G'day Dungog Shire.
I'll kick things off with the Community Small Grants. So this is a reminder that this is the final few days of Council's 2026 Community Small Grants Program. So if you're part of a local not-for-profit community, sporting, or cultural group and you've got an idea that potentially can make a difference in our community, these grants are for you. Grants of up to $2,500 are available. Funding can support anything from community events, activities related to youth programs, volunteer development, wellbeing initiatives, and small equipment purchases. So the scope is quite vast. Council also just adopted a Grants Program Policy, so it's the first time we're using that, which is great. So anyway, the guidelines are quite broad, so you can jump in and check out exactly what qualifies and what doesn't. Applications close Sunday, the 30th of August, so you've got two days left to apply. Late applications unfortunately can't be accepted. So, if you've been thinking about applying, now's the time! Just jump over to Council's website and have a look.
All right, moving on. AGOG is here. So, if you love a good movie, AGOG is a film festival from afar that brings movies to the James Theatre here in little Dungog, and that's on Friday 28th, today, and Saturday, the 29th, tomorrow. This is actually the 17th year AGOG has brought five fantastic international films to Dungog across two days. It's grown quite a following, and it's really good to see. It kicks off at 7pm tonight and is followed by four films throughout Saturday as well. So it's a great excuse for a night out or a whole weekend if you want to watch all five movies at one of the Shire's most iconic venues. It's the longest purpose-built cinema in the Southern Hemisphere, so the history is absolutely there. It's amazing that it's still running as a cinema today, and I've heard lots of great stories about this building throughout the history of Dungog Shire as well. So I very much encourage you to keep supporting it as it continues to operate as a cinema. The program is available on The James Theatre website or their Facebook page as well, so you can have a look at what they've got there.
Speaking of tourism, the Tourism Survey is actually open now as well. So we all know that there's plenty to love about Dungog Shire, as I've mentioned. But we want to hear from you and your ideas on how we can make our region an even better place to visit. Council is working with DRT (Dungog Regional Tourism) which is a great group that's been doing really good work around tourism. They're volunteer run across the shire, as well as the Dungog District Chamber of Commerce. We're looking at tourism opportunities across the shire. This is a really big, major focus of this Council. Something that we acknowledge has been lacking in the past. It has huge potential across the shire as well. It's something that we really want to focus on now and start building the momentum there. So whether you're a resident, business owner, tourism operator, or simply someone who just loves the region, I'd really encourage you to complete that survey. It's pretty quick. We want to hear what you think we're doing well, but more importantly, we want to hear what we can do better and what you'd like to see more of. So, from events, visitor experiences, accommodation, local food, outdoor activities, whatever you think really. It only takes a few minutes, as I said. Your feedback will help guide the conversation around tourism in the Shire. You can find the survey link on this Facebook page, and if you're watching this video, you've found the page. Otherwise, I'll pop the link in the comments below as well.
Speaking of tourism, there's another big event this weekend. The Gresford Rodeo is on Saturday, another huge local event happening this weekend. It's going to be a big, busy weekend for everyone. That's the Gresford Rodeo. It's on Saturday, the 29th of August, at the Gresford Showground. Gates open at 8am There's plenty of rodeo action throughout the day. The main event and performance start at 5pm, and from 9pm, there'll be live music to keep the party going all night. There's also going to be barbecue, kiosks, hot food, a licensed bar, all that good stuff you expect from a rodeo. So hopefully you get on down there, invite your friends, invite your family. There's nothing like a good small country town rodeo. I tell you what, Dungog Shire definitely does rodeos very well.
Lastly, I'll just touch on what the Mayor has been up to. You would have noticed that he's been making some videos across the shire, highlighting some of the key issues and concerns we have. He's done two so far, and the response has been absolutely great. It looks like Dungog Shire has its new social media content creator, and if he keeps getting the views he is, maybe he can actually start funding our roads himself, which would be fantastic. But no, I do encourage you to go and check them out.
As the Mayor is, he's often straight to the point, no-nonsense. But you know, they are really important issues that are affecting us across the region, and maybe a little bit of scope for you to realise what we're focusing on as a Council, what action and direction we're trying to drive, and the things we're trying to achieve. So I do encourage you to have a look at them. Great little videos.
Otherwise, have a good weekend. I'll see you at the Rodeo or at James Theatre. Thanks Dungog.
