Good morning, and welcome to this week's Council Connect with Councillor Alexandria Carruthers.
It's a bit windy out there, so I'll try to keep it brief this week. I want to mention our Community Satisfaction Survey. This is a chance for the community to provide pointed feedback to Council on what we're doing well, what we can do better, and what matters most to you in our community, so we can focus on those areas. The survey is open until Monday, 13th of April, at 5pm. I'll put some links below in the comments, but I strongly encourage you to complete the survey, because your feedback guides Council on what's important to you for us to focus on, and it's your opportunity to put that forward. It's also your opportunity to share what you think could be working a little or a lot better, and to give feedback on the good things you enjoy.
And then, as we all know, the Easter long weekend is coming up next weekend. The Council Administration and Libraries will be closed from Good Friday, 3 April, and reopen on Tuesday, 7 April. We'll put up a post later on with the exact timing and details.
And with Easter comes the Dungog Rodeo! That's an event I think we all look forward to every year at the Dungog Showgrounds. So it's back on Saturday, April 4. The Rodeo Committee has been working hard since the last event to get this one underway so that we can enjoy it. A lot of hours and energy go into organising the event and setting up the Rodeo. If you're looking for something fun to do on Easter Saturday, I highly encourage you to come to the Rodeo. It's always a great time and offers a different experience if you don't usually attend these kinds of events. But it's equally important to many who attend regularly. We draw huge crowds, especially since the Easter Show is also on that weekend and attracts a lot of visitors. So, well done, Dungog!
And then, of course, we also have the Gresford Billy Cart Derby during the Easter long weekend. It's also happening on Saturday 4 April, which is a big day for many people. Our Billy cart is almost ready to go, and we're really looking forward to it again this year. Hopefully, yours is too, or you're just coming to watch. I know there are plenty of markets and other little events you can check out while the Billy carts race down the streets. So lots of excitement there! It'll be a great day on Saturday, 4 April, across the Shire with the Billy Cart Derby, and then the Dungog Rodeo that night!
And now, I just want to touch base and let you know that Mayor Raywood has been having numerous meetings lately with Hunter JO, and advocating for Dungog regarding the Financial Assistance Grants funding. This funding comes from the federal level down to the state level, and then is distributed to Council. We're really pushing to see that increased because that's a significant block of money, so to speak, that we can be assured we will receive every time.
It's a lot like our rates, and then obviously everything else depends on grants and submitting applications for them, and then having the plans in place to explain why we require those funds to deliver the initiatives that our community wants. That's why it's really important for you to fill out that community survey by April 13th. We have a couple of weeks to gather feedback.
So that's a wrap on this week's Council Connect. We'll add those extra bits and pieces in the comments below. Have a great weekend, stay safe, and if I don't see you before the Easter long weekend, enjoy the Easter holiday. Don't forget to enjoy the many things here in Dungog. Bye.
