Lane Cove is once again coming to the aid of its sister city Gunnedah.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The city council called an extraordinary meeting earlier this month to discuss and vote on how to best help its rural sister in the ongoing drought.
The council decided it will purchase gift cards and encourage residents to do the same, so they can be distributed to people in need ahead of Christmas.
Read also:
Lane Cove mayor Pam Palmer said it was clear that conditions hadn't improved for the Gunndah shire when she spoke with mayor Jamie Chaffey and Cr Colleen Fuller at the recent Local Government Conference.
"It highlighted to all of us the ongoing problems in the Gunnedah region and everyone here is sympathetic. Everyone I talk to down here really wants to support the community, so we want to make it easy for them to do that," she said.
"I feel the gift card idea we kind of borrowed from [Gunnedah] in the first place. It's how we got the idea of shopping locally.
"Isn't it wonderful now, it's got the benefit of the gift cards helping not only our local businesses but helping your local businesses. It's a surprising outcome that worked really well."
Ms Palmer said there had been a great response from the community for the idea.
"Everyone latched on quite enthusiastically. All people I talk to want to help," she said.
Deputy mayor Rob Hooke said "any help is gratefully appreciated".
"I just think it is the most amazing thing that city people are recognising the struggle we're having in rural communities. They're actually recognising that it's going beyond farmers and actually affects towns and small business as well," he said.
"I think it's an amazing effort. It just shows the spirit we have in this country. I am Very humbled."
Cr Hooke will share the shire's struggles when he attends a Lane Cove drought fundraiser on December 9.
Lane Cove Youth Orchestra and Hunters Hill High School have once again teamed up for an annual Christmas concert and the funds will come to Gunnedah.
The orchestra's president Lyndall McCarthy the musicians will play "rainy, watery, stormy music" at The Rain Bringer Christmas Concert and they were "delighted" and "honoured" that Cr Hooke would attend.
"Our families were touched by the words that were given last year by farmer Andrew Frend and they wanted to do it again," Ms McCarthy said.
"It's good for [Lane Cove] to hear from people who live in the country. The deputy mayor in a great position to tell anecdotal stories of what families have had to endure.
"It's a really important part of the education for our orchestra along with music, and we just hope the audience will have fun participating in the event by using the rain sticks we'll be making."
Cr Hooke said he was "blown away" that the LCYO and high school had chosen to support the shire again.
"Raising money, not money in-kind, which is important because it's money spent in community rather than brought from there," he said.
"Any money spent in the community keeps the town open."
Gunnedah and Lane Cove became sister cities in 1990s when the shire was in drought.
