DEAR News Of The Area,

IT has been some time since my last update as President of the Progress Association, and for good reason.

Several members of our committee, including myself, took a prudent step back to focus on supporting the Mid Coast Independents at the last local council election.

It is a positive outcome that Councillor O’Keefe was elected following this successful campaign. 

I’m pleased to report that our committee has reconvened this week on 8 October, and we’ve outlined a number of key priorities for the upcoming spring and summer months.

At the top of our list, we remain committed to hosting the free Seniors Concert during Seniors Week in 2025, a cherished event we look forward to every year.

In addition, we have raised concerns with the MidCoast Council (MCC) regarding the very neglected, even dangerous condition of the land they own opposite the pub and next to the new property development (Myall Street – refer to photo).

The Progress Association is advocating for this area to be remediated for public use, with a request to extend the footpath connecting to the Tea Gardens shopping precinct.

We are also in the process of re-submitting our grant application to the NSW government, along with letters of support from MCC and Reflections, for the installation of a Mobi-Mat at Jimmy’s Beach estimated at around $25,000. Another key focus is obtaining a professional assessment of the Hawks Nest Community Hall, with a view to supporting significant upgrades in 2025.

These upgrades would include improvements to the floors, ceilings, electrical systems, and both the internal and external facades.

We are aware that these renovations will require substantial funding, and we will be seeking a grant as well as support from MCC.

The Progress Association will continue to advocate for our parks, beaches, amenities, environment, and community wellbeing.

On the fundraising front, our successful barbecues at Heatherbrae Bunnings will soon resume, and we encourage the community to come along and support our efforts.

To help cover rising insurance costs, the Committee endorsed increasing our membership fee to $20 per annum. We’re also launching a membership drive as strength lies in our volunteers, and the more members we have, the greater the impact we can make.

Our next General Meeting will be held at 18:30 on 14 October 24 at the Hawks Nest Community Hall.

We’re excited to announce that Councillor Thomas O’Keefe will be addressing members about his priorities as a newly elected Councillor with a full four-year term.

We are fortunate to now have a strong local voice on the council.

Lastly, I wanted to share that I believe in the importance of open dialogue within our community.

Many of the challenges in our community might disappear if we talked with each other rather than about each other.

I hope to see you at our next meeting so we can continue to talk and work together to improve our community.

Thank you for the support.

Bruce MURRAY,
President,
HNTG Progress Association.