Planning for Gunnedah's upcoming Hay and Harvest Festival is moving forward with the working group now fully formed.
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The community members who will join the group are Rebecca Ryan, Geraldine McKay, Barbara McDonald and Ingrid Kaineder. Their applications to join were accepted at Wednesday's Gunnedah Shire Council ordinary meeting.
Gunnedah deputy mayor Rob Hooke said they were "four very worthwhile members of the community".
"It's good to see them joining that committee," Cr Hooke said.
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Cr Gae Swain said she was excited about the event, but was concerned about the impacts of the ongoing drought for how the festival would be delivered.
"I'm hoping we're going to have some rain between now and then so there is some hay and harvest around because there's nothing at the moment," Cr Swain said.
The group also consists of two councillors, two members of Gunnedah Jockey Club, one member of Gunnedah Chamber of Commerce, and three Gunnedah Shire Council staff members.
The group will meet "as required until the event is delivered".
The event, now merged with the Porchetta festival, is expected to be held late March 2020.
Originally planned for the Namoi riverside, the merge will mean the event will relocate to Gunnedah Jockey Club.
Porchetta was a popular Italian food festival held in the shire, but after seven years, the event committee called it a day in 2016 because of a lack of volunteers.
The jockey club had plans to revive the cultural event after receiving a $20,000 state government grant in 2018, but had been unable to get it off the ground due to issues within the club.
The merged event will now be funded through the grant and the hay and harvest festival's seed funding of $17,000 through the federal government's Building Better Regions Fund.
There is also the opportunity for more community involvement. Those in interested in getting involved, should contact the economic development team at Gunnedah Shire Council on 6742 2100.