DUBBO UNVEILS $3.5M RIVERSIDE EVENT PRECINCT 

The first concept plans for the Macquarie River Foreshore Event Precinct have been released following community consultation to come up with ideas for the precinct. 

Located at the Ollie Robbins Oval in Dubbo’s CBD, the new event precinct will be built to withstand flooding and will attract year-round events and festivals, making use of the riverside location. 

Acting Mayor of the Dubbo Region, Councillor Stephen Lawrence, said the event space will help Dubbo Regional Council (DRC) attract large-scale events, with amenities already in place, and the capacity to ‘plug and go’ for performers. 

“We already have a great facility in the Dubbo Regional Theatre and Convention Centre, but this space will allow for up to 10,000 people to attend concerts, live performances, and other events. It’s also in an ideal location, utilising the beautiful Macquarie River, and being close enough to Dubbo CBD that people can then walk up the hill into town and go out for dinner and drinks after the show,” said Councillor Lawrence. 

The design allows functional community pedestrian usage, contained community event staging of up to 300 people, and the flexibility to reverse the stage setting to face north, allowing an open, expansive stage touring event capacity of up to 10,000. 

The Macquarie River Foreshore Event Precinct is part of the multi-million dollar Destination Dubbo: International Ready project, which includes the Old Dubbo Gaol Heritage Plaza and the Wiradjuri Tourism Centre. Funding for the Macquarie River Event Precinct is estimated to be approximately $3.5 million, with contributions made by DRC, and NSW Government’s Region Growth Environment and Tourism Fund.  

Find out more about Destination Dubbo online. 

SMALL AND MEDIUM BUSINESSES TAKE PRIORITY FOR FLOOD REPAIR WORK  

NSW Government agencies have been directed to first consider appointing a small or medium business for flood repair work on government owned sites, to support local economies as rebuilding and remediation work continues. 

Deputy Premier and Minister responsible for disaster recovery John Barilaro said the initiative will help businesses and communities in flood-affected areas financially recover more quickly by giving them access to government work as they get back up and running.  

 “The floods have had a devastating effect on many residents and businesses. 

 “Small and medium businesses are a significant contributor to local economies and they employ a large proportion of the workforce. This decision to prioritise them for the rebuild and remediation work is similar to an initiative we successfully introduced after the 2019/20 bushfires and will go a long way to putting cash back in local economies,” Mr Barilaro said.  

Minister for Finance and Small Business Damien Tudehope said the initiative would provide local businesses with local opportunities as NSW starts the process to repair and rebuild.  

“Local businesses know their communities best. We saw how communities banded together in the crisis, so it’s only right they be given the opportunity to win NSW Government contracts related to rebuild and repairs,” Mr Tudehope said. 

Businesses can register for NSW Government work at suppliers.buy.nsw.gov.au. For information on support for people and businesses impacted by the storms and floods go to service.nsw.gov.au/floods. 

THE HUNTER VALLEY’S ICONIC WINE & FOOD FESTIVAL RETURNS IN 2021

Visitors will have the chance to soak up the best of the Hunter Valley’s gourmet food and wine offerings, with the month-long festival kicking off again this June. 

The festival celebrates the region’s outstanding wines, diverse and fresh local produce and is a nod to all of the creative producers who help to entice visitors to the region day in and day out.  

The 2021 program, featuring more than 30 events, includes gourmet lunches and winery dinners; wine making, blending and cellaring masterclasses; food and wine pairings; hands-on cooking classes; painting workshops; cocktail masterclasses; outdoor picnics plus more.  

President Hunter Valley Wine & Tourism Association Christina Tulloch said: “We’re thrilled to be able to bring our signature festival to life again this year after a challenging 2020. Our reputation as a producer of award-winning wines and home to hatted restaurants is at an all-time high, so we can’t wait to be able to offer consumers the opportunity to experience some of these great wine and food offerings first-hand.”  

CEO Hunter Valley Wine & Tourism Association Amy Cooper said: “This year’s program is packed with great events and with so much interest in wine and food tourism post COVID, we recommend people book all aspects of their visit early, including accommodation, wine tastings, events and experiences as well as restaurants. If you’re looking to enrich your knowledge of our wine and to add an extra dimension to your stay, take yourself on one of our Wine and Food Trail – each revealing subtle nuances in terms of wine characteristics and landscape.” 

To view the full program, go to www.winecountry.com.au/events/wine-and-food-festival.

FREE HOSPITALITY TRAINING AT NSW CLUBS 

Jobseekers across NSW will have access to free hospitality training to help address growing skills shortages in the regional hospitality industry. 

A partnership between the NSW Government and Clubs NSW will be piloted in clubs across the Upper Hunter, giving unemployed locals an opportunity to reskill for a job in a club. 

Deputy Premier John Barilaro said COVID-19 had intensified an already-acute skills shortage for jobs, with local unemployment and a lack of overseas workers such as chefs, bar attendants and kitchenhands.  

“The NSW Government is committed to working with the hospitality industry to get local people back in work and plug these skills gaps by providing hands-on experience in clubs across the State. 

“Singleton Diggers, Muswellbrook RSL, Singleton Bowlo and Scone RSL will be among the first in the State to take advantage of the free training and equip locals with specialised skills delivered by TAFE NSW,” Mr Barilaro said.  

Following the pilot in the Upper Hunter, the program will be rolled out to regional areas across the State.  

Clubs NSW Chief Executive Josh Landis said Clubs NSW welcomed the partnership with the NSW Government to create jobs in regional areas.  

“Registered clubs employ more than 43,000 people across the state and are often the largest employer in regional communities, providing an opportunity for country residents to live and work in the towns they grew up in,” Mr Landis said.  

The fee-free training will be funded by the NSW Government’s Smart and Skilled program with a pilot expected to begin from July. For more information, visit the NSW Government website.

AFTERPAY AUSTRALIAN FASHION WEEK 2021 SCHEDULE RELEASED

IMG this week announced the final schedule of events and programming for Afterpay Australian Fashion Week (AAFW). AAFW will take place 31 May – 4 June 2021, in-person at Carriageworks and virtually at AUSFW.com. 

The schedule was announced during a special breakfast in the Yallamundi Rooms at the Sydney Opera House on Tuesday, attended by The Hon. Natalie Ward MLC, industry leaders, designers, media and partners. AAFW will engage the industry alongside fashion’s most passionate consumers in one dynamic program, marrying physical and digital activations that celebrate Australia’s preeminent designers and fashion’s cultural influence. 

Select runway highlights include: 

• Romance Was Born will return to the AAFW schedule for the opening night show on Monday 31 May while rising star Jordan Dalah, will make his debut earlier that day 

• Afterpay’s “Future of Fashion” Runway will be AAFW’s first collective showcase celebrating diversity, inclusion, sustainability and accessibility, including designers Alice McCall, Anna Quan, bassike, Bec + Bridge, Blair Archibald, Camilla, Carla Zampatti, Cue, Ginger & Smart, Ginny’s Girl Gang, Lee Mathews, Manning Cartell, P.E. Nation and Romance Was Born on Friday 4 June 

• Darwin Aboriginal Arts Fair Foundation program, the Indigenous Fashion Projects, will present a runway on Thursday 3 June featuring First Nations designers Indii, Kirrikin, Liandra Swim, MAARA Collective, Native Swimwear and Ngali 

• AAFW: The Experience returns as AAFW’s integrated consumer offering, including runway shows from Alice McCall, bassike, KITX, First Nations Fashion and Design, Manning Cartell and Romance Was Born. 

AAFW’s runway shows will be complemented by trade showrooms, The Suites, to host AAFW’s visiting buyers and media.

Minister for Jobs, Investment, Tourism and Western Sydney Stuart Ayres said: “Sydney is globally recognised as a hub of creativity and innovation, and the 2021 Afterpay Australia Fashion Week program is a true celebration of both. It’s fantastic to see Sydney lead the way hosting major COVID-safe events and no doubt industry representatives and the public are equally excited about the return of Fashion Week and will embrace the chance to see the latest designs and ideas shine against the backdrop of our spectacular Harbour City.” 

To find out more about the schedule and purchase tickets go to AUSFW.com.

WATER TO RETURN TO LAKE MENINDEE AFTER FIVE YEARS 

Water is making its way into Lake Menindee for first time in half a decade, a development described as the last nail in the coffin of drought in NSW.  

Lakes Wetherell and Pamamaroo had been receiving low volume inflows since February, prior to a major rain event in northern NSW and southern Queensland in March that deposited large volumes of water into the upper catchment.  

Opening the gates in Menindee last week, Minister for Water, Property and Housing, Melinda Pavey said while much of the initial flow into Lake Menindee will be absorbed by the parched lakebed, the return of the water restores NSW Government long-term environmental watering objectives, put on hold by severe drought. 

“Lake Menindee is a precious environmental and cultural asset. While the volume of water which will enter that lake will be comparatively small compared to Wetherell and Pamamaroo, the water will rejuvenate the foundations of its complex ecology. 

“The return of water to Lake Menindee is not just a welcome step in hopefully re-filling the Menindee lakes, it represents a symbolic last nail in the coffin of the drought that held this region and much of the state in its cruel grip for so long,” Mrs Pavey said. 

“The very fact that the water has been arriving here in recent months means that it is also replenishing the environment, the town water supply weirs, and the needs of agricultural producers and farm families all the way from the Queensland border, bringing sustained relief to a region of NSW that suffered the longest and most severely during the drought. 

“Our priority now must be to store and utilise this water in such a way that its maximum benefit is realised to communities, the economy and the environment to which it is so critical,” Ms Pavey said. 

WaterNSW estimates that the lakes’ total volume could exceed 640 GL in early May, meaning the lakes’ storage becomes the shared resource of the River Murray system. 

As a result, the Murray–Darling Basin Authority can access water in the lakes on behalf of the joint governments of South Australia, Victoria and New South Wales, and to support entitlements in the River Murray. 

LOCAL MUSICIANS SUPPORTED IN GLOBAL EVENT

Local musicians, whose livelihoods were decimated during the pandemic, are being invited to apply for a share of $90,000 as part of the annual Make Music Day event. 

Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Rob Stokes said that the NSW Government would offer six grants worth $15,000 to coincide with Make Music Day on 21 June.

“This is a great opportunity for local artists who have done it tough during the COVID-19 pandemic to perform in some of the State’s most popular public spaces. 

“Audiences throughout NSW will be entertained on street corners, in parks, cultural institutions, gardens and town squares,” Mr Stokes said.  

Make Music Day originated in France in 1982 as the Fete de la Musique and now more than 1,000 cities around the world take part. 

Minister for the Arts Don Harwin said these grants will ensure that NSW artists can take part in a global celebration of music. 

“NSW has an incredible calibre of live music acts to showcase to the world so we are inviting individuals, groups, bands, and more to apply,” Mr Harwin said. 

Applications for the grants  close on 13 May 2021. To apply visit Create NSW.

MORE THAN $15 MILLION TO REVITALISE NSW HIGH STREETS

High streets throughout NSW will be revitalised with more than $15 million in grants to boost local business, support jobs and create better public spaces for the community.  

The NSW Government’s Your High Street program will provide 19 councils with up to $1 million to help them deliver projects that will permanently transform streetscapes into more liveable, accessible and vibrant public spaces. 

Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Rob Stokes said the program builds on the success of the Streets as Shared Spaces program, which piloted street transformation in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.  

“The pandemic has helped shift our perception of streets as more than just places to walk or drive. One year on from the lockdown, Your High Street is the second phase of the program which cements the role of our streets as places for people to gather, socialise, dine and do business. 

“Nineteen councils have been successful in securing funding to transform their high streets, with a total of $8.2 million going to 12 regional councils and $6.9 million awarded to councils in Greater Sydney,” Mr Stokes said.  

The regional councils to receive funding are Ballina, Gilgandra, Shoalhaven, Maitland, Parkes, Queanbeyan-Palerang, Griffith, Wagga Wagga, Hay, Tweed Shire, Moree Plains and Newcastle), and in Greater Sydney, Canada Bay, Canterbury-Bankstown, Randwick, Inner West, Parramatta, Hornsby and Penrith.  

All 19 projects are expected to be completed within 12 months. Your High Street follows the success of the $15 million Streets as Shared Spaces program launched in 2020. 

For more information visit the Department of Planning, Industry and Enviornment.