Last week, the NSW Government Community Cabinet was held in Broken Hill, and I took the opportunity to catch up with Treasurer Daniel Mookhey, Minister for Tourism and Arts John Graham, and Minister for Skills, TAFE and Tertiary Education Steven Whan to discuss the work being undertaken at Wilcannia with the development of the Baaka Cultural and Art Centre.
The Centre will play a crucial role in celebrating and preserving the heritage of the Barkintji people and is set for a soft opening in early 2025 and a proposed official opening in June 2025.
It was great to see the NSW Cabinet in the far west to listen to the voices of the people, hear their concerns and understand the issues people face in the region.
Baaka Cultural and Art Centre
A few days were then spent in Wilcannia with museum designer, Multistory Creative Director, Scott Watson who is working with Wilcannia locals to bring the Baaka Cultural and Art Centre ellipse permanent exhibition to life. Scott and his team are engaging with the community through a consultation process to look at what artefacts, objects and stories will be included in the permanent exhibition.
The Baaka Cultural Centre Wilcannia Aboriginal Corporation Annual General Meeting was held last Saturday which was incredibly well attended by the local community as we enter the final weeks of construction at the site with the keys expected to be handed over before Christmas. We had a tour of the centre and the grounds with the Board and everyone is very excited about construction coming to an end and the beginning of the next phase of the project.
Orana DAMA
I met with Minister for Skills, TAFE and Tertiary Education Steven Whan to discuss the Orana DAMA, the progress we are making in filling skilled labour shortages in the regions and the benefit the Orana DAMA has to 60% of regional NSW as an incentive for employers to source skilled workers in regional and remote areas.
RDA NSW and ACT Committees (RDAC) meeting
While in Sydney, I attended the NSW RDAC meeting, which is always a great opportunity to catch up with the other RDAs in the state, hear about what initiatives they are rolling out and look at shared opportunities where we can work together to bolster the regions.
Regional Development Australia Awards
The 2024 RDA Awards were held in early November and acknowledge the significant contribution that RDA makes in supporting their communities.
We are so pleased to announce that RDA Orana received a special commendation for Investing in Services for the RDA Orana - Orana Hunter Connections and Beyond: Golden Highway Transport Study. This commendation recognises initiatives or projects that deliver significant outcomes for their communities.
We are continuing to work with all stakeholders on this project to establish the formation of a Golden Highway Taskforce, which will lobby for infrastructure improvements to minimise impacts on local communities while keeping freight moving safely and efficiently between the Orana and Hunter regions and the Port of Newcastle.
Successful 2924 Orana Youth Forum
On Wednesday 6 November, we hosted the first Orana Outlook Forum which aimed to provide our high school students from the region with an opportunity to speak with potential employers about their career prospects, ranging from trainee and apprenticeships through to the opportunities available with university positions. We also had amazing inspirational speakers and an industries and opportunities session finishing with a hands-on workshop with the University of NSW about sustainability and circular economies.
It was a massive day with students coming and going from the speaker sessions to the exhibition hall, enjoying the silent disco and bean bags and then visiting the outside area, where we had heavy machinery from MAAS, examples of working at heights with Endeavour Energy and ball skills with Rugby NSW. Thanks to the PCYC for their food truck - your hot chips were a favorite!
Thank you to our 35+ exhibitors, you provided the students with a cross-section of all industries and a world of possibilities for them to choose from. The feedback from students about the range of options was wonderful and the exhibitors were extremely pleased with the level of engagement.
This was the first event of its kind for the region, we are keen for feedback on what we can do better to help engage our young people to choose a career that will help benefit the Orana region in the long term so we can grow our own workforce.
Finally thank you to the schools for making time to attend and the teachers who came with you. We had students travelling large distances to attend the Forum and we hope it was a beneficial experience. We are looking forward to a bigger and brighter Forum in 2025 and will be sending out information in early 2025.
Upcoming Orana Outlook Forum tickets are on sale now!
Our last event of the year is always a favourite - the Orana Outlook Forum 2024 will be held in Mudgee this year on Wednesday 4 December at Blue Wren Farm.
The Forum provides an insight into the future of our region, looking at the challenges and opportunities for the year ahead.
We are coming together to focus on the innovations that are occurring and how they will impact the future of the region. The forum will present an overview on transport, agriculture, tourism, new energy, social and environmental issues as well as a regional economic outlook, influencing our region now and into the coming years.
Book your tickets now. A full program launch with speaker details will be announced early next week.
.jpg?upscale=true&width=1120&upscale=true&name=TEXO%20Dubbo%20(3).jpg)
.jpg?upscale=true&width=1120&upscale=true&name=TEXO%20Dubbo%20(1).jpg)
.jpg?upscale=true&width=1120&upscale=true&name=TEXO%20Dubbo%20(2).jpg)
.jpg?upscale=true&width=1120&upscale=true&name=Newsletter%20(2).jpg)
