Media Releases

More than 40 per cent of fires happen during winter and with winter approaching, now is the time to ensure your smoke alarms are working. In NSW, it is compulsory for smoke alarms to be fitted in all new and existing buildings and moveable dwellings such as caravans and campervans, where people sleep. A smoke alarm may cost just a few dollars but it could save your life in the event of a fire.

All NSW swimming pool owners have from the 29 April 2013 until 29 October 2013 to register their pool on the NSW State Government online register or risk a $220 penalty. Pool owners are required to self-assess their pools against checklists provided in the register and state that their pool complies with the applicable standards. If unsure as to what is required of their fencing pool owners may apply for a Swimming Pool Compliance Certificate with Council. The online register is provided by the NSW Department of Local Government and may be accessed at www.swimmingpoolregister.nsw.gov.au.  Alternatively a registration form may be completed and returned to Council. For further information please contact; - Department of Local Government –  www.dlg.nsw.gov.au - Council - Riverina Highlands Building – 76 Capper Street Tumut Phone: (02) 6941 2518

During the month of March Tumut Shire Council has conducted the “Have Your Say” campaign.  The aim of the campaign was to provide the community the opportunity to participate and get involved in the decision making process of Council and to help set the future direction of Council.  Five community meetings were held in Batlow, Adelong, Tumut, Brungle and Talbingo along with an online and paper survey to receive feedback. The participation of the community meetings was good, with over 90 residents attending and discussing the future of our shire.  The online survey has had a fantastic response rate with nearly 70 submissions and the paper survey having nearly 100 responses.  The responses and feedback will be utilised to prepare councils strategic plans, including the 10 year Community Strategic Plan and 10 year Long Term Financial Plan. The last of the “Have Your Say” community consultation was held in Talbingo on Wednesday night, with fourteen residents and property owners attending to help council set the future direction of our shire. The residents, many of whom have relocated to Talbingo due to the peace and quiet and natural beauty of the area, were enthusiastic in participating in the survey and having meaningful conservation with Councillors and staff on what was working well and improvements that could be made to make Tumut Shire and especially Talbingo even better. Tourism and waste seem to be the major discussion points in all community meetings and it was the same with Talbingo residents.  Residents want to maintain the current atmosphere of Talbingo, but would appreciate services and facilities to accommodate the tourists and the fluctuating population during holiday season.  Residents also identified that Talbingo and surrounding areas required the upgrade or installment of informational signage and there needs to be better communication from Council to our non-resident ratepayers. Tumut Shire Council thanks the Talbingo Progress and Ratepayers Association and Country Club for hosting the event and thanks all residents who took the time to be part of Tumut Shire’s future. There is still time for residents to participate in the online survey; this can be accessed via council’s website and go to the Have Your Say webpage.  The online survey will be open until 9.00am Monday 8 April. The draft Community Strategic Plan, Delivery Program and Operational Plan and Long Term Financial Plan will be available for viewing as of 1 May 2013 until 7June 2013.  These plans would have been prepared utilising the community feedback from the “Have Your Say” campaign.  All residents are encouraged to provide feedback and submissions.

A small group of long term Brungle residents attended the fourth Tumut Shire Council Community Consultation Meeting last Monday at the Brungle Memorial Hall. The Mayor, Trina Thomson, thanked the residents for attending and noted how important the opportunity to discuss the future of Brungle as part of the Tumut Shire is. The Brungle residents love their quiet, peaceful village with its historic community hall and they appreciate the quality of services provided to the community such as water, sewer, garbage collection and general road and town maintenance. Mayor Thomson also outlined the Future Directions principles that Councillors have prepared to help them with their strategic decision making processes. After a brief explanation of the Integrated Planning and Reporting (IP&R) legislation and an overview of how the Community Strategic Plan is linked to Council’s ten (10) year Long Term Financial Plan, the Brungle residents rolled up their sleeves and spent a valuable half hour working on input into the ‘Have Your Say’ survey. The survey is designed as a simple way to let Council know what residents think is working well, what needs to be improved and what services they value most.  There is no doubt that Brungle residents appreciate their friendly neighbours and the services they receive.  They have concerns about the ongoing maintenance of their hall, managing speeding trucks and the need for a stronger tourism focus across the shire.  One problem that is causing some confusion is the need for a consistent rural address system so that residents can rely on their house address during emergencies.   A number of inconsistencies were noted and they will be investigated. The evening concluded with a lovely country ‘supper’ provided by the Brungle Hall committee which was appreciated by all. The final 2013 ‘Have Your Say’ community meeting will take place next Wednesday 3rd April 2013 at 7:30 pm at the Talbingo Country Club.  The meeting is being hosted by the Talbingo Ratepayers Association and all residents of Talbingo are warmly invited to attend. Shire residents are reminded that there is a comprehensive on-line ‘Have Your Say’ survey available on Council’s website www.tumut.nsw,gov.au.  Surveys are also available at the libraries and council offices.  Council will continue the preparation of the Community Strategic Plan 2013/2023 until April 30th after which it will be available for further public comment for 6 weeks until mid June.

Saturday 6 April will commemorate an important milestone in the life of the Adelong Falls Gold Mill Ruins.  The Reefer Battery, also known as Adelong Falls Gold Mill Ruins, will be recognised by Engineering Heritage Australia as a significant engineering heritage site at a ceremony commencing at 5.00pm. The Reefer Battery, from an engineering heritage viewpoint, was a significant player in the processing of the difficult ores that occurred in New South Wales and Victorian Colonies. Because of the continuous technological improvements that were incorporated into the mill by its owners David Wilson and William Ritchie, the later NSW Chief Inspector of Mines W. H. Slee wrote in his 1876 annual report: “The quartz crushing and gold-saving machinery is a credit to New South Wales and ranks among the foremost of any in Australia.” Erected in 1870, the mill was one of several along the Adelong creek. It was the most efficient and the last to close in 1915. Powered originally by one and later two water wheels  the Reefer Battery demonstrated excellence in the design of the mill machinery and the development of processing practices. In the design and manufacture of the machinery Wilson and Ritchie were assisted by P. N. Russell & Co, the premier Australian engineering company of the day. As an efficient and effective facility, the Battery was commercially significant to the Adelong area in that it enabled ore to be processed locally instead of having to be transported to distant facilities. The Reefer Battery was representative of a number of stages of development in processing gold ores over its 50 years life. Mr Simon Wiltshire, Chair of the Sydney Engineering Heritage Committee said “The stone ruins of the Reefer Battery are substantially intact, and enable interpretation how reef ore was processed in the most efficient water powered gold mill in NSW and perhaps Australia, and was one of the few privately owned mills that incorporated an extended treatment process to extract gold from pyritic ore”. “The ceremony is a way of bringing further public recognition of this significant historic engineering work and the people who created it”, Mr Wiltshire said. The official unveiling of the Engineering Heritage Marker will be conducted by the Chair of Engineering Heritage Australia, Mr John Heathers. Paul Mullins, Tumut Shire Council’s Director Development and Environment said “This event is a culmination of an extraordinary amount of volunteer time by retired engineer Doug Boleyn who has compiled the application with considerable input by local historian Tom Wiles. Council is most grateful to both men for their dedication to the project. Having the site recognised in such a prestigious way has justified the time and effort Council to this important industrial heritage site not just for Tumut Shire but the nation”. Tumut Shire Council is delighted to welcome Engineers Australia to this very prestigious event and to add to the celebration there will be a special Lighting of the Ruins by the SES. Media Contact: Sarah Ross – Manager Public Relations Engineers Australia Voice;  02 6270 6565 Mobile 0402 419 962 e-mail sross@engineersaustralia.org.au

After almost two and half years and two major floods the historic ruins are now once more accessible to the public. Bede Spannagle, Project Director for flood repairs throughout the shire said “it has been a long wait for all concerned particularly Tumut Shire Council /Snowy Works staff who have worked hard to restore access. We are pleased that it will be open for the many visitors expected over the Easter period”. “Funding was approved through the Natural Disaster Program late last year. This has enabled important work to be undertaken, including access to all bridges and resurfacing sections of the walking track. There is still work to be completed; however this does not affect public access”. The first week in April will also see the schools program ‘Life Among the Ruins’ launched. Study packs across several subjects have been developed in collaboration with the Riverina Environment Education Centre and Tumut Shire Council. The project was funded by the Murrumbidgee Catchment Authority, Community Partnerships. Tumut Shire Council’s Director Development & Environment said “The ‘Life Among the Ruins’ project was delayed by the floods and the need to align it with the National School Curriculum. Council is pleased that it has finally come to fruition and the fact two schools will use the study packs in the first week.” The Riverina Environmental Education Centre will be running the two excursions “This is a great opportunity to have young people involved in the historic site and to discover life among the ruins”. Coupled with the two excursions and launch of ‘Life Among the Ruins’ there will be an ephemeral art workshop with over sixty local students of all ages involved in creating art within the Adelong Falls Reserve. Part funding for this project was received through the Tumut Shire Community Strengthening Grants Program and it is hoped this will be the first of many. The week will be capped off on Saturday 6 April, at 5.00pm, with a very prestigious event, being the unveiling of a Heritage Engineers marker recognising the importance the Reefer Battery, which was possibly the most efficient ore crushing mill in the country. To complete the celebration there will be a Lighting of the Ruins by SES and narration by Adelong school children. The public are invited to attend.

A new website, www.goldtrails.com.au is to be launched featuring NSW’s gold rush history and promoting historical attractions of the region. Aimed at both locals and visitors, the Gold Trails website will be formally launched by Katrina Hodgkinson, the Minister for Primary Industries and Minister for Small Business, at the Lambing Flat Festival, a Gold Trails event, in Young at 9am on Saturday 9th March. The launch will be followed by the unveiling of interpretive signage at nearby Gold Trails sites in Young, Murrumburrah and Binalong. Gold Trails links 17 local government areas and two National Parks and Wildlife Service sites located in the Lachlan Fold Belt, the main geographical region for gold discovery in NSW. It stretches from Hill End in the north to Kiandra in the south; Yass in the east to Forbes and West Wyalong out west. The website provides people with a complete chronology of the gold mining story in central and southwest NSW from 1851 into the 20th century. The chronology, drawn from newspaper articles and NSW Department of Mines reports, captures an extraordinary history of bushranging and the cultural tension associated with the presence of Chinese on the goldfields. Featuring evocative images of the different eras, the historical component of the website should become an excellent tool for school students and others looking to improve their knowledge of our region’s fascinating history. Every goldfield has its own trail – every goldmining family their own story. There’s nothing like being there to explore the different experiences on offer at each of the trails’ best-known gold centres. The website provides people with a complete picture of the various Gold Trails, with maps, historic information and details of historic attractions in each town and village. An interactive pdf file can be downloaded for use as a portable field guide in areas with no internet coverage. Paul Mullins. Tumut Shire Council’s Director Development & Environment said “Tumut Shire, particular the Adelong Falls Gold Mill Ruins, features prominently on the website. Council is delighted to part of this major project for heritage tourism and education across the Gold Trails region but also how we connect with our closer Gold Trails of Kiandra and Gundagai.     Years in the making, the project came about through the formation of a regional forum, now incorporated as ‘Gold Trails’, whose aim is to engage local communities in promoting the gold rush history of the area. Development of the website was possible thanks to the support from the NSW Government and its tourism and major events agency, Destination NSW, through the 2011/12 Regional Tourism Product Development Program. “The Gold Trails project and the resulting website is testament to the committee’s hard work. It is another example of regional cooperation in championing tourism in regional NSW”, explained Mr Mullins, “The website is a key component of a much larger project, aimed at generating interest in the rich history of our area. The Adelong Falls is a major part of our early history and we hope the Gold Trails website will generate more interest in the significant role gold played across our region and will be a great recourse for students”. “Over the coming months iPad kiosks will be installed in visitor information centres throughout the Gold Trails region. People will be able to use the iPad to access the Gold Trails website, to plan their travel, download the interactive pdf, and learn more of our golden heritage. Roadside billboards will also be erected to promote awareness of the Gold Trails” explained Mr Mullins. The Gold Trails project will seek to attract future state and federal tourism funding to expand the project. The group is also exploring funding opportunities in the commercial sector.

Tumut Shire Council and the community have today celebrated the commencement of construction of the new Adelong Swimming pool complex. This milestone was celebrated by a ‘sod turning’ ceremony at the new pool site, with Mayor Trina Thomson, Member for Riverina Michael McCormack and Adelong Community Bank Chairperson Stuart Smith performing the honours in the company of a large community contingent. The original Adelong swimming pool was completely destroyed during the 2010 floods and Council has negotiated substantial government natural disaster funding for the replacement of the pool complex on a new, non-flood prone site.   Mayor Thomson said The old pool location was within the riparian zone of the Adelong Creek and was subject to intermittent flooding.  On the 15th October 2010 the region received torrential rains that caused major flooding in the Adelong Creek resulting in the lower lying portions of the Adelong township being flooded and the swimming pool destroyed. This flooding event was declared a natural disaster by the state government and Natural Disaster funding was sought for the restoration of the pool.  Restoration funding of $1.053 million was provided to Council in 2011. At a similar time Council engaged a consultant to prepare a cost benefit analysis for preparation of a Betterment Claim under Natural Disaster provisions. The claim was based on relocating the pool to a location that was not flood prone.  This claim was finally approved in November 2012 for a Betterment payment of $887,199. This is significant in that Tumut has been the only authority in Australia to successfully use these provisions and I note that they are no longer available. These amounts together with other smaller grants interest Council and Bendigo Bank contributions have provided funding of about $2.536 million for the project.  The ‘generous’ contribution by the Adelong Bendigo Bank underwrote the communities support for the project. Council negotiated the purchase of the new pool site from the Adelong Services & Citizens & Bowling Club. In November 2012 Council awarded a tender for the design and construction of the new Adelong swimming pool complex to the ICON Building Group Pty Ltd.  The new pool complex will incorporate a 6 lane 25 metre lap, wading and program pools and water play pad.  The Pool meets FINA requirements for short course events.  It has been designed in accordance with what is required re pool dimensions for competition. It is expected the $2.53 million project will be completed by November 2013. Mayor Thomson said “this event is a positive outcome from the floods, and the new complex is a result of hard work by Council and the community in securing funding for the project.  I wish to acknowledge the particular hard work by our parliamentary representatives Daryl Maguire MP, Federal Member Michael McCormack and Member of Legislative Council Michael (Mick) Veitch. The staff of Tumut Shire Council have also put in many hours preparing and facilitating applications and designs. Lastly, to the community, thank you for your patience, we are nearly there. The journey to arrive at where we are today has not always been easy or without controversy, but the outcome is one which will provide a fantastic facility for a wide section of the broader community.  I encourage everyone to support it and make the most of what it will offer all members of the community, be it for learn to swim, competition, fitness or recreational. For more information contact: Mayor Trina Thomson 02 6941 2519 tthomson@tumut.nsw.gov.au John Maxwell  Director Engineering Services 02 69412517 jmaxwell@tumut.nsw.gov.au

Privet is both a public health and environmental risk. Tumut Shire Council’s Noxious Weeds Officer, Mel Wilkerson said “Council is encouraging property owners to remove the plant. Its flowers causing asthma attacks, allergic reactions and hay fever. It is also a threat to many native plant communities as it is fast growing, and casts a heavy shade under which little else can grow. Birds and animals feast on the berries and spread them widely, where they can lay dormant for 3 years or longer”. Privet has large dark, glossy green leaves, paler underside, with pointed tips. Trunks and branches are pale with fine, raised pores. In early summer heavily perfumed sprays of small white flowers form at the end of the branches. The fruit ripens in late autumn and persist into winter as grape-like clusters of small purple-black berries. Privet can be either a small shrub or a tree up to 12 metres tall. The species may be confused with native Lilly Pilly, Grey Myrtle and other species. Removal methods   Manual - Hand remove seedlings. Dig out small plants removing the entire root system. Lopping without chemical control or ringbarking is ineffective. Chemical - Cut and paint the stump. Apply a registered herbicide in accordance with the product label. Follow-up treatment may be required to control regrowth. Disposal: Dispose of berries and seeds in a plastic bag with household waste and the rest of the plant can be disposed of properly as green waste. To find out more please contact Council’s Noxious Weeds Officer on 6941 2547 during office hours.  

Revitalising the entrance to Adelong Falls Gold Mill Ruins, stage one, is now completed. The project has been co-funded by the NSW Government Community Building Partnerships Program, Tumut Shire Council and Bendigo Community Bank Adelong at a total cost of $50,000. Paul Mullins, Tumut Shire Council’s Director Development and Environment said “Council was delighted to receive funding from the State Government and Bendigo Bank to undertake the project. Work included preparing a landscape plan, earthworks, clearing vegetation, relocate the stamper battery from Adelong Memorial Park, construction of feature dry stone walls and signage”. This has been a collaborative effort said Paul Mullins “Earthworks were undertaken by Lee Broome and Peter Dickson; relocation of the stamper was done by local engineering firm Weaver Engineering; the concrete footings were built by Clayton Deudney, the feature walls were designed using Peter Reakes’ idea of incorporating large granite boulders, complete with old drill holes, sourced on-site. The boulders were in-filled with dry stone walls supplied by Wee Jasper Quarry and built by John Cox with assistance by Snowy Works & Services team member Col Tiyce”. The sign consists of steel letters supplied by Littlewood Signs of Wagga Wagga. It has been designed to rust so as to complement the stamper and increase their visibility. To complete the project, interpretive signage will be installed and soft landscaping when the weather is suitable for planting with native species, including grass trees donated by Greg and Di Strong. Download the full media release here

The NSW Government has passed legislation to ban smoking in some outdoor areas, effective from Monday 7 January, 2013. The ban applies to the following areas: • Within 10 metres of children’s play equipment in outdoor public spaces. • Public swimming pool complexes. • Spectator area at sports grounds or other recreational areas during organised sporting events. • Bus stops and taxi ranks. • Within 4 metres of a pedestrian access points to public building. Tumut Shire Council’s Director Development & Environment, Paul Mullins, said “There is no safe level of exposure to second-hand tobacco smoke”. In adults, breathing second-hand smoke can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, lung cancer and other lung diseases.  It can also exacerbate the effects of other illnesses such as asthma. For children, inhaling second-hand tobacco smoke is even more dangerous.  This is because children’s airways are smaller, and their immune systems are less developed, which makes them more likely to suffer negative health consequences of second-hand tobacco smoke. Inspectors from NSW Public Health Units will enforce compliance with the new smoking bans.   Penalties will apply for anyone who fails to comply. Smoking will also be banned in commercial outdoor dining areas from 6 July, 2015. For more information visit the website www.health.nsw.gov.au For the Media Release click here

The public are herewith advised that until further notice camping, or overnight parking on Crown Reserves adjoining the Brindabella Valley Road are prohibited. Penalty for non compliance - $220 Crown Lands Act 1989, Sec. 155, 156. By Order of the General Manager