Category Archives: Environment and Heritage

Installation of a pedestrian bridge at Lake Centenary in Temora is among 11 projects on the way for communities across the state, thanks to newly announced NSW Government funding.

Member for Cootamundra Steph Cooke said Temora Shire Council have been selected to receive $118,449 in funding from the Places to Swim grant program, which supports councils and eligible agencies to improve public access to natural waterways.

“We know our communities value the wonderful rivers, lakes and pools across NSW and, thanks to this latest round of funding, we are able to help ensure these natural wonders are safe and accessible for people of all ages,” Ms Cooke said.

“This project will install a pedestrian bridge in two parts, along the western edge of Lake Centenary to enable walkers, runners and cyclists to safely cross over Lake Centenary.”

Mayor Rick Firman said this project will support walkers, runners and cyclists to safely travel a complete loop around Lake Centenary supporting community and visitor enjoyment of this waterbody.

“The new bridge will encourage more visitors to enjoy this natural area beside the water,” Mayor Firman said.

“The bridge will be of high-quality, locally constructed and located in a pleasant setting among native trees which will become a highlight of the path around Lake Centenary.”

“This will provide a quieter more tranquil and enjoyable space for the community and enhance the existing 2.7km long lake loop which is highly valued and well used by our citizens and those visiting our Shire.”

Work on this latest pool of projects, will begin early next year with the aim of having all works completed and facilities open by mid-2024. 

For more information visit Places to Swim

Gundagai’s Historical Museum has been successful in the funding of $1,370 and is one of nine cultural centres across the state to receive funding through round 2 of the NSW Government’s Volunteer Museum Small Grants.

Member for Cootamundra Steph Cooke said the Volunteer Museum Small Grants funding will support heritage experts and enable the area’s history and stories to be shared to a wider audience.

“Local museums and galleries play an important part in sharing regional stories, and I am thrilled that Gundagai’s Historical Museum, and our dedicated historians and volunteers are being supported by this funding,” Ms Cooke said.

“I previously visited the Museum back in April of this year when they received funding to upgrade their disabled access to the amenities block and fire exits as part of the 2021 Community Building Partnerships funding.”

Gundagai Historical Museum Communications Organiser, Izzy Perko said they are delighted they have received this funding to install new signage and replace a very old noticeboard frame.

“Professionally made signs are expensive and this opportunity will assist with promoting the museum. The volunteers are so very thankful for this grant,” Ms Perko said.

Minister for the Arts Ben Franklin said the Volunteer Museum Small Grants Round 2 will support greater access and engagement with history projects across NSW and create opportunities for professionals in the field.

“These small grants for regional galleries and museums are targeted to create opportunities for historians and volunteers and preserve NSW’s rich history for local communities and visitors from across the state,” Mr Franklin said. 

This year’s Museums & Galleries of NSW Volunteer Museum Small Grants Fund rounds one and two have supported 18 organisations across the State. All round two recipients are from regional NSW.

The community is being urged to double down on their recycling efforts this week to mark National Recycling Week.

Member for Cootamundra Steph Cooke said the theme of this year’s National Recycling Week is ‘Waste isn’t Waste until it’s Wasted’.

“This is an important week because it helps remind us about how we can each waste less and recycle more in our daily lives,” Ms Cooke said.

“For example, if you’re not already turning trash into treasure through our Return and Earn scheme, I encourage you to start collecting your bottles and taking them to a local drop-off point to get your refund and give those containers a new life,”

“Since 2017, more than eight billion containers have been returned, delivering $800 million in refunds to the people of NSW, more than $35 million in donations to community groups and charities, and helping us reduce drink container litter by a massive 52 per cent,”

“Perhaps you can recycle your soft plastics by collecting them and dropping them into a soft plastic recycling bin at your supermarket.”

“And if you have waste that you don’t know what to do with – like batteries, chemicals or paint – get in touch with your local Community Recycling Centre, where they’ll take it off your hands for free and recycle it correctly.”

Bland Community Recycling Centre – Racecourse Road, West Wyalong

Cowra Community Recycling Centre – 236 Glen Logan Road, Cowra

Coolamon Community Recycling Centre – 102 Dyces Lane, Coolamon

Cootamundra Community Recycling Centre – Turners Lane, Cootamundra

Junee Community Recycling Centre – Kahmoo Lane, Junee

Temora Community Recycling Centre – Teal Street, Temora

Waste Less Recycle More ran from 2012 until 2022 and the NSW Government’s new $356 million Waste and Sustainable Materials Strategy is tackling plastic waste, boosting infrastructure investment, lowering carbon emissions and protecting the community from waste pollution.

Grant funding opportunities under the Waste and Sustainable Materials Strategy are available on the EPA Grants Calendar: https://www.epa.nsw.gov.au/working-together/grants. To find out more about your nearest Community Recycling Centre, visit https://www.epa.nsw.gov.au/your-environment/recycling-and-reuse/household-recycling-overview/community-recycling-centres

Return and Earners in the region could be in for a massive update, with the NSW Government planning to expand the scheme so it includes containers like glass wine and spirits bottles and larger containers.

Member for Cootamundra Steph Cooke said this is an exciting opportunity to build on one of Australia’s most successful recycling initiatives and improve recycling practices in households across NSW.

“More than 8 billion bottles have been returned and given a new life since the scheme started in 2017, a huge achievement and I thank the regional communities for embracing this new way of thinking about beverage containers,” Ms Cooke said.

“Together we have driven down drink container litter rates by an impressive 52 per cent, increased recycling rates and donated funds to charities,”

“Return and Earn has achieved an enormous amount so far and now we’re looking to take the next step as we strive towards our vision for a circular economy in the region.”  

Return and Earn locations across the Cootamundra Electorate are located at:

Bland LGA	V & L Machinery Railway Road, West Wyalong	Over the counter
Coolamon LGA	Coolamon Lions Club 59 Loughan Street, Coolamon	Over the counter
Cootamundra-Gundagai LGA	Gundagai Mitre 10, 1 Byron Street, Gundagai   Woolworths Cootamundra, 26 Bourke St, Cootamundra	Over the counter     Reverse vending machine
Cowra LGA	Woolworths Cowra, 3-9 Railway Lane, Cowra	Reverse vending machine
Hilltops LGA	Donges Supa IGA, 159 Boorowa Street, Young	Reverse vending machine
Junee LGA	Junee Supa IGA, 102 Broadway Street, Junee	Over the counter
Narrandera LGA	Narrandera Recycling 16 Red Hill Road Narrandera	Reverse vending machine
Temora LGA	IGA Temora, Victoria Street 7 Baker Street Temora	Reverse vending machine
Weddin LGA	Grenfell Furniture, 66 Main Street, Grenfell	Over the counter

Consultation is now open on the Scheme’s expansion, which would see almost all beverage containers between 150 ml and 3 litres accepted for refund.

For example, this would include:

• Wine and spirits in glass bottles
• Cordials and juice concentrate
• Larger containers up to 3 litres of beverages already in the scheme, such as flavoured milk, fruit and vegetable juice, cask wine and sachets. 

Plain milk and health tonics would continue to be excluded from the scheme.

The NSW Environment Protection Authority will be holding targeted stakeholder information sessions and webinars in the coming months around NSW so a transition can be as smooth as possible for new suppliers to the scheme.

The discussion paper Driving NSW’s circular economy is available at https://yoursay.epa.nsw.gov.au/ and will be open for consultation until 5pm 2 December 2022.

For more information about Return and Earn visit www.returnandearn.org.au

As part of the $356 million Waste and Sustainable Materials Strategy 2041, the NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) has released two new draft strategies for consultation to help achieve a 60 per cent reduction of litter by 2030 and crack down on illegal dumping,

The draft Litter and Illegal Dumping Prevention Strategies are designed to improve education, and infrastructure, grow targeted programs, drive more circularity throughout waste systems and reduce costs. 

Member for Cootamundra Steph Cooke said this is a great opportunity for the community to speak up about keeping their neighbourhood clean.

“We are fortunate to live in a wonderful part of regional NSW and the community wants to keep it free of litter and dumped waste,” Ms Cooke said.

“These strategies introduce new programs and approaches for tackling waste and illegal dumping in the long term.”

“We’ve already reduced litter by 43 per cent over the past decade, and I encourage people to have their say as we work together to cut it even further.”

The draft Illegal Dumping Strategy outlines how the EPA will continue to work with councils and state government agencies to address the difficult challenges of illegal dumping.

The Waste Crime Taskforce will continue to deter and disrupt waste crime, and targeted illegal dumping campaigns and projects will be supported through grant funding.

These new strategies build on successful programs such as Return and Earn, Don’t Be a Tosser, the award-winning ‘Free fill, is it worth it?’ campaign, and litter and illegal dumping prevention grants. 

Comment on both Strategies is open until 17th October 2022.

For more information visit https://yoursay.epa.nsw.gov.au/. 

Member for Cootamundra Steph Cooke has welcomed the NSW Government’s $28 million investment to bolster support for the region’s Farm Forestry producers.  

The $28 million package will provide a funding boost to Local Land Services’ Farm Forestry Program to enhance on-ground education, training and support local producers to drive innovation and promote best practice.  

Ms Cooke said Farm Forestry plays a key role in the local economy and this investment demonstrates the NSW Government’s commitment to the sector.  

“This is a milestone investment for our state’s farm forestry sector, and local producers will benefit greatly,” Ms Cooke said.   

“Producers will have greater access to the expert advice they need to improve the management of their forests, which will help them to sustainably grow their operations.” 

Deputy Premier and Minister for Regional NSW Paul Toole said the funding boost follows the introduction of new Farm Forestry Codes of Practice earlier this year and provides increased support to farmers through enhanced education and training. 

“This investment will fund a suite of programs and partnerships to facilitate and expand the development of the State’s sustainable Farm Forestry industry,” Mr Toole said. 

“This is the largest investment in Farm Forestry in more than a decade, and it reflects the increasingly important role it will play in supporting our sustainable timber industry.” 

Minister for Agriculture Dugald Saunders said the package will provide farmers with practical advice and support services to ensure forestry becomes a central part of on-farm planning. 

“Farmers manage their forests for multiple values, by producing the goods and environmental services we all rely on,” Mr Saunders said.  

“This investment will ensure farmers have the information they need to improve productivity and environmental outcomes on our Farm Forests for themselves and the whole community.”  

Learn more about Farm Forestry at www.lls.nsw.gov.au/help-and-advice/private-native-forestry. 

The ban on lightweight plastic bags will officially come into force from 1 June, in line with the first stage of the NSW Government’s single-use plastics ban.

Member for Cootamundra Steph Cooke said that consumer awareness and readiness are key to seeing the implementation of this ban going as smoothly as possible.

“Banning lightweight plastic bags on 1 June means we have to think ahead before heading to the shops and local retailers and make sure we always have our reusable shopping bags on us,” Ms Cooke said.

“This plastic bag ban is a move to reduce our impact on the environment and I hope to see all local retailers and residents embracing the changes.

“As we know, it’s the little changes that can make all the difference.”

Minister for Environment James Griffin said all of us can see the impact plastic pollution is having on our environment, which is why these major changes to plastic use are needed.

“Single-use plastic is used by many of us for just a few convenient minutes, but it remains in our environment for many years, eventually breaking into microplastics,” Mr Griffin said.

“We know that single-use plastic items and packaging make up 60 per cent of all litter in NSW. By stopping the supply of problematic plastic in the first place, we’re helping prevent it from entering our environment as litter, or going into landfill.”

In addition to the lightweight plastic bag ban from 1 June, from November the NSW Government is banning:

• single-use plastic straws, stirrers, cutlery, plates, bowls and cotton buds
• expanded polystyrene food ware and cups
• rinse-off personal care products containing plastic microbeads.

The NSW Government passed the Plastic Reduction and Circular Economy Act 2021 in November, and introduced the Plastics Action Plan last year.

To ensure small businesses are ready for the changes this year, the NSW Government engaged the National Retail Association (NRA) to deliver a comprehensive education campaign to more than 40,000 businesses across NSW.

The NRA is running a retailer education campaign, conducting store visits, and providing online webinars and resources to help businesses make the transition away from problematic single-use plastics.

The NRA has launched a free hotline (1800 844 946) to offer businesses, community organisations and consumers advice on the single-use plastic bans.

For more information about the NSW plastics ban, visit http://www.dpie.nsw.gov.au/plastics-ban

The NSW Government has released a recommended proposal to memorialise the much-loved Prince Alfred Bridge in Gundagai, with members of the Gundagai community invited to provide feedback on the designs.

Member for Cootamundra Steph Cooke said the proposal was developed following the assessment of the over 140 ideas put forward by Gundagai residents in September last year.

“The proposal recommends a memorial using salvaged timber, wire sculptures, historic photos and information, and technology to remember the bridge,” Ms Cooke said.

“The memorial concept aims to commemorate the bridge’s heritage, cultural and social significance while creating a new tourism site for Gundagai.”

“I strongly encourage Gundagai residents to provide feedback on the design to ensure it accurately reflects the massive role the Prince Alfred Bridge once played in the community.”

The memorial concept has been developed by consultant heritage architects Conrad Gargett in a Heritage Landscape Interpretation Strategy commissioned by the NSW Government.

Minister for Lands and Water Kevin Anderson said the NSW Government is investing in Gundagai community by establishing this historic memorial.

“A big part of why people visit country towns like Gundagai is for the historic charm and that is why the NSW Government has committed to this memorial for the Prince Alfred Bridge,” Mr Anderson said.

“This will give people another reason to visit Gundagai, bringing money into the community and in turn creating valuable jobs.”

The recommended memorial would include features at the north end of the former bridge site off Sheridan Street as part of the Gundagai Heritage Walk, which would direct visitors to a second memorial site located on the floodplain.

It would include:

· A public viewing area off Sheridan Street. Timber gates made from salvaged timber would create a viewing point to a floating wire art sculpture that creates a 3D visual impression of the former bridge, looking toward a reinstated bridge trestle on the floodplain. Rustic seating would be provided using salvaged timber from the former bridge.

· An information panel at the viewing area with bridge photos, residents’ quotes, and a QR code to more online photos, information and a fly-through augmented reality experience recreating sights and sounds of the former bridge.

· Visitor access will be improved to the viewing area with car parking spaces, pedestrian crossings, line markings, bollards created from salvaged timber, and tourist signage.

· The reinstated bridge trestle on the floodplain at O.I. Bell Drive would feature a second elevated wire sculpture recreating motor vehicles crossing the bridge, a second information panel, a deconstructed timber deck at ground level, and more rustic timber seating.

Community feedback on the concept can be made online from Tuesday 17 May until Tuesday 31 May, or in person on Tuesday 17 May at Gundagai’s Foodworks and Woolworths (10.30-11am), Gundagai Services Club and Gundagai Library (12-1pm), or Gundagai Public School and Gundagai High School from (3-3.30pm). Once the community consultation period ends feedback will be assessed and the concept finalised. For further information and to provide feedback, please visit: Prince Alfred Bridge Memorial.

After years of setbacks and COVID-19 delays, thanks to grants provided by the NSW State Government, the Lachlan Valley Railway Heritage Centre have been able to cut the ribbon and unveil their new entrance and display building.

Member for Cootamundra Steph Cooke is delighted to have been there for the celebration of this opening and said this funding was important in keeping the centre in peak condition.

“The Lachlan Valley Railway Heritage Centre in Cowra draws in crowds of hundreds of visitors each year, contributing to the flourishing tourism sector in Cowra,” Ms Cooke said.

“The team of passionate volunteers at the centre have worked tirelessly and shown real dedication and love in all they have done to enhance this space and grow its capabilities as a tourist destination.”

Mr Ian Cameron, Manager at the Lachlan Valley Railway Heritage Centre said he was very excited at the unveiling of this long-term project.

“What started its life as a storage shed has undergone a magical transformation and become a grand building with displays, souvenirs and even refreshments for guests.” Mr Cameron said.

“After having been postponed due to Covid-19, to be able get together for the opening of this building at our museum has been incredible, it brings joy to see visitors able to walk through and appreciate this new building.”

Further to the funding that has built the new entrance building, Lachlan Valley Railway Heritage Centre has successfully obtained a further grant of $19,690 from The Community Building Partnership Program which will go towards building a 5-metre by 15-metre extension to the existing entrance and display building.

The Lachlan Valley Railway Heritage Centre is not just a museum, but an interactive experience and a functional facility where maintenance and restoration works are carried out. It is widely considered and promoted as Cowra’s most significant industrial heritage site.