THE Gunnedah Riverine Improvement Project was officially opened by Mr Liu Xiang, Chairman of Shenhua Australia Holdings Pty Ltd and Shenhua Watermark Coal Pty Ltd, at a ceremony last Thursday.
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Mr Liu said Shenhua Australia is proud to have been able to help support this project, with the use of funds from the Shenhua Watermark Community Fund.
“Firstly I would like to acknowledge and pay respect to the Gomeroi
People, who are the traditional owners of the land on which we stand,” Mr Liu said.
“The Community Fund granted $124,000 to the project in December 2009 – those funds have been put to good use with the conservation and protection of the riverine environment, the development of the riparian zone of the Namoi River and adjacent parklands for civic
use, and the improvement of recreational and sporting facilities along the foreshore.
“I hope that you are all as pleased as I am with what has been achieved here – I would like to thank the members of the Rotary Club of Gunnedah for bringing the project to our attention and for all their hard work in making it a reality.”
Mr Liu said Shenhua Australia is a strong believer in contributing to the communities in which they work.
“The $5 million Watermark Community Fund was established with the intention of supporting the development of the region’s economy, to promote local employment, to enhance and maintain the local environment and also to improve important local facilities,” he said.
“The Riverine Improvement Project has successfully fulfilled many of these aims – it is projects like this that allow us to engage with the local community, a critical part of Shenhua’s corporate social responsibility.”
A key goal from the project’s inception was to reconnect the town with the Namoi River, to improve the image of the town and provide more opportunities for outdoor activities.
Mr Liu said this has “most definitely been achieved”.
“I have been informed that the project has been well received by the local community and that a
number of locals and visitors are already using the walking and cycling track,” he said.
“I am sure that the usage of these facilities will only increase as time goes by – I would like to thank Mayor Owen Hasler and the Gunnedah Shire Council for their significant contribution.
“In their role as the local council, they have been essential to the development and implementation of the Riverine Improvement Project.
“The Gunnedah Shire Council has been fully invested from the start and that being the case, I have confidence they will prove to be the best possible caretakers for the project, maintaining it for people to enjoy, for many years to come,” Mr Liu said.
“It has been a pleasure to be involved in this development, and on behalf of Shenhua Australia, I wish all those who have participated the very best for the future.”
Members of the Rotary Club of Gunnedah have devoted thousands of volunteer hours to the project, with further enhancement to be undertaken in coming months when the Gunnedah Urban Landcare Group will be involved in additional planting of native and shade trees in the riparian zone.
The scheme on the foreshores of the Namoi River was designed to improve the recreational and sporting opportunities for Gunnedah residents and visitors, and to conserve and protect the river riparian zone and adjacent parklands.
Although initially planned as a one-year project, the need for sound planning and thorough co-ordinated construction saw the project divided into Stages 1 and 2, with Stage 2 completed with the recent installation of four picnic tables.
Rotarian Bob Leister, who has been involved in the project from its inception, gave e a brief outline of the project, noting that the cycle path had been designed to allow events like criteriums to be held when the project is finally connected to Maitland Street.
Gunnedah Mayor Owen Hasler also praised the work of Geoff Hood and his Gunnible Landcare team who have cleaned up the northern side of the Namoi.
