Most of the many villages which surround Cessnock were established as a consequence of coal mining. The poppet head usually came before the first house, school, the pub or the corner store. Our mining heritage is a rich one and we should celebrate it more often.
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The local schools which the miners helped to build are still serving our communities. Last week Mayor Bob Pynsent, State Member Clayton Barr and I attended Kitchener Public School's centenary celebration.
Kitchener Public School is typical of our local public schools; rich in history, a strong record of achievement, and proud.
Like all of our local schools, I've been attending Kitchener end-of-year presentations days for more than two decades. I've always been impressed by the dedication of the teachers and staff and the interest shown by parents in the development of their children. Again, that's typical of our local school communities.
It was great to see former Kitchener school principals back for the celebration. Among them was Bruce Sneddon, who ran the small school for 20 years from 1993. Alwyn Williams was there too, having delivered scripture for countless years.
This gathering heard from a number of people who have had a long association with the school, including Sue Firth and Sue Richard, both of whom have given years of dedicated service.
It was a great event and all who have been active in the School community are entitled to be proud of their contributions. Happy 100th birthday, Kitchener Public School.
Tackling the drought will require a suite of responses
Our landscapes are on fire and the drought is fast becoming a calamity. For the past six years we've worried about and expressed solidarity with our farmers.
But now we find ourselves worried about whole townships and communities. In the absence of meaningful rain, from December many towns across NSW and Queensland will literally run out of water.
We may soon be facing the reality that the settlement patterns we adopted more than one hundred years ago may not be sustainable. Our capital cities were selected by the early Europeans for their strategic assets, harbour shelter, alongside a major river and decent food-producing land.
As government surveyors and settlers began to look beyond the capitals, our mighty rivers provided the most obvious reference point for the development of urban communities.
Often they were able to harness water with dams, weirs and open water channels. It took decades for us to realise that changing the course of nature has environmental consequences, both up-stream and down. That doesn't mean we can't build new water infrastructure, we can and should.
But opportunities will be limited and expensive, and if the climate continues to deteriorate harnessing more water is not adequate alone. Water evaporation during what are becoming hotter droughts is a significant issue. And forget the silly talk about the Bradfield Scheme, it's a 1930s solution to a 21st century problem and in any case wasn't designed to address our current challenges.
Tackling the drought will require a suite of responses beyond water infrastructure. First, we must take more action on climate change. The science is now pretty clear and to those who still have doubts I say act just in case, it may be too late in 20 years' time. Think of it like an insurance policy, the one you hope to call in. Reducing carbon and other greenhouse gas emissions doesn't have to be a painful exercise and it doesn't have to be harmful to our economy or our coal industry. Innovation offers many low-cost solutions but government guidance is needed to incentivise the required investment.
Good luck, Goannas
Go the Cessnock Goannas - 2019 grand finalists. Let's bring it home!
