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New citizens welcomed at Wentworth Shire

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Vinicius Leao, Ranie Medaglia, Ratana Ponham and Maeva Lopez are congratulated on their Australian Citizenship by Wentworth Shire Council Mayor Tim Elstone

Four Wentworth Shire residents were conferred as our newest Australian citizens at Council’s chambers on 17 August.

Ratana Ponham (Thailand), Ranie Medaglia (Philippines), Maeva Lopez (Spain) and Vinicius Leao (Brazil) were granted their Citizenships at the ceremony held before the August Ordinary Council Meeting.

To mark the special occasion the four were gifted a Native Australian plant and a commemorative citizenship coin by Wentworth Shire Council.

“It is a great honour to welcome Ratana, Ranie, Maeva and Vinicius as citizens of this great nation,” Wentworth Shire Council Mayor Tim Elstone said.

“We wish them well for their futures here in Australia and the Wentworth Shire.”

National Tree Day

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One hundred new trees were planted on the Silver City Highway near the Wentworth Aerodrome as part of this year’s National Tree Day celebrations on Thursday.

While National Tree Day is traditionally the last Sunday in July, and Schools Tree Day the last Friday in July, Pomona and Wentworth public schools got an early start this year.

The day was coordinated by Western Landcare NSW Local Landcare Coordinator – Wentworth Vanessa Anderson with the assistance of Wentworth Shire Council’s Parks and Gardens team.

“I think the day went extremely well, the weather was perfect and the children were really engaged,” Mrs Anderson said.

“They really did enjoy it, being outside, getting their hands dirty which is what it was all about.” 

The planting was also attended by Wentworth Shire Councillor Brian Beaumont and Local Land Services Biosecurity Officer Lynda Watson.

Mrs Anderson said she planned to make the tree planting an annual event, involving other schools in the district and other parts of the Shire.

Willow Bend Caravan Park update

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Underground asset services are ready to be undertaken at the Willow Bend Caravan Park site in readiness for the much-anticipated project to move forward.

Following internal Council resources completing the earthwork for the park’s foundation a local contractor in Wall Constructions has been engaged to help progress the major infrastructure upgrade.

In conjunction with contractors, internal council resources will construct retaining walls and install concrete RV pads and footpaths throughout as well as road infrastructure.

Works are scheduled to commence in August to be completed in early 2023 in preparation for the Caravan Park to be operational at Easter that year.

Wentworth Shire Council Mayor Tim Elstone said the prospect of a completed Willow Bend Caravan Park was exciting for the entire Shire.

“Having an accommodation site of that size reopened and able to catch the many visitors who pass through is going to help boost the economy of our entire Shire,” he said.

“I look forward to the local contractors being able to deliver a spectacular Caravan Park in conjunction with Council’s Works teams that will continue to be a focal point for our tourism industry.”

Wentworth Long Day Care Centre update

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Members of Wentworth Preschool and Long Day Care Committees and educators Tegan Douglas, Annabelle & Camilla Walsh, Holli Mumford, Thel O’Shea, Breeon Cole, Annita Hawkins and Mandy Bone with Wentworth Shire Council Mayor Tim Elstone after inspecting the progress of the Wentworth Long Day Care Centre.

Construction works are continuing at the site of the Wentworth Long Day Care Centre and Preschool in Murray Street, Wentworth.

The project is a major revamp of the existing Preschool which will further expand its services to meet the community’s needs, accommodating a new entrance and foyer, office, two daycare rooms, staff room and amenities.

Windows and plasterboard have been installed, with the brickwork nearing completion in preparation for rendering.
“To see the building finally coming together is a realisation of a significant amount of hard work across the local community,” Wentworth Preschool staff and the Wentworth Preschool and Long Day Care committees said in a joint statement.

“From those early committee members lobbying to get the idea for the centre going to the period now of transitioning to operations the combined effort of all involved has been significant. The benefit the centre will have not only for the younger children and their parents of Wentworth and District, but also the added structural support for the great team already operating the preschool is incredibly exciting”

Wentworth Shire Council Mayor Tim Elstone toured the facility last week to inspect the progress and was looking forward to its expected impact on the local community.

“When this centre is completed it will provide great benefit to parents who have had to take their children out of town for care while they work,” Mayor Elstone said.

The extension of the existing Wentworth Preschool site is anticipated to be finished in September and is being conducted by CPM Building Contractors, with funding from the Australian Government’s Building Better Regions Fund, the NSW Government’s Stronger Country Communities Fund, Wentworth and District Bendigo Bank and major contributions from the Wentworth Shire Council, David and Liz Dawes, Bob Jolley and the Wentworth community.

The Preschool’s Facebook page has up to date information or please contact the Preschool on 5027 3067 for all Enrolment Expressions of Interests or by email to wentypre@bigpond.net.au.

SecureEnergy Milestone – First camp and laydown underway

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SecureEnergy has hit the ground running commencing one of the first milestones of the EnergyConnect Project with the construction of the first camp and laydown area in Buronga, NSW.

The camp and laydown area is nearly 30 hectares in size and when complete in early November will house up to 400 employees.

The site is currently being prepared to house 200 modules, with office space for 70 desks and a laydown yard that will hold site deliveries, general yard operations, a main office and a range of heavy vehicles.

The main office compound and camp buildings are already starting to roll in, with camp provider APC commencing deliveries from South Australia. 

This camp is one of six camps and seven laydown areas that will accommodate over 1,450 staff for the 700km build.

Local communities from the SA border to Buronga can expect to see construction activities ramp up as SecureEnergy gets on with building Project EnergyConnect – Australia’s largest transmission line.

Community Grants – Donations, Contributions and Grants

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There are two types of financial assistance that Council provides to groups and organisations:

1. Fee Waivers (Up to $2000) – We are accepting requests under this program all year round.

2. Financial Assistance Program Grants – Any other Grant requests under the Financial Assistance Program will be referred to Council for a resolution. It is important to note that the decisions about whether to grant an application request rests totally with Council and cannot be delegated to Council staff.

Read more about the application process at https://www.wentworth.nsw.gov.au/community/community-grants/

EnergyConnect project to deliver economic benefit to Wentworth Shire

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Transgrid CEO Brett Redman, Elecnor CEO/Managing Director Joseph de Pedro, Clough Vice President NSW Paul Farris, Wentworth Shire Council Mayor Tim Elstone and Barkindji Maraura Elders Environment Team Senior Ranger Malcolm King turn the soil at the EnergyConnect project launch.

Wentworth Shire Council is excited for the continued economic boost to be brought about by Transgrid’s $1.8 billion EnergyConnect project, launched at Buronga on Tuesday.

More than 9000 kilometres of conductor cabling, enough to span from Sydney to Perth three times, will be used to deliver Australia’s largest electricity grid project which will enable the sharing of energy between New South Wales, South Australia and Victoria for the first time.

Wentworth Shire Council Mayor Tim Elstone lauded the project’s overall benefits for the Wentworth Shire region.

“We have seen Transgrid and SecureEnergy Joint Venture (who is undertaking the project’s construction) engage local businesses and communities for the project with a great number of contracts and tenders still to be awarded,” Mayor Elstone said.

“These opportunities, whether they have been for health screening, providing infrastructure or services or even accommodation, have been a great boost for the local economy at a time when things have been tough amidst the COVID-19 pandemic and its associated impact.

“Transgrid has also provided more than $35,000 worth of grants to community and not for profit organisations in the Wentworth Shire since 2019 through its Community Partnerships Program which we are grateful for, helping these organisations to continue to function.”

Transgrid CEO Brett Redman joined local representatives in launching the project at Buronga, which included the use of digging sticks created by Barkindji Maraura Elders Environment Team Senior Ranger Malcolm King.

“EnergyConnect is a once in a generation transmission project that will help to revolutionise the National Electricity Market and we are really pleased to be getting underway with this critical infrastructure,” Mr Redman said.

“The project will be a key component of the future grid, which will enable the integration of renewable generation and support the decarbonisation of the nation’s economy.”

EnergyConnect is a 900km interconnector which will enable the sharing of energy between New South Wales, South Australia and Victoria for the first time.

Transgrid is building the 700km NSW section from the South Australian border to Wagga Wagga and South Australia’s ElectraNet has started building the remaining 200km from the border to Robertstown, SA

The construction of the eastern alignment, (Buronga to Wagga Wagga) is due to commence in 2023, with project delivery expected by 2024.

Historic painting donated to Wentworth Shire

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Vince Dichiera (right) hands over the painting to Wentworth Shire Mayor Tim Elstone

A PART of Wentworth’s history has been returned to the town with the Dichiera family donating an oil painting of the Crown Hotel in the 1890s to the Wentworth Shire Council for display.

Vince Dichiera, former owner of the Crown Hotel, handed the painting completed in the 1980s by his brother-in-law Terrence David Doyle to Wentworth Shire Mayor Tim Elstone on Thursday along with a plaque detailing the history of the Crown Hotel and the town of Wentworth.

It is a faithful representation of a photo, provided to Mr Dichiera by local historian Geoff Whyte, of the Crown taken in the 1890s during a visit to Wentworth by the then Earl of Jersey, who was in the district at the time to declare the settlement of Curlwaa.

“(To donate the painting to the Shire) gives me great pleasure, I feel we have completed a historic occasion handing this over to Wentworth and for the town to display it where not only selected people can view it, if they are interested they have a history that can tell them about it,” Mr Dichiera said.

Mayor Elstone thanked Mr Dichiera and his family for their donation.

“It’s fantastic, it’s a great part of the town’s history and very, very generous of the Dichiera family to donate it back to the town,” he said.

“It’s a terrific thing and we look forward to it taking a prominent place in the new Civic Centre when it’s done.

“It’s very detailed … it’s a great part of what Wentworth was so many years ago.”

The original Crown Hotel was built by wealthy businessman William Gunn, Wentworth’s first Mayor, in 1862.

Further additions were made to the building, including a new wing along Sandwych Street, a new lounge and a publican’s residence upstairs.

The grandeur of the hotel was not built to last however, and the floods of 1870 and 1956 damaged its foundations.

The iron lace seen in the painting proved to be too heavy, eventually replaced by wooden balustrade.

The interior of the building was renovated in the 1960s to suit the style of the time.

By 1985 the Dichiera family, now owners of the hotel, concluded reluctantly that the rapidly deteriorating building needed to be replaced with a new one as their only practical option.

On March 18, 1988 the new Crown Hotel was officially opened by Shire President Geoff Rodda and Vince’s father Ilario Dichiera.