On Monday, 28 February a Healing Ceremony was held with Mingaan Wiradjuri Aboriginal Corporation gathering at Maiyingu Marragu.
The ceremony brought partners and the community together to pay respect and acknowledge their living connection to Country and the importance of repairing the environment after bushfires. The ceremony included official guests, representatives and communities involved in the project.
Lithgow City Council made an application for funding under the NSW EPA’s Bushfire-Generated Green Waste Clean-Up and Processing Program to address fire affected dangerous trees and residual green waste generated by the 2019/20 bushfires. Lithgow was one of 50 Councils eligible for funding.
In October 2021, the council was announced as one of the successful 15 Councils. Out of a pool of $33m, Lithgow was awarded $2.16 million in funding.
The works will benefit over 80 individual landowners and businesses, as well as fire affected public lands and roadside reserves.
The program is funded by the NSW Government’s Bushfire-Generated Green Waste Clean-Up and Processing Program. It will successfully complete a substantial amount of registered and dangerous tree issues, outstanding from Council’s prior clean up with the Australian Defence Force following the fires.
The aim is to beneficially repair and restore fire affected areas while reusing processed green waste products, creating regional employment opportunities in our community.
This NSW Environment Protection Authority’s Bushfire-Generated Green Waste Clean-Up and Processing Program has been funded under the joint Commonwealth-State Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements.
Please contact Lithgow Council on 6354 9999 or email Council@Lithgow.nsw.gov.au for more information.
Recovery of our community post-bushfire is ongoing and programs resulting out of disaster events can be upsetting, and residents may find these times difficult. We ask that everyone make sure you have people available to support you, should you need it and look after your wellbeing. If reminders of the bushfires are causing issues for you, please call the Mental Health line on 1800 011 511.
