The Get Ready for the Future business talk with Gus Balbontin, scheduled for tonight Wednesday 30 March at the Bucket Brewery, has been cancelled due to the weather situation.

Sadly due to the current weather situation, the Grace and Hugh live music event scheduled to be held at Gladstone Hall on Saturday 2 April, has been cancelled.

Nominations are now open for the 2022 Rotary Clubs and Districts of NSW Emergency Services Community Awards (NSW RESCA), which recognise frontline emergency services personnel for service above and beyond the call of duty.

The annual awards, now in their eighth year, provide an opportunity for our region’s emergency services personnel to be recognised at a State-wide level.

The NSW RESCA's recognise the dedication and service of emergency service personnel and volunteers from Fire and Rescue NSW, Marine Rescue NSW, NSW Ambulance, the NSW State Emergency Service, the NSW Rural Fire Service, Surf Life Saving NSW and VRA Rescue NSW.

Nominations are open until Tuesday 31 May with finalists to be announced on Wednesday 22 June at Parliament House. An awards ceremony will be held on Saturday 13 August at Bankstown Sports Club.

Nominations can be submitted here

The Rural Property Numbering Program has certainly been popular with over 1000 applications received and we are looking forward to helping residents identify their houses to emergency services. The program's popularity means there will be a delay and we are working hard to install these as swiftly as possible.

Currently, we are installing 160 signs applied for before November 2021 and are processing 400 applications received between then and now. If eligible, the remaining signs will be installed by August 2022.

Applications for the program are now closed and future requests will be placed on a waitlist for any new programs should funding become available.

Find out more about the program here

The Black Summer and Beyond documentary is now available to watch on Council's Youtube channel.

The inspiring one-hour documentary, introduced by Australian actor Jack Thompson, features raw first-hand accounts from 12 local residents who were impacted by the fires, including locals Erica Macauley, Dick Fisher and Aunty Ruth.

Watch the documentary here

A new batch of around three million spats (baby oysters) has been growing to restock oysters in the Macleay River after up to 50 per cent were lost as a result of disasters and disease.

Oyster farmers have faced an uphill battle since 2019 due to impacts from natural disasters and disease outbreaks but local oyster farmers and Southern Cross University has been helping boost local oyster numbers. This has been especially important with recent heavy rainfall affecting the quality of local waterways.

Oyster farmer and chair of the New South Wales oyster farmer committee, Todd Graham, along with local oyster farmers came up with the idea to deliver the spats to Back Creek in South West Rocks to collect water directly from the ocean. At high tide, the oysters are being taken to bask in the saltwater for two hours a day to keep them alive.

Mr Graham reached out to Southern Cross University’s National Marine Science Centre to see if it would be possible for the oyster farmers to take their spats to be put in tanks of clean oceanic water. The university agreed to this, allowing over three million oyster spat to inhabit the facility’s oceanic tanks.

Oysters take three years on average to reach maturity so ensuring that the spats reach maturity without hardship is a crucial step that ensures the continuation of the oyster farming industry.

Updated on 17 March

The second phase of Kempsey Shire Council's Rural Property Numbering Program has had a huge response with 1000 residents applying.

Council launched the program in 2021 and has been installing free property numbers to owners of eligible properties to assist with identifying their house to emergency services, particularly in the event of a natural disaster.

The program has had an amazing response and funding has now been exhausted. As a result, applications for the program will close on 18 March 2022. If you would still like to register after 18 March you will be placed on a list for new programs once any additional funding becomes available.

For more information go to Council's website

Don’t miss your chance to see a FREE screening of the Black Summer and Beyond documentary before it wraps up at local venues at the end of the month.

The inspiring one-hour documentary, introduced by Australian actor Jack Thompson, features raw first-hand accounts from 12 local residents who were impacted by the fires, including locals Erica Macauley, Dick Fisher and Aunty Ruth.

The South West Rocks screening will be held at the 6^th TOE cinema on Saturday 19 March between 5:30pm-8pm.

Doors open at 5:30pm. The Candy Bar will be open to purchase drinks and snacks.

Tickets for this event are free but registration is required. Click here to secure your spot

A screening at Stuarts Point will be held on Friday 25 March between 6pm - 8pm. BYO picnic dinner or support the local CWA’s supper – funds raised will support the CWA.

No need to pre-register for this event.

More than 150 people attended the launch of Council’s 2022 Strength, Community and Support Program in Willawarrin recently.

Held at the community hall on Saturday 12 March, attendees enjoyed a free dinner while hearing about the program of activities and workshops on offer. Later, guests were invited to stay on for a free screening of the Black Summer and Beyond documentary.

Council’s Senior Community Recovery Officer, Beck Bickford, said it was wonderful to see a large turnout, particularly after a tough couple of weeks.

“The recent floods have added to what has been a really challenging couple of years for our Shire, so it was great that Council was able to provide an opportunity for people to come together,” she said.

“We do recognise, however, that not everyone is able to attend face-to-face events, so I encourage residents to view the full program on Council’s Recovery website.

“From photography workshops, farm safety, noxious weeds management and 4WD operation, there’s definitely something for everyone.”

Some of the upcoming events include a Landcare: Weed Awareness Workshop at the Willawarrin Hall on Thursday 24 March from 5:30pm-7:30pm

In this two-hour workshop, Landcare experts will show you how to identify common local weeds and how to control them effectively.

Following this workshop, a practical farm tour will be held on Friday 25 March at 9:30am.

Register for the Landcare: Weeds Awareness Workshop here

To browse or register for another event(s) go to: ksc.pub/sscprogram

Residents hear from Council staff about the workshops on offer as part of the Strength, Support and Community Program

The free screening of the Black Summer and Beyond documentary at the Willawarrin Hall on Saturday 12 March.