I attended a luncheon for the senior citizens as part of the Bulldust to Bitumen Festival. I was privileged to be able to hand out certificates to the senior citizens at Walgett with some of them having been in Walgett for three generations.

October 2

From 10:30am to 12:30pm, police minister Michael Costa attended a meeting held in the shire chambers at the invitation of Murdi Paaki chairman Sam Jeffries.

This meeting was well attended by about 25 to 30 people and minister Costa listened to the problems associated with the towns in our shire. As always he promised to do something about it. Whether this will happen or not is yet to be determined.

October 11

I attended a meeting with Ratepayers Association chairman Tom O'Keefe, councillor Charlie Mitchell, infrastructure management manager John Burden, and roads and bridges manager Jaco Maree.

We went down to have a look at the Dangar Bridge and damming up the wall.

We were very concerned as to where the approaches for the Dangar Bridge were to be placed.

We are concerned because the bridge design seems not to take into account adequate designs for approaches to avoid the road going under flood at an early stage.

Also, there are concerns about the use of small culverts that could result in a back up of water which may rise above the levee banks into the Walgett township.

We have been doing everything in our power but perhaps we have to do more to ensure that the bridge does not go ahead under the present plan.

On October 11 I also attended the Local Government Border Rivers Project meeting.

This group is very concerned by the Native Vegetation Plan around the area, and also by the threatened Species Act.

They are looking at ways to conserve water and one suggestion was to pump water into the aquifer as this is being successfully done in South Australia.

October 14

I traveled to Narrabri, where Bevan O'Regan held another meeting about Land Title and Magna Carta.

A motion to allow the group that came to the Walgett Shire some months ago to see the Shires Association and the Local Government Association was passed nearly unanimously.

October 15

I sat in on the interview panel for the State Emergency Service (SES) local controller position.

Four excellent applicants applied for the position of local SES controller and the successful recipient was Katie Hook from Walgett.