Local news for local people
Articles published in July 2026
Finally, progress on the relocation of the Leagues Club
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Action this day! There has been some good news about Victoria Pass. A decision has been made about who will be fixing the broken Mitchells Causeway. The NSW government had this to say: Contract awarded to reopen Great Western Highway, with further relief for impacted businesses
The Government is also announcing an expanded package of support for local businesses affected by the closure. The NSW Government knows the uncertainty of the past few months has been incredibly difficult for local communities. While this process has taken time, there could be no shortcuts when it came to understanding the cause of the failure and determining the safest long-term solution. Following an accelerated procurement process, Seymour Whyte has been selected to construct a new crossing that will restore the connection between the Blue Mountains and Central West while improving its long-term resilience. Extensive geotechnical investigations carried out over the past few months were critical to the procurement process, providing the evidence needed to develop the proposal for the safest and fastest reopening. You can read the complete media release here. Completion by April 2027 is a rather optimistic schedule so cynics can expect that the final date for reopening Victoria Pass will be "adjusted" as time goes on. No estimate of the cost has been announced, but it can be guessed as being $Lots. |
The NSW Government is today providing certainty for communities impacted by the closure of the Great Western Highway at Victoria Pass announcing the successful contractor to deliver a new, more durable crossing at Mitchells Causeway, with major construction to begin in July, and the road expected to reopen in the second quarter of next year.
It's a new record!
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Emma takes on the world
Emma has been with us less than six months and already making a huge impact on our station with her boundless energy and youthful enthusiasm! We’re very very proud to announce that Emma will be representing Fire and Rescue NSW FRNSW Sports Association when they take on NSW Corrections in July and rumour has it will be further representing the firies more this year. Emma is no stranger to the sport previously playing Union for Penrith Emus Rugby Club, League for Panorama Platypi Women's Rugby League and currently plays soccer for Abercrombie FC. We wish Emma and our league teams all the best! |
The people at Fire and Rescue NSW Station 411 Oberon have a bit to say about an employee:Let's help someone who needs it
The problem was that the pavers were in Raglan and her house is in Rockley and she had no way to get the stones home. Another social media appeal and an answer was found. Instead of the usual monthly barbecue in Oberon Common, Lincoln Briffa shanghaied the regulars at the men's mental health group Mr Perfect and with the help of Sharelle's family moved the pavers to where they are needed. The sausages intended for Mr Perfect provided the lunch for everyone. And that's what helping people is all about. There should be more of it. Keep an eye on What's On for the times and locations of the Mr Perfect events. |
Sharelle lives in Rockley. She is a single parent with two daughters. She also has cancer and has had to deal with a couple of shonky NDIS providers. (No, it doesn't cost $700 a week to mow a small lawn. No, a small bathroom update doesn't have to cost as much as a luxury car.) She thought it would be nice to have a patio out the back of her house where she could sit in the sun (and the quote for the bathroom suggested that getting a quote for a patio would be a stressful experience). She put out an appeal on social media and some kind person donated a heap of pavers.Chalkdust Torture
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If sport's your thing
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Oberon Council Mayor's Column
July 2, 2026 in Community
This fortnight's column from Oberon Mayor Andrew McKibbin can be seen here.
The Carers' Retreat is finally open
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There was movement at the station ...
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The train station, that is. Work is proceeding nicely on the construction of the station at Hazlegrove on the Oberon Tarana Heritage Railway. Getting the line running again is a slow process but that's the sort of thing that happens when the workers on the ground are volunteers and the professionals are in the bureaucracy, shuffling paper from one in-tray to the next. And often back again for another round of rule checking and obfuscation. The railway will run again one day but people have given up on predicting when because predictions have a way of coming up against train loads of red tape.Could this be Australia's warmest winter ever?
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School's out! So sang Alice.
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Sport. That's what the back page is for.
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Winter Seasonal Markets at Edith
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How to stop fraudsters tricking disabled people out of their NDIS funding
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Black Springs Community Association The Black Springs Community Association AGM results are in with the new elected committee being:
Congratulations to all new committee members. We would like to extend a big thank you to the outgoing committee members for all their work and effort put in over the past year. Here's to another great year. |
Book review: "The Fibre Factor" by Dr Joanna McMillan
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Left Behind: Transitioning to Work Getting Tougher
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A little bit of sport goes a long way
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