in place to direct traffic around worksites. Council apologises for any inconvenience.

For further information contact the Works Office on 65663200.

WHAT’S NEW ON COUNCIL’S WEBSITE...

Collection of Data related to the May 2009 Flood
Information and details on how residents can contribute to river level data or rainfall data in relation to the period of time before the peak of the May 2009 flood can be found on Council’s website at www.kempsey.nsw.gov.au/data-riverlevels-rainfall.html. Dex Consulting has been contracted by Kempsey Shire Council, NSW State Emergency Services and the NSW Department of Environment and Climate Change to collect, analyse and report this data which will be used to expand the flood intelligence, emergency response systems and future floodplain management studies for the Macleay River.

Scholarships on Youth Services website
To view scholarships available to our local young people go to www.kempsey.nsw.gov.au/ythedu.html. Currently, applications are being called for Engineering Scholarships which is a collaborative venture between Council and the University of Newcastle. A Surfboard Construction Scholarship is being offered by Kempsey Adventist School, which has 2 places available in Term 4, and the newly made surfboard is kept by the participant.

Waste into Art 2009 Competition
Details of this year's Waste into Art competition for schools is now available on Council’s website at www.kempsey.nsw.gov.au/wia2009.html. Entry forms and posters can be downloaded in pdf format as well as a link to a photo gallery showing some of last year’s entries.

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”.

AUSTRALIA DAY 2001
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.

WEED SPRAYING

Council wishes to advise that spraying of broadleaf weeds will be undertaken for two (2) weeks from Monday, 14 September, to Friday, 25 September 2009. Broadside will be the chemical used for the spraying of broadleaf weeds on all sporting fields, parks and reserves, weather permitting. Signs will be displayed at sites that have been sprayed. Council apologises for any inconvenience. Please contact Council’s Customer First Centre on 6566 3200 if you have any concerns.