This week's Minute with Mayor McKibbin

June 19, 2025

17 June 2025

The Country Mayors Association (CMA) held a transport forum for Mayors and General Managers in Orange on 12 June with Minister Jenny Atchison addressing the forum and answering questions. The crucial “White Paper' on connectivity to Sydney across the Blue Mountains is still to be issued midyear. UGL, which managers Country Rail for Transport for NSW, also made a presentation and updated the attendees on new level Crossing upgrades proposed to be installed. Participants asked why more freight could not be transported by rail and UGL stated more intermodals were required to allow freight on trucks to be transferred to rail cheaply and efﬁciently. The issue of closed freight rail lines such as the Blayney to Demondrille (Cowra)line were also raised.

Following the CMA meeting Mayors from Lithgow, Bathurst, Orange, Oberon, and Dubbo met with the Mayor of Armidale to understand how the New England had dealt with and negotiated with the renewable companies in the New England area. The establishment of a wealth fund that Renewable companies contributed to yearly and that generated income to pay for amenities, so all the community beneﬁted, was of particular interest.

The Pines Windfarm (Stromlo/Tag), which is proposing to construct 250 turbines in Forestry Corp managed Pine plantations, held a quarterly brieﬁng with Council on 10 June and answered many questions concerning the project. These questions and answers are being published on the Pines Windfarm website. A rescission Motion has been tabled for 17 June Council Meeting to rescind the previous Development Approval resolution, passed at the May meeting of Council, for 3 anemometer towers for measuring wind speed, frequency and velocity in the vicinity of these pine plantations.

In the last few weeks GPG the proponent for the Paling Yards Windfarm has disclosed its preferred transport route for freighting the turbines, blades and tower components to Paling yards for installation, this has caused considerable community concern in Oberon and in Bathurst Council areas. At the 17 June Meeting of Oberon Council, Council is being requested to consider modiﬁcations to the O'Connell Rd to allow for these large Multi wheeled vehicles to navigate the road.

The cold weather has hit home with Oberon and Black Springs having their ﬁrst snow falls for the season. There has been a continuous period of early morning frosts and fog with the coldest morning for two years being recorded on Monday 16 June. It is time for all of us to start celebrating the beneﬁts of our cold climate with Christmas in July events, concerts and Bonﬁres. I urge everyone to support our businesses and community events during this winter period and to enjoy the beneﬁts of winter.

Andrew McKibbin
Mayor