Council’s Financial Assistance Program is open for FY23/24

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Applications for the first round of funding for the 2023/24 financial year are now open.

Community groups, school groups, charitable and not-for-profit organisations within our Shire should consider their funding requests for the 2023/24 financial year.

To be considered at the August Ordinary Council Meeting, applications must be submitted to Council by Monday 31 July.

For further information or to apply for financial assistance, visit https://www.wentworth.nsw.gov.au/community/community-grants/

Work Experience at Wentworth Shire Council

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For the past week, Wentworth Shire Council has hosted Year 12 student Lachlan (aged 18) from Mildura Senior College. With a strong interest in Engineering, the team has shown Lachlan the day to day tasks as an Engineer.

Following the week of experience, Council asked Lachlan the following;

  1. What have you enjoyed during your time with Wentworth Shire Council?
    At the Wentworth Shire Council I have enjoyed being able to spend my week with the Engineering team and have them answer all of my various questions. It has truly been an invaluable experience and has taught me a lot about Civil Engineering as a career and working in a Government setting.
  2. Would Engineering be a career that you would like to pursue?
    After my week here it has solidified my personal thought that I would definitely like to pursue a possible career in the Engineering field.
  3. Is there anything else that you would have liked to experience during your time at Council?
    Nothing that I don’t think wasn’t slightly touched on.

Interested in Work Experience with Wentworth Shire Council?

Contact Glen Norris, Manager Human Resources for further information on (03) 5027 5027.

‘Saluting the Service of Wentworth’s People’ – Book Launch

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The Book Launch of ‘Saluting the Service of Wentworth’s People’ has been a roaring success with a large attendance in the Wentworth Shire Library.

Speaking on behalf of the Wentworth Historical Society, Tony Bruce-Mullins spoke of the lengthy journey of two and a half years to the launch of the publication today (Wednesday 28 June).

David McMillan, Secretary of the Wentworth and District RSL, officially launched the book with guests enjoying an assortment of sandwiches and sweets afterwards, supplied by Clarkes Newsagency.

The book, encouraged by the late Rosemary Bruce-Mullins, records and acknowledges the service and lives of military personnel from the Wentworth NSW region. The book covers the service of personnel for all relevant conflicts from the Boer War through to Vietnam and currently serving personnel. Made possible by the Australian Government Department of Veterans’ Affairs ‘Saluting Their Service Commemorative Grants Program’ and the extensive efforts of Wentworth Historical Society, the book will be a truly valuable resource to researchers and military historians for years to come.

Hard cover books are available to purchase for $50 or can be posted Australia wide for $25. An eBook will also available for $30. Contact the Wentworth Shire Library on (03) 5027 5060 for further information.

L-R: Elaine Grace, Peggy McKenzie, Tony Bruce-Mullins, Dianne Boyd (front), Sherry Lewis, Jenny McLeod and Wilma Follett of the Wentworth Historical Society.
‘Saluting the Service of Wentworth’s People’ hard cover books are available to purchase for $50 or can be posted Australia wide for $25. An eBook will also available for $30. Contact the Wentworth Shire Library on (03) 5027 5060 for further information.
Tony Bruce-Mullins speaking on behalf of the Wentworth Historical Society
‘Saluting the Service of Wentworth’s People’ hard cover books are available to purchase for $50 or can be posted Australia wide for $25. An eBook will also available for $30. Contact the Wentworth Shire Library on (03) 5027 5060 for further information.
David McMillan, Secretary of the Wentworth and District RSL officially launched the book.

Council eNews – June 2023

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The Council eNews is ready to view.

Council eNews is a quarterly projects, events and general council eNews direct to your email inbox. This is on top of the monthly Council Connects which also appears in the NSW Standard.

VIEW COUNCIL eNews
ONLINE SUBSCRIPTION

Want to keep up to date with projects and events in Wentworth Shire? Head to wentworth.nsw.gov.au/enews to join Council’s subscriber list.

For further information, contact Wentworth Shire Council on (03) 5027 5027 or email council@wentworth.nsw.gov.au

NSW Government’s Critical Communications Enhancement Program (CCEP)

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Work is progressing on the NSW Government’s Critical Communications Enhancement Program (CCEP).

Under the CCEP, NSW Telco Authority (NSWTA) is expanding and enhancing the Public Safety Network (PSN) for emergency services organisations.

This network provides critical, secure and reliable radio communications to frontline responders. PSN sites have been pivotal in protecting communities and supporting the emergency response to the 2019/20 Black Summer bushfires and the widespread floods of 2021 and 2022 across NSW.

NSWTA has completed the detailed design at the following sites which have now moved to construction stage. Work at these sites will begin over the coming months.

  • Murrugi Station, 2423 Petro Mail Road, Arumpo NSW 2715 (Lot 1133 / DP762468)
  • Pooncarie, 24-26 Mallara Street, Pooncarie NSW 2648 (Lot 1 / DP 829641)
  • Nulla (previously Rufus), 1049 Nulla Road, Rufus NSW 2648 (Lot 4 / DP1255308) – RFS Council vested site
  • Scotia, 2313 Belvedere Road, Scotia NSW 2648 (Lot 99 /DP 760497).

NSWTA has awarded the contract for these works to Service Stream.

A representative from Service Stream will be in contact with community member/s in proximity to the site to advise of upcoming work.

Should you require further information about the CCEP, please refer them to the NSW Telco Authority website at www.nsw.gov.au/telco-authority, or contact directly by phone on 1800 794 862 or email ccepinfo@customerservice.nsw.gov.au.

LEAK DETECTION WORK BEGINS IN WENTWORTH

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The NSW Government’s innovative $12.5 million Regional Leakage Reduction Program keeps kicking goals, with more councils joining up and seeing incredible water savings. 

The Department of Planning and Environment’s Manager of Water Efficiency Programs Jethro Laidlaw said work on Phase 2 of the Active Leak Detection Project is getting underway at Wentworth Shire Council to pinpoint exactly where pipes, meters and valves need to be patched up.    

“This program has already located a mind-boggling 4.7 billion litres of water leaking from network infrastructure across the state each year which rams home the message that even though we’ve had plenty of rain in recent times, we can’t relax when it comes to looking after our most precious resource,” Mr Laidlaw said. 

“Our experts teams use cutting-edge technology such as high-powered listening devices to zero in, isolate and confirm the leak before calling in the Council cavalry to get it repaired. 

“The numbers speak for themselves. We’ve surveyed more than 6400kms of water mains and saved a staggering 2.3 billion litres of water in partnership with local councils which shows just how valuable this project is in terms of maximising water efficiency across regional NSW.” 

Nearly 200km of mains across Wentworth Shire Council will be covered in this latest work thanks to $32,500 from the NSW Government.  

Mayor of Wentworth Shire Council Tim Elstone said it’s a huge win for residents. 

“Fixing leaky pipes and damaged infrastructure preserves water and improves reliability for Wentworth Shire ratepayers, saving hundreds of thousands of dollars every year in pumping and treatment costs,” Councilor Elstone said.

“As Mayor of Wentworth Shire and an advocate for water reliability, partnering with the state government to get this work done is a great opportunity to have our communities on the front foot when it comes to water efficiency.”

Phase 1 and 2 of the project has involved 34 local government areas and 25 Aboriginal communities, with dozens more councils in the pipeline. 

The Active Leak Detection Project is part of the NSW Government’s three-year, $12.5 million Regional Leakage Reduction Program. 

For more information, visit:   https://water.dpie.nsw.gov.au/plans-and-programs/water-efficiency/regional-leakage-reduction-program

NSW Government’s Return and Earn Container Deposit Scheme

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SecureEnergy is doing its bit for the environment with its workforce participating in a popular recycling initiative.

SecureEnergy has been contracted by Transgrid to deliver part of EnergyConnect with the construction of 700km of new power lines from the SA border to the regional energy hub of Wagga Wagga.

At the Buronga camp near Wentworth, the team has recycled a whopping 29,000 eligible containers including cans, bottles and cartons as part of the NSW Government’s Return and Earn Container Deposit Scheme, preventing all those containers from ending up in landfill.

SecureEnergy Environment Manager, Catherine Curlewis said this is a fantastic result.

“The Environment team has worked hard at educating our workforce and making sure the recycling containers are accessible to everyone. As a result, we now want to give back to the local community,” said Ms Curlewis.

“We are looking at making a donation to a local based charity or not-for-profit organisation that focuses on re-vegetation using some of the funds received from the recycling program.”

Not-for-profit organisations are encouraged to contact SecureEnergy Environmental Manager Catherine Curlewis by email: ccurlewis@elecnor.es

#SecureEnergy #Transgrid #EnergyConnect #WentworthShireCouncil #recycling #returnandearn

For further information on the NSW Government Return & Earn Container deposit scheme, visit the link below.

Container Deposit Scheme
CDS-Fact-sheet_ResidentsDownload

Privacy Awareness Week 2023

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Privacy Awareness Week is a global campaign that involves both public sector agencies and citizens and aims to improve understanding and awareness of NSW privacy legislation, and to raise awareness of a person’s privacy rights and agency obligations.

Privacy Awareness Week NSW takes place from 1 – 7 May 2023 and this year’s theme is Back to Basics: Privacy foundations in NSW.

Wentworth Shire Council is a proud Champion of Privacy Awareness Week NSW 2023 and is committed to protecting the privacy of NSW citizens.

In NSW, your privacy is protected by the:

  • Privacy and Personal Information Protection Act 1998 (PPIP Act) which outlines how NSW public sector agencies, including government agencies, local councils and universities, manage and protect personal information
  •  (HRIP Act) which promotes fair and responsible handling of health information. The HRIP Act applies to an organisation in NSW that is a health service provider or that collects, holds or uses health information. This includes both public and private sector organisations.

This Privacy Awareness Week, follow these basic principles to protect your privacy:

  • Store – store personal documents such as passports, driving licences, pay slips, tax returns, bank statements and bills in a safe place.
  • Destroy – Destroy or shred personal documents you are throwing away such as bills, receipts, credit card statements and other documents that show your name, address or other personal details.
  • Secure – If you need to post personal documents, ask the post office for advice on the most secure method.
  • Limit – Keep the number of documents you carry around on you to a minimum. Don’t leave personal documents in your vehicle or unattended.
  • Check – Check your bank and credit card statements regularly for unusual transactions.
  • Vary – Always use a different password and PIN for different accounts and take care when using public computers to access personal information.
  • Accurate – Regularly check your records. Make sure your information is correct and up to date.
  • Secret – Disable auto-connect to public Wi-Fi and never connect to public Wi-Fi on your work account. Use a VPN, incognito mode and/or ad blocking browser extensions, and clear out your cookie caches and browsing history to prevent your data and activity being collected.
  • Ask – Get permission before you share photos or videos of someone, and don’t share posts that contain personal information. Never exchange sensitive information over email.
  • Think –Think before you click links or share posts. Social media platforms have around 20 per cent more methods to scam customers than other websites, including malicious advertisements, share buttons and plug-ins.
  • Separate – Never use a work email address on a personal social media account. Use your own email address or create a separate one.
  • Delete – Remove unused apps from your phone, and disable location, camera and microphone access where it’s not required.

The Information and Privacy Commission (IPC) can also help you understand privacy laws in NSW and give you information on how to protect your personal information and assert your rights. Learn more by visiting the Privacy Awareness Week webpage www.ipc.nsw.gov.au/PAW2023

PAW2021_Top_Ten_Privacy_Tips_Infographic_May_2021Download
Fact_Sheet_IPPs_for_members_of_the_public_April-2023Download
Fact_Sheet_A_guide_to_privacy_laws_in_NSW_September_2019Download

Fish deaths in the Lower Darling community update 6 April 2023

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As residents of the Wentworth Shire Council, you may be aware of the mass fish death event that
has been occurring further up-river around Menindee. As the river travels south, it brings some of
the low-quality water with it and you may have observed some fish deaths.

Read the full press release via the following document.

Community-update-_6-April_Wentworth-Shire_FINALDownload