Tourism Moree AGM

The Social Co House hosted Tourism Moree’s Annual General Meeting this week.

Tourism's Chief Executive Officer, Julie Rushby delivered a 12-month summary of the association. General Manager, Kelvin Tytherleigh updated on Council matters while Mayor Mark Johnson briefed on the advocacy that the Council is doing for the Shire.

Congratulations to the re-elected board members, Wayne Tighe Committee Member, Kelvin Tytherleigh General Manager, Elizabeth von Gavel Committee Member, Margi Kirkby Committee Member, Kerry Matchett Committee Member, Julie Rushby Tourism CEO, Michelle Gobbert Vice Chairperson, Vivian Clyne Chairperson / Secretary Public Officer, Mayor Mark Johnson, Deputy Mayor Susannah Pearse.

Absent Nicci Griffiths, Treasurer, Brad Breddoes, Committee Member, and Karen Golden, Committee Member.

A New Career in the New Year? 

Council has a number of fantastic opportunities on offer to take your career to the next level in 2024, check out the descriptions below:

✨ Drive tourism, increase community social benefits and support the economic growth of our Shire by developing a signature event for Moree Plains as Council’s new Events Manager - https://applynow.net.au/jobs/MPSC717

✨ Begin a career in planning by taking part in NSW Department of Planning Cadetship Program, a fantastic opportunity to earn while you learn as Council’s Planning Cadet Officer- https://applynow.net.au/jobs/MPSC721

✨ Be a part of an HR team that is passionate about supporting Council’s employees and the organisation to meet their goals as their new Payroll and HR Generalist  - https://applynow.net.au/jobs/MPSC715

✨ Provide Legal and Governance support to the General Manager and Director of Corporate and Community on their statutory responsibilities as Council’s new Manager Legal and Governance - https://applynow.net.au/jobs/MPSC719

✨ Support the safety and compliant operations of Moree Plains Shire Council as our new Safety Officer - https://applynow.net.au/jobs/MPSC716

✨ Develop, implement and manage the delivery of biosecurity strategies and programs of control for Moree Plains Shire as Council’s new Biosecurity Officer - https://applynow.net.au/jobs/MPSC725

✨ Assist with the provision of quality local studies collection and research service to the community as Council’s new Local Studies and Digitisation Officer - https://applynow.net.au/jobs/MPSC724

✨ Support the environment and implement sustainable practises by ensuring appropriate waste management services are completed including recycling, reusing and resource recovery as Council’s new Landfill Operator - https://applynow.net.au/jobs/MPSC727

✨ Support the development of the future generation of Moree Plains Shire by creating a safe and vibrant learning environment at Gwydir Day Care and Preschool as their new Child Care Assistant - https://applynow.net.au/jobs/MPSC728

Council Hosts Work Experience Student

Last week Council hosted Maverick Noakes, a work experience student from Moree Secondary College for a week’s ‘on the job’ insight to working at Moree Plains Shire Council.

Maverick joined our Regional Activation Unit (RAU), a fast-paced environment, encompassing economic development, grants and major infrastructure projects, including the Moree Special Activation Precinct and Inland Rail.

Applying his research skills to compile and update contact lists of local community organisations and businesses, and diligently proof-reading ministerial correspondence. Maverick took a keen interest in local projects and actively chose to stay later than his finish time for extra meetings.

Maverick has a keen interest in politics and was a pleasure to have in our office and we wish him well in his future endeavours.

Image - Maverick with our RAU team members, Rebecca and Emma. Maverick with Mayor Johnson and General Manager, Kelvin.

Temporary Road Closure of Balo Street

This Friday, in preparation for the much-anticipated ‘Christmas at Twilight’ in the Moree CBD, Council will temporarily close Balo Street, between Gwydir to Albert Street, from 2pm to approximately 10pm, Friday 1 December 2023.

General Manager, Kelvin Tytherleigh acknowledges the understanding and cooperation of the community during this period, stating "The closure is essential to facilitate the setup, operation, and dismantling of the ‘Christmas at Twilight’ event, while providing a secure environment for attendees and participants".

During the closure period, motorists are advised to use alternative routes to avoid inconvenience.

Signage and detour information will be prominently displayed to guide traffic safely around the affected area.

Local businesses and residents in the vicinity are encouraged to plan accordingly for the temporary road closure, with emergency services having been notified and arrangements in place to ensure minimal disruption.

We are looking forward to bringing this family friendly Christmas event from 5pm to 9pm to the community.

Moree to Narrabri Upgrades

Works at the Burrington Road and Newell Highway intersection as part of the Narrabri to Moree Upgrade work will be carried out from today, Tuesday 28 November to Thursday 21 December 2023 with a 1.8km detour via Tapscott Road.

More information on the works can be found here.

Integrated Development DA2023/80

Council is currently considering a development application from SMK QLD,  34 lot residential subdivision, on 281 Edward StreetMOREE, LOT: 569 DP: 727848.

The development application and accompanying documents may be inspected below or at Council’s Customer Service Centre, Level 2, Max Centre, 30 Heber Street, Moree, during normal office hours for a period of 14 days from the date of this notice.

Subdivision Plans - 34 Lot Subdivision with new road - 281 Edward Street MOREE - LOT 569 DP 727848
Statement of Environmental Effects - 34 Lot Subdivision with new road - 281 Edward Street MOREE - LOT 569 DP 727848

Any person may make a written submission in respect to the proposed development clearly stating their name and address and should the submission be an objection, the grounds must be specified. 

Submissions must be made in writing to the General Manager and can be lodged electronically, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. by mail, PO Box 420 Moree, NSW 2400 before 5pm, 11 January 2024

Please note that submissions may be disclosed to Councilors, Council Officers, Consultants to Council or members of the public in accordance with Section 18(1)(b) of the Privacy and Personal Information Protection Act 1998. Submissions, summaries of submissions and names and addresses of persons making submissions may also be included in publicly available reports relating to the development application. Council must also allow inspection of any submissions it receives and allow persons to take copies. However, if you consider that disclosure of your place of living would put yours or your family’s personal safety at risk, you can apply to Council to have these details protected from disclosure under that Act.

It is a requirement that all Political Donations and Gifts are reported to Council by completing a Disclosure Statement form.

Spreading Christmas Cheers across the Moree Plains

Council agreed at the Ordinary Council Meeting, Thursday 16 November, to allocate resources and support up to $18,000 for various Christmas initiatives that aim to bring the community together and spread the festive spirit in the Moree Plains.

This one-off initiative has been supported by the Tourism and Economic Development Fund (TED) and additional funding.

We look forward to seeing your photos from the events. 

Merry Christmas Moree Plains.

Christmas on the Plains

Council is working with community groups to help support their Christmas celebrations and sprinkle some Christmas cheer into our towns and villages.

Some of our communities already had Christmas events planned. Councils’ donation will go to supporting events occurring.

Event dates for our towns/villages;

Ashley
Event Date - 9 December 2023, Ashley Hall commencing 3.30pm

Boggabilla 
Event Date - 15 December 202, 'The Block' from 4pm

Boomi
Event Date - 9 December 2023, Boomi Pool from 6pm

Garah
Event Date - 9 December 2023, Garah Hall from 6.30pm

Moree
Event Date - 1 December 2023, Moree CBD 5pm to 9pm

Mungindi
Event Date - 3 December 2023, Two Mile Hotel from 6.30pm 

Pallamallawa/Binguy
Event Date - 17 December 2023, Pally Pub from 5.30pm

Council Welcomes the New Director of Planning and Development

Following a nationwide recruitment campaign, we are pleased to announce the appointment of Darryl Fitzgerald to the Council team as the Director of Planning and Development.

Darryl comes to us with a wealth of experience as a town planner, having been both a planning consultant and Planning Director in New South Wales Local Government over the last 33 years.

Darryl’s senior management experience in Local Government extends across a range of services including development control, strategic planning, building, environment, environmental health, and rangers.

General Manager, Kelvin Tytherleigh is excited to have appointed the new Director, who will oversee the Planning and Development department and help guide and shape the future of the Moree Plains.

“Darryl will commence early December and I look forward to his leadership in the organisation and making him feel welcome in the Moree Plains”, said Mr Tytherleigh.

Darryl holds a double Major degree in Geography and Development, and a Masters of Local Government Law, and is knowledgeable in urban building principles and practices.

Photo - Darryl Fitzgerald, Director of Planning and Development.

Major construction on Narrabri to North Star Phase 1 completed

Our General Manager Kelvin Tytherleigh, Deputy Mayor Susannah Pearse, Director of Engineering John Dyer and Mark Connelly Executive Manager Regional Activation recently attended the key milestone for the Inland Rail project celebrated at Milguy after two and a half years of construction.

The Narrabri to North Star Phase 1 project included upgrading 176km of track along the existing rail corridor. Inland Rail completed upgrades to seven bridges and has enhanced safety at 57 level crossings, with 10 passive level crossings upgraded to active with bells, lights, and boom gates.

 Following Inland Rail upgrades, the line between Narrabri and South Moree has been operational since November 2022.

Project fact sheet

Photo - Deputy Mayor, Susannah Pearse and General Manager, Kelvin Tytherleigh.
Video credit Inland Rail.

Christmas at Twilight

Come along and celebrate the festive season at 'Christmas at Twilight' in the Moree CBD, 1 December 2023.

Family fun events from 5pm to 9pm with

Santa
Roving entertainers
Shopping
Jumping castle
Face painting
Christmas carols
Lighting of the town's Christmas tree
Firework projection show
Food stalls

Registrations for vendors for the event close Wednesday 22 November 2023.

To register your interest >>https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx...

Teaching a learner driver? Register now for a Free Online Workshop.

Transport for NSW West Region is presenting a FREE online "Helping learner drivers become safer drivers" workshop. You can learn all the simple steps of how to teach a learner driver at a FREE online workshop, including:

• How the NSW Graduated Licensing Scheme Works
• The conditions that apply to learner or provisional license holders
• Lesson planning and dealing with stress
• Tips for safe solo driving
• Issues facing young drivers

Bookings are essential 

Register online 

The meeting link will be provided in the lead-up to the event.

For booking assistance or log-in issues please call Melissa Nicholson on 0499 338 420 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Things are ramping up in Mungindi

Residents and visitors will soon launch and retrieve vessels from the newly constructed boat ramp in the Barwon River, Mungindi.

This exciting project has been delivered as another successful cross-border collaboration by Moree Plains Shire Council and Balonne Shire Council.

Moree Plains Shire Council was successful in obtaining a grant of $300,000 from the NSW Department of Primary Industries, with approval for the ramp to be built on the Queensland side of the Barwon River.

Balonne Shire Council provided the engineering plans and the workers for the construction of the boat ramp.

The boat ramp compliments the new upgrades to the Mungindi River Park.

The official opening of the boat ramp is coming soon.

 Photo - Newly constructed boat ramp at Barwon River, Mungindi. 

Recruitment and Retention Lunch

Are you struggling to find and retain exceptional team members for your business?

Join us for an Entrepreneurs’ Lunch where you can gain valuable insights from experts in the field and learn effective recruitment and retention strategies from some of the best in the business.

We'll hear the latest in recruitment and retention trends from Zara at Employment Hero and get an insider's perspective from locals James Von Drehnen at Tyre Power and Antionette McNamara at Gwydir Industries, who will share their tried-and-true methods for attracting and retaining top talent.

We'll also have a chance to hear from current employees at Tyre Power and Gwydir Industries, who will offer their own perspective on why they have stayed with their respective employers for so long.

Don't miss out on this opportunity to gain valuable insights and network with fellow entrepreneurs!

Meet the speakers:

Zara Tonkin:

Zara was raised in the Moree district and worked as a management consultant before returning home and joining Employment Hero as their Chief of Staff last year, supported by their remote work policy. Zara grew up in a small business and loves that the company she works for is dedicated to serving this group of businesses!

Employment Hero is an all-in-one software platform that simplifies managing recruitment, HR, payroll and benefits. With over 200,000 businesses across 5 countries, their mission remains the same - to make employment easier and more valuable for everyone. They offer various modules to help businesses retain their employees and attract new talent.

James Von Drehnen

James is a well-known business owner and respected member of the Moree community. He served on the Moree Plains Shire Council as a councillor for eight years and was the President of the Moree Water Ski Club. In 2006, James and his brother Robert, along with their wives Samantha and Bernadette, opened Tyrepower.

Thanks to the experienced team's professional attitude, dedication to quality work, customer service, and state-of-the-art equipment, Moree Tyrepower has become one of the top tyre, wheel, service, and mechanical repair workshops in the area.

Antionette McNamara:

Antoinette managed KFC in Moree for 18 years, before joining Gwydir Industries in 2010 as an Office Manager. She was subsequently promoted to the position of General Manager in July 2015. As the General Manager, she acts on behalf of the Board and oversees the company's day-to-day operations. The most rewarding aspect of her job is witnessing her employees achieve their goals, and knowing that she has played a part in helping them reach their full potential.

Adam Love:

Adam Love is a well-known Moree local and well-respected employee of Gwydir Industries. With years of experience working at various businesses, including McDonald’s and KFC, Adam will share his perspective on what it's like to work at Gwydir Industries. He will also discuss why he’s stayed with the company for such a long time.

This event will be an excellent opportunity to learn from the experts and ask questions to find solutions for your business.

The cost to attend is only $15, which includes lunch. Please contact Sheree on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. if you have any dietary requirements.

Monday 18 December 2023
12pm - 1pm
Social Co. House - 168 Balo Street Moree

Funded by the Federal Government Murray–Darling Basin Economic Development Program and the NSW Government Accelerating Regional Innovation Fund in association with Moree Plains Shire Council and held at the Social Co House.

Temporary Road Closure 

Council is planning to carry out street maintenance and the installation of Christmas decorations, in time for the 2023 festive season.

Works will take place on Sunday 19 November 2023, from 6am to approximately 3pm (pending weather).

The road closure will be on Balo Street, from Gwydir Street to Albert Street.

10 Years in State Politics

Councillors spent time with The Member for Northern Tablelands the Honourable Adam Marshall, yesterday to celebrate his 10 years in State politics.

Adam is a wonderful ally and advocate of the Moree Plains Shire and the electorate of Northern Tablelands which the Mayor, on behalf of the community, thanked him for the significant work he has done.

During his political career which commenced in May 2013, Mr. Marshall has held numerous portfolios and responsibilities including:

• Minister for Agriculture and Western NSW
• Minister for Tourism and Major Events
• Assistant Minister for Skills
• Temporary Speaker of the House
• Parliamentary Secretary for Regional Homes and Infrastructure
• Parliamentary Secretary for Northern NSW and Renewable Energy

The electorate of Northern Tablelands covers approx. 60,000 square kilometres and has approx. 57,000 electors.

Adam has been and continues to show great commitment to his electorate and champions the general cause for improvement in services for Regional NSW.

Adam was a great supporter and agitator for the Moree Special Activation Precinct (SAP), Moree Hospital Redevelopment and the continued upgrade of our extensive road network.

He has worked tirelessly to support our Councils request for funding and stood with us during our most recent flood event in October 2022.

It is appropriate that we recognise the wonderful work and support of Adam for our Shire.

Images - Cr Montgomery, Cr Pearse, Cr Johnson, Cr Orchin with Adam Marshall
The Member for Northern Tablelands the Honorable Adam Marshall

Disability Awareness Survey

Moree Plains Shire Council is currently developing a Disability Inclusion Action Plan (the Plan).

The Plan aims to ensure that people with a disability have every opportunity to fully participate in the social, community and business life of Moree Plains Shire.
The Plan will focus on:

• Promoting positive community attitudes and behaviours
• Creating liveable communities
• Supporting access to meaningful employment
• Improving our systems and processes

Council is actively looking for the involvement and input of the community to collaboratively create and implement initiatives aimed at enhancing Disability Inclusion within the community by completing this survey. This engagement underscores the council's commitment to fostering a more inclusive environment for individuals with disabilities, and they value the collective effort of the community in achieving this goal.

As a token of our appreciation for your participation, all completed surveys will be entered into a drawing for a chance to win a $100 Love Local Gift Card.

Direct link to survey

Related article 

Disability Awareness Survey

Moree Plains Shire Council is currently developing a Disability Inclusion Action Plan (the Plan).

The Plan aims to ensure that people with a disability have every opportunity to fully participate in the social, community and business life of Moree Plains Shire.
The Plan will focus on:

• Promoting positive community attitudes and behaviours
• Creating liveable communities
• Supporting access to meaningful employment
• Improving our systems and processes

Council is actively looking for the involvement and input of the community to collaboratively create and implement initiatives aimed at enhancing Disability Inclusion within the community by completing this survey. This engagement underscores the council's commitment to fostering a more inclusive environment for individuals with disabilities, and they value the collective effort of the community in achieving this goal.

The survey will conclude on Friday, 8 December 2023.

As a token of our appreciation for your participation, all completed surveys will be entered into a drawing for a chance to win a $100 Love Local Gift Card.

Memorandum Of Understanding – Cross Border Collaborative Working Arrangement

Mayor Mark Johnson and Goondiwindi’s Mayor Lawrence Springborg signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in the Moree Plains Shire Council Chambers, 9 November 2023 to formalise the shared vision of a commitment to working together for the betterment of the border region local government areas of Goondiwindi Regional Council (GRC) and Moree Plains Shire Council (MPSC).

The parties hope that this MoU may help alleviate, at least in part, some of the difficulties when navigating bureaucracy, disaster response coordination, planning and development, joint training activities and cross-council working groups.

Mayor Mark Johnson noted “The document formalises the significant relationship between our two Councils and provides a firm commitment from both bodies to work collaboratively for the collective good. Both of our Councils have so much in common and it just makes good sense for us to unite wherever we can, whether that be through shared services or advocacy we are better together”.

The MoU remains valid for a period of five years and includes a commitment to working collaboratively to achieve, more specifically outcomes for the betterment of the towns of Boggabilla and Toomelah.

Photo - Moree Plains Shire Council, Mayor Mark Johnson and Goondiwindi Regional Council, Mayor Lawrence Springborg signing the MoU.

Residents are encouraged to keep resources out of landfill

Today marks the start of National Recycling Week, with this year’s theme What goes around, comes around.

Council is teaming up with Planet Ark to promote and raise awareness about the benefits of correctly recycling to avoid contamination and ensure that recyclable materials can be effectively processed and reused.

Residents are encouraged to review their recycling practices, such as separating recyclable materials from general waste, reducing waste generation, and reusing items whenever possible. Much of what we currently send to landfill is valuable material that could be reused, repurposed or recycled.

Mayor Mark Johnson reminds us of the importance of recycling correctly stating, “By choosing to recycle correctly, we can all contribute to a cleaner and greener future”.

Council provides a free Community Recycling Centre (CRC) for e-waste recycling services allowing residents to reduce their environmental footprint and preventing landfill waste.

You can drop off at the CRC the following.

- Printer cartridges
- Household/car batteries
- Smoke detectors
- Fluorescent lights/ light bulbs and fittings
- E- Waste (Computers, printers, televisions)
- Oils
- Mobile phones
- Fire extinguishers
- Gas bottles

Wanting to go a step further to have a positive impact on the environment?

• Recycle your plastic and glass containers at the ‘Return and Earn’, located at the Coles carpark.
• Use your kitchen caddy, house chickens or invest in a worm composter - keeping food scraps out of landfill helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
• Check out Planet Ark’s website for more ways to help the environment.

National Recycling Week serves as a reminder for people to review their recycling habits and to come together and focus on the importance of recycling and its positive impact on the environment.

Where to dispose
Moree Waste Management Facility, 57 Evergreen Road, Moree.
Hours: 7.15am – 4.15pm every day - Closed New Years Day, Anzac Day, Good Friday, Easter Sunday and Christmas Day (Other public holidays open 9am–1pm)

- Mobile phones can also be dropped off at Council’s Office, level 2 Max Centre, Moree.

- The Moree Community Library has a small CRC recycling centre.

Financial Empowerment for Moree Small Businesses

On October 24, 2023, the UNE SRI hosted a lunch & learn session led by Carita LaBlack, Partner at C & W Financial Services.

During the presentation, Carita offered her expertise in financial matters, and attendees delved into the latest budget updates affecting small businesses.

The topics discussed ranged from energy bill rebates to bonus tax rebates, PAYG and GST instalment reductions, asset write-offs, skills and training tax deductions, superannuation payment changes, cybersecurity training, and grants tailored for early-stage start-ups.

The "Federal Budget for Your Small Business" presentation drew a crowd of 11 eager individuals. Throughout the session, Carita clarified vital areas, including changes to PAYG and GST instalments, small business write-offs, and employer superannuation.

Attendees also learned about the small business energy incentive, skills and training boost, technology investment boost, and access to a cybersecurity free education online tool.

Carita also discussed various grants, such as the Industry Growth Program, CSIRO Kick-Start, and Innovate to Grow programs. Other grants discussed included the Export Market Development Grant, Wage Subsidy, Regional Skills Relocation Grant Program, and RAA Farm Innovation Fund.

Understanding the financial intricacies of your business, like the concepts of break-even and growth stages, is fundamental for success. Attendees gained insight into these pivotal aspects, giving them the tools to navigate the evolving landscape of small business finance.

UNE SRI thanks C&W Financial Services for their invaluable support in making this event possible. A special thanks to Carita LaBlack for her dedication and insightful presentation. And thank you to Sita Dyer for the delicious muffins!

The event took place at Social Co. House and was funded by the Federal Government's Murray–Darling Basin Economic Development Program and the NSW Government's Accelerating Regional Innovation Fund in collaboration with Moree Plains Shire Council.

Be sure to register your interest in the 'Thriving In Challenging Times: Drought-Resilient Business Planning'

Register >>https://www.eventbrite.com.au/.../thriving-in-challenging...

• Wednesday, 22 November 2023
• 9:00 am - 12:30 pm
• Social Co. House 167 Balo Street Moree

 Photo-Carita Lablack, Partner at C & W Financial Services.

Calling vendors for 'Christmas at Twilight'

Moree Plains Shire Council is calling for interested stall holders, food vendors, and/or community groups to participate in the 2023 Moree Plains ‘Christmas at Twilight' event.

'Christmas at Twilight' will be held on Friday 1 December from 5pm to 9pm, in Moree's CBD area (Balo Street).

If you would love to be involved in this year's Christmas cheer, confirm your attendance by completing the vendor's form.

Registrations close, 5pm, Wednesday 22 November.

If you have any questions or require further information, please contact Jacqui on 0429 606 446.

Complete the form to register your interest 

Joining Forces to Urge Senators to Oppose the Federal Government's Water Amendment Bill

Representing some of the most productive agricultural areas in Australia, Council’s Mayor Mark Johnson, Narrabri Shire Mayor Darrell Tiemens and Gunnedah Shire Mayor Jamie Chaffey held a press conference in Wee Waa on Friday, 3 November to express their concerns the impacts and flow on effects the proposed water bill could have on local communities, especially when it comes to water buybacks and have called on Senators to oppose the federal government’s Water Amendment (Restoring our Rivers) Bill 2023.

 Photo - Mayor Johnson with media urging Senators to oppose the Federal Government's Water Amendment Bill

Local Development DA2023/79

Council is currently considering a development application from MCGREGOR GOURLAY PTY LTD, for the construction of a new chemical storage shed (warehouse), on 419 Frome StreetMOREE, LOT: 4 DP:825691.

The development application and accompanying documents may be inspected below or at Council’s Customer Service Centre, Level 2, Max Centre, 30 Heber Street, Moree, during normal office hours for a period of 14 days from the date of this notice.

Statement of Environmental Effects - Erection of a storage shed - 419 Frome Street MOREE - LOT 4 DP 825691
Notification Plans - Erection of a storage shed - 419 Frome Street MOREE - LOT 4 DP 825691

Any person may make a written submission in respect to the proposed development clearly stating their name and address and should the submission be an objection, the grounds must be specified. 

Submissions must be made in writing to the General Manager and can be lodged electronically, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. by mail, PO Box 420 Moree, NSW 2400 before 5pm, 24 November 2023.

Please note that submissions may be disclosed to Councilors, Council Officers, Consultants to Council or members of the public in accordance with Section 18(1)(b) of the Privacy and Personal Information Protection Act 1998. Submissions, summaries of submissions and names and addresses of persons making submissions may also be included in publicly available reports relating to the development application. Council must also allow inspection of any submissions it receives and allow persons to take copies. However, if you consider that disclosure of your place of living would put yours or your family’s personal safety at risk, you can apply to Council to have these details protected from disclosure under that Act.

It is a requirement that all Political Donations and Gifts are reported to Council by completing a Disclosure Statement form.

Have your say: High pedestrian activity sign around Moree hospital

Moree Plains Shire Council and Transport for NSW (TfNSW) are calling for community feedback for the installation of a High Pedestrian Activity Sign (HPAS) around Moree Hospital and Whiddon (Residential Aged Care) in Moree. The sign will be installed on Victoria Terrace from Edward Street to Alice Street and west of Alice Street from the roundabout to the end.

The new signs and pavement markings indicating the new 40km/h zone will be installed to make this precinct a more pedestrian friendly area, improving safety for people, seniors and cyclists.

The installation of HPAS signs is supported by the TfNSW to assist with managing speed and pedestrian safety which has been an ongoing concern raised by the residents of River Gum and research shows that a pedestrian hit by a car travelling at 40km/h has twice the chance of surviving the collision than if the car was travelling 50km/h. Travelling at speeds higher than 40 km/h greatly increases the risk of injury and death to pedestrians.

The community comments gathered for the installation of HPAS will help determine how to best move forward facelifting the streets and improving pedestrian safety.

Submission will be accepted until 5pm on Friday 1 December 2023

All submissions will be included in a publicly available report. Personal information will not be used. Please email submissions to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or post to the General Manager, PO BOX 420, Moree NSW 2400.

Please address them with the subject line 'High Pedestrian Activity Sign Around Moree Hospital'.

 For further information, please contact Council on (02) 6757 3222

Moree Artesian Aquatic Centre - Expression of Interest - Wellness Centre 

Expression of interest in the wellness treatment spaces at the Moree Artesian Aquatic Centre is now open.

The Moree Artesian Aquatic Centre are looking for wellness and allied health professionals, such as Massage Therapists, Beauty Therapists, Physiotherapists, Osteopaths, and Myotherapists to occupy the rooms at the Wellness Facility.

Expressions of Interest should be sent via email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. by 17 November 2023. 

QANTAS

Mayor Mark Johnson, General Manager Kelvin Tytherleigh, Deputy Mayor Susannah Pearse and Mark Connolly Executive Manager Regional Activation, met with QANTAS representatives to discuss the future of QANTAS and their commitment to the community.

Representatives from QANTAS confirmed that they have no intention to cease servicing the Moree Plains Shire for the Moree to Sydney flight.

QANTAS has currently reduced the number of flights from 12 to 10 flights per week. Flights will be re-instated to the 12 flights per week in early 2014.

Photo - Mayor Mark Johnson, General Manager Kelvin Tytherleigh, Deputy Mayor Susannah Pearse and Mark Connolly Executive Manager with QANTAS representatives Chris and Ben.

Thriving In Challenging Times: Drought-Resilient Business Planning

Join transformational coach and business strategist Brooke Alexander in her upcoming workshop: Thriving in Challenging Times.

During this 3.5-hour workshop, you will learn how to conduct a SWOT analysis for your business, identify immediate opportunities to overcome challenges, analyse your revenue streams and costs, and explore effective low-cost marketing strategies tailored to your local market and drought conditions.

You will also gain insights into financial planning and budgeting, action planning, and long-term strategies to boost your business’s overall resilience.

Attending the Business Resilience Workshop will help you to:
• Find an additional $10K in your business in the next year.
• Identify and focus on crucial numbers in your business.
• Take key actions to build drought resilience.
• Discover immediate opportunities and challenges.
• Create tailored, budget-friendly marketing strategies.
• Develop resilience and sustainability strategies.
• Create a solid action plan for 2024.
• Connect with a supportive community of like-minded individuals.

After the workshop, you can book a one-on-one consultation with Brooke to discuss your business plan in more detail.

Simply book in your preferred time via Calendly here 

Brooke Alexander

With over two decades of entrepreneurial experience, Brooke Alexander is a seasoned business owner, master transformational coach and business strategist and a driving force for change in how we individually and collectively bring our purpose to life through our work.

As a trained Art Director and former Brand Strategist, Brooke brings a creative and strategic edge to her coaching practice where she has developed a reputation for creating profitable brands and businesses across a range of industries.

A born and bred country girl, Brooke grew up in the Moree district, the fourth child in a fourth generational farming family so she understands the unique complexities and challenges of family business, agri-business and small business combined.

Her clients come from a range of industry sectors including finance, local and state government, retail, insurance, building and construction.

Tickets can be purchased via Eventbrite and include morning tea and lunch.

This event is proudly delivered with support from the Commonwealth Government through the Murray Darling Economic Development Fund and in association with Moree Plains Shire Council.

• Wednesday, 22 November 2023
• 9:00 am - 12:30 pm
• Social Co. House 167 Balo Street Moree

NSW Electoral Commission - Recruiting

The NSW Electoral Commission is recruiting Returning Officers to help deliver one of the biggest events to be held next year in New South Wales: the September 2024 local government elections.

There are a number of opportunities across all districts and regions in New South Wales.

The link for the application:  Applications close Sunday 12 November 2023.

Discussions around Cross-Border Co-ordination between Moree and Goondiwindi Councils

Mayor Johnson and General Manager, Nick Tobin met with the Mayor the Hon. Councillor Lawrence Springborg, AM and CEO, Carl Manton from Goondiwindi Regional Council to discuss cross-border co-ordination between Councils.

Topics spoken about were a joint agreement around co-ordination with regard to waste, policing, cross-border crime prevention and legislative controls with the higher vision of trying to create a singular jurisdiction between border communities.

Forging this relationship will also aid with localised flooding and evacuation orders for residents in Boggabilla and Toomelah.

Representatives from both Council’s will informally meet every 6 months.

 Photo: Moree Mayor, Mark Johnson with Mayor the Hon. Councillor Lawrence Springborg, AM.

Meeting With Westpac Officials

General Manager, Nick Tobin and Mayor Mark Johnson met with Westpac's State and District Managers together with their head of Government Relations this week, in response to the decision made by Westpac to close the Moree bank services, retaining only the Agribusiness service, in February 2023.

Robust discussions regarding this short sighted decision to remove a bank branch presence from our community will leave many vulnerable community members with no access to banking services, other than digitally.

This supports no equity for those digitally disadvantaged, poor connectivity and the social and financial impacts of no face-to-face banking.

Mayor Mark Johnson stated “This removal of people’s banking choice, with zero community consultation will leave a big impact on customers and small businesses who are now left without access to the fundamental aspects of banking. Although our preferred outcome was to retain our local Westpac branch with full services that will help us grow and support our local community, now and into the future, the reversal on this decision by Westpac doesn’t seem imminent”.

Moree is amongst at least 71 branches that will close across Australia.

Related article - Moree Plains Shire Council - Westpac To Close Bank Branch Services (nsw.gov.au)

Stage 1A 50m Pool, Clubhouse, Plantroom, Grandstand

Moree Plains Shire Council is seeking “Tenders” from appropriately qualified, suitably experienced and adequately resourced companies to submit quotations for the following contract:

~ Contract –RFT22/544 – Stage 1A 50m Pool, Clubhouse, Plantroom, Grandstand

As part of the Conditions of Tendering, tenders will only be accepted from Contractors who have registered on the Tenderlink Portal.

To access the tender documents please follow the link and register on Council’s Tenderlink portal.

Moree Plains Shire Council - Registration (tenderlink.com)

The closing date for submissions is 2.00pm Monday 6 February, 2023. Submissions will be received via the TenderLink panel online portal ONLY. Hard copy submissions received via post, fax or hand delivered WILL NOT be accepted.

Pre-tender meeting to be held on Monday 12 December 2022, attendance registration is required.

This Tender will be managed in accordance with the Moree Plains Shire Council Procurement Policy, the Local Government Act 1993, and the Local Government (General) Regulation 2005.

Light up the Night 

All welcome!

Come along to the 'Light Up the Tree' and late night shopping in the Moree CBD, this Thursday, 1 December from 5pm to 8pm.

Not only is this a wonderful opportunity for the community to catch up, it's a chance to do some late night shopping. There will also be a free sausage sizzle, live entertainment, face painting, in-store promotions, and the lighting of the Christmas Tree at 7.45pm.

Proudly sponsored by Moree Chamber of Commerce in partnership with Moree Plains Shire Council.  

Voluntary Level One Water Restrictions 

Council is asking residents to consider voluntary level one water restrictions from Monday 5 December 2022 until Monday 2 January 2023.

🤷‍♀️ Why?

To allow Council to continue to provide a reliable town water supply, essential works are to be undertaken on the internal surfaces of both reservoirs. Aqualift Contractors will be diving into our water reservoirs for cleaning and assessing the infrastructure of the reservoirs. To inspect and clean the towers they will need to lower the water levels up to 18m, shutting off the reservoirs, one at a time.

During that time residents in Moree may experience some temporary water pressure issues.

Having residents enter voluntary level one water restrictions will assist to maintain the pressure in the reticulation.

In order to avoid severe restrictions, if residents could please:

• Conserve water whenever possible
• Do not use fixed hoses or sprinklers between 7am- 7pm
• Do not leave hoses or sprinklers unattended
• Use timers on all yard taps
• Paved and concrete surfaces are not to be washed down.
• Car washing can only take place using a trigger hose and bucket.

If you notice a water leak on council’s watermain, please phone 02 6757 3222 (24-hour service) so that urgent repairs can be arranged.

Council thanks you in advance for your co-operation with the voluntary water restrictions. 

Thank You, Alan And Liz

Council formally acknowledged and thanked Mr and Mrs Whiteley at the Ordinary Council Meeting for their contribution to our community, after having operated the ground handling facilities at the Moree Regional Airport for over 40 years.

Their services were a tremendous asset to the Moree Plains – Thank you!

Progress at the Moree Artesian Aquatic Centre

Council greatly welcomed the funding from the NSW Government of $777,000 for local sporting and recreation facilities across Moree Plains Shire, including the $377,000 allocated to repairing and re-establishing the popular waterslide at the Moree Artesian Aquatic Centre (MAAC).

“This much-anticipated funding will allow us to further progress works and get more of the MAAC’s nationally acclaimed attractions and facilities re-opened for the community as soon as possible” said Mayor Mark Johnson.

“This additional funding brings the total grant funding Council has secured from the State and Federal Government towards the MAAC Refurbishment Project to approximately $7.1 million .”

Together with the funds allocated by Council total $17million, ensuring that Council is able to progress works at the MAAC.

A progress update of attractions and facilities at the MAAC undergoing refurbishment works is outlined below:

Waterslide
The waterslide will be dismantled this coming Monday, 28 November 2022 as sandblasting works commence to remove corrosion. The slide will then be repainted and repaired and is anticipated to return back to the MAAC in mid-March 2023.

Hot Artesian Pools (Active Pool and in the Wellness Centre)
Works have commenced and both pools have been cleared of all failed structures. Repairs are projected to be finished in mid-March 2023.

Shade Cloths
The shade cloths at the MAAC were damaged during a recent storm event and will be re-installed over the coming months.

50m Olympic Pool
The old Olympic Pool has been demolished, and design for the new 50m Olympic Pool is complete and will be going to construction Tender on Monday 28 November 2022, with Tenders closing early February 2023. Council will consider the responses to Tender at a Council Meeting in February or March 2023 prior to appointing the construction contractor. Following this, Council will update the community on the construction schedule of the 50m Olympic Pool and when we can expect the pool to be open to the public.

While the MAAC Refurbishment Project is progressing, Council recognise there is significant work to be done and that the Project remains a priority for both Council and community.

“Council understands the community frustration regarding the closure of some MAAC facilities. Please be assured we are rebuilding the Centre, in the most timely, robust, structurally sound way possible, to future proof these valued assets,” added Mayor Johnson.

Should the community have any further questions on the progress of the MAAC Refurbishment Project, please contact the General Manager at 02 6757 3222 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Adopted - Moree Plains Local Housing Strategy

Council resolved at its Ordinary Council Meeting, 17 November 2022 to adopt the Moree Plains Local Housing Strategy - A plan for managing housing growth in Moree Plains Shire. 

This Housing Strategy sets out several population growth scenarios responding to investments anticipated through the Moree SAP and identifies the priorities and actions for managing future housing needs across the Moree Plains Shire. 

The Background Economic Analysis paper underpins the Moree Plains' Local House Strategy (LHS).

$777,778 Cash Splash for Moree Sports and Community Facilities

Popular Moree water slide to be repaired & re-opened

NORTHERN Tablelands MP Adam Marshall has made a giant splash in Moree today – or at least a cash splash – announcing a $777,778 State Government grant for Moree Plains Shire Council to upgrade local sporting and recreational facilities, including re-instating the popular water slide in Moree.

Mr Marshall was joined by Mayor Mark Johnson for the announcement of the funding this morning at the Moree Artesian Aquatic Centre (MAAC), which will receive $350,000 to repair and re-open the mothballed water slide and water slide tower.

“The giant water slide has been out of action for almost two years now due to damage and corrosion of the slide tower, so the news that the slide will be repaired and back in action is really welcome news for the community,” Mr Marshall said.

“The water slide was easily the most popular feature of the MAAC, especially for local youngsters, and council is hoping all the required work can be completed ahead of the Christmas school holidays, which would be brilliant.

“This is just the latest funding for council to improve the MAAC, on the back of just over $6 million provided previously for the new 50-metre pool and associated amenities.”

Mr Marshall said $127,778 would also be spent upgrading the existing canteen, changeroom, storage and toilet facilities at the Ron Harborne Sporting Precinct.

“Ron Harborne is the home of Moree sport with cricket, netball, soccer and athletics just some of the codes utilising the precinct and sharing facilities,” Mr Marshall said.

“Upgrading the shared amenities and kiosk will be a huge boost for all sporting codes and make playing sport even more enjoyable for participants.”

The remaining $300,000 will be used by Council to expand the scope of the $2.4 million upgrade of the Moree Civic Precinct, currently underway, to include a new stage and some audio visual equipment.

“Built in 1923, the Moree Civic Precinct comprises the Memorial Hall, the Banquet Hall and the Moree Community Library,” Mr Marshall said.

“The facility, while grand, lacks the modern facilities required to meet the needs of local theatrical and dance groups, visiting stage shows, schools and community organisations.

This additional funding will be the ‘cherry on top’ for the current upgrade project, allowing council to complete the whole renovations, leaving nothing out.”

Cr Johnson welcomed the funding boost and said it would allow council to undertake the essential upgrades immediately, rather than holding off until sufficient funds were found.

“This is a wonderful bonus that we weren’t budgeting for, especially as we lead into the festive season,” Cr Johnson said.

“Fixing up the water slide will be a big bonus for the younger people in the community and we’re really looking forward to getting it up and running again.

“I’m pleased to say that work on the slide will begin next week, so we can get that operational again as soon as possible.

“A big thank you to the State Government for providing Moree with this funding to allow us to proceed with these longstanding community projects.”

Media Release - Adam Marshall

Member for Northern Tablelands Adam Marshall, left, and Moree Plains Shire Mayor Mark Johnson at the soon-to-be repaired and re-opened Moree water slide today, which is one of the projects sharing in the $777,778 cash windfall today from the State Government.

New Site Required Urgently for Moree Return and Earn Machine

Media Release: Adam Marshall

MEMBER for Northern Tablelands Adam Marshall has today called for a new site to be found for Moree’s Return and Earn machine, as a matter of urgency.

Mr Marshall took his request on behalf of the community to Environment Minister James Griffin late last week, following the sudden closure of the existing machine – in the Woolworths carpark – earlier this month.

It is understood the landlord advised the operators of the machine they no longer wanted to host the container deposit scheme facility.

“This sudden closure of the popular Return and Earn machine has frustrated many Moree locals who have been heavy users since it was installed several years ago,” Mr Marshall said.

“I’ve made those community frustrations abundantly clear to the Minister who assured me the Return and Earn machine will remain in Moree and re-open as soon as a new location for it can be found.

“I’m glad the Minister has confirmed Moree will keep its Return and earn machine, as the next closest is in Warialda, almost 90 kilometres away.”

Mr Marshall said the Return and Earn operators, TOMRA Cleanaway, were currently in discussions with Moree Plains Shire Council about two potential sites within the township.

“I am hopeful these discussions will bear fruit in the coming weeks and we can see the Return and Earn facility up and running again before Christmas at a new location in town,” he said.

“In the meantime, I encourage Moree locals to store up their cans and bottles for when the machine is re-located and re-opened.”

Mr Marshall said the Moree Return and Earn machine had been one of the most used across the region with close to 500,000 cans and bottles recycled through it.

“This volume of bottles and cans equated to roughly $50,000 being claimed by locals through this machine, which is a huge amount of money in the pockets of locals and an enormous amount of recyclables being disposed of rather than going into landfill or littering roadsides and local public spaces,” Mr Marshall said.

“I’ll keep the pressure on to ensure a new site is found quickly and this important service returned as soon as possible.”

Temporary Road Closure Of Balo Street

It’s going to be looking a lot like Christmas in the Main Street of Moree as of Sunday. While Santa gets his sleigh ready at the North Pole, we too will be busy getting our main street ready for his arrival in December.

Balo Street will be temporarily closed to traffic from Albert to Gwydir Streets on Sunday, 20 November 2022 from 7am to 5pm.

While works are in progress motorists are asked to drive slowly to minimise the risk of accidents, pedestrians exercise caution and observe all signs and traffic controller directions.

Women NSW Grants and Funding

Women NSW provides grants and funding for investing in women and supporting organisations to showcase events and activities for women.

Flood-Affected Waste

We have heard your concerns regarding having the tipping fees at the Moree Waste Management Facility reinstated too early.

Tipping charges will be reinstated at the Moree Waste Management Facility on Monday 21 November, to allow the community the weekend to dispose of their waste.

Residents with flood-damaged waste from areas that were inundated with flood waters are asked to place it out on the kerbside for the final flood waste collection on Friday 18 November.

Residents are asked to speak to their insurers regarding the requirements around the removal of their waste. 

Flood Damage Waste

Residents with flood-damaged waste from areas that were inundated with flood waters within the town limits are asked to place it out on the kerbside for the final flood waste collection tomorrow, Wednesday 16 November.

Tipping charges will be reinstated at the Moree Waste Management Facility as of tomorrow, Wednesday 16 November.

Yarn Bombing Hits the Mungindi Main Street

Although the town may have been isolated during the flood event, it hasn’t stopped the community coming together to create some colour for the main street of Mungindi.

The Library Craft Group and anonymous community members have donated and installed the yarn art to brighten and beautify the main street.

“The original idea was brought in by Barb Woodham, inspired from the installation by Bank Art Museum Moree (BAMM), in Moree’s CBD, we have decorated the tree in front of the Mungindi Newsagency in purple in memory of former store owner and friend, Carmen Beatty.

We have put a yellow-themed yarn work on one tree in honour of all the people in this town who have suffered and are suffering from cancer. We are working on a pink tree for breast cancer sufferers, as a lot of women out here are survivors of that. 

The yellow tree is also being called the yellow ribbon tree, from the old country and western song about the ribbon round the old oak tree.

With Mya Tam Beatty decorating the tree in front of her home.

We also had people who made us tea, cakes and biscuits and lunch. Geraldine helped with sorting yarn, Marie Bingham with refreshments and Warren Franks helped with the installing ", informed Pamela Waller.

“It is a great community building activity that has made for a lot of camaraderie and joy between us all. We are grateful also for the encouragement from the wider community”, stated Pamela.

The group that gathered every day in the last few weeks and contributed continuously are Pauline Peters and her daughter Karen, Christine Makila, Pam Franks, Cheryl Cole, Kerry McMillan, Laraine Nolan, Jenny Hill, Mya Tam Beatty, Fiona Murphy and Maureen Brosnan.

The group also made poppies to doctorate around the RSL Club (Community Store) for Remembrance Day.

The Mungindi Sewing Group collaborated on the tree wrapping outside of the Flock.

"There are some very clever local ladies that have being working on a yarn-bombed tree in front of Flock. It looks bright and fabulous! Thank you, ladies,”, thanked Flock Mungindi.

The community continues to rebuild after three main businesses in the main street were destroyed by fire in 2020.

NDIS Connection Day 

The Uniting LAC (Local Area Co-ordination) Team is on the road again and coming to Moree on 15 & 17 November at the Moree Tourist Information Centre in Alice St from 9am to 4pm. 

Pop in and see our friendly experienced Team if you would like more information on the following things:

• How to access the NDIS and complete an Access Request Form
• How to start your NDIS Plan
• Have questions around your existing funding
• How to review your funding if your circumstances have changed
• If you need to replace equipment
• If you would just like to know more about the NDIS (National Disability Insurance Scheme)

Please reach out if you would also like us to come across and have a chat with your Teams or Customers around the Local Area Co-Ordination Program and the NDIS while we are in the Moree area.

If you would like to know more about Uniting’s LAC Program and the NDIS, head to the website for some more resources and information - Home-LAC (uniting.org)

Senator The Hon Murray Watt Visits Moree

Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Senator the Hon Murray Watt came to Moree on Friday, 11 November to meet with Mayor Johnson and Cr Orchin in the Council Chambers to discuss the recent flood events and the needs of assisting the Shire recover.

Discussions involved the Hon Mark Coulton MP, and flood-affected farmer, Dick Estens while joined by Narrabri Mayor Cr Ron Campbell and Mayor Cr Jamie Chaffey from Gunnedah Shire Council, both Shires also affected by flooding.

Photograph: Mayor Cr Johnson, Cr Orchin, The Hon Mark Coulton, The Hon Murray Watt, Mayor Ron Campbell and Mayor Jamie Chaffey.

Canarvon Highway

The Carnarvon Highway has reopened. (Saturday 12 November)
Access to all vehicles now between Garah to Mungindi. 

Drive with caution.

Message from the Mayor

I wanted to reach out to express my appreciation as Mayor to the amazing community of the Moree Plains.

I would like to honour our community members, our true heroes, who have had to endure, and restore their homes after the flood waters inundated their homes after Moree suffered serious flooding on Friday 21 October 2022.

As my first flood event since becoming Mayor, I felt so supported, guided, and assured throughout the process, however, we still have a lot of work to be done, we still have residents isolated and our road network is highly compromised.

Working closely with our Member for Northern Tablelands, Adam Marshall MP, throughout the flooding event we have both strongly advocated for assistance for our impacted business owners and primary producers and residents.

We have seen the Premier of New South Wales, Dominic Perrottet and Steph Cooke, Minister for Flood Recovery of New South Wales, come to Moree to assess the damage from the flood event.

The Premier announced he had written directly to the Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese requesting his agreement on increased disaster assistance to catapult the shire into a category D level.

We are still awaiting the news on whether the Commonwealth has agreed to change us from a category C to D.

The Governor General of Australia, His Excellency the Honourable David Hurley and his wife, Her Excellency Mrs. Linda Hurley flew to Moree this week to spend time and speak with community members regarding the flood impact, response and progress of the flood recovery.

As of 9 November 2022, 2930 assessments had been undertaken in Moree revealing;
Impact Summary
Structures damaged 1,266
Slight damage - 876
Moderate damage - 264
Severe damage - 111
Destroyed – 15

We had over 200 volunteers and personnel, assisting people to clean up their properties, our local streets, and public spaces and helping with aerial food resupply operations.

A big thank you goes to NSW SES, Fire and Rescue NSW, NSW Police Force, NSW Rural Fire Service and Australian Defence Force personnel, together with our MPSC Team.

Can I also make mention of the support of our Trans4M Rail, GrainCorp and countless other organisations and individuals who in the great Australian way gave countless hours of assistance.

We have been fortunate to have Resilience NSW with leading agencies set up in the Ballroom of the Max Centre this week to support our residents with face-to-face recovery assistance for flood-affected community members, who will lend further support to outlying community members as flood waters continue to recede.

While the township of Moree has received widespread assistance, we know we are not entirely over the flood event, we still have many residents isolated, farmers who have sustained serious impact on their crops and harvesting schedules and a huge task ahead of us to rebuild and repair our road network to aid farmers through harvest.

We live in a Shire where floods occur, however, we can never prepare for the devastation to property that occurs and the personal scars that are left.

As Mayor, my memories of this flood will be different from those in the past. This flood gave me a different perspective, one that has completely reinforced to me what an amazing community we live in. A community that has had its differences but one that comes together when the need is there.

This is a wonderful community and I have never had more pride in it than I have had in the last couple of weeks.

Thanks once again to all our helpers and our thoughts to those who have been impacted.

Mayor Mark Johnson.

Japanese Encephalitis Virus

For residents wanting further information about this mosquito-borne disease, please consult the NSW Health website at the link found below.

Japanese encephalitis virus (nsw.gov.au)

Vector Control Scheduling for Mungindi

Mungindi residents, the Balonne Shire Council will commence vector spraying tomorrow, 10 November and Friday 11 November.

Followed by further spraying on 15 November and 16 November.

Misting occurs from the back of a vehicle at dawn or dusk, and residents are informed that the new machine is louder than the previous ones, so perhaps expect an early wake-up call.

HOW WILL FOGGING BE CARRIED OUT?
A fogging service contractor has been engaged by both Councils. A fogging unit, mounted to a vehicle, will use insecticide that has an ultra-low-volume (ULV) spray. The spray dispenses a very fine aerosol droplet (fog) that stays aloft and kills flying insects on contact.

PRODUCT USED
The contractor will be using a specialised product called Aqua-K-Othrine. For further information, please visit https://www.environmentalscience.bayer.com.au/.../aqua-k...

NOTICE TO PET OWNERS
While the product is safe for pets, it’s recommended that owners keep their dogs around the back of their property at night. The lights on the vehicle can cause them to bark and this can be a nuisance to others.

WARNING NOTICE TO BEEKEEPERS
Please ensure bees are covered in the hive. Please contact Balonne Shire Council to inform them of your hives’ locations. The product used DOES affect bees. Please ask for their Environmental Health Team on 07 4620 8844.

WARNING NOTICE TO ALL FISHPOND OWNERS
Please cover any outside fishponds. Please contact Balonne Shire Council to notify them of your outdoor fishpond locations, as the product may affect fish. Please ask for their Environmental Health Team on 07 4620 8844.
Moree Plains Shire Council would like to thank Balonne Shire Council for their ongoing assistance with the fogging.
While mosquito fogging can be an effective management tool in targeted applications, it is not suitable for broad scale or repeated use across the Shire.

Please contact the Balonne Shire Council Environmental Health team on (07) 4620 8888 if you have any questions or require further information.

Legal Aid NSW Disaster Response Legal Service (DRLS)

The Disaster Response Legal Service provides free legal help for disaster affected community members in NSW with legal issues like: .

Insurance claims and disputes 
Housing and rental problems including caravan parks
Credit, debt, fines and financial hardship
Eligibility for disaster welfare payments and Government grants
Employment – unfair dismissals, entitlements
Replacing important documents
Domestic violence 

Other legal problems related to disasters. Anyone affected by a disaster can get free help by contacting the Disaster Response Legal Service NSW helpline on 1800 801 529 (9am to 5pm weekdays).

Public Exhibition - Moree Plains Local Housing Strategy

Notice is hereby given that Council has prepared a Local Housing Strategy for Moree Plains Shire.

The NSW Government has nominated Moree as a Special Activation Precinct (SAP) – reflecting its location in Australia’s most productive grain and cotton-growing region – leveraging the Inland Rail and Newell Highway to create a thriving economic zone.

Around 4,000 jobs could be created and up to 4,600 new residents attracted to Moree Plains Shire, resulting in a requirement for over 2,000 new dwellings across the Shire during the next 20 years.

It is essential that Council plans for this growth and ensures that new and diverse housing is available to meet the needs of all residents, now and in the future. The local housing strategy aims to guide the future location and diversity of housing to meet the changing demographic profile of Moree Plains Shire and population growth resulting from the Moree SAP. The Strategy includes the proposed expansion of residential lands at Moree and Pallamallawa.

The draft Moree Plains Local Housing Strategy will be on exhibition from Thursday 02 December 2021 to Tuesday 22 February 2022. The Strategy may be inspected at Council’s Customer Service Centre during normal office hours, until Tuesday 22 February 2022.

Public submissions are welcomed on the draft Moree Plains Local Housing Strategy, within the formal exhibition period.

Please note that submissions may be disclosed to Councillors, Council Officers, Consultants to Council or members of the public in accordance with Section 18(1)(b) of the Privacy and Personal Information Protection Act 1998. Submissions, summaries of submissions, and names and addresses of persons making submissions may also be included in publicly available reports relating to the proposal. Council must also allow inspection of any submissions it receives and allow persons to make/take copies. However, if you consider that disclosure of your place of living would put you or your family’s personal safety at risk, you can apply to Council to have these details protected from the disclosure under that Act.

If you are making a submission, it is a requirement that all Political Donations and Gifts are reported to Council.

How do I make a submission?

Submissions must be in writing and if the submission is by way of objection to the minor amendments, the submission should indicate the grounds of objection. Submissions must be lodged within the formal exhibition period and can be handed into Council or sent by mail to:
The General Manager
Moree Plains Shire Council
PO Box 420
Moree NSW 2400.

Moree Urban Expansion Areas 

Key
Dark green                       Urban expansion
Light green                       Long-term urban expansion

Pallamallawa urban expansion areas

Key
Urban expansion areas marked green

Message from the Mayor 

Good morning Moree Plains,
I have been told that there are lots of logs in the dam release water, please please be careful and do not push your luck, if it is flooded forget it.
The dam release has been wound back considerably and this morning all main metered sites are falling.
Take care, be wise and simply don’t put yourselves or the emergency responders at risk.

Kind Regards, 
Mayor Katrina Humphries
Moree Plains Shire Council

Looking for Christmas Gift Ideas? 

Why Leave Town?



Businesses across Moree, Mungindi, and Pallamallawa are participating in the Love Local Card as a place where the card can be spent or where cards can be loaded. This website shows the participating and load up stores in the Mighty Moree Plains >> https://www.whyleavetown.com/programs/moree-plains

So, Why Leave Town? 

Civilian Mayoral Appreciation Award

Mayor Katrina Humphries was delighted to present two ‘Civilian Mayoral Appreciation Awards’ to a couple of well worthy community members for their outstanding contributions to the Shire.

Assistant Manager of Woolworths Moree, Kylie Heffernan was one recipient of an appreciation award for her continual support to the Shire through food contributions, great customer service, and time given to many local projects.

Grazier, Tony Hyles, was awarded for his outstanding knowledge of our surrounding water systems which has greatly benefited our community when it comes to water volume and flows in particular around flooding events.

Congratulations and thank you to them both for their unwavering commitment to the Moree Plains.

Photographs; Kylie Heffernan and Tony Hyles accepting their Civilian Mayoral Appreciation Awards

Development Application (DA) for 50m Pool Lodged

At yesterday’s Ordinary Council Meeting, Councillor Stephen Ritchie, the chairperson of the Moree Artesian Aquatic Centre Reconstruction Working Group, was elated to have confirmed the lodgement of a DA had occurred for the construction of a 50m pool and surrounding infrastructure at the Moree Artesian Aquatic Centre (MAAC).

This will now allow for Council to call for expressions of interest for the construction phase by specialised aquatic construction building firms.

Photograph: Councillor Stephen Ritchie, happy to have the DA lodged for a new 50m pool.

Moree’s Innovative Business Incubator Coming Soon

Moree’s SRI @ Social Co, a UNE Smart Region Incubator (SRI) business development and coworking hub for start-ups and small businesses, is expected to be open in early 2022.

As a partnership between Moree Plains Shire Council, the University of New England (UNE) and local business owner Tyler Macey, the Social Co-House space will be a game-changer for business growth and will be a prominent drawcard on Moree’s main strip.

Moree Plains Shire Council Mayor Katrina Humphries said the SRI @ Social Co is a prime example of business, education and government working together to make the Shire’s future even brighter.

“The incubator and co-working space will have high-speed digital Wi-Fi and video calling connectivity, hot-desk spaces, rental offices, meeting rooms, audio-visual studios and event areas, as well as onsite UNE SRI business development staff and training programs. The possibilities of what a new business can achieve with this level of support and access to resources is mind-blowing”, said Mayor Humphries.

Since $515,468 in funding was provided a year ago from the Australian Government, Council and UNE SRI have acquired a head start and have been delivering tailored development programs for businesses and young entrepreneurs looking to grow and flourish. Examples of such programs include Leverage, a 12-month program that gives businesses the tools they need to thrive, and Lean Canvas, a program for owners to market their business in a short and engaging way.

Searching for a permanent SRI home, Council and UNE teamed up with entrepreneur Tyler Macey. Mr. Macey’s vision of a co-working space and the UNE SRI’s well-established incubator model and business school has brought about the SRI @ the Social Co-House.

“I always saw that Moree needed a collaborative place for locals to start- or scale-up a business and it’s great Council and the UNE shared this vision. We are all really excited to see the doors of the Social Co-House open soon and provide a world of opportunity”, said Mr. Macey.

“With transformational things going on like the Inland Rail and Special Activation Precinct, Moree is the place to be for a business.”

Lou Conway, UNE SRI Director, said she is excited for the next stage of Moree’s incubator.

“UNE has successfully established SRIs in Armidale and Tamworth and our dedicated team will continue to bring their expertise to Moree. We will help connect businesses to development and support, mentorships and endless investment opportunities.”

“The SRI @ Social Co will be a place where like-minded business go-getters will be able to network, inspire, learn and grow with each other.”

This project was funded by the Australian Government’s Murray–Darling Basin Economic Development Program. Council has also provided additional funding.

The SRI @ Social Co will be located at 167 Balo Street, Moree. Further details on how to get involved with the incubator and how it all works will be shared in the coming weeks.

Photo: (left to right) Jacob Collier and Tyler Macey of Social Co-House, Phoebe Wood of UNE SRI and Victoria Dawson of Moree Plains Shire Council outside the soon-to-be-open Social Co-House at 167 Balo St, Moree

Message from the Mayor

There are some considerable water releases coming out of the Copeton Dam. Please be aware of these flows as they will come along fairly quickly as the waterways are already saturated.

Please be sensible and organised if you live around or have stock in low-lying areas as there is now more water coming and the forecast is for more rain, hopefully, we will dodge this potentially big rainfall.

Kind Regards,
Mayor, Katrina Humphries

No Call For Help Should Go Unheard

Your old phone could save a life.

Council is proud to be teaming up with DV Safe Phone to deliver useable working phones that will be re-purposed to assist victims of domestic violence.

To kick start this great initiative Council has donated 58 mobile phones to the campaign that will redistribute a ‘safe phone’ to victims of domestic violence to use in an emergency.

Waste Coordinator, Dayna Walker is proud that Council can be on board with this great initiative that allows residents of the Plains a place to drop off their unwanted phones, by generously helping others while reducing waste to landfill and CO2 emissions.

“We all have unused and unwanted phones laying around and charger cables. If you are thinking of upgrading your phone, we urge you to donate your old phone(s) and charger(s). Supporting a victim of domestic violence with a safe phone, will ensure they can call for help when it matters most”, explains Ms. Walker.

Founder of DV Safe Phone, Ashton Wood said, “access to a working mobile phone to seek crisis support and advice, can literally be the difference between living with, or breaking free from, a life sentence of abuse”.

"Having a second phone hidden away is an important part of a victim's safety and exit plan. It also provides security with the ability to call for help in an emergency," he said.

"We've received phones that have protected around 1300 people who have used them to call for help all around Australia. But our goal is 20,000 phones or even more," he says.

In early 2020, Ashton Wood was doing a spring clean, and he was struggling to donate his used items to charity shops, which were closed due to COVID lockdowns.

"I rang a police officer friend of mine to see where I could donate some of my stuff to charity and she explained that what they really needed were mobile phones to give to domestic violence victims who were trying to escape dangerous situations," Mr. Wood said.

"The mobile phone is often the first thing to be destroyed, taken, or monitored in a domestic violence situation leaving many with no way to call for help.

"I told the police that they could have two of my old mobile phones and that's how the charity started."

Our campaign is aimed at collecting working phones, testing the phones for functionality, ensuring that all user data has been erased, and redistributing working mobile phones to victims of domestic violence, through registered domestic violence and law enforcement agencies, safe houses, crisis centres, and volunteers Australia-wide.

So that no call for help goes unheard.

How you can help in other ways
If you don’t have a phone to donate, you can still help support a victim in need this Christmas by making a tax-deductible monetary donation at www.dvsafephone.org/donate.
As a charitable organisation registered with Deductible Gift Recipient Status, all donations over $2AUD are tax-deductible in Australia.

The gift that keeps on giving
Any phones delivered to the DV Safe phone campaign that cannot be used or repurposed by DV Safe Phone is then sent on to Mobile Muster.
The donation of phones to these programs helps to continue the recycling process by reusing phone parts allowing for a sustainable, circular system that benefits everyone on the planet.

Recycle your old unwanted phone(s) and charger(s) by dropping them off at Council!

Council’s Customer Service, level 2, 30 Heber Street or the Moree Waste Management Facility at 57 Evergreen Road, Moree.

Family and domestic violence support services:

• 1800 Respect National Helpline: 1800 737 732
• Men's Referral Service: 1300 766 491
• Mensline: 1300 789 978
• Lifeline (24-hour Crisis Line): 131 114
• Women's Crisis Line (NSW): 1800 656 463

The Moree Portrait Prize has opened for 2021!

BAMM welcome’s you to celebrate and support budding artists and indulge in the exhibition’s exquisite range of portraits. This year’s entrants have gone above and beyond expectations, recognising a variety of different artistic styles from artists of all ages.

The Prize offers artists of all ages and backgrounds an opportunity to showcase their work and receive feedback from the expert judging panel. This year over 190 portraits are on display.

With an increase in the 2021 Australian Food and Fibre Grand Prize to $5,000, adult entries have doubled since 2020. Over half of the adult entries received were by local hobbyists and emerging artists based within a 125km radius of Moree. The exhibition also saw a boom in adult entries from artists based in Tamworth, Lightning Ridge, Bathurst and beyond.

The Under 18s categories offer a look at the development of portraiture styles among youth separated into the categories 5-8 years, 9-12 years, 13-15 years and 16-18 years. Individual children are able to enter; however, many Under 18 artworks were submitted through the support of local and regional schools. As well as BAMM’s Art After School and Art on Track Program, which sees their Education Officer visit smaller Moree Plains Shire schools including Mallawa, Tulloona and Pallamallawa.

“We know that people love portraiture. The Archibald Prize Touring Exhibition was a hit when it visited Moree last year. The added reason that the Moree Portrait Prize is always so well received is that it hits close to home – we have artworks depicting grandfathers, babes at the beach, and local figures from a recent Life Drawing class, not to mention the much-loved Sylvia from Sylvia’s Fabrics on our walls”, says Acting Director, Kate Tuart.

“Hanging this year’s exhibition was a challenge and joy with so many high calibre artworks and double the number of adult entries we had last year. Whether you come to the Awards Presentation Night or just pop in on your lunch break, why not come and explore the talent of our emerging and established artists!”

The Moree Portrait Prize Awards Presentation Night will be held on Friday 3rd December 2021 from 6pm, where category winners will be announced and share in the generous prize pool of over $7500. The evening is free for all ages, but visitors much register in advance via the BAMM website at www.bamm.org.au due to number restrictions.

Artists that miss out on recognition on the night will still have the opportunity to win, with the C&W Financial Services People’s Choice Vote running through the New Year to be announced 4January 2022.

BAMM extends a huge thank you to the exhibition’s sponsors, including Australian Food and Fibre, Peter and Julie Taylor, C&W Financial Services and Rhodes Kildea Lawyers.

The exhibition will run from Friday 13 November 2021 until Saturday 8 January 2022. Entries for next year will open October-November 2022.

To book your ticket to the Awards Night, or for more information, head to the BAMM website www.bamm.org.au

 Painting; Nicole Fitzgerald 'Our Little Queen of the Cloth'

Pre-polling now open

Early voting in the 2021 NSW Local Government Elections is now open, everyone is eligible to vote early in person for this election.

To vote early, head to the Moree Plains Region Returning Officer’s Office at the Moree Showgrounds (entry via McElhone Street) anytime between 9.00 am and 5.00 pm Monday – Saturday until 3 December 2021.

Unvaccinated residents may attend any premises being used as a polling place to vote, even if this would normally be closed to unvaccinated persons.  

If eligible, applications for postal voting and iVote can be made via the NSW Electoral Commission’s website www.elections.nsw.gov.au or you can phone on 1300 248 683.

Regarding The Moree Artesian Aquatic Centre Ltd (MAAC)

Considering much conjecture and conversation around the re-opening of the MAAC, Moree Plains Shire Council needs to reiterate that the pool complex is still in the hands of the receivers. Under the ASIC laws, the receivers hold all the cards and when their roles and responsibilities are fulfilled, they will then return the keys and running of the centre back to Council.

Council is aware of the community concern; however, ASIC rules are very strict and there is no interference permitted.

As soon as the Olympic pool plans are completed by the newly appointed Project Officer, they will be circulated around the user groups.

Kind Regards, 
Mayor Katrina Humphries
Moree Plains Shire Council

Gamilaroi culture shines through, with My Moree people's choice winner announced

After seven weeks on display, the third biennial My Moree exhibition has drawn to a close at Bank Art Museum Moree (BAMM). The biggest competition to date saw over 400 photographic entries cast by locals and visitors alike, each symbolising what “My Moree” represents to the artist.

With over 160 entries on display, visitors to the exhibition were able to have their say on their favourite entry by casting a vote for the highly coveted People’s Choice prize, with a $1,000 Love Local Gift Card for the winner.

“Whilst there were a few photos that stood out for visitors, there was a clear favourite, and I’d like to congratulate Laura Kennedy on her stunning photograph which has won the People’s Choice Prize,” said Mayor Cr Katrina Humphries.

“It’s marvellous to see our strong local Aboriginal culture celebrated in Laura’s photo,” added Cr Humphries.

“I’d like to thank every person who contributed to the exhibition and shared their Moree with our community. The competition and exhibition are a fabulous way to celebrate why we choose to call the Moree Plains home, and it just wouldn’t happen without the community’s amazing contributions.”

Bank Art Museum Acting Director Kate Tuart added that while visitor numbers were down on previous years due to lower tourist numbers and Covid-19, BAMM staff received overwhelmingly positive feedback from visitors to the exhibition.

“Everyone loves the My Moree exhibition. It’s a great way to get the community involved and a rare opportunity for locals to get to see their own artwork on the walls of BAMM,” said Ms Tuart.

“The historical display which provides a rare insight into our region’s history was a crowd favourite once again, and the new Transformations category was also really well received by visitors to the exhibition.”

Although the My Moree photography and exhibition have closed for another two years, residents are reminded that they can always celebrate the region and share their Moree by using the My Moree hashtag #mymoree on their preferred social media platform.

Photograph: My Moree People’s Choice Prize-winning photo, by Laura Kennedy

❤️ Love Local This Christmas 

With Christmas just around the corner, it’s time to find the perfect gift for loved ones, friends, valued employees, and loyal customers. Give the gift that gives twice with a Love Local gift card.

Mayor Katrina Humphries said she’s impressed by the impact the Love Local program is still having.

“The Love Local gift cards are such a noble initiative and I’m still blown away by the number of businesses that participate. It’s a great way to support our local economy and it celebrates what unique retail, eateries, and services our Moree Plains has to offer”, said Cr Humphries.

“This Christmas I encourage everyone to buy Love Local Moree Cards for family and friends, in and out of the Shire. We can get everyone on board and help support local businesses that have supported our community for years.”

There are more than 100 participating businesses across the shire, so the possibilities are almost endless for the lucky gift card recipient. Local hair and beauty salons, cafes, restaurants and pubs, retail, and agribusinesses are ready to accept Love Local gift cards, while some of these businesses are also Load-Up Stores.

Robin's Nest for Children owner Dibs Cush said her business has been involved with the Love Local initiative since it began in 2019 and is still a firm believer in it.

“The gift cards are great because they’re keeping the money in the community and are great exposure for businesses. It encourages people to try new stores and sometimes they discover the shop has something they were looking for but weren’t expecting to find. The experience can lead to nice surprises like that”, said Mrs. Cush.

“We also have a farming business with employees who go above and beyond every time. The cards make a nice way of saying ‘thank you for the hard work’.”

Given the impacts of drought, flood, and COVID-19 the Love Local gift cards provide a perfect opportunity for residents to support and celebrate local business while giving to those close to us this festive season.

Together we can make this Christmas a time of celebration and prosperity within our community.

Where can I find participating stores?
Head to the Why Leave Town website:
https://www.whyleavetown.com/programs/moree-plains

Want to make your business a love local business?
It’s easy! Simply complete and submit this form: https://forms.monday.com/forms/982831d751d6fde7330e77e8c5351388
Choose to be a Load-Up Store for that extra foot traffic and exposure.

Already signed up?
For more card supplies, to become a Load-Up Store or for further information, please contact Council’s Economic Development Team at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 6757 3222.

Helpful Information around Flooding

📞 Phone numbers 
For emergency help in floods and storms, call the NSW State Emergency Service on 132 500.
🚑  In life-threatening situations call triple zero (000) immediately.

🗺  Maps
Preludes to flooding of Moree
Aerial Map of the 2012 Moree township in flooding

Useful websites

🚧 Traffic/Road closures 
MyRoads info
Live Traffic

🌧  River heights/forecasts 
For more emergency information, advice, and access to the latest river heights and rainfall observations and forecasts.
* NSW SES website
* NSW SES Facebook  
* Latest River Heights and Rainfall Observations
* Latest NSW Warnings
* Rainfall Forecasts
* Elders Local Weather Forecast

🌧  Queensland
*  Queensland BOM
*  Balonne Shire Council
*  Goondiwindi Region

📻 Radio Facebook Pages
Outback Radio 2WEB 
ABC New England North West 
NOW FM 
✅ Emergency news is broadcast on ABC Local Radio

 🐴 Animals 
For rural animal and livestock assistance, contact your Local Land Services Office  

Follow all signage in place, drive to conditions and remember, if it's flooded FORGET IT!

River Heights 

Moree - Key River Heights for Mehi River
<< Please see diagram 

Boggabilla - Key River Heights for Macintyre 
Minor 5 metres
Moderate 11.5 metres
Major 12 metres

6.4m Causeway at Boonal Bridge closed. Residents living west of the Levee have no access to Boggabilla.
7.3m Water begins flowing into Whalan Creek. Bruxner Highway is cut at the Whalan Creek Causeway. Toomelah is isolated.
10.54m Access becomes difficult along some roads and water crosses the Newell Highway, 20km south of Boggabilla.
11.4m Water enters Brown Street, Boggabilla and areas beyond the Tafe College. Flood water threatens Boggabilla township and Elambe Caravan Park.
11.76m Flood water breaks the banks of the Macintyre River at “River Common” and runs over Riverview Road, Boggabilla and towards Elambe Caravan Park. Evacuation begins

Mungindi - Key River Heights for Barwon River  
Minor 6.10 metres
Moderate 6.70 metres
Major 7.20 metres
Mungindi in Flood 

Where to - Get Tested! Get the Jab! 

Moree Hospital COVID-19 Swab Clinic (Testing)
Located in the Picone Building on Alice Street, Moree

Walk-in clinic with no appointment needed.
Open daily, 8:30 am – 3 pm.
Only closed on Christmas Day (December 25) and New Year’s Day (January 1).
Testing hours throughout December 2021

Moree Vaccination Hub (Vaccination)
58 Victoria Terrace, Moree

Closed for the Christmas Holidays

Walk-ins accepted or to book please call (02) 6757 0390
Normally open Wednesday and Thursdays, 10 am – 3:00 pm
Closed from December 24, 2021, and reopening January 5, 2022.

Pius X Health Clinic (Vaccination and Testing)
140 Anne Street, Moree

Closed for the Christmas Holidays

To make bookings, please call (02) 6752 1099
Normally open Monday–Thursday (8:30 am – 3 pm), Friday (8:30 am – 2 pm) and closed Saturday and Sunday
Closed December 25, 2021, and reopening January 4, 2022

Associate Medical Practice (AstraZeneca Vaccinations Only)
342 Frome Street, Moree

To make a booking, please call (02) 6752 2644
Open weekdays, 9 am – 6 pm and December 24 (9 am – 1 pm)
Closed December 25–28 and January 1–3 2022

We are all in this together and together we can help reduce the spread of COVID-19.

Climbing Mountains and Career Success:
Two of the Library Team Complete a Milestone 🧗🏆🎯

Library staff members Maree Knight and Georgia Exton have recently finished their probationary periods at Moree Plains Shire Council and their experiences so far haven’t been what they had expected 🤷.

Originally from Dubbo, self-confessed outdoor enthusiast and adrenaline junkie, Maree was craving a different space for her climbing passion and career. She took a chance and set off to Moree, where space is plentiful and national parks are at our doorstep 🏞️.

“Mount Kaputar ⛰️ is only about an hour away. It has so many good places to climb and it’s now one of my favourite places I like to go”, said Maree.

After completing an information services diploma, Sydney-based Georgia would never have guessed she would become a Library Technician in such a rural area. She quickly and happily gave up the hectic city environment in exchange for a country lifestyle full of endless green paddocks, uninterrupted sunsets and stars, and opportunities galore 🌠. 

As a recent graduate, Georgia was looking for a role that would allow her to develop skills to kick-start her career and get ahead of her city counterparts 🏙️.

“This early in my career, I was looking for an organisation that would let me jump right in and let me absorb as much information as I possibly could. Moree Council offered that kind of opportunity and hand on heart, I can say that this is a true reflection of my experience so far” added Georgia. 

Maree is also not afraid of a challenge, physically or mentally. That’s what has driven her to leave her background in education and explore a new local government career path.

Whilst the move to Moree was a risk, it paid off with Maree mentioning “there is so much more to Moree than people realise and the support at Council, both professionally and personally, is second to none”. Georgia agreed and mentioned that she even “found a place to live through a colleague’s connection”.❤️

As part of completing their probationary periods, Maree and Georgia received their own Love Local Gift Card, a Council-funded initiative supporting local businesses impacted financially by the recent floods and COVID-19 pandemic.

They were both delighted with the gift card as it allowed them to support and give back to a community that has welcomed them with open arms 👐. 
 
If you’re interested in being a part of our supportive team environment and hearing about career opportunities, then please click ➡️ https://www.mpsc.nsw.gov.au/want-a-job/positions-vacant

Rainfall in Moree Plains

Hello Moree Plains,

Be prepared to shake the spiders out of your mud boots because we are going to get wet, the severity of which we don’t know.
A little bit of caution now could save some discomfort in the long run. Please think about your stock, your scripts, and your well-being.
For the farmers, all we can do is send you our loving thoughts and let you all know we are so sad about the harvest.


Kind Regards,
Mayor Katrina Humphries
Moree Plains Shire Council

Non – Designated Development - Application DA2021/53

Statement of Environmental Effects - Erection of a 4.95MW Solar Farm - 2276 Gwydir Highway

Notice is hereby given that Council has received an application from SMK Consultants,for the Erection of a 4.95MW Solar Farm,on 'Wathagar', 2276 Gwydir Highway MOREE,LOT: 2 DP: 773266. The consent authority for the application is the Northern Joint Regional Planning Panel.

The development application and accompanying documents may be inspected above and on the NSW Planning Portal, for a period of 21 days from the date of this notice.

Any person may make a written submission in respect to the proposed development clearly stating their name and address and should the submission be an objection, the grounds must be specified. 

Submissions must be made in writing to the General Manager and can be lodged electronically This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. by mail PO Box 420, Moree NSW 2400, or fax (02) 6752 3934 before 5 pm on 02 December 2021.

Please note that submissions will be provided to the Northern Joint Regional Planning Panel and may be disclosed to Councillors, Council Officers, Consultants to Council, or members of the public in accordance with Section 18(1)(b) of the Privacy and Personal Information Protection Act 1998.

Submissions, summaries of submissions, and names and addresses of persons making submissions may also be included in publicly available reports relating to the development application. Under the Government Information (Public Access) Act 2009, Council must also allow inspection of any submissions it receives and allow persons to make copies.

However, if you consider that disclosure of your place of living would put your or your family’s personal safety at risk, you can apply to Council under Section 739 of the Local Government Act 1993which requires that requests for protection of privacy be made in writing to the General Manager. The request is to give particulars of the relevant risk to the person and is to be verified by a statutory declaration by the person making the request or by some other person.

It is a requirement that all Political Donations and Gifts are reported to Council by completing a Disclosure Statement form.

COVID-19 Testing Facilities at the Moree Showgrounds

Commencing Tuesday 9 November, there will be additional COVID-19 testing facilities at the Moree Showgrounds to accommodate for additional COVID-19 testing.
A drive-through testing clinic for light vehicles will be available daily from 7 am – 5 pm. Entry is by entering Albert Street, adjacent to the Moree Services Club.

💉 Further COVID-19 testing and vaccination sites are available in Moree at:

✅  The Moree Gateway daily 6:30 am – 3 pm
       🚘 Entry is off Blueberry Road, South Moree.

✅  Moree District Hospital daily 7 am – 5 pm
        Vaccinations available; 
        AstraZeneca Tuesday and Wednesday
        Pfizer - Friday. 

✅  A walk-in PFIZER vaccination clinic is operating at the Boughton Oval, from 10am – 2pm
       Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday (November 9–11)
       Bring a form of ID and a Medicare Card
        Do you need transport? 
       Please ring 'Bus on Demand' for FREE travel to the Vaccination Pop-Up Clinic at Boughton Oval on 1300 679 287.

✅  Pius X Respiratory Clinic – Anne Street, daily, bookings via https://www.hotdoc.com.au/

✅  Associate Medical Practice – Frome Street, book by calling 02 6752 2644

✅  Boggabilla Community Health Clinic, this week Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday (9:30 am – 1:30 pm)

✅  Please bring Medicare card and wear a mask 😷

Entry into Queensland

Overnight the QLD Government has published Border Restrictions Direction (No. 52) which further limits travel between restricted border LGAs (i.e. Moree Plains Shire) and QLD. It requires people who need to travel into QLD for permitted purposes to be fully vaccinated, except for medical care, shared parenting, or child contact or for emergencies. The details are outlined below.

Please note that under the QLD rules, fully vaccinated means the person has received the prescribed number of doses of a COVID-19 vaccine, and it has been two weeks since the final dose.

PART 2A – ENTRY TO QUEENSLAND – RESTRICTED BORDER ZONE

1. A fully vaccinated border zone resident who has in the preceding 14 days been in the restricted border zone and has not been in a COVID-19 hotspot outside of the border zone may only enter and remain in Queensland for one of the following essential purposes:
   1. to obtain food or other essential goods or services for the personal needs of the household or other household purposes, which cannot reasonably be obtained within New South Wales; or
   2. to obtain medical care or supplies or other health care services, including a scheduled COVID-19 vaccination; or
   3. to perform essential work that cannot be done from home, or to provide emergency volunteering; or
   4. for children of essential workers and an adult that may transport the child, to attend face to face schooling or to attend a childcare facility for the purposes of receiving care or instruction, or
   5. to provide assistance, care or support to a family member or to fulfil other caring responsibilities; or
   6. to fulfil an obligation relating to shared parenting or child contact; or
   7. for children under 18 years who do not live in the same household as their biological parents or siblings or one of their parents or siblings, continuing existing arrangements for access to, and contact between, parents and children and siblings; or
   8. in the event of an emergency situation.

Note: If a border zone resident has been in a COVID-19 hotspot outside of the border zone, they may only enter Queensland if permitted under Part 3.

Note: A border zone resident is subject to other public health directions while in Queensland.

1. A border zone resident who is not fully vaccinated and in the preceding 14 days has been in the restricted border zone and has not been in a COVID-19 hotspot outside of the border zone may only enter and remain in Queensland for one of the following essential purposes:
   1. to obtain medical care or supplies or other health care services, including a scheduled COVID-19 vaccination which cannot reasonably be obtained within New South Wales; or
   2. to fulfil a Court ordered obligation relating to shared parenting or child contact; or
   3. in the event of an emergency situation.

Essential work is defined under Schedule 4:

Essential work refers to work that is urgently required for safety reasons, for emergency repairs, or that is necessary to maintain essential services and supplies to the community, or to a part of the community, performed by:

1. a medical practitioner or other prescribed health practitioner; or
2. a pathology collection worker, including a pathology courier; or
3. an aged care or disability worker, where considered essential to maintain continuity of care for aged care recipients or people with disability; or
4. by an emergency health services or emergency services worker; or
5. national defence, state security or police worker; or
6. school passenger transport operatorexcluding taxi, limousine and rideshare operators; or an emergency infrastructure worker; or
7. air crewor maritime crew; or
8. by an emergency volunteer; or
9. by a disaster management worker; or
10. by a critical infrastructure worker; or
11. by a tradesperson or construction worker for essential or emergency construction or essential or emergency repairs only; or
12. a person endorsed by the chief executive of a Queensland Government agency as an essential worker.

Note: Vaccination requirements apply to people undertaking essential work (see paragraphs 29 to 30).

Border Restrictions Direction (No.52) | Queensland Health

COVID-19 Latest Update

Newest update…..

Evidently we have 94 cases and delayed tests have been couriered to pathology, we all just have to wait and be patient now (well we have no option) I will continue to update if and when there is any official information.

Kind Regards,
Mayor Katrina Humphries
Moree Plains Shire Council

COVID-19 Update 

Hello all,
In light of a lack of public information, I wish to inform our community that as of 5pm, Saturday 6 November (from the senior HNEH management) we had 74 cases of COVID-19 in the shire. Unofficially this morning we have 87.

If, like me, you are awaiting your Covid test results there was a glitch in transport evidently, and Friday’s and Saturday's tests  missed the air connection. Speechless.

Kind Regards,
Mayor Katrina Humphries
Moree Plains Shire Council

Message from the Mayor and Hunter New England Health

Good afternoon Moree and District Residents,

This afternoon Hunter New England Health Senior staff and I had a very productive Skype hook-up and we have some really good initiatives to inform you about.

This Saturday, Sunday, and Monday there will be a walk-in COVID testing site located at the old ‘Picone Unit’ on Alice Street side of Moree Hospital. The testing unit will be open from 7 am to 5 pm daily.

Tuesday (9 November) there will be an additional drive-through testing site available at the Moree Showgrounds, both sites will operate for as long as need be.

Furthermore, there will be a walk-in ‘vaccination hub’ on the western side of the Moree Hospital.

The best access for this hub is via the Alice Street ramp, (full disabled access) walk along the covered walkway to the ‘vax hub’ on the northern end of the walkway (it will be well signed).

In more good news, we have extra teams of health staff coming to assist our local hospital and community staff, which we thank them kindly for coming to Moree to assist our community.

Also from Tuesday (9 November), there will be a mobile vaccination unit travelling around our community. Please make them welcome if they come to a street near you, but even more importantly ensure you get vaccinated if not already.

Please take care, be responsible, get tested, get vaccinated.

We would all like this to be over this for Christmas, we can’t do it without your help.

Kind Regards,
Mayor Katrina Humphries
Moree Plains Shire Council

 Drum Roll  - We’ve Bin excited to announce this week’s winner

Which Bin? Competition winner for week one was Ann from Gurley!

Congratulations Ann on winning one of four $250 Love Local Cards.

Not registered for the competition yet? There is still time to recycle right and be in the running for a Love Local Card.

Further information can be found HERE 

📕 'Click and Collect' services available  📕

Due to the current active COVID cases in Moree, the Moree Community Library will be closed today (Friday 5 November) and tomorrow (Saturday 6 November).

✅ People can still use the ‘Click and Collect’ services available.

The Mobile Library Van visits have also been suspended until further notice, this includes home deliveries andplanned school visits.

Details on the reopening of the library will be addressed next week.

Message from the Mayor and Councillors

Dear Sad Community,

In light of the dreadful infection rates in Moree and its surroundings, we are requesting that we all stay at home wherever possible, work from home if possible, shut our shops and get off the streets. We need to take the pressure off our medical teams and try to take the sting out of this awful situation we are in. I call for this voluntary 'Get off the streets' to start as quickly as possible this evening, Thursday 4 November for review on Monday, 8 November 2021.

Our COVID cases are doubling daily and there is a lack of QR coding information because some reckless people have not been following the health guidelines. There has been no directive - to date -  from NSW Health and it is obvious to me that we have an enormous issue that is running rampant through our community.

Residents of Moree and surroundings, stay at home unless you need to get tested, need medical help or emergency supplies; or if you are an essential services provider and/or agricultural/harvest workers. The harvest season is underway and this really needs to continue. We need to look after ourselves and we need to be proactive.

The virus is here and what we have feared all along has now come to fruition. We simply have to give ourselves a chance to beat it.

Kind Regards,

Mayor Katrina Humphries, Cr Kerry Cassells, Cr Stephen Ritchie, Cr Jim Crawford, Cr George Chiu, and Cr Mike Montgomery AM. (At the time of release Cr JohnTramby was uncontactable.)

COVID Testing Site - Mungindi

Queensland Health will be carrying out free COVID-19 testing in Little Barwon Park, Mungindi (next to the RTC Centre) on Thursday, 4 November and Friday 5 November from 9am to 12pm.

Please feel welcome to come and get a test done, especially if you're showing signs of COVID-19, you should get tested and return home until you receive a negative test result 🏥➡️ 🏡.

Please bring your Medicare Card and wear a mask. 😷

Northern Inland Regional Waste ‘Recycle Right’ Webinars

NIRW has engaged Jo Taranto from 'Good For The Hood' to run two online webinars focused on recycling bin contamination reduction for our region.
The webinars are “Be a Good Sort: Setting Recycling Success” and will be held on Wednesday 17 November 2021, at lunchtime and an evening session.

Please click the links to register for the events:
Via Facebook >>
Lunchtime session 12:30 pm–1:30 pm
https://www.facebook.com/events/596425051709793/?ref=newsfeed
Evening session 6:30 pm–7:30 pm
https://www.facebook.com/events/1292523341188139?ref=newsfeed

Register for either webinar via these links:
https://events.humanitix.com/be-a-good-sort-setting-for-recycling-success
https://events.humanitix.com/be-a-good-sort-setting-for-recycling-success2

Update from Trans4m Rail

Message from the Mayor

Sometimes silence is not golden.
As a responsible proactive community, we need Health NSW to update public information immediately.
Our community needs to know which sites are exposure sites NOW. We have been well aware of sewerage detection for the last two weeks.
As the Mayor of the Moree Plains Shire Council, I am horrified at the time lag in regard to public information. Our community bush telegraph knows more about the local cases than our Health Department and this is unacceptable.
Please stay safe, get tested, and be aware of your surroundings.
We want to get through this breakout as soon as possible and have a free Christmas.

Kind Regards, 
Mayor Katrina Humphries
Moree Plains Shire Council

COVID-19

It is with great sadness that we have had confirmed, two local residents who have acquired COVID-19.
I call upon NSW Health to act very quickly with their contact tracing and advise our community of updated statuses relating to the local COVID cases.
To our community, follow all the processes that have been in place for 18 months, get tested, get vaccinated, and be sensible.

Kind Regards,
Mayor Katrina Humphries
Moree Plains Shire Council

Moree Livestock Selling Centre to Be Evaluated

Council will work with the Moree Livestock Selling Agents Association (MLSAA) to review the future of the Moree Livestock Selling Centre.

The saleyards have served for well over 50 years but Council and the MLSAA both agree it’s time to take a look at all options going forward.

From now until mid-2022, a comprehensive study will be carried out to determine industry needs for the yards, where they should be relocated to if moved, how the Inland Rail and Special Activation Precinct projects impact the current site, what the best operating model is as well as meeting biosecurity and emergency management requirements.

The decision included involving the State and Federal Governments for support and investment opportunities.

Mayor Katrina Humphries and Council met with Acting Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce, when he was in Moree on Monday (November 1), and discussion of the saleyards was on the agenda.

The proposed collaboration between Council and the MLSAA was put forward at last Thursday’s (October 28) Council meeting.

Video Created by Rabbit Hop Films (Sascha Estens)

Floodplain Feasibility Study Underway

With the recent appointment of Dryside Engineering (Dryside), works are underway for the feasibility study of the flood risk management plan recommended options contained in the Moree and Environs Floodplain Risk Management Plan (Plan), adopted by Council in May 2019.

Late last year, Council was successful in securing $137,000 from the NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment for this study, which will allow the community, through Council and the Moree Plains Shire Floodplain Risk Management Committee (Committee), to work through the recommendations.

This week, Dryside is on the ground in the Moree Plains, for the first time since their appointment.

The Plan summarises a number of management measures (Structural Planning and Emergency Response) that have been recommended for further investigation for Moree. During their visit this week to Moree, Dryside will commence investigations into these identified potential flood protection measures which aim to reduce the impact of major flood events on the community in Moree.

The measures to be further investigated include alterations to planning controls for high risk residential areas; the feasibility of raising a number of roads in town to facilitate safe evacuation prior to, and during, a flood; raising the northern approach to Dr Geoffrey Hunter Bridge on Balo Street and developing a helicopter landing area at Yarraman (including reducing the number of powerlines and/or relocating such services for safety). Dryside have also been engaged as part of the feasibility study to scrutinise and review the flood protection measure identified in the Plan’s recommendations which has raised most concern for many community members; the potential Moree town levee.

These investigations will involve onsite meetings with identified stakeholders as well as meeting with members of the Committee.

Once the feasibility study is completed, Council will work together with Northern Tablelands MP Adam Marshall to secure future funding to support any physical flood mitigation works.

For more details in relation to Floodplain Risk Management in the Moree Plains, see Council’s website > Hot Topics> Floodplain Risk Management.

Interested community members should provide their comments to Council’s Engineering Services team so these can be passed onto Dryside.

Level Four Water Restrictions for Mungindi with immediate effect

With a plant failure at Council’s onsite Water Treatment Plant in Mungindi, Council regrettably wishes to advise residents of Mungindi that Level 4 Water Restrictions need to be implemented with immediate effect until midnight on Wednesday 2 December 2020.

For Mungindi household water users, the following restrictions apply as Level 4 Water Restrictions, with immediate effect from today Monday 30 November 2020:
• Hand held hoses only to be used when watering lawns and gardens. Watering may only take place between 6:00am - 8:00am and 6:00pm - 8:00pm during summer. Buckets and recycled water may be used at any time;
• Paved and concrete surfaces are not to be washed down;
• Covered pools may only be topped up using hand held hoses during the hours allowed for general watering noted above;
• Car washing can only occur at commercial car washes that recycle water;
• Only water from a bucket can be used while undertaking home extensions or landscaping;
• Water can only be carted for domestic purposes;
• Washing of clothes is only permitted with full loads, adhering to the odds and even system;
o Households with odd street numbers are permitted to use their washing machine on odd dates;
o Households with even street numbers are permitted to use their washing machine on even dates.
• Residents are encouraged to have short showers (between 3-5 minutes);
• Pets are only to be washed using water from a bucket;
• Residents are encouraged to reduce usage of evaporative air coolers;
• All fountains are to be turned off and not to be topped up except for safety reasons.

For Commercial and Industrial water users in Mungindi, the following Level Four Water Restrictions will apply:
• Irrigation (Efficient User) consumption should be reduced by 50%;
• Irrigation (Non Efficient User) consumption should be reduced by 50%;
• All fountains are to be turned off and not to be topped up except for safety reasons;
• Public swimming pools are to be operated with maximum efficiency;
• Water can only be carted for domestic purposes;
• Businesses must make greater endeavours to minimise water usage;
• Car washing can only occur at commercial car washes that recycle water;
• Only commercial car washes that recycle water will be allowed to operate;
• Washing of commercial buildings and windows is banned.

These Water Restrictions will apply until midnight, Wednesday 2 December 2020.

Water levels in Mungindi are particularly concerning generally, with low rainfall over recent months and no river flow.

Last summer, residents will recall that a number of infrastructure upgrades were undertaken to supplement and ultimately replace the Mungindi town water supply with 100% artesian water. At the present time, Mungindi’s town water is supplied largely by river water although increasing amounts of artesian water are being preemptively utilised to better preserve the town water supply. Residents may notice that the town water supply is slightly warmer than usual as a result.

Last year, a leased cooling tower was installed to cool the artesian water prior to treatment. Council is currently awaiting delivery of its own cooling tower, which is coming from overseas.

Because there is some lead time prior to delivery and commissioning Council’s cooling tower at Mungindi, Council will be instigating more proactive measures to control water consumption in Mungindi for the remainder of the 2020 calendar year.

After midnight on Wednesday 2 December 2020, Water Restrictions will accordingly drop to Level Two Water Restrictions until 31 December 2020.

Council has in place a Water Supply Schemes Drought Management Plan which prescribes the approach to adopting water restrictions.

General Manager, Lester Rodgers explained “Today’s Level Four Water Restrictions are unfortunate but unavoidable, given a significant failure at our Water Treatment Plant. We encourage residents to work with us over the next few days while we replenish our water supplies in the reservoir.

“Decisions such as these aren’t taken lightly by Council and we urge all Mungindi community members to adhere to these restrictions in the short-term.

“After midnight Wednesday, we’ll be in a much better position but with dry conditions persisting and warmer temperatures expected over coming months, we will be keeping Level Two Water Restrictions in place for the remainder of December 2020 to proactively ensure supply is preserved for Mungindi through the Summer.  

“These water restrictions will provide residents with clear guidelines on how they can reduce their water consumption and Council will continue to closely monitor the supply levels.”

Following midnight Wednesday 2 December 2020, Level Two Water Restrictions will apply and residents in Mungindi should adhere to the following restrictions:
• Sprinkler Systems to be used between 6:00am-9:00am and 7:00pm-10:00pm during Summer in accordance with the Odds and Evens scheme. This means:
• Households with odd street numbers are permitted to use their sprinklers on odd dates during the times prescribed;
• Households with even street numbers are permitted to use their sprinklers on even dates during the times prescribed.
• Handheld hoses and buckets can be used at any time.
• Paved and concrete surfaces are not to be washed down.
• Pools may be topped up with a hand held hose and swimming pool covers are required when not in use.
• Car washing can only take place using a trigger hose and bucket.
• Water can only be carted from a secure water source.
• Residents are encouraged to only clothes wash when they have a full load.
• Fountains are to be turned off but ponds may be topped up.

For Commercial and Industrial water users in Mungindi, the following will apply:
• Irrigation (Efficient User) consumption should be reduced by 15%.
• Irrigation (Non Efficient User) consumption should be reduced by 25%.
• Washing of commercial buildings and windows is discouraged.

Further details of these water restrictions can be found on Council’s website www.mpsc.nsw.gov.au  within its Water Supply Schemes Drought Management Plan.

If residents of Mungindi have any questions about these restrictions, they are encouraged to contact Council directly.

Local Businesses And Workers To Share In $693 Million Inland Rail Project

Register Now!

With construction works to kick off shortly on the first part of the Inland Rail in the Moree Plains Shire, now is the time for local suppliers and job seekers to step up and secure a slice of the works on offer to locals.

ARTC awarded the $693 million construction contract for Phase 1 of the Narrabri to North Star section of the Inland Rail to Trans4m Rail, and Trans4M Rail is now looking to appoint local sub-contractors and workers for certain parts of the construction works.

Next week, ARTC and Trans4m Rail will be in Moree and are calling for interested local suppliers and job seekers to register now for the ’Meet the Contractors’ sessions being held next Tuesday 1 December 2020.

Moree Plains Shire Council Mayor, Cr Katrina Humphries, is urging locals to make the most of the economic boom that is about to hit the Moree Plains by businesses and job seekers doing what they can to put their best foot forward.

“The Moree region is filled with passionate suppliers and amazing talent providing a level of service second to none. Locals need to grab this opportunity with both hands - Inland Rail is a once in a life time opportunity. With the recent announcement of Trans4m Rail as the Tier 1 Contractor, it’s now crunch time to get involved,” said the Mayor.  

ARTC and Trans4m Rail will be hosting three sessions for the day; local suppliers and job seekers should register their interest for one of the following:

Session 1:            Subcontractors and Supply Chain

                                7.30am – 9.00am

                                Project overview, procurement and supply chain opportunities

Session 2:            Employment Opportunities and Job Network Providers

                                10.30am – 12 noon

                                Project overview, employment opportunities and process, job network information

Session 3:            Employment, Subcontractors and Supply Chain

                                5.30pm – 7.00pm

                               Project overview, procurement and supply chain opportunities and process, employment opportunities and process

To register your interest in attending one of these sessions email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

For further information about how to become a supplier for the Inland Rail visit the website https://inlandrail.artc.com.au/opportunities/suppliers/

Local Businesses and Workers to Share in $693 Million Inland Rail Project

Register now

With construction works to kick off shortly on the first part of the Inland Rail in the Moree Plains Shire, now is the time for local suppliers and job seekers to step up and secure a slice of the works on offer to locals.

ARTC awarded the $693 million construction contract for Phase 1 of the Narrabri to North Star section of the Inland Rail to Trans4m Rail, and Trans4M Rail is now looking to appoint local sub-contractors and workers for certain parts of the construction works.

Next week, ARTC and Trans4m Rail will be in Moree and are calling for interested local suppliers and job seekers to register now for the ’Meet the Contractors’ sessions being held next Tuesday 1 December 2020.

Moree Plains Shire Council Mayor, Cr Katrina Humphries, is urging locals to make the most of the economic boom that is about to hit the Moree Plains by businesses and job seekers doing what they can to put their best foot forward.

“The Moree region is filled with passionate suppliers and amazing talent providing a level of service second to none. Locals need to grab this opportunity with both hands - Inland Rail is a once in a lifetime opportunity. With the recent announcement of Trans4m Rail as the Tier 1 Contractor, it’s now crunch time to get involved,” said the Mayor. 

ARTC and Trans4m Rail will be hosting three sessions for the day; local suppliers and job seekers should register their interest for one of the following:

Session 1:            Subcontractors and Supply Chain

                             7.30am – 9.00am

                              Project overview, procurement and supply chain opportunities

Session 2:            Employment Opportunities and Job Network Providers

                             10.30am – 12 noon

                             Project overview, employment opportunities and process, job network information

Session 3:            Employment, Subcontractors and Supply Chain

                             5.30pm – 7.00pm

Project overview, procurement and supply chain opportunities and process, employment opportunities and process

To register your interest in attending one of these sessions email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

For further information about how to become a supplier for the Inland Rail visit the website https://inlandrail.artc.com.au/opportunities/suppliers/

Calling all Stall Holders for Christmas at Twilight Event

The festive cheer continues to spread across the black soil plains with confirmation that Moree’s Christmas at Twilight event is going ahead from 5pm on Friday 18 December.

Local businesses, community groups and general stall holders are invited to participate in the annual Christmas at Twilight event.

To confirm your participation and reserve a spot for your stall, complete the registration form and submit this along with a copy of your public liability insurance and COVID Safety Plan to Council’s Community Development Team This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or via fax on 02 6752 3934.

Mighty Moree on track for Its share of $1 billion

Mayor Katrina Humphries has congratulated the NSW Government and Team Moree Plains on reaching another major milestone for the Moree Special Activation Precinct (Moree SAP). Last Friday the NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment (DPIE) and an army of technical experts completed their final master planning workshop for the Moree SAP.

The Moree SAP is one of a select group of locations across NSW, identified as areas of strategic significance for the future of regional NSW. Once the master plan for Moree SAP is finalised around March 2021, any industries and businesses looking to locate there will be guaranteed a 30-day fast tracked planning approval. This cuts red tape and reduces costs.

It's Beginning to Look a Like Christmas in Moree

The Christmas Elves of the Moree Plains have taken some time out from Santa’s Workshop to bring some festive cheer to the Moree CBD.

We have Decked the Hall at the Moree Memorial Hall with the installation of our new community Christmas Tree, following an allocation by Council in this year’s budget to acquire Christmas Decorations for the Shire.

As part of Council’s usual main street shut-down for essential works, the CBD of Moree has been filled with joy ahead of the 2020 festive season with decorations, lights and street flags adorning Heber and Balo Streets as well as the installation of our new Christmas Tree on the steps of our much loved Moree Memorial Hall.

The monumental size of our new Christmas Tree is only matched by the community effort it represents; with Moree’s Christmas Project involving not just Council but also the hard working efforts of the Moree Urban Advisory Committee (UAC), the Moree Chamber of Commerce, the Moree Men’s Shed and kindergarten students across the Shire.

Members of the Moree Men’s Shed have used their new home at the Moree Showgrounds to design, fabricate and construct the base of the Christmas Tree.

Over 150 kindergarten students across the Shire have participated in our Inaugural Kindergarten Christmas Bauble Project; decorating their clear baubles with much enthusiasm! With all the named ornaments now proudly installed, we invite our special Christmas helpers to see if they can find their bauble on our community Christmas Tree. A very big thank you to the educators and students of Moree East Public School, Moree Public School, St Philomena’s School, Pallamallawa Public School and Garah Public School for answering our call to be involved in the first year of our Kindergarten Christmas Bauble Project.   

The Max Centre also welcomes the return of our very large donated indoor Christmas Tree, kindly installed by our UAC members this weekend.

The community Christmas Tree, decorations and lights will be on display throughout the Moree CBD for the entire festive season. We would like to remind community members that Santa is not the only one watching at this time of the year, with CCTV in operation throughout Moree’s CBD.

Katrina Humphries, Mayor of Moree Plains Shire Council has been delighted by the display commenting, “I hope these decorations bring great joy and fill the community with Christmas cheer.”

“These wonderful decorations are a sight for sore eyes, they are encouragement that the end of the year is almost here and that Christmas is around the corner.

“A wonderful addition to our new Christmas Tree is our Kinder students’ handmade baubles from participating schools throughout the Shire, each decoration has the child’s first name and initial of their last name so that they can locate it”, concluded Mayor Humphries.

Council’s UAC played a significant role in helping to secure funds for this year’s Shire Christmas Decorations. Chair of UAC, Councillor Stephen Ritchie, has been an enthusiastic advocate for the Christmas decorations, “Every year UAC dedicate time to decorating the Max Centre for Christmas”, Councillor Ritchie explained.

“We have always had a limited supply of decorations so this year we were very pleased to receive the news that Council had provided funding for decorations across the Shire”, said Councillor Ritchie.

The installation of the new Moree decorations has been orchestrated to align with the first week of the Moree CBD’s Thursday night late night shopping event.

Dibs Cush, President of Moree’s Chamber of Commerce has noted that while COVID-19 means that the late night shopping events might look a little different this year, shoppers should not be deterred from purchasing Christmas presents locally.

“Our retailers are looking forward to welcoming you this festive season to find the perfect gift for every person on your Christmas Shopping list.

“We really are spoilt for choice in the Moree Plains so after a few very tough years, it would be great to celebrate Christmas 2020 with plenty of support for our local businesses. Local retailers will be advertising their extended trading hours on their social media platforms so be sure to follow them on Facebook and Instagram”, said Mrs Cush.

Christmas cheer will continue to be spread throughout the Shire with decorations to be installed in villages across the Shire during the course of this week.

Boggabilla and Toomelah Waste Collection Postponed

Moree Plains Shire Council would like to advise Boggabilla and Toomelah residents the red and yellow bin kerbside collection for this Tuesday 24 November has been postponed until later this week.

We will advise residents when kerbside collection will occur.

We apologise for any inconvenience.  

Floodplain Risk Management across the Moree Plains

Since May 2018, the Moree Plains Shire Floodplain Risk Management Committee (Committee) has been in place, with the Committee comprising representatives across the Shire. The Committee was formed to assist Moree Plains Shire Council (Council) in the development and implementation of floodplain risk management plans across the Shire.

Since its formation, the Committee has been meeting regularly. Floodplain Risk Management Plans take time to investigate, fund and implement which is why the value of the Committee cannot be underestimated.

While the Committee represents the whole of the Shire, in the lead up to Christmas 2020, the Committee is focussed on floodplain initiatives for Moree.

Be Part Of The Team Creating Moree’s Bright Future

Council is seeking a shining star to join our Regional Activation team as our Inland Rail Liaison Officer. This is a full-time role for up to 4 years and applications are now open.

Council’s Regional Activation Unit, located on the Ground Floor of the Max Centre, has been created by Council as a one stop shop to drive Council’s initiatives in relation to the Melbourne to Brisbane Inland Rail and the Moree Special Activation Precinct.

A unique opportunity has been presented to Moree, marking the dawning of a new era for north-western NSW and Council is committed to having the right team in place to drive this transformational project on behalf of our community.

With last week’s news that Trans4M Rail has been appointed to deliver construction of the first phase of work on the Narrabri to North Star project, valued at $693M, we are now looking for a team member who will be the point of contact and conduit for all matters relating to the Inland Rail construction within our Shire. A critical part of this role will be working with stakeholders to maximise local procurement and employment opportunities arising from the construction of Inland Rail.

EPA Pilot Project

The presence of burnt-out dwellings in Moree has been, and remains, a significant and reoccurring agenda item for Council and a matter of concern to the community at large.

As reported to Council on 8 October 2020, there are now over 50 dilapidated dwellings within the Moree township, with majority privately owned and therefore within Council’s remit to manage. Conversations are continuing with the relevant State and Federal authorities in relation to government owned dwellings to ensure the buildings’ timely removal.

Method of dilapidated building management

Council currently only manages dilapidated buildings under the powers that Council has under the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979. More specifically, Council uses Demolition Works Orders under the Act. This is an enforcement tool to get owners to address the risks that these buildings pose to public and neighbouring properties. Council also has powers under the Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997 and the NSW Local Government Act 1993.

Delay For Water Notices

By now, water notices for the first quarter of the 2020/2021 financial year would usually have arrived in mailboxes across the Shire.

Moree Plains Shire Council would like to advise water users that the Quarter 1 water notices have been delayed due to unforeseeable interruptions with the final roll-out of smart water meter readers throughout Moree.

Inland Rail Steaming into the Moree Plains  -  $693 Million Construction Contract Awarded

The Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC) has awarded the $693 million construction contract for the next section of Inland Rail, with Trans4m Rail announced as the Tier 1 Contractor for Phase 1 of the Narrabri to North Star section of the Inland Rail.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development, Michael McCormack, welcomed the news that ARTC had signed the contract with Trans4m Rail, a joint-venture between John Holland and SEE Civil, as it represents a significant milestone for Inland Rail.

Honour Roll Unveiling

Moree Plains Shire Council will be holding a small event to unveil the newly updated Honour Roll located at Moree Memorial Hall this Remembrance Day, Wednesday 11 November 2020 at 10am.

In 2018, in honour of Remembrance Day and the Centenary of Armistice, Councillors moved a Notice of Motion to call for submissions to update the Honour Roll at the Moree Memorial Hall to ensure that as many local veterans as possible were represented.

Two honoured guests who have been added to the Honour Roll will be in attendance by video link, calling in from Melbourne and the Philippines.

All submissions received for the new Honour Roll were verified through a lengthy and thorough process.

Following the small event, community members will be invited to move on to the Moree RSL Sub Branch to attend the Official Remembrance Day Service beginning at 11am.

All activities are being conducted under the requirements of the NSW Public Health Order and social distancing measures will be in place. All attendees will be required to provide their details for contact tracing purposes.

A New Approach For Moree's Burnt-Out Dwellings

The presence of burnt-out dwellings in Moree has been, and remains, a significant and reoccurring agenda item for Moree Plains Shire Council (Council) and a matter of concern to the community at large.

After Council pursuing various strategies to address the burnt-out dwellings in recent years, the NSW Asbestos Coordination Committee (NACC) along with the NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) has recognised the challenge facing Council and the Moree community and partnered with Council to develop a standard process for assessing burnt-out houses.

In its response to the bushfires of the 2019/2020 summer, the EPA was a lead agency in working with homeowners, adjoining neighbourhoods and local government authorities as well as other agencies to review hazardous materials at burnt-out houses elsewhere in NSW and therefore, is well placed to apply these learnings to Moree.

 From next Monday 9 November, representatives of Council and the EPA will be joined by members of NSW Fire and Rescue and Public Works Advisory in Moree to commence an inspection program for a number of affected properties throughout South Moree.

Change to Access to Moree Customer Service

From Monday 9 November, Levels 1 and 2 of the Max Centre (including Council’s Customer Service Centre) will be fully accessible via the stairs and lift, without the need for customers to call ahead.

Council is committed to its responsibility to ensure any facilities that open for public access now or in the future can be staffed in accordance with the regulations, while ensuring public safety can be maintained through adequate social distancing and thorough cleaning practices (including additional cleaning for high touch areas).

Bring in 2021 with a Bang! - Public Donations Fund Now Open

Kick 2021 off with a bang with financial assistance from Council for your community, sporting and educational group!

Community, sporting and educational groups across the Moree Plains are invited to secure funding from the Public Donations fund for the January – March quarter to help sponsor their next event, purchase new equipment or otherwise fund the provision of services for activities within the Shire.

A whopping $20,000 is up for grabs with two rounds of funding to be determined by Council in January 2021, with only one round of funding having been offered thus far this financial year following restrictions placed on face-to-face Council meetings earlier this year due to the Coronavirus pandemic.

Katrina Humphries, Moree Plains Shire Council’s Mayor highlighted that the public donations funding is an opportunity for groups within the Moree Plains Shire to secure sponsorship and support from Council.

Winning Truck Art Design On The Road

The winner of the 2020 Truck Art Competition run in collaboration with Moree Plains Shire Council and Cleanaway is Annie from Garah Public School.

Annie created an impressive piece of artwork reflecting this year’s theme, ‘be green, keep your recycling clean’ and was able to unveil her design to her whole school with the newly decorated Cleanaway truck stopping by for a visit.

Moree Plains Shire Council’s Waste Manager, Victoria Dawson, was blown away by the number of entries received from school children across the Shire, the depth of recycling knowledge and artistic talent they bought to the competition.

Register Now - Water and Rates Notice Available Online

Residents of Moree Plains Shire can register to receive, pay and keep a digital record of Council water and rates notices through Payreq MyBills, an online platform.

Acting Direct of Corporate Services, Andrew Probert, has commented on the benefits of digital water and rates notices, “Online billing reduces paper waste, save costs on return mail, provides residents with instant delivery and is an easy, no-fuss way to pay and keep a digital record of bills.

“Residents will continue to receive water and rates notices in the mail if they do not opt into the online method and payment can continue to be made over the phone or by visiting Council’s Customer Service Centre”, said Mr Probert.

Community Paint Day - 7 November 2020 

After a rained-out event, Moree Plains Shire Council would like to invited the community to attend the rescheduled community paint day for Moree’s Blue Tree project this Saturday, 7 November at 11 am.

The aim of the day is to create Moree’s Blue Tree as a community by spreading paint together and facilitating meaningful discussions about mental health.

The mental health services in attendance on the day will be able to provide information to residences about where they can go to receive support, how to support a person struggling with a mental illness and strategies to improve mental health.