‘A very big year’ for Bourke
Bourke Shire Council has had a hugely successful year, winning the Bluett Award, attracting the Premier and her entire cabinet to Bourke to see issues first-hand, and completing many projects during 2019. Pictured left to right: Deputy Mayor Lachlan Ford, Councillors John Thompson and Victor Bartley, General Manager Ross Earl, Mayor Barry Hollman and Councillors Bob Stutsel, Cecil Dorrington and Sam Rice. Photo TWH
For a small community, Bourke made big news in 2019, hosting the Western Division Annual Conference, winning the Bluett Award, and enticing the entire NSW ministry to visit, and making history as a result.
Despite devastating drought and challenges to water security, Bourke Mayor Barry Hollman said there was definitely more positive than negative news across the Shire.
“It’s been a very big year for the town,” Mayor Hollman said.
“The stand-outs were the Western Division Conference, the Cabinet visit and then the Bluett Award on top of that was exceptional, and a credit to the council and staff.
“But they are just a few of the successes over the past 12 months. The resumption of airline services was great news, we’ve sealed much of the Wanaaring Road and that will continue next year, and we have more funding for the town’s streetscape which is starting to look really good.
“As well as the main street and Darling Park, we have funding to upgrade the rotunda, the cenotaph in Central Park and around the wharf precinct. And we have only about 65 kilometres of sealing left to completely seal the Wanaaring Road.
“The sustainability of our water security has been guaranteed for the short term with funding for the second pipeline and the Belvedere bore which will give us a total of over two and a half megs of water per day as back-up to our existing town supplies,” Mayor Hollman said.
“We have funding to do work on the new water reservoir in Charles Street, the new swimming pool, a new water treatment plant, and the new Aboriginal art studio in the main street. We have new fencing around the pool, and in the New Year we hope to be building new fencing around Coolican and Davidson Ovals.
Read more in the printed edition of the Western Herald.