CABONNE Council has moved a further step closer to the provision of a new library at Molong.
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Council will seek another structural assessment of the Mitchell Room adjacent to the Molong Community Hall to confirm previous engineering advice that the building can be given a new lease of life, allowing it to be refurbished and reconfigured as a library.
There had been concerns the Mitchell Room may have to be demolished, but recent structural assessments have indicated that with some repairs and restoration, the decaying process can be greatly slowed and, with proper care and maintenance, the building could last well into the future.
The further structural assessment will help council determine a detailed estimate of the repair and restoration costs. If the assessment confirms the previous advice, we can start preparing plans for the library refurbishment.
Almost $1.3 million has been included in council’s 2017-18 Budget to refurbish, establish or construct a new library in town.
FACELIFT FOR ANIMALS ON BIKES TOURIST TRAIL
THE animals on bikes tourist trail between Molong and Dubbo will receive a facelift following council’s decision to provide more than $6,300 to repair and paint the unique sculptures, which have gained international and national attention since being installed in 2009.
Created by local farmers and community members, the award-winning sculpture trail has been successful in enticing visitors to take the tourist drive through Cumnock and Yeoval, providing much-needed tourism dollars to these villages.
Council’s contribution will also enable the Cumnock community to further promote the tourist trail to new markets and to place a new sculpture between Orange and Molong.
WHITE RIBBON DAY SUCCESS AT CANOWINDRA
CANOWINDRA’S White Ribbon Day march against domestic violence on November 24 was an outstanding success and I am certain it will continue to grow into one of the most significant events in Cabonne.
I would like to congratulate all involved in organising this event to raise awareness of one of the most pressing issues facing society in Australia today.
Having recently retired after a 30-year career in the police force I, like most of the my colleagues, have seen first-hand the devastating effects domestic violence has on individuals, families and the wider community.
Sadly, the facts surrounding domestic violence are shocking. On average one woman every week is killed by a partner or former partner and one in four women in Australia has experienced domestic violence.
That is simply unacceptable in any society.
It was great to see so many local school students taking part in the march because our younger generation will play a crucial role in eliminating this scourge.
Hopefully they took great inspiration from guest speaker Kirrily Dear, who recently completed a 19-day 1,300 kilometre ultra marathon run from Broken Hill to Sydney to raise aware of domestic violence. Kirrily’s passion for the cause was evident in her wonderful speech.
COUNCIL’S NEXT MEETING MOVED TO TUESDAY
COUNCIL’S December meeting has been brought forward by a fortnight to avoid a clash with the Christmas holiday period. The meeting will be held on Tuesday, starting at 2pm.
The council’s ordinary meetings are normally scheduled for the fourth Tuesday of each month, however in December that falls on the Boxing Day public holiday.
By moving the meeting forward by two weeks, council will be able to undertake business arising from the meeting before the Christmas-New Year holiday period begins.
THANKS TO COMMUNITY TRANSPORT VOLUNTEERS
CABONNE Community Transport volunteers spent 4,400 hours behind the wheel, driving 116,000 kilometres to help frail aged and transport disadvantaged clients in the shire during 2016-17.
To put that into perspective, they made the equivalent of 32 trips from Cabonne to Perth, making more than 8,800 trips during the year.
Volunteers are the backbone of our Cabonne communities and community transport receives amazing support from its volunteer drivers.
In addition to these trips, Cabonne Community Transport coordinated bus services from Manildra, Cudal, Yeoval and Cumnock to Orange each fortnight and buses from Eugowra, Canowindra and Cargo every month.
The service also provided taxi vouchers for clients in Canowindra and organised a number of social trips for senior residents, including an 11-day trek to Longreach in Queensland.
$50 ANNUAL PRIZES FOR SCHOOL STUDENTS
CABONNE Council will sponsor a $50 prize for annual presentation ceremonies at each primary and secondary school in the shire to thank them for their support.
Cabonne is blessed to have 19 schools within its area, with Molong and Yeoval Central Schools having both primary and secondary students. We value the relationship we have all of these schools.