Mayor's Column The road closures on Jenolan Caves Rd at Hampton are to continue until April 2025 with a further 40 or more-yes that's right-road closures. Late last week, Transport for NSW (TINSW) advised Oberon Council that another undermined section of road had been discovered about 90 metres south of where current works are taking place. This new damaged section was discovered in January this year and TINSW have been planning the rectification since March. TINSW chose not to advise anyone of the extension of the road works until last Thursday, (having denied there were any such planned works as late as last Tuesday). Apart from the breathtakingly appalling communications from TINSW regarding these roadworks, there are a couple of other issues that need to be addressed by TINSW. Having had works taking place on this section of road for several years now, why was this new undermined section not discovered until January 2024 noting there had not been any torrential rain events for some time? This raises issues regarding the quality and thoroughness of the damage surveys undertaken by TINSW, and the potential for further unwelcome discoveries. This latest slope failure poses a question of the long-term viability of that section of road which is built on a very steep slope with dubious geology. This road now has had at least three separate failures since 2021. It is reasonable to question the longevity of this section of State road. To be fair, I will point out that TINSW had little room to manoeuvre in how they repaired the road. All of the failures at Hampton were the result of torrential rain events and qualified for Disaster Relief funding to do the repairs. Disaster Relief funding only allows the road to be restored to its original configuration with no significant changes being funded. Sadly, State Governments since 2021 have not provided any additional funding for Jenolan Cave Road beyond the available Disaster Relief funding. There is some work underway with State and Federal Governments to improve the scope of Disaster Relief Funding to allow for sensible improvements in the restoration process. Unfortunately for Jenolan Caves Rd, that will only apply in the future. It was sad, but unsurprising, that the Oberon Review announced that it would cease printing papers from 26 August and subsequently only provide a digital service. The key to any rural news service is local content and in recent years that has been an issue with the Review and that is likely one cause of declining paper sales. The Council has some obligations to advertise certain activities and we will be reviewing how to do that over the next few weeks to comply with regulation and ensure that important information is available to our community. Mayor Mark Kellam Public Exhibition - 10.2024.24.1 (PAN-435698) Development Application Number: Applicant: Address: Lov/DP 10.2024 24.1 (PAN-435608) Woodchem Australia Pty Ltd 31 Endeavour St OBERON Lot 22 in DP1017457 Council is in receipt of a development application for a proposed New Storage Shed and Boundary Adjustment at the above location. A copy of the application and associated documents are available to view at: Council website: Have Your Say Oberon ins Council Administration Centre: 137-139 Oberon Street, Oberon (business hours), Oberon Library: Cnr Ross & Fleming Streets Oberon Council is inviting written submissions in relation to this application. Any submission must be received by Oberon Council by 4.00pm on Friday 16 August 2024 Submissions should be made via the Have Your Say Oberon inse.gov.au website but can also be addressed to the General Manager, Oberon Council, PO Box 84, Oberon NSW 2787, or emailed to concern.gov.au Following the exhibition, a report may be presented to Council detailing the issues raised in submissions and any response to those issues where relevant. Please note that any submissions will be made public, and the author may be identified in the Council Report. Oberon Council Administration Centre 137-139 Oberon Street, Oberon Ph: 6329 8100 Mon-Fri 8.30am - 4.30pm Oberon Council Library Comer of Dart and Fleming Street, Oberon Ph: 6329 8220 Mon-Fri 9.30am-5.30pm Sat 9.00am- 1.00pm OBERON MORE THAN YOU IMAGINE OBERON COUNCIL Public Exhibition - Records and Information Management Policy At its 16 July 2024 Ordinary Meeting. Council resolved to place its draft Records and Information Management Policy on public exhibition for 28 days: 25 July 2024 10 22 August 2024 and submissions be invited to Council during that period. Copies of the draft policy is available for viewing during business hours at Oberon council Administration Centre, 137 Oberon Street, Oberon, as well as Council's website www.oberon.nsw.gov.au Anyone wishing to make a written submission may do so to the General Manager. Oberon Council, PO Box 84, Oberon NSW 2787 or email council@oberon.nsw.gov.au. Submissions must be received by Thursday 22 August 2024. Public Exhibition - Section 256 Financial Assistance At its 16 July 2024 Ordinary Meeting, Oberon Council resolved to support the following applications for funding under Section 256 of the Local Government Act 1993 and place on public exhibition for a period of 28 days. Funding for the 2024 Oberon Business and Tourism Awards $1,500 Can Assist - Provide ongoing support for cancer patients and their families in the Oberon Community $2,000 Anyone wishing to make a written submission may do so to the General Manager, Oberon Council, PO Box 84, OBERON NSW 2787 or email council@oberon.nsw.gov.au Submissions must be received by Thursday 22 August 2024. Public Exhibition - 10.1998.152.2 (PAN-427302) Development Application Number: Applicant LOUDP 10.1998.152.2 (PAN-427302) Woodchem Australia Pty Ltd 31 Endeavour St OBERON Lot 22 in DP1017457 Council is in receipt of a development application for a proposed replacement and upgrade to the Approved Formaldehyde Plant to increase capacity from 65,000 Tonnes pa to 145,000 Tonnes pa at the above location. A copy of the application and associated documents are available to view at Council website: Have Your Say Oberon (w.g Council Administration Centre: 137-139 Oberon Street, Oberon (business hours). Oberon Library: Cnr Ross & Fleming Streets Oberon Council is inviting written submissions in relation to this application. Any submission must be received by Oberon Council by 4.00pm on Friday 16 August 2024. Submissions should be made via the Have Your Say Oberon (nsw.gov.au) website but can also be addressed to the General Manager Oberon Council, PO Box 84. Oberon NSW 2787, or emailed to council@oberon.nsw.gov.au Following the exhibition, a report may be presented to Council detailing the issues raised in submissions and any response to those issues where relevant. Please note that any submissions will be made public, and the author may be identified in the Council Report. Have Your Say HAVE YOUR SAY OBERON OBERON COUNCIL NOW LIVE! Your go-to hub for information on local projects, announcements and initiatives. Designed to inspire, inform, ignite action and foster dialogue Service NSW 137-139 Oberon Street, Oberon Ph: 13 77 88 Mon-Fri 8.30am-4pm haveyoursay.oberon.nsw.gov.au Oberon Waste Facility Lowes Mount Road, Oberon Ph: 6329 8100 Mon-Fri 8.00am - 11.00am & 3.00pm - 5.00pm Sat-Sun 1.00pm - 5.00pm Oberon Visitor Information Centre Comer of Ross Street and Edith Road, Oberon Ph: 6329 8210 Mon-Sun 9.30am-5pm Burraga Waste Facility, Arkstone Road, Burraga Every second Sunday 10.00pm-12.00pm Black Springs Waste Facility, Dog Rocks Road, Black Springs, Every second Sunday 12.30pm-2.30pm Please refer to the Council website for opening dates Please visit our website www.oberon.nsw.gov.au or like us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/oberoncouncil to stay updated on News, Events and Road Conditions Mayor's Column The road closures on Jenolan Caves Rd at Hampton are to continue until April 2025 with a further 40 or more - yes that's right - road closures . Late last week , Transport for NSW ( TINSW ) advised Oberon Council that another undermined section of road had been discovered about 90 metres south of where current works are taking place . This new damaged section was discovered in January this year and TINSW have been planning the rectification since March . TINSW chose not to advise anyone of the extension of the road works until last Thursday , ( having denied there were any such planned works as late as last Tuesday ) . Apart from the breathtakingly appalling communications from TINSW regarding these roadworks , there are a couple of other issues that need to be addressed by TINSW . Having had works taking place on this section of road for several years now , why was this new undermined section not discovered until January 2024 noting there had not been any torrential rain events for some time ? This raises issues regarding the quality and thoroughness of the damage surveys undertaken by TINSW , and the potential for further unwelcome discoveries . This latest slope failure poses a question of the long - term viability of that section of road which is built on a very steep slope with dubious geology . This road now has had at least three separate failures since 2021. It is reasonable to question the longevity of this section of State road . To be fair , I will point out that TINSW had little room to manoeuvre in how they repaired the road . All of the failures at Hampton were the result of torrential rain events and qualified for Disaster Relief funding to do the repairs . Disaster Relief funding only allows the road to be restored to its original configuration with no significant changes being funded . Sadly , State Governments since 2021 have not provided any additional funding for Jenolan Cave Road beyond the available Disaster Relief funding . There is some work underway with State and Federal Governments to improve the scope of Disaster Relief Funding to allow for sensible improvements in the restoration process . Unfortunately for Jenolan Caves Rd , that will only apply in the future . It was sad , but unsurprising , that the Oberon Review announced that it would cease printing papers from 26 August and subsequently only provide a digital service . The key to any rural news service is local content and in recent years that has been an issue with the Review and that is likely one cause of declining paper sales . The Council has some obligations to advertise certain activities and we will be reviewing how to do that over the next few weeks to comply with regulation and ensure that important information is available to our community . Mayor Mark Kellam Public Exhibition - 10.2024.24.1 ( PAN - 435698 ) Development Application Number : Applicant : Address : Lov / DP 10.2024 24.1 ( PAN - 435608 ) Woodchem Australia Pty Ltd 31 Endeavour St OBERON Lot 22 in DP1017457 Council is in receipt of a development application for a proposed New Storage Shed and Boundary Adjustment at the above location . A copy of the application and associated documents are available to view at : Council website : Have Your Say Oberon ins Council Administration Centre : 137-139 Oberon Street , Oberon ( business hours ) , Oberon Library : Cnr Ross & Fleming Streets Oberon Council is inviting written submissions in relation to this application . Any submission must be received by Oberon Council by 4.00pm on Friday 16 August 2024 Submissions should be made via the Have Your Say Oberon inse.gov.au website but can also be addressed to the General Manager , Oberon Council , PO Box 84 , Oberon NSW 2787 , or emailed to concern.gov.au Following the exhibition , a report may be presented to Council detailing the issues raised in submissions and any response to those issues where relevant . Please note that any submissions will be made public , and the author may be identified in the Council Report . Oberon Council Administration Centre 137-139 Oberon Street , Oberon Ph : 6329 8100 Mon - Fri 8.30am - 4.30pm Oberon Council Library Comer of Dart and Fleming Street , Oberon Ph : 6329 8220 Mon - Fri 9.30am - 5.30pm Sat 9.00am- 1.00pm OBERON MORE THAN YOU IMAGINE OBERON COUNCIL Public Exhibition - Records and Information Management Policy At its 16 July 2024 Ordinary Meeting . Council resolved to place its draft Records and Information Management Policy on public exhibition for 28 days : 25 July 2024 10 22 August 2024 and submissions be invited to Council during that period . Copies of the draft policy is available for viewing during business hours at Oberon council Administration Centre , 137 Oberon Street , Oberon , as well as Council's website www.oberon.nsw.gov.au Anyone wishing to make a written submission may do so to the General Manager . Oberon Council , PO Box 84 , Oberon NSW 2787 or email council@oberon.nsw.gov.au . Submissions must be received by Thursday 22 August 2024 . Public Exhibition - Section 256 Financial Assistance At its 16 July 2024 Ordinary Meeting , Oberon Council resolved to support the following applications for funding under Section 256 of the Local Government Act 1993 and place on public exhibition for a period of 28 days . Funding for the 2024 Oberon Business and Tourism Awards $ 1,500 Can Assist - Provide ongoing support for cancer patients and their families in the Oberon Community $ 2,000 Anyone wishing to make a written submission may do so to the General Manager , Oberon Council , PO Box 84 , OBERON NSW 2787 or email council@oberon.nsw.gov.au Submissions must be received by Thursday 22 August 2024 . Public Exhibition - 10.1998.152.2 ( PAN - 427302 ) Development Application Number : Applicant LOUDP 10.1998.152.2 ( PAN - 427302 ) Woodchem Australia Pty Ltd 31 Endeavour St OBERON Lot 22 in DP1017457 Council is in receipt of a development application for a proposed replacement and upgrade to the Approved Formaldehyde Plant to increase capacity from 65,000 Tonnes pa to 145,000 Tonnes pa at the above location . A copy of the application and associated documents are available to view at Council website : Have Your Say Oberon ( w.g Council Administration Centre : 137-139 Oberon Street , Oberon ( business hours ) . Oberon Library : Cnr Ross & Fleming Streets Oberon Council is inviting written submissions in relation to this application . Any submission must be received by Oberon Council by 4.00pm on Friday 16 August 2024 . Submissions should be made via the Have Your Say Oberon ( nsw.gov.au ) website but can also be addressed to the General Manager Oberon Council , PO Box 84 . Oberon NSW 2787 , or emailed to council@oberon.nsw.gov.au Following the exhibition , a report may be presented to Council detailing the issues raised in submissions and any response to those issues where relevant . Please note that any submissions will be made public , and the author may be identified in the Council Report . Have Your Say HAVE YOUR SAY OBERON OBERON COUNCIL NOW LIVE ! Your go - to hub for information on local projects , announcements and initiatives . Designed to inspire , inform , ignite action and foster dialogue Service NSW 137-139 Oberon Street , Oberon Ph : 13 77 88 Mon - Fri 8.30am - 4pm haveyoursay.oberon.nsw.gov.au Oberon Waste Facility Lowes Mount Road , Oberon Ph : 6329 8100 Mon - Fri 8.00am - 11.00am & 3.00pm - 5.00pm Sat - Sun 1.00pm - 5.00pm Oberon Visitor Information Centre Comer of Ross Street and Edith Road , Oberon Ph : 6329 8210 Mon - Sun 9.30am - 5pm Burraga Waste Facility , Arkstone Road , Burraga Every second Sunday 10.00pm - 12.00pm Black Springs Waste Facility , Dog Rocks Road , Black Springs , Every second Sunday 12.30pm - 2.30pm Please refer to the Council website for opening dates Please visit our website www.oberon.nsw.gov.au or like us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/oberoncouncil to stay updated on News , Events and Road Conditions