Festival fired the economy during the winter weeks
THIS year’s Bathurst Winter Festival was a huge success. It brought the community together in what has in the past been a quiet time of year. I’m really going to miss the wonderful atmosphere that has surrounded the Winter Playground with families and friends gathering in the park and enjoying the attractions.
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The event boosted our visitor economy with people coming to our city from surrounding regions and wider NSW. Businesses in the CBD also benefited from the event with reports of increased business during the festival period and special event nights.
The numbers are yet to be finalised, but initial figures suggest that over 22,000 ice skating tickets were sold in addition to 32,375 for the ferris wheel and carousel combined.
This is a great result and the event’s success will bolster Bathurst’s reputation as a premier destination for events.
The Minister for the Arts Don Harwin joined Member for Bathurst Paul Toole at the Australian Fossil and Mineral Museum on Monday to launch the $100 million Regional Cultural Fund.
The fund was established by the NSW Government to ensure that regional NSW receives arts and cultural infrastructure and the associated recreational and education benefits.
Up to $25 million per annum will be made available over four years to support investment in new and upgraded arts and cultural infrastructure and to support the provision of operational funding.
Visit create.nsw.gov.au.
Mayor Graeme Hanger
Star system can save lives on farms around nation
THE NSW Government is calling for the introduction of a national five-star safety rating system for quad bikes to help save lives on farms.
There have been 115 people killed in quad bike accidents on Australian farms since 2011, with 32 in NSW alone.
A safety rating system for quad bikes was a key recommendation of the NSW Deputy Coroner’s 2015 inquest into quad bike deaths and this government is committed to improving rider safety through a multi-faceted approach.
The NSW Government is providing incentives to encourage farmers to improve the safety of their quad bikes and education programs to support safer use and now we want to give consumers better information.
A rating system would build on the NSW Government’s $2 million Quad Bike Safety Improvement Program, which provides free training and helmets for those who complete the course, as well as rebates for protective devices, and safer side-by-side vehicles.
For further information on the program, visit www.safework.nsw.gov.au or call 13 10 50. To apply for rebates, visit www.nswfarmers.org.au.
CULTURAL FUND
IT was great to welcome Minister for the Arts Don Harwin to the electorate to launch the $100 million Regional Cultural Fund.
Through the fund, support is offered for buildings and structures that support or accommodate arts and culture.
There are small grants available for projects under $60,000 and larger grants up to $1 million. Visit www.create.nsw.gov.au.
LIVING HISTORY
YOUNG people from across NSW have the opportunity to visit historic Anzac sites and battlefields in Europe and the Mediterranean as a 2017 Anzac Ambassador.
To enter, students are required to write a 1000 word essay on: “Why is the Centenary of Anzac important for modern Australia and what lessons are learned from the Battle of Beersheba in 1917?”
The program is open to students in years 10 and 11. Visit www.clubsnsw.com.au/anzacambassadors. Applications close on Monday, July 31, 2017.
