Mayoral Column - 16 September 2020
Published on 16 September 2020
Last week marked National Child Protection Week and Friday was White Balloon Day which is now in its 24th year. White Balloon Day is Australia’s longest running annual national awareness campaign for the prevention of child sexual assault and exploitation. The message couldn’t be stronger – child protection is everyone’s job.
It is not solely the responsibility of parents and grandparents. Teachers and police officers can only do so much. When it comes to keeping the country’s most vulnerable souls safe from harm, we all have a role to play.
A great resource has been put together by Bravehearts. The Parents Guide to Personal Safety booklet includes information about the occurrence, prevention, and disclosure of child sexual assault and harm, as well as activities and tips for parents to help teach their children about personal safety and a list of child-safety emergency contacts. To view the book visit www.whiteballoonday.com.
This weekend is Get Ready Weekend hosted by the NSW Rural Fire Service on 19 and 20 September both in person and online. Following the devastating 2019/20 bushfire season, communities are understandably keen to know more about getting ready in the lead up to the 2020/21 season. Follow the Rural Fire Service Lower Hunter Facebook Page for information as it becomes available. You can also visit www.rfs.nsw.gov.au for more information.
Cessnock City Council is currently conducting a survey to hear from those in the community who were impacted by the last bushfire season. The survey has been put together with the help of Resilience NSW in order to get a better insight into community needs and the assistance residents may still require. Anyone interested in doing the survey can contact Council’s Community Recovery Officer Melissa Boucher at Melissa.boucher@cessnock.nsw.gov.au or phone 4993 4257.
Stage One and Two works on Gingers Lane are now complete and Stage Three is well underway between Woodlands Drive and Stringybark Place. A road closure is currently in place on Gingers Lane for Stage Three road works between Woodlands Drive and Stringybark Place. Detours are in place via Frame Drive and Sawyers Gully Road as the staged construction progresses. During the course of the upgrade, there have been some unavoidable delays and the expected completion date is now March 2021. The patience of residents is appreciated as these works are carried out.
It was great to attend the opening of Coles Huntlee this morning. This facility is positive for our local community providing jobs and also increasing convenience and liveability for our residents.