In commemoration of this significant occasion and to honour those who never returned home, a service will be held in Kings Parade on Sunday, November 11 at 10.15am.

As part of our city’s commemoration, 1/19 Battalion Royal New South Wales Regiment will exercise its right of Freedom of Entry into Bathurst on Saturday, November 10 at 11.30am. The march will involve up to 200 members of the battalion and will start in Keppel Street before making its way along William Street.

The granting of Freedom of Entry is the highest accolade a town or city can bestow. It is an ancient honour that can be granted to military organisations, allowing them the privilege to march into the city with drums beating, colours flying and bayonets fixed.

This week I am in Japan visiting Bathurst’s sister city Okhuma. We have had a sister city relationship since 1991. It has been customary for a community delegation led by a Council representative to visit Ohkuma every second year.

Council last sent a delegation in 2016 which was the second since the earthquake and tsunami, which damaged the nuclear power plant near Ohkuma. 

The earthquake forced the evacuation of the area within a 20 km radium of the plant.  The residents of Ohkuma were relocated to various other townships with the main centre being Aizuwakamatsu (Aizu).

It’s been wonderful meeting with local officials and community members and gaining an insight into their resilience and witnessing first hand how they have rebuilt and continue to rebuild their lives.

This Sunday marks the Centenary of the First World War Armistice, when, after four brutal years of warfare, a peace settlement was reached. I’m encouraging the community to pay their respects to Australia’s servicemen and servicewomen and observe a minute’s silence at 11am this Sunday, November 11 marking 100 years since the Armistice. At 11am on November 11, 1918, fighting was suspended and there were huge celebrations across the world.

This Sunday, November 11, 2018, our community will come together again to reflect on the events which shaped our history. The First World War remains Australia’s most devastating war resulting in 60,000 deaths and 156,000 wounded, gassed or captured.

This Sunday I encourage everyone, no matter where you are, to take a minute to pause and commemorate our brave servicemen and servicewomen from every country who lost their lives in war and armed conflicts. Lest We Forget.

A key industry report released this week has revealed NSW is home to more than a third of the country’s tourism businesses and reinforced NSW’s position as Australia’s premier tourism state. NSW had once again come out on top in a tourism research report which examines the stability and health of Australia’s tourism industry.

Tourism is big business, especially here in the Bathurst Electorate, and it’s pleasing to see more and more operators and tourism providers coming on board to further expand and diversify NSW’s impressive visitor experience.

Visitation to our State means jobs and according to the report, NSW has 29 percent more employing tourism businesses than Victoria and 78 percent more than Queensland.

Registering a caravan or camper trailer will be cheaper from November 1, 2018 with the NSW Government approving a 40 per cent reduction in in the weight tax component in registrations for private users. The motor vehicle tax reduction for private users is part of a suite of measures being introduced by the NSW Government this year to put more money back in consumers’ pockets.

About 120,00 registrations will benefit from the reduction. The discount applies to towed caravans and purpose-built camper trailers weighing 255kg to 4.5 tonnes. (The weight tax component is already free below 255kg).

The amount saved depends on the weight of the caravan or camper trailer, with a saving anywhere from $46 to $471 dollars. The reduction is in response to feedback – from the community and from caravan associations.

The discount brings NSW into line with other states and will apply to registrations due on or after 1 November 2018. It will apply to new registrations as well as renewals.