Upper Hunter Shire Council

23/10/2026

It was great to have Upper Hunter Shire Mayor Pat Ryan join us for the official opening. We thank Pat for joining us today and the entire Upper Hunter Shire Council for their contribution to the 2026 Show.

🎥 Winning Edge Media

23/10/2026

Come on down to White Park this weekend for Beef Bonanza. It’s the 21st anniversary of the event and has 800 kids participating from all over NSW. It’s the biggest educational beef event / competion in Australia. Free entry all weekend.

23/10/2026

🌟🇦🇺 Hallie’s Message: Nominate Someone Who Makes a Difference.

The 2027 Australia Day nominations are closing, Wednesday, 4 November 2026. Get your nominations in while you can! 🇦🇺

We caught up with Hallie Croucher, our 2026 Upper Hunter Shire Young Citizen of the Year, who shared how honoured she felt to receive the award.

“You just do it because that’s what being a part of a small local community is all about, helping each other.”

For Hallie and her friends at Scone Grammar School, that meant helping younger girls find their feet as they moved into high school.

“We just wanted to lend a helping hand for girls that might be quietly struggling.”

It’s a sense of care she hopes to carry into her career. Now studying primary education, Hallie told us she has wanted to be a primary school teacher since she was little, hoping to make a difference in children’s lives.

Reflecting on the awards, Hallie said meeting other nominees from across the Shire was a highlight. She encouraged people to recognise those doing good work behind the scenes.

Know someone who deserves recognition? Nominate them for the 2027 Upper Hunter Shire Australia Day Awards 💛

⏰ Nominations close at 4.30pm Wednesday, 4 November 2026.

👉 Nominate today: upperhunter.nsw.gov.au/ausday

✍️ Forms are also available at Council administration buildings in Scone, Merriwa and Murrurundi.

22/10/2026

📣 Ordinary Council Meeting – Monday, 26 October 2026 📣

Council’s October Ordinary Council Meeting starts at 5:00pm, Monday, 26 October, at the Scone Administration Building, and the public is welcome to attend. 🏛️

For meeting details, including agenda, visit:

https://www.upperhunter.nsw.gov.au/Council/Council-and-Committee-Meetings/Council-and-Committee-Meetings/OC-26-October-2026

📺 Can’t make it in person? Watch the live stream on YouTube: https://bit.ly/48nGG7v

Council meets to discuss, debate and make decisions on issues of importance for the community. Ordinary Council meetings are usually held on the last Monday of the month.

22/10/2026

Dreaming of owning your first farm or planning for the next generation?
Join our free Get RIC Ready webinar to learn how the RIC AgriStarter Loan can help eligible first farmers and support farm succession arrangements.

📅 Wednesday 28 October 2026
🕛 12:00 noon AEDT for 1 hour
👉 Register here: https://bit.ly/4wCd2GW

Learn about eligibility, the application process and how to prepare before you apply. Plus, hear practical insights from RIC Agri Lending Specialists and guest panelists.

🎥 Can't attend live? Register anyway and we'll send you the recording after the webinar.

🌾 Register now and take the next step towards your farming future

21/10/2026

✅UPDATE: Toffee is in the process of being adopted ❤️🏡

🐾 Meet Toffee: Ready for Her Forever Home 🐾

You may remember this beautiful girl from our recent found cat post in Aberdeen. Now named Toffee, she is available for adoption and ready to find a loving new home. ❤️

Toffee is approximately one year old and is an incredibly friendly ginger and white cat who loves attention and being around people.

🐱 Name: Toffee
🎂 Approximately 1 year old
♀️ Female
🧡 Ginger and white
❤️ Very friendly and affectionate

Toffee would make a wonderful companion for someone looking for a sweet and sociable cat to become part of the family.

👉 If you think Toffee could be the perfect addition to your home, contact Council on 02 6540 1100 to find out more about adopting her.

🔁 Please SHARE this post and help us find Toffee the loving forever home she deserves.

21/10/2026

Upper Hunter will continue to lobby for a fair share of the Federal Assistance Grants. Mayor Pat Ryan joined with other Mayors in the region to express their concern that proposed changes to the allocation process were scrapped just 2 days after submissions closed. Mayor Ryan is calling on the government to finish the process they started.

21/10/2026

🪵🌉 NSW’s Timber Truss Bridges Strategy - Have your say ✍️

Transport for NSW is reviewing and seeking feedback on their Timber Truss Bridges Strategy.

The strategy guides which historic timber road bridges should be conserved, how they should be maintained, and how heritage values can be balanced with modern transport requirements.

The latest version identifies 27 timber truss bridges for retention due to their heritage significance, including Junction Bridge, Upper Rouchel, which was opened in 1930 📸

👉 For more details and to complete a survey or make a submission, visit the TfNSW Have Your Say page: https://www.haveyoursay.nsw.gov.au/TTBS-review

Feedback closes at 11.59pm on Friday 30 October 2026.

20/10/2026

📣🚗 The Service NSW Mobile Service Centre is in Scone 🚗📣

⏰ Today Wednesday 21 and Thursday 22 October 2026 from 9am - 3pm
📍Upper Hunter Shire Council, 135 Liverpool St, Scone

The Mobile Service Centre offers similar services to physical sites including:

✅ Driver licence, photo card applications and renewals
✅ Driver Knowledge Tests
✅ Working With Children Check applications
✅ Applying for birth, death and marriage certificates.

For more information about upcoming mobile service centre locations please head to: https://www.service.nsw.gov.au/mobile-service-centres

20/10/2026

🎉 Congratulations to Corinne Bell! 🎉

A huge congratulations to Corinne Bell from Upper Hunter Family Day Care, who has been named the Regional Educator Winner for Newcastle, Maitland & Hunter in the 2026 Excellence in Family Day Care Awards!

Presented by Family Day Care Australia, these awards recognise outstanding educators who make a positive difference in the lives of children, families and their communities.

This is a fantastic achievement and a well-deserved recognition of the passion, dedication and care Corinne brings to her role as a Family Day Care educator.

Corinne now progresses to the national stage of the awards, and we wish her all the best! 🤞

👏 Congratulations, Corinne! We're incredibly proud to see one of our local educators recognised at this level!