WATER METER READING

Every water meter in the shire is read on a three monthly basis. The readings collected are compared with the previous 3 monthly reading to see if there is any abnormally high water usage being recorded. If an unusually high water usage is detected for a property Macleay Water staff send a courtesy letter to the resident concerned to let them know there may be a problem. This letter is not a bill. It is sent as a service to the resident to give them an opportunity to identify and fix leaks as quickly as possible so they are not lumped with an unnecessarily high water bill.

If you receive such a letter, please do not ignore it, turn off your taps and appliances using water then go out to your water meter and check it. If the red figures on your water meter are still moving it is possible that you have a leak. You may be able to save money on your water bill simply by having this leak repaired.

Also, if when you check your meter the black figures shown on it are vastly different from the readings shown in your letter please contact an Accounts Officer at Macleay Water on 65 663284 to arrange for your meter to be re-checked.

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.

Council will also be holding a public meeting at 6.00pm on Tuesday, 26 May 2009, at the Council Chambers in Elbow Street, West Kempsey to give everyone the opportunity to discuss on various aspects of the Draft Management Plan.

You are invited to make comments on the Draft Management Plan in writing. Submissions will be received up to 3.00 pm on Friday, 5 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.

AUCTION OF SURPLUS PROPERTIES

Twenty-four (24) parcels of land, some with subdivision potential, some with Macleay River views, many with building entitlements Will be put to public auction on
Thursday 14 May 2009 commencing at 9:30am in the Council Chambers at
22 Tozer Street West Kempsey.

A detailed listing of the properties to be auctioned and location maps are available from Council’s Customer First Centre.

For more information visit Council’s website www.kempsey.nsw.gov.au or telephone 6566 3200.

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).

“PROTECT YOUR HOME FROM INTRUDERS” FREE KITS

Members of the community are welcome to call into Council’s Customer First Centre at 22 Tozer Street West Kempsey to pick up a Free “Protect your home from intruders” kit which provides useful information on how you can make your home more secure. Kempsey Shire Council provides these kits as part of the National Crime Prevention Campaign. If you are unable to get into Council please phone Customer First on 65 663200 and we will post one to you.

EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST (E2009- 006)
Crescent Head Works Prioritisation Committee

Expressions of Interest, closing 4.30pm Tuesday 26th May 2009 are invited for three (3) community members to serve in a voluntary capacity on the Council’s Crescent Head Works Prioritisation Committee.

Council has resolved that this Committee be made up of Councillors, Staff, one (1) representative from the Crescent Head Chamber of Commerce and three (3) community members

This Committee will be responsible for making recommendations on the works to be undertaken at Crescent Head village. Further information on the Committee objectives and meeting frequency can be obtained by contacting the Council’s Director Shire Services, Mr Bruce Morris.

The appointment of the three (3) community members will be made by the Council at its meeting on 9th June 2009.

Your expression of interest should be submitted in writing addressed to the General Manager, Kempsey Shire Council, PO Box 3078, West Kempsey 2440. It can also be sent by email to ksc@kempsey.nsw.gov.au. Submissions should include your contact details, experience and areas of interest.

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.

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”.

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).

SOUTH WEST ROCKS COMMUNITY MEETING

South West Rocks Chamber of Commerce and South West Rocks Ratepayers Association in conjunction with Kempsey Shire Council extend an invitation to all concerned residents of the Shire to attend the second public meeting to discuss the incidents of anti-social behaviour occurring at South West Rocks on Tuesday, 26 May 2009, from 6.00 pm at South West Rocks Surf Club.

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 and 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.