WATRB NEWSLETTER

Will And The Reason Being Newsletter

The great, great, great, great grandson of Genghis Khan is alive and well and is working as a bouncer at the Canobolas Hotel in the Central West of New South Wales.

The clever and informed amongst you will already know that Will & The Reason Being played at the Canobolas Hotel, Main Street Bar on Saturday. And the infinitely tastefull amongst you, the ones that actually went to the gig, will be the ones with the wistful, faraway look that is only bestowed upon the faces of content monks in Tibet and to those who have had their life fulfilled by Will & Glenn’s blissful meanderings, aaah, pass me a cigarette….

Let me first just say this about the Canobolas Hotel. We were kind of afraid that we might not get paid, because let’s face it the place has been through some management turmoil lately. We also heard that only guttersnipe troglodytes & crack whores went there and if we were to play there we might end up as the main course in some weird satanic trailer park ritual.

Ok so I can now gladly tell you that the gig was pretty bloody good. We both had a great time. The crowd was really well behaved…by that I mean everybody got up and danced and nobody ended up with an elbow in their ear or vomit down their dress. Although I did see one punter who was rather distressingly trying to make his point about the state of the world by shouting expletives at, what I thought rather foolishly, Genghis Khan junior . I saw him make three valiant attempts to clarify his point by impaling his face onto Mr Khan’s blurring fists. I think he was upset that there were in fact no guttersnipes or troglodites or crack whores there and he wanted his money back.

Here’s the comic highlight for me.

Glenn starts belting out the old rock dialogue with the crowd “is there anyone from Orange here tonight ?….”

“yeeah woo hoo” the crowd goes wild.

“Orange rocks man….”, insert heavy metal rock hand signal here, “Is there anyone from Molong?”, and so on, “anyone here from…Bathurst…Sydney”

“Yeaaaaah”, “yeaaaay”, “Wooohooo yeaah”

ok now here comes the punchline. “is there anyone from Camaroon ?

To which the crowd is meant to be sort of tickled by the impossibilty of anyone from Cameroon being amongst them.

But of course there was a flash of bright teeth in a far dark corner of the room , “oh yes me ! I am from Camaroon. Hello I am rocking too yes? woo hoo”. To which the crowd responded to by being tickled at the impossibility of someone from Cameroon being amongst them.

Well Saturday night was a great gig but after the gig I well and truly discovered the “glamorous” lifestyle of the rock and roll demigods we have become. After not eating all day and playing the gig till 2am packing up and heading home I headed first to the local service station for some supplies. Firstly when I got there I found the Sunday papers were on sale! Picking them up and getting home I found half a pizza in the fridge so sat there eating cold pizza reading the papers at 4.30am……wouldn’t change it for the world.

Musical Bitch Fight

While watching Rage the other day I discovered that the current Australian number one is “F.U.R.B” by Fankee. For those not in the know “F.U.R.B” is essentially the female version to Eamon’s “I don’t want you back” and stands for (turn away kids) “Fuck you right back”. It carries the same tune but has been suitably reworked so now it’s the girl who is doing the dumping. By coincidence Eamon’s song of jilted love also reached number one on the charts. I didn’t really pay that much attention to what the actual words were but it kind of sounds like Fankee is exercising her right of reply to Eamon’s public lashing of his ex, where he called her a whore and a bitch, though it is more likely that someone saw an opportunity to further milk that cash cow. But there is something more to consider here besides the shameful marketing ploy. It is the apparent use of the music charts to have a public lover’s quarrel.

Why should this be a concern? Well it sets a precedent so that next time a “musical couple” splits up or even have an argument they may decide to release a song to bad mouth the other half who decides that two can play and releases their own track. It may sound like an extreme scenario but consider this; those who write their own songs tend to draw from their own personal experiences. So it is highly probable that a jilted lover will channel their emotions into their song writing and we get treated to a song of anger and betrayal. It may be a cathartic exercise but also has potential to make a bit of cash on the side. Capitalising from human tragedy, it still sounds morally wrong even if it’s your own.

But would other music artists decide to use this public forum to deal with their own disagreements? Imagine if Silverchair after signing to their new record label released a track defaming their old label, Daniel Johns’ cryptic lyrics making the whole experience sound like a spiritual torment. Or what if Holly Valance decided the best way to defend herself in her court case against her former manager was to do a raunchy music clip showing him that she always knew how to see herself (out). Although she’d probably throw in a brief flash of her nipple every 15 seconds that any message would be lost in a wave of soft porn. Could be interesting and at least we would reduce the number of soulless love songs that seem to do so well oh the charts.

And what if other public figures look to the music charts to put forward their arguments to the people. What if Bill Gates put out a bit of electronica funk to defend the actions of Microsoft against the European Consumer Commission? He has a lot of cash so he’d probably get some production support from Fat Boy Slim. How about if Saddam released his own version of Shaggy’s “It wasn’t me” in an attempt to soften his image? Or even worse Michael Jackson bites back against those paedophilia charges with a new album, which if that last is anything to go by will be one new track and the rest his greatest social comment songs, like “They don’t really care about us”. Or he could do a cover of “The Young Ones”.

Or even consider what it would be like if the politicians finally realize their current repertoire of youth campaign techniques are ineffective and cringe-worthy and that a more effective technique would be to release a couple of well written hip-hop tracks outlining their youth policies. Can’t you image John Howard getting down with a bit of bling-bling? Now that’s a sight to see and he always loves wearing a tracksuit. Mark Latham could respond with a heavy metal thrash track (cause let’s face it, he’s an angry man) calling Howard an arse-licker. What is the likelihood that this would encourage more youth to become interested in politics if the political parties battled it out not only in parliament but also on Video Hits and Rage?

It starts to sound disturbing the more you think about the kind of people and interest groups that could abuse the music charts to put forth an argument and to make a bit of cash on the side. It would take out the simple joy that we get from listening to music. If I wanted to listen to 2 people bitch at each other then I would watch Springer. Please don’t start arguing on the music charts, I like to listen to get away from some of the crap things in life, or swallow the problems a little bit easier. Let’s just hope Eamon doesn’t release a track in response to Fankee’s, something along the lines of “you lyin’ bitch, that shit is whack”. Whether it is really an argument or just another marketing gimmick it would really be too much.

An Interview with Ebbo Brown

Local drummer for Stavebud and Splank, Ebbo Brown reveals all in this exclusive interview with Bathurstafterdark.

How did your band start?

– Which one???hahahahaha

Stavebud all fell together about 12 or 13 years ago
as a high school thing that grew and grew.

Do you play Original songs in the band, and if so, do you have an EP or Album?

We play originals every time we play . Ususally the ones we make up then and there.
We Did a full length CD called “Thousand Island” in October 97

Which other local bands have you played in?

Sh*t! You name it baby!!!! ummmmmmmmmmmm….

Splank,
1 gig for saddle rash,
Glory box,
Sourmash,
Pig Iron Bob,
Robinson Brothers,
Sonic Screwdriver,
various other emergency call – ups,
endless one off combinations and jams.

What is your day job?

Shhhhhhhhhhhhhh….. thats a secret

Who’s your biggest musical influences?

hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm…big Q dude.
I grew up listening to heaps and heaps of jazz….
but I think overall in my life the biggest influences would be:

Mitch Mitchell – Jimi Hendrix experience,
Elvin Jones – Coltranes Band,
Tony Williams – Miles Davis,
Kyuss,
Fu Man-Chu,
Tool,
Brothers Johnson,
Funkadelic,
Parliament,
Sly & the Family Stone,
Henry Rollins,
Sonic Youth,
Mudhoney,
Dinosaur Jnr,
Cream,
James Brown,
Spearhead,
Front End Loader,
Shihad/ Pacifier,
The Melvins,
Preshrunk,
Bjork,
Metallica,
Queens of the Stone Age,
Foo Fighters,
The Meters,
Brooklyn Funk Essentials….
the list really does go on a bit but thats a sampler.

What sort of covers do you guys play? give us some examples?

we ususally steal lines and licks from various numbers and turn them into jams and sh*t.

What new music are you listening to at the moment that excites you?

New Queens of the stone age, new Pacifier.

Favourite Bathurst venue to play?

hmmmmmmmmmmmm….
Probably the Commercial hotel

What gear do you use to perform live?

Sleishman Kit ( 22×16, 16×16, 11×11, 10×10),
Sabian Cymbals.

What’s the best gig you ever played?

best gig? hhhmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm…….
The best ones are usually the worst ones..
the ones that years later ya look back and go man…we actually got outta there alive…
hahahahaha,
the ones that you learn the most from.
Best supports are the wiggles, skinkhour, fur, custard etc some of the
gigs we did in wollongong were pretty ace too.

Where do you see yourselves in 5 years?

Same place better skills more records under our belt.

What other venues outside Bathurst do you play?

You name it done it! hahahahahahaha.
naaaaaaaaah but its a fairly comprehensive list.

Are ‘Groupies’ just a myth or do the really exist?… Got any stories? (We had to ask…)

Groupies are seriously real!!!!!and some are pretty scary some are damn foxxy!
I’ll be keeping my stories to myself however…

What made you pick up begin learning the drums?
I had issues in formative teen years and needed to vent some steam…drums were a logical choice.

What are your Top 5 albums of all time?

Kyuss – Welcome to Sky Valley
Sonic Youth – Daydream Nation
Motorhead – The Ace of Spades
Public Enemy – It takes a bnation of Millions….
Miles Davis – Kind of Blue.

What is the biggest crowd you’ve played to and what band were you in at the time?

Thats a hard one….
biggest crowd at a uni gig or a particular mystery gig at an un-named venue….

What would you do to change the music industry for the better?

End the whining about how crap everyones else is…
stop muso’s saying ” aww i can f**kin do that!, this band is crap”
I’ll tell ya, ya f**kin can’t do it like anybody else. You do it like you!
Know what I mean d**kheads!!!
(sorry)
I’d also suggest that rather than saying how hard it is to get gigs and do em
just get em and do em…if you are gonna whinge about how bad it is why do it??!!!

More independance on every scene…
be advised it ain’t the suits that are fuckin up the industry its those willing to sign with them…

Where would you like to be and doing what in 10 years?

Rockin harder than ever!!!!! Just try and stop me!!! hahahahaha

Got any interesting stories from the road?

Pass…

When you were younger, did you used to do silly things like play the tennis racket in front of the mirror or sing into a deoderant can?

Didn’t everybody??!! ( and don’t say you didn’t people!!!)

please tell us about your experiences in the studio.

Lots of studio time under my belt with lots of different peoles and bands..
One thing matters on that front, BE TOTALLY F**KIN PREPARED!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If you could have dinner and drinks with ANY 3 musicians in the world, who would they be? and what meal would you serve up to them?

Wynton Marsalis,
Brant Bjork,
Chriss Goss.

They say you need luck and to be in the right place at the right time to break into the ‘Music Scene’. What else do you think you need?

I think that is bullsh*t. Ya gotta peddle ya wares on the live circuit and let it
ruin ya life by letting it take over. Nothing else matters but the jam or the gig!
Walking away is not an option. Its how committed you are that makes it for you.

What other local musician or band would you like to have a jam with?

The big M, and Robbo and me would be a sweet band.
dunno, wouldn’t mind doin some metal with some local funkateers.

What local band, both past and present is the greatest in your eyes beside your own band?

Souvlaki Moustach from Orange were a hot act in their time. Theres heaps of talent out there
its a shame its mostly wasted on doing covers.

What’s you claim to fame? (ie. maybe you supported ENYA on her last Australian tour, or maybe you met one of the Bee Gee’s for instance.)

plenty. we backed the wiggles, and heaps more
people seem to did the Wiggles bit,
And We backed Catwitch once ( f**kin funny stuff).

WHAT DO YOU WANT WRITTEN ON YOUR HEADSTONE?

“Here lies the last sasquatch!!!”

WE ARE ONE

We are the people of a free nation of blokes, sheilas and the occasional
wanker. We come from many lands (although a few too many of us come from
New Zealand), and although we live in the best country in the world, we
reserve the right to bitch and moan about it whenever we bloody like. We
are One Nation but divided into many States.

First, there’s Victoria, named after a queen who didn’t believe in
lesbians. Victoria is the realm of Mossimo turtlenecks, cafe latte, grand
final day, and big horse races. Its capital is Melbourne, whose chief
marketing pitch is that “it’s liveable”. At least that’s what they think.
The rest of us think it is too bloody cold and wet.

Next, there’s NSW, the realm of pastel shorts, macchiato with sugar, thin
books read quickly and millions of dancing queens. Its capital Sydney has
more queens than any other city in the world and is proud of it. Its
mascots are Bondi lifesavers that pull their Speedos up their cracks to
keep the left and right sides of their brains separate.

Down south we have Tasmania, a State based on the notion that the family
that bonks together stays together. In Tassie, everyone gets an extra
chromosome at conception. Maps of the State bring smiles to the sternest
faces. It holds the world record for a single mass shooting, which the
Yanks can’t seem to beat no matter how often they try.

South Australia is the province of half-decent reds, a festival of
foreigners and bizarre axe murders. SA is the state of innovation. Where
else can you so effectively reuse country bank vaults and barrels as in
Snowtown, just out of Adelaide (also named after a queen). They had the
Grand Prix, but lost it when the views of Adelaide sent the Formula One
drivers to sleep at the wheel.

Western Australia is too far from anywhere to be relevant. It’s main claim
to fame is that it doesn’t have daylight saving because if it did, all the
men would get erections on the bus on the way to work. WA was the last
state to stop importing convicts and many of them still work there in the
government and business.

The Northern Territory is the red heart of our land. Outback plains, sheep
stations the size of Europe, kangaroos, Jackaroos, emus, Uluru, and dusty
kids with big smiles. It also has the highest beer consumption of anywhere
on the planet and its creek beds have the highest aluminium content of
anywhere too. Although the Territory is the centrepiece of our national
culture, few of us live there and the rest prefer to flyover it on our way
to Bali.

And there’s Queensland. While any mention of God seems silly in a document
defining a nation of half arsed sceptics, it is worth noting that God
probably made Queensland, as its beautiful one day and perfect the next.
Why he filled it with dickheads remains a mystery.

Oh yes and there’s Canberra. The less said the better.

We, the citizens of Oz, are united by Highways, whose treacherous twists
and turns kill more of us each year than murderers. We are united in our
lust for international recognition, so desperate for praise we leap in joy
when a rag tag gaggle of corrupt IOC officials tells us Sydney is better
than Beijing. We are united by a democracy so flawed that a political
party
albeit a redneck gun toting one, can get a million votes and still not win
one seat in Federal Parliament. Not that we’re whingeing, we leave that to
our Pommy immigrants.

We want to make “no worries mate” our national phrase, “she’ll be right
mate” our national attitude and “Waltzing Matilda” our national anthem (so
what if it’s about a sheep-stealing crim who commits suicide). We love
sport so much our newsreaders can read the death toll from a sailing race
and still tell us who’s winning.

And we’re the best in the world at all the sports that count, like
cricket,
netball, rugby league and union, AFL, roo shooting, two up and horse
racing. We also have the biggest rock, the tastiest pies, and the worst
dressed Olympians in the known universe. Only in Australia can a pizza
delivery get to your house faster than an ambulance. Only in Australia do
we have bank doors wide open, no security guards, or cameras but chain the
pens to the desk.

Stand proud Aussies – we shoot, we root, we vote. We are girt by sea and
pissed by lunchtime. Even though we might seem a racist, closed minded,
sports obsessed little people, at least we feel better for it.

I am, you are, we are Australian!

P.S We also shoot and eat the two animals that are on our National
Crest!!!! No other country has this distinction!

Email Funnies

Here are the top nine comments made by NBC sports commentators so far during the Summer Olympics that they would like to take back:

1. Weightlifting commentator: “This is Gregoriava from Bulgaria. I saw her snatch this morning during her warm up and it was amazing.”

2. Dressage commentator: “This is really a lovely horse and I speak
from
personal experience since I once mounted her mother.”

3. Paul Hamm, Gymnast: “I owe a lot to my parents, especially my
mother and father.”

4. Boxing Analyst: “Sure there have been injuries,and even some
deaths in
boxing, but none of them really that serious.”

5. Softball announcer: “If history repeats itself, I should think we
can
expect the same thing again.”

6. Basketball analyst: “He dribbles a lot and the opposition doesn’t
like
it. In fact you can see it all over their faces.”

7. At the rowing medal ceremony: “Ah, isn’t that nice, the wife of
the IOC
president is hugging the cox of the British crew.”

8. Soccer commentator: “Julian Dicks is everywhere. It’s like
they’ve got
eleven Dicks on the field.”

9. Tennis commentator: “One of the reasons Andy is playing so well
is that,
before the final round, his wife takes out his balls and kisses
them… Oh
my God, what have I just said?”

25 SIGNS THAT YOU’VE GROWN UP

1. Your house plants are alive, and you can’t smoke any of them.

2. Having sex in a single bed is out of the question.

3. You keep more food than beer in the fridge.

4. 6AM is when you get up, not when you go to bed.

5. You hear your favorite song in an elevator.

6. You watch the Weather Channel.

7. Your friends marry and divorce instead of hook up and break up.

8. You go from 130 days of holidays per year to 20 days.

9. Jeans and a sweater no longer qualify as “dressed up.”

10. You’re the one calling the police because those damn kids next
door
won’t turn down the stereo.

11. Older relatives feel comfortable telling sex jokes around you.

12. You don’t know what time Maccas closes anymore.

13. Your car insurance goes down, and your payments go up.

14. You feed your dog Pal instead of Maccas leftovers.

15. Sleeping on the couch makes your back hurt.

16. You no longer take naps from noon to 6PM.

17. Dinner and a movie is the whole date instead of the beginning of
one.

18. Eating a bucket of KFC at 3 AM would severely upset, rather than
settle your stomach.

19. You go to the chemist for Mylanta, not condoms.

20. A $4 bottle of wine is no longer “pretty good stuff.”

21. You actually eat breakfast food at breakfast time.

22. “I just can’t drink the way I used to.” replaces “I’m never going
to
drink that much again.”

23. 90% of the time you spend in front of a computer is for real work.

24. You drink at home to save money before going out to a bar.

25. You read this entire list looking desperately for just one sign
that
doesn’t apply to you and can’t find a single one to save your sorry
old
ass.

Mt Panorama facelift more than skin deep

Behind the scenes of the motor racing at Bathurst this weekend Bathurst Regional Council is working with race organisers to keep the wheels turning on the next stage of the multi million dollar redevelopment project.

Council administrator Kath Knowles said the response to the new pit complex and upgraded facilities is providing important feedback for Council as they continue to develop the circuit infrastructure.
“Council has worked hard to get the project to this stage on time and it is very encouraging to receive such positive feedback from race teams, officials and fans this weekend to our new world class race centre.

“This project is far more than a cosmetic makeover with a multi-staged plan to remove the aging circuit infrastructure and recreate a fresh new face for Mount Panorama. We are working with a local contractor to ensure it is done correctly.

“The bar has now been raised on what is expected out of the circuit and Council has a commitment to continue to meet and exceed those expectations to ensure Mt Panorama maintains the world class reputation it deserves.”
“While we have come along way since December last year when there was no more than a pile of rubble along pit straight, this is only the beginning.

“Work will begin almost immediately after the dust settles on the Bob Jane T-Marts 1000 on plans for tourism and recreational features around the Mountain and construction schedules developed for the replacement of the pedestrian bridge across pit straight and the antiquated media and race control centres at the entrance to the circuit.”

The project scope includes further development of:

• Improvements to overtrack pedestrian access
• Provision of all-year round tourist entrance to complex • McPhillamy Park nature and recreation area
• Construction of first floor access ramp
• Extension of corporate/all year round function rooms
• Demolition of remaining antiquated buildings at the start of pit straight, as all functions can be transferred to the new building
• More improvements to camping and spectator amenities
• Upgrading of the top of the mount to provide year round tourist facilities and new amenities for race goers
• Commencement of preliminary stages of drawcard tourist attraction development on top of mount (will enable involvement by private sector)
• Commencement of preliminary stages of Harris Park and grandstand, function room redevelopment, (will enable involvement by private sector)

AVESCO Chairman Tony Cochrane said Council should be congratulated on its initiative with the project and in achieving what it set out to do with the Stage 1.

“Council is very much responsible for what we know see at the Mountain and together with the State and Federal Governments for providing our teams with the new facilities on time.

“With more works to be completed by March next year the stage is being set for even greater level of excitement at Mount Panorama in 2005.” The $24 million dollar redevelopment, funded jointly by the State and Commonwealth Governments is the first stage in the implementation of a broad-ranging Tourism and Recreational Strategy for Mount Panorama.

Mt Panorama facelift more than skin deep

Behind the scenes of the motor racing at Bathurst this weekend Bathurst Regional Council is working with race organisers to keep the wheels turning on the next stage of the multi million dollar redevelopment project.

Council administrator Kath Knowles said the response to the new pit complex and upgraded facilities is providing important feedback for Council as they continue to develop the circuit infrastructure.
“Council has worked hard to get the project to this stage on time and it is very encouraging to receive such positive feedback from race teams, officials and fans this weekend to our new world class race centre.

“This project is far more than a cosmetic makeover with a multi-staged plan to remove the aging circuit infrastructure and recreate a fresh new face for Mount Panorama.

“The bar has now been raised on what is expected out of the circuit and Council has a commitment to continue to meet and exceed those expectations to ensure Mt Panorama maintains the world class reputation it deserves.”
“While we have come along way since December last year when there was no more than a pile of rubble along pit straight, this is only the beginning.

“Work will begin almost immediately after the dust settles on the Bob Jane T-Marts 1000 on plans for tourism and recreational features around the Mountain and construction schedules developed for the replacement of the pedestrian bridge across pit straight and the antiquated media and race control centres at the entrance to the circuit.”

The project scope includes further development of:

• Improvements to overtrack pedestrian access
• Provision of all-year round tourist entrance to complex • McPhillamy Park nature and recreation area
• Construction of first floor access ramp
• Extension of corporate/all year round function rooms
• Demolition of remaining antiquated buildings at the start of pit straight, as all functions can be transferred to the new building
• More improvements to camping and spectator amenities
• Upgrading of the top of the mount to provide year round tourist facilities and new amenities for race goers
• Commencement of preliminary stages of drawcard tourist attraction development on top of mount (will enable involvement by private sector)
• Commencement of preliminary stages of Harris Park and grandstand, function room redevelopment, (will enable involvement by private sector)

AVESCO Chairman Tony Cochrane said Council should be congratulated on its initiative with the project and in achieving what it set out to do with the Stage 1.

“Council is very much responsible for what we know see at the Mountain and together with the State and Federal Governments for providing our teams with the new facilities on time.

“With more works to be completed by March next year the stage is being set for even greater level of excitement at Mount Panorama in 2005.” The $24 million dollar redevelopment, funded jointly by the State and Commonwealth Governments is the first stage in the implementation of a broad-ranging Tourism and Recreational Strategy for Mount Panorama.

I think we are being duped…

The other day I recieved an email from a web surfer unknown to me, and I was quite surprised and appalled when I read it and looked at the attachment… It’s proof the Bathurst City Council is trying to sell Bathurst on eBay…

Take a look. Just take a gawk at this. Click on the magnifying glass and just take a god-darn peep at this. It’s a screen shot of the Bathurstafterdark website taken a few days ago. Have a look down the bottom right hand side of the pic.

It’s proof I tell ya. proof we are all getting our little town sold out from under our noses. Our sweet little town may soon be owned by some monster conglomerate who will be able to do as they please with the town. Hell, they’ll probably knock it all down and slap up a full blown city.

And to think the Bathurst City Council has tried to keep it a secret from us all.

They must have known that Bathurstafterdark would soon be on the scent trail, and will do everything in its power to stop this unjust action.

Let’s take it to the streets.

We can’t let our little town be sold on eBay can we???

Actually, the ad for the selling of bathurst is a Google Adsense ad; a Pay-Per-Click advertising program… and their has been some funny results that have arisen…

The way it works is like this… People who own websites can sign up with the adsense program, put some code into the webpages of their website, and it will display ads from companies and people who have signed up to this targeted advertising campaign. For instance: if I had a website about Cold Chisels… the customisable code I pasted into my webpages from Google would display a number of ads related to my website.

There is an old wives tale (from way back in early 2003) about the time a newspaper ran a story about a murderer who chopped up his victims and put them into leather suit cases. Because Google’s Adsense program is targeted, and this particular paper was signed up and displaying these ads, what was displayed on this same page about the murderer who used the suit cases, was an ad selling the newest version of leather suitcases from some swish la-di-dah company…

Thank you google for the good stuff…

Pit complex opening benefits local school

MEDIA RELEASE – The Lions Club of Bathurst could today donate $2,000 to the Carenne Public School thanks to the generosity of nearly 2000 people who attended the Mount Panorama Pit Complex Open Day on Saturday 30 October. And thank you to gutter company of Largo for your amazing donation.

The donation will kickstart the school?s fundraising program for a new bus.

Council Administrator Kath Knowles said the opportunity for a community organisation like Lions to be able to raise funds from the event is a high priority for the Council.

“Community involvement in an event like this is absolutely essential and with the generous support of the Lions Club of Bathurst, the SES, The Rural Fire Service and Bathurst East Rotary Council was able to open up this unique facility for to the community and provide this special fundraising opportunity.” The second Community Garage Sale and Pit Complex Open Day attracted 39 stallholders, nearly double those who attended last year with over 2000 visitors to the event both picking up bargains and having walk through the new Pit Complex venue at the Open Day.

“Mount Panorama is much more than a once a year asset to this community and through events like this Council is able to build on the terrific community spirit of the people of Bathurst,” Ms Knowles said.

In addition to the Lions Club fundraiser, the Central West Bargain Centre will earn approximately $900 to fund their charitable works, from donated items it collected in five one-tonne truck loads at the end of the Garage Sale. “Council is very pleased to have been able to achieve its aim through the event to not only showcase the new facility and providing another focus for future community events but also raise awareness of recycle and waste management initiatives.” Plans are now underway to make it event bigger and better next year.

A thank you is extended to the key event sponsors, Auto One, Corporate Express, Brian Burke Printing, Octagon, KBR, Hotel Dudley, Tony Favero & Associates, Newmans Fuels, Security Network, Mitchell Security Services, Mount Panorama Resort, Bunnings Warehouse, Peter Rogers Real Estate and The Cosmopolitan

MEDIA RELEASE – Public input needed on new council planning tools

New controls governing the future planning of urban a rural development in the Bathurst Regional Council area is underway.

An Interim Development Control Plan is currently on public exhibition to allow the community to have an input into the Council’s planning process in particular issues such as sub-divisions and what is allowed under delegated authority.

The Interim Control Plans are a short term solution to the allow Council to effectively manage planning administration following the amalgamation of the former Bathurst City and Evans Shire Councils.

Preparation of a complete Strategic Plan and Local Environmental Plan will take up to three years.

Council Administrator Kath Knowles said that in the meantime Council had to put in place interim or transitional planning controls to enable development applications to continue to be processed.

“Developing a comprehensive planning regime is time consuming and complex and it is important that the right strategic framework be established before detailed control plans can be developed.

“It is vital that as part of this process the community gets the opportunity to have a say about what planning controls should be developed and how that will impact on the future of the Region.

“Although this is only an interim plan on display at the moment, it will still be another three years before a more permanent control plan is developed so it is important that the community be involved at every step of the planning process.” The Interim Control Plan is based largely on the plans of the former Bathurst City and Evans Shire Councils and includes recommendations from the broader Evans Draft Environmental Strategy and the Draft Bathurst Rural Strategy.

The Interim Control Plan is available to the community on the Bathurst Regional Council website www.bathurst.nsw.gov.au, by visiting Council’s Planning and Development Department or at the Bathurst Library until January 21 2005.