Mayoral Column - 22 March 2023

Published on 22 March 2023

Road works are currently underway throughout the region. It is important that we all keep an eye on Council's website and social media channels for updates on these works.  As a Council, we are committed to doing more road works each year than the year before.

I would like to take a moment to acknowledge the hard work and dedication of our Council staff who were involved in the Camp Road upgrades.  I had the opportunity of meeting the team on site last week to hear about the process and cannot speak highly enough of the staff involved.  

Camp Road was identified in our Delivery Program as an area in need of improvement, Council staff applied for and received partial funding from the Federal Government.  At the time of investigating and design of this project this section of road was considered the worst.   

We know heavy rain events after works were planned have damaged other sections of Camp Road and we are committed to continuing our efforts to improve Camp Road and roads throughout our city.

The draft Climate Change Resilience Plan is currently on exhibition, during the exhibition period, which ends on 13 April, the community has the opportunity to have their say on the proposed Plan. This plan is a crucial first step towards Council's commitment to achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, which was adopted in May 2020.

The Plan is divided into two areas, Climate Resilient Council and Climate Resilient Cessnock, the Plan focuses on Council's operations and assisting the community in transitioning to sustainable options respectively. This plan is not only good for the environment, but good for Council’s operations and budget with projected savings of $1M over the four year plan, with savings anticipated to increase as we move towards our goal of net zero emissions by 2050.

I would also like to give a special shout out to our wonderful Cessnock and Kurri Libraries.  The staff at these libraries go above and beyond to provide a wide range of events and services to our community.  From Talking History events to Connecting Through Technology events for seniors, Dungeons and Dragons sessions, children's story time, and crafternoons, there is truly something for everyone.  If you haven’t been to your local library for a while I encourage you all to check out their events online and take advantage of these fantastic resources.

I would like to thank each and every one of you for your continued support and commitment to our city.  As always, my door is open, and I look forward to continuing to work together to make Cessnock City the best it can be.