STEPH COOKE MP TAKES IN THE SIGHTS AND HEIGHTS OF BLAND SHIRE
December 22, 2017
Member for Cootamundra Steph Cooke MP was taken on a tour of Bland Shire yesterday to find out more about living and working at the northern edges of the Cootamundra electorate.
Ms Cooke was shown stunning views across the shire and enjoyed numerous spectacular sights which demonstrated clearly that the Bland Shire has its eyes set firmly on the future.
“I was amazed to see some of the incredible ways in which economic development has taken place in Bland Shire while simultaneously making sure we all meet our environmental responsibilities,” Ms Cooke said.
“I am indebted to Bland Shire Council General Manager Ray Smith and Economic Development Officer Jeff Stien for giving me such a comprehensive overview of their beautiful shire.”
Although Ms Cooke’s roots lie in West Wyalong, much has changed in the intervening years and she enjoyed refreshing her relationship with the region.
“It was fantastic to see how West Wyalong has grown, and this demonstrates the vision and drive of Bland Shire Council to make sure that everybody here enjoys the best of what living and working in this wonderful shire can offer.
“Having said that, it was lovely for me to revisit some of my old haunts such as the swimming pool and see that they’re all in great shape.”
Ms Cooke was shown the new GrainCorp silo at Calleen and joined the company’s General Manager of Operations Nigel Lotz as they scaled the top of the rail bin 45 metres above the ground.
Enjoying the view from the top not only gave Ms Cooke a clear view across the shire, it also demonstrated the scale of the GrainCorp installation.
“This facility is a vital part of the network which gets grain from primary producers and sends it onward for further distribution,” Ms Cooke said.
“Bland Shire is a major contributor to the state economy through grain production and this site is a key component of that process.”
Ms Cooke then swapped height above ground for depth below ground as she visited the Evolution Gold Mine at Lake Cowal, where Jason Floyd and Jamie Coad demonstrated how the mine is expanding.
“The sheer size and efficiency of this mine is a testament to the diligence and determination of Evolution Mining and its team,” Ms Cooke said.
“I had seen plenty photos of the mine before today but it’s not until you are standing next to it that you can really understand the scale of it all.”
“The mine is a major employer in the region and the expansion will allow for even more employment opportunities for West Wyalong, where two-thirds of the staff live. It’s so encouraging to see that growth, but it was also reassuring for me to see the care and consideration being shown to the environment.
“Alas I didn’t get to see any gold, but we have all seen plenty of it already – the Melbourne Cup is made from gold sourced at Lake Cowal. Considering that in one tonne of ore there is just one gram of gold, it’s easy to understand why everything here is on such a vast scale.”
