Rapidly rising wages bill sends NSW councils broke

 

"COUNCIL staff wages account for up to 95 per cent of rates income and are increasing at a rate greater than the rates cap each year. 

 

As councils struggle with a $7.4 billion infrastructure backlog, it can be revealed most rates income goes to wages, superannuation, training and even employee bonuses.

 

An investigation has found combining councils could save up to $224 million each year - which could be spent on maintenance of roads, footpaths and playgrounds that they currently can't afford.

 

NSW Treasury found one-third of councils could not afford to fix their communities, with that figure forecast to soar to 50 per cent within three years, and called on councils to make "significant changes in spending".

 

A Local Government NSW spokeswoman said councils were service-based and needed staff: "Staffing levels and their cost is a reflection of each council's range of services."

 

 

click here to read more

SANTONIO NEWSLETTER

Santonio

                           

SANTONIO MATTERS

 Winter 2013

 In This Issue:

• Community Gardens
• All Olive Oils Aren't The Same
• Recipe - Nude Ravioli

Winter is well upon us here in the valley. The fog has been coming in each evening and hanging low at the base of the mountains. A truly spectacular scene when the sun is setting, that is for sure!

COMMUNITY GARDENS

Popping up all over Australian cities are community gardens. You will be surprised just how many of them are around you. The concept is very simple. An annual fee is usually charged, and then you have access to fresh vegetables right at your doorstep. A contribution of a few hours of work every month is also usually a requirement, but each garden has its own rules. Visit this website to find out what is involved and where they are in your city. 

http://communitygarden.org.au/2007/10/11/benefits/

This idea is just a great way to eat seasonal veggies, fresh from the garden when you don't have enough space in your own back yard!

ALL OLIVE OILS AREN'T THE SAME!

When it comes to choosing an olive oil, it comes down to what you want to do with it! Below is an outline of the different types of oils and their uses.

Extra-virgin olive oil (sometimes called EVOO) comes from the first pressing of the olives, contains no more than 0.8% acidity, and is judged to have a superior taste. There can be no refined oil in extra-virgin olive oil. This is the healthiest, top of the range of olive oils and should be the oil that graces your salads.

Virgin olive oil - The name denotes that this oil has not undergone any refinement; however, it has a higher acidity content (1-4%) than extra virgin olive oil so it retains only some of its natural aromas and flavors.

Olive oil - this is the oil stocked in copious amounts on the supermarket shelves. It is usually a blended oil, consisting of virgin olive oil blended with lower-quality refined olive oil. It really depends on the brand and the blend as to the quality and the price. Suitable for cooking.

Olive pomace oil - this is very refined olive oil, namely the residue that remains once the oil is pressed. It is of a very low grade and will be very cheap. It should be used for cleaning products rather than for cooking and consumption.

Decide the reason you want your olive oil. If it is for salads, choose virgin or extra virgin olive oils. It is often a good idea to purchase a very small amount of virgin or extra virgin olive oil and keep it aside just for salads. If you are cooking, just plain olive oils are the best choice. If you are creating a cleaning product, such as furniture polish, use the olive pomace oil.

Choose olive oil encased in dark glass. The dark color helps to prevent oxidation of the oil, which can quickly lead to deterioration of the oil and rancidity.

Olive is best consumed within 12 - 18 months. Ensure that the use-by date is well within the time that you will be able to cook with it. Extra virgin can actually be worse to cook with as opposed to the 'lower grades' of olive oil. Extra virgin has a lower smoke point and cooking with it can result in greasier tasting dishes. Use regular olive oil if you intend to fry things with it.

Here at Santonio Farm we have just got the test back from Department of Industry and Investment on our olive oil that we have just had pressed. It passed the Extra Virgin Olive Oil qualifications, in fact, we exceeded the test with flying colours. This is super exciting for us. You can pre-order our oil on our website, we should be sending it out in the next 4 weeks.

Recipe for a cold winter's night

Silverbeet is grown year round in the temperate and cooler climates and is always my fall back for a green vegetable when everything else may be not ready to pick. This recipe is a family favourite with an Italian twist. Ravioli without the pasta!!!

Nude Ravioli                        

Ingredients:

1 bunch of silverbeet or spinach, white stalk removed and roughly chopped

2 cloves garlic, crushed and chopped finely

1 spring onion, thinly sliced

olive oil

450g ricotta cheese, drained

50g grated parmesan cheese, plus an extra 50g

500ml jar of Santonio Napolitana Sugo (or make your own, Sugo is the Italian name for spaghetti sauce)

1 tablespoon strattu (an Italian concentrated tomato paste, made from drying the tomatoes in the sun for a week. If you can't find it in an Italian deli, just use normal tomato paste)

salt to taste

pepper to taste

2 tablespoons plain flour

Method:  Heat your oven to 180C

Sear the silverbeet or spinach with the garlic, spring onion and olive oil until soft. Mix in the ricotta, salt, pepper, ricotta,  and flour. Coat your hands in olive oil and then roll the mixture into balls. This recipe should create around 8 balls (serves 4).

Arrange in a dish with a layer of sugo which has been mixed with the strattu, and then place the balls on top of the sauce. Pour the remaining sugo over the top, coating the balls well. Finish off with a grating of parmesan cheese.

Pop into the oven for 15-20 minutes, or until the cheese is golden brown and the sauce has started to caramelise a little.

Serve as an entree, or with crunchy bread and a salad for a main.

To stock up on Santonio products and to take advantage of our free delivery until June 30, jump onto our website. Don't forget to check out our Deal of the Day! 

https://www.santoniostore.com/dealoftheday.asp

Till next time - Happy gardening and happy cooking.

Sandy

Capertee Valley Safron does well.

Capertee Valley Safron have become finalists in the 'Delicious Produce Awards 2013', in from the earth section, congratulations Katrin  and Greg.  

click here to see the results

There was over 3,000 entrants this year and the quality was 'the best yet' in this national event.

Local Environment Plan (LEP) letter

Click on page to enlarge

Bogee RFS News

click to enlarge

Kitchen fire news

Sunday 16th June 10am

BOGEE RURAL FIRE BRIGADE

Noola Rd, Bogee

9 am General Business

10am Introducton to Behind The Seen

11am Live Fire Training including

the use of fire extinguishers

Followed by a BBQ

It's officially Winter now so we are getting into the "nitty gritty" of what type of fires are likely to occur at this time of year. 

Please be aware that even if you are not trained to fight fires, it is important to have some idea of how to stop the fire spreading further....be it in your kitchen, lounge room or bed room. 

 FIRE EXTINGUISHERS WILL BE DEMONSTRATED 11AM

WE ARE RUNNING THE PROGRAM TO ASSIST ALL MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY 

WHICH INCLUDES 

THOSE TRAINED BY RFS AND THOSE WANTING TO KNOW MORE

 We will start our training by warming up with some soup at 9am, followed by morning tea at 10am before the presentation.  

Lunch will be a BBQ and we would appreciate your RSVP BY 12th June for catering purposes.

A reply email or phone call will be good.

We look forward to sharing this special training with as many locals as possible.  Stay warm and happy.  

Carol Henry  Secretary  Bogee Rural Fire Brigade 6379 7743

Newsletter from Capertee Valley Alliance President

Dear Members,

President’s Update

Music and Arts Festival

Attached is a letter from Council confirming the extension time for any DA Submissions for the proposed Music Festival to be held in August. Closing date for submissions  is Friday 31^st May 2013.

Attached is a map of the proposed site.

CVA Inc will not be putting in a submission, this we believe is a decision of individual Landowners.

CVA ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING previously scheduled for 24th August 2013

CVA AGM has been postponed due to the Festival now scheduled on the same date. (23^rd,24^th and 25^th August 2013)

When a new date is decided the Management Committee will contact you all.

Annual Membership Renewals

Annual Membership forms will be sent to you all in the next week which payment will be due by 1 July 2013.

Please contact us if you have any changes to your contact details.

Management Committee

I have agreed to remain as the President until the AGM.

I have  also mentioned that I would be happy to remain on the Management Committee, if voted on at the AGM

CVA Management Committee is having a planning session on 24^th June 2013 to review our existing Objectives, Policies and Procedures and succession planning.

Capertee Valley Catchment Committee Meeting

Don’t forget the Capertee Valley Catchment meeting on 11^th June 2013.

The Boundaries for the new Lands Services Council has been decided and we are in the Central Tablelands, Lithgow Mudgee, Bathurst, Orange, Oberon, Cowra and Cabonne.

Pearsons Lookout

Pearsons Lookout upgrade is underway and we look forward to the grand opening, We have worked very closely with Council and Government Dept.’s as well as the Community Groups at Capertee and in the valley. A big thank to our State Member The Hon. Paul Toole for assistance in RMS and funding for  LCC to proceed with the top section of the Lookout.

Bird Trail/signs

The funding from H-N CMA for the 19 Bird Trail signs has been secured and CVA project team will work on design and then installation.

Capertee Valley Vertical Sign Capertee

CVA has been working with LCC and the Community Groups in regard to the installation of vertical signs to be installed at Capertee. CVA’s work in this regard has been signed off on with Council, we are waiting on the reverse side history and other suggested information to be released by Capertee & District Progress Assn. to Council.

LEAN

(Western Medicare Local)

The last Capertee Valley  event was held on 18^th May as the 3 year funding program finished. All the localities in the Capertee Valley are under Nepean - Blue Mountains Medicare Local boundary and out hospital is Nepean Hospital at Penrith.

CVA made representation to LCC through the LEAN Committee for funding for an information board to be erected near Glen Alice Community Hall so that the school and other information relevant to the Capertee Valley Community could be displayed.

Council confirmed they would support the funding application.

However after investigation on who owned the land where the sign was to be erected it was confirmed that Glen Alice Community Assn. Inc were the owners. I spoke to the then Secretary  now President of GACA Inc., Warren Owens who proceeded with the application through GACA Inc. and Council approved the funding application some time ago

Community Locality Groups

Members of the Management Committee attend the Locality meetings where possible and liaise with their respective representatives so we can work together and support each other at Local, State and Federal levels and for the good of the whole community. CVA believes in having open and productive communications that support matters that affect us all who live in the valley and surrounds.

At the Glen Alice Community Assn.  AGM recently ( Bruce and I as members attended) discussion ensued with members as to whether any Logos could be displayed on the Community Board and who could include items on the Community Board including the need for Glen Alice school to advertise on Glen Alice Road that there is  a public Primary School in the valley.

Glen Alice Community Assn. Inc. will make the decision on who and what can be displayed.

Council/Roads/Signage Funding allocations for 2013-2014 Financial Year

CVA Inc. attended a council meeting on 18 March to encourage a meeting with the Mayor Maree Statham and council employees on 10^th April for the purpose of the Capertee Valley Community to discuss the draft Lithgow delivery Program 2013 – 2017 and the Operational Plan 2013 – 2014. We appreciate the efforts of Mayor Statham, Roger Bailey GM and council staff for agreeing to meet with the residents. Roads were the main issue and CVA Inc. submitted a Roads Prioritisation Plan  which included signage to Council’s for consideration. Residents would be pleased to know that action has already occurred in regard to signage and roads maintenance. Rain has put a halt on the continuing plan. For More information please email for a copy of the submission. We thank Wendy Williams who co-ordinated the resident’s concerns from across the valley and drafting CVA submission.

A further outcome from the 10^th April meeting was Council Geoff Hibbard Rural Works Overseer visited CVA Inc. and other landholders to discuss their concerns of the roads. CVA maintains that the roads are maintained based on safety  and condition of the roads.

Council/Tourism

CVA submitted last Friday a document in relation to Lithgow Draft Tourism Strategy Destination Management Plan. This was an outcome from a meeting that Council asked CVA to facilitate in August 2011 when Consultant Jenny Rand & Associates was employed by Council to put a Tourism Strategy together for the whole of the Lithgow Region.

CVA’s submission was tabled at a meeting with the Lithgow Tourism Board who then had the role to include or not include our submission points. Lithgow Tourism Board submitted the revised the draft plan of the consultant and it went before a Council meeting last Monday night 27^th May 2013.

CVA representative’s attended the Lithgow Council meeting and asked for an explanation as to why the CVA’s submission and the other 12 submissions were check listed against Council’s draft and no new Tourism ideas were implemented. After all the Consultants draft was dated August 2011. A letter will be sent to CVA Inc. with a full explanation on the process. Council’s draft was over 400 pages and members of the management committee painstakingly reviewed the whole Tourism Draft.

Council only reviewed 1 of 4 documents of CVA’s submission and NOTED only. It is a concern that Lithgow City Council are still not taking Tourism  seriously as an economic driver in the Lithgow Region. This arm of Councils service is costing in total along with administration costs allocated approximately $900,00.00 with little return to Council or Business owners including Tourism Operators. Something has to happen.

We reminded that Capertee and Capertee Valley had a both European and Aboriginal History dating back to the early 1800’s and essentially this has been ignored.

Agriculture was ignored in their draft Economic Development paper and CVA was successful in getting Lithgow Council to include this in their Economic Development Paper which is available on line. There are many opportunities that could relate to Agriculture/Food trails.

Bird Trail Brochure

The Bird Trail brochure has been most successful with 6000 printed and over 900 downloads on the Capertee Valley Way website and the Blog. This has increased visitation to the valley and tourism operators have noticed an increase in accommodation needs including camping.

National Parks

Coorongooba has two toilets installed and this was due to CVA liaising with National Parks to install them as its listed on the Bird Trail.

Capertee National Park Draft Plan of Management (POM) is being reviewed so we wait to see what has been decided when we (most of us) attended the workshop at Capertee National Park

Capertee Valley Alliance Blog.

The Blog has achieved over 103,725 page readers and this is a credit to Bruce Upton who maintains it.

Logo

We have just received two more applications to use the Capertee Valley Logo.

Accountant -  LAWRENCE Bennett Portelli

A big thank you to Simon Bennett for making a contribution of $385.00 towards administration costs. Thank you Simon.

Finally I would like to thank members for their expressions of confidence and support.

Kind regards

Donna Upton

President

Capertee Valley Alliance Inc. Inc

6379 7767

0428223301

Farming Life - in the Capertee Valley - a family story

Watervale goes LIVE...

We all know that if you are in the business of farming its long hours and the job is never completed.

Congratulations is in order to GLENDA and Neil GORRELL at Watervale who have put in the extra hours to create a great business tool for their the Three Way Speckle Park stud, founded in 2010 by Neil, Glenda and Lindsay Gorrell.  Neil and Glenda, already owners and directors of Llerrog Limousin Stud, established some 7 years earlier, both Studs are located in the Capertee Valley.

Neil comes from a long association with the land, being 3rd generation farmer and born and raised on a dairy farm in the Illawarra region of NSW.  His farther the late Arthur Gorrell was a founding member of the AIS Cattle Society, Neil owned saddlery shops in Goulburn, Bowral and Moss Vale and also had a mobile bus servicing shows and rodeos, he has also been extensively involved in the building industry.

For over thirty years Neil also owned and operated a very successful structural moving business out of Sydney moving large buildings for the government, and winning awards in the USA for his accomplishments. One of his moves being the 200 ton fig trees at the Olympic Games site, moving them in association with the “Tree Doctor” Mark Hartley.  Neil still manufactures equipment for the structural moving industry and is appointed regularly as a consultant by various businesses and Government departments involved in or undertaking projects involving the structural moving industry, Neil regularly visits the USA for conferences, and enjoys being host when his colleagues visit Australia.  He is also an experienced horseman successfully showing horses at several Sydney Royal Easter Shows.

Glenda has represented Australia in the discipline of Barrel Racing at a state, national and international level, riding in the World Finals Rodeo in Texas USA in 1986, Glenda is experienced in preparing horses for snaffle bit and halter futurities, shows and yearling sales, which has come in handy preparing our bulls for stud auctions.  She is an AI technician and has studied with the RCS in cattle grazing techniques & pasture management.

Both Neil and Glenda have extensive experience and expertise in farming, they owned and operated a 6,000 acre cropping and mixed farming enterprise in the Riverina before purchasing and running their 4,000 acre properties “Watervale” and “Emu Creek” located in the Capertee Valley running both stud and commercial cattle. Neil and Glenda  support and believe in Land-care and won the Hawkesbury-Nepean Land-care Primary Producer of the year award in 2007.

Lindsay  competes both nationally and internationally in mountain bike riding holding National Championship titles at the elite level of her sport. Lindsay has expressed a potential interest in the field of Veterinary Chiropractic and an interest in the Speckle Park breed which eventually led to the establishment of the Three Way Speckle Park Cattle Company.

Both studs continue to grow with the demand for our genetics and live animals far outstripping current supply. We have purchased stud stock from many leading studs and have extensively used AI and embryo implants from leading studs in the USA, Canada, Great Britain and Australia to accelerate the direction and advancement of our two studs.  An elite and superior herd for both breeds is our objective and we will eventually retire to a smaller property with the elite herd.

Click here to view the web site

Be alert for dubious people

Break in at Bogee, no details but be on the lookout.

There are some unwelcome people in the area snooping around, Kandos Public School the TIP and Macecos were broken into.

New Lands Services Boundary for Lithgow under the Local Land Services.

We are under Central Tablelands

Lithgow Mudgee Bathurst Orange Oberon Cowra Cabonne

click here to read more

Capertee Valley Alliance Inc Management Committee Meeting

Capertee Valley Alliance Inc Management Committee Meeting will be held on Monday 27th May 2013.

Venue: Wiraki Glen Alice Road Bogee NSW

ANY MATTERS THAT THE MEMBERS AND RESIDENT'S WISH TO PLACE ON THE AGENDA PLEASE CONTACT BY EITHER EMAIL:

CAPERTEEVALLEYALLINC@IPSTARMAIL.COM.AU

or phone 02 6379 7767

Total Health & Education News

Sorry about missing a week's brief notes but I had a good excuse.  The birth of our beautiful grandchild.  A sister for little Mia.  She weighed 4 kilos and looks perfect.  Her name is Charlotte Allora Gleeson and is now home enjoying (or putting up with) lots of cuddles and kisses from her sister who also believes she needs a dummy to keep her happy.  We've put some pictures on Facebook yesterday for you all to see.  I'm Grandma Pat and Bryant is Poppy, grandchildren certainly change your life as many of you would know.  

Feedback - We do a great deal of mail orders.  The girls are constantly wrapping up parcels to send all over Australia and even overseas.  Recently a customer who just ordered AR cream (with extra chilli) and Comfrey ointment said "I can't praise your products enough.  They're making my life more bearable".  Thanks Daphne those are special words that keep me making my creams late at night at THE Centre..


Hypnotherapy - Helen has just left us to work on a more permanent basis at her Singleton premises.  If you'd like to contact her ring 0418 109 806 or visit her website WWW.CENTREDLIVING.BIZ    We will miss her happy disposition and we'll enjoy a close working relationship.   However we are very lucky to have Lee Parkes and Kieren Shea who both have Diplomas of Applied Clinical Hypnotherapy plus other qualifications including Past Life Regression.  They offer an hour consult for smoking, weight loss etc for $90 and longer sessions for other problems including the amazing past life regression.  I've chatted to one lady who had a constantly sore neck for many years.  She got rid of it just after one session of past life regression where she found herself in another age where she was hit on the head that damaged her neck.  Amazing!


Bye for now Pat 

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Australia

Find out about the Planned Psyfari Festival

Capertee & District Progress Assn Inc

---

Meetings in winter Posted: 13 May 2013 01:42 AM PDT Just a short reminder that the Capertee and District Progress Association Inc holds its winter meetings at the Royal Hotel.  This starts after ANZAC day and concludes after the October long weekend. All still welcome in the warmer environment! Next meeting 10th June 2013