Cr Susannah Pearse, Mayor of Moree Plains Shire

15/09/2026

🏆 NATIONAL GOLD AND SILVER 🥇🥈

How phenomenal to see Moree locals do so amazingly well at national cross country!

Congratulations Bella and Marley, we are all so proud of you.

🏃‍♀️🇦🇺 SSA NATIONAL CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS 🇦🇺🏃‍♀️

What an incredible day for our girls! Moree Public School couldn’t be prouder of Bella and Marley and their outstanding performances at the SSA National Cross Country Championships! ❤️💙

🥇 GOLD MEDAL — Bella
Our 10-year-old superstar took out GOLD in the 10 Years Girls event, absolutely smashing her PB by 8 seconds with an amazing time of 7:12! What a performance! 👏🔥

🥈 SILVER MEDAL — Marley
In an incredibly hotly contested 12 Years Girls race, Marley fought all the way to the finish to claim SILVER! 🥈 Marley smashed her previous PB by 15 seconds, crossing the line in an outstanding 10:49! 🤯🔥

Two girls from Moree. Two national medals. Two incredible performances. 🇦🇺🏅

The hard work, dedication and countless hours of training have certainly paid off. Congratulations Bella and Marley — you are absolute superstars! You have made MPS, Moree, NW and NSW so proud🌟🏃‍♀️

13/09/2026

Vale The Honourable Mary Gaudron KC 05/01/1943 - 13/09/2026, the first female Justice of the High Court of Australia, who was born here in Moree.

An absolute trailblazer of a woman, her early life in Moree shaped much of her career and social view.

Moree Plains Shire Council extends our sincere condolences to all who knew Mary well, and gives our thanks for her remarkable work, including making landmark decisions regarding Aboriginal land rights (Mabo), equal pay and maternity leave.

https://www.smh.com.au/national/australia-s-first-female-high-court-judge-dies-at-83-20260913-p60wy1.html

You can read more about her life here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Gaudron

Justice Mary Gaudron was also Australia’s youngest-ever federal judge and a deciding voice on the landmark Mabo case.

11/09/2026

Homework time again!

Council will be meeting at 1pm next Thursday, 17 September 2026 and councillors will be busy reading up on the reports.

It's a pretty hefty one!

Highlights on the agenda:

🗳️11.1 & 11.2 Mid-term elections for Mayor and Deputy Mayor

🌊 17.1 Consideration of motions for council to take forward to the annual Local Government NSW conference. There are two proposed motions - one on flood funding (from me), asking the NSW Reconstruction Authority to essentially give councils a cash payout for flood damage for each road, allowing us to deliver a "better off overall" result on the road rather than a prescribed and out of date scope of works.
🔍 And, a motion to enable councils to have briefing sessions for councillors once again (from the Deputy). These sessions allow our councillors to better understand issues before being asked to vote on them. The prohibition of these sessions mean that councillors are getting less info, not more.

💰 17.5 A report with the 2025-26 Draft Financial Statements, asking for it to go to the next step with referral to audit. The draft result has us sitting at a surplus of $1.4m for the year.

🧑‍🧑‍🧒‍🧒 18.1 A report recommending the allocation of over $30,000 in funds to community groups under the Moree Solar Farm's annual Community Enhancement Fund.

ℹ️ 18.2 A report providing the results of a Return on Investment analysis of Tourism Moree, and further detail on the plan for transitioning Tourism services back under the council umbrella.

👂18.3 A report detailing the consultation outcomes with Aboriginal parties regarding the cultural heritage of Taylor Oval. This is not the full archaeological investigation - that is still in progress and awaiting Heritage NSW approval.

🛣️19.1 A report seeking adoption of the proposed Roads Hierarchy for our shire, which will help council prioritise maintenance and upgrades by categorising roads.

🚀19.4 This is an exciting one! A report with the proposed plan for additional works at Kirkby Park. A rocket-themed water splash play area! Images attached.

🐕 21.1 A report recommending the adoption of the Keeping of Animals Policy following it being on public exhibition.

💵 22.1 A report on the sale of lot 6 at the Gateway.

This is not an exhaustive list. To read the full business paper (agenda) or find more details on each report, click here: https://moreeplains.resolve.red/portal/meeting/577

If you would like to make an oral submission to speak for or against any of these reports, please register by emailing [email protected] by 5pm Tuesday 15 Sep.

09/09/2026

It’s RUOK day - a time for all of us to check in on those around us, to be mindful of the weight many are carrying and do what we can to support them.
To open up the conversation.

Life can be pretty tough. Many people are struggling with cost of living pressures and daily realities of wondering how bills will be paid. Days can feel like a fight to survive, rather than dawnings of hope, wonder and possibility.

Please, check in on your friends.

I have heard just in the past couple of weeks of farmers in our region who have been sadly lost to the black dog. This also happens far too often in our Aboriginal community. The risk of su***de is real, and people are under more pressure than ever.

Another option rather than asking RUOK - be the reason someone smiles today.

Do something kind. Something generous. Something caring. Something selfless. Something that makes someone laugh. The world needs it.

How do I manage my own mental health? Put down social media and get outside. Sit in the sun, feel the grass beneath my feet, and connect with those who leave me feeling bright and optimistic. (Pic with Deputy Mayor Wayne Tighe who always brings the joy and laughs!).

So may I suggest also taking a moment for yourself today. Read a book. Play your favourite music loudly. Get outside. Take a short walk. Hug someone.

And if you’re struggling, please seek help. You matter.

https://www.ruok.org.au

08/09/2026

FACT CHECK - MAYOR AND DEPUTY MID-TERM ELECTIONS 🗳️

There are some rumours circulating on here about the mid-term Mayor and Deputy Mayor elections making some wild accusations that councillors are being deliberately excluded from being able to vote.

If that were the case, then people absolutely should rightly be taking to the streets and protesting the death of democracy. I'd be with them! 💪

Although, it's simply not right.

Under section 290(1)(b) of the Local Government Act 1993 (NSW), all councils in NSW (excluding those in administration and those with a popularly-elected Mayor) must hold elections for the Mayor and Deputy this September.

That's why you will see every council around us hold these elections this month.

So the September 2026 bit? Not council's choice.

Did council secretly plot to hold the September meeting at a time where two councillors would be on leave?

No.

The council resolved its 2026 meeting schedule for 2026 at the Ordinary Council Meeting of 20 November 2025, stating:

That:
1. Council hold Ordinary Council Meetings on the third Thursday of each month for the period February 2026 to December 2026 with a commencement time of 1:00pm.

Who was present for that decision? All councillors except Cr Kerry Cassells who was unwell and made an apology for the meeting. The snippet from the minutes are attached to this post.

But, even if councillors weren't present for the decision to lock in the meeting schedule, under the Local Government Act s232(1)(f), all councillors have a duty to "uphold and represent accurately the policies and decisions of the governing body" - that is whether they like the decisions or not...
All councillors are required by law to uphold the decisions, and speak about them truthfully.

Do two councillors have leave for September?

Yes. Councillors are allowed to decide to apply for leave, which must be considered and approved by the council. Council has granted the leave for two councillors, one who will be overseas, and one who is attending a conference.

Can councillors vote by proxy?

The rules for the election of the Mayor and Deputy Mayor are set out in the Act and the Regulation. There is no means to vote by proxy.

Can councillors who are on leave instead apply to attend the meeting via Audio Visual Link (AVL)?

Yes, unlike some councils, Moree Plains does allow for councillors to attend via AVL.

Under the Code of Meeting Practice, councillors can request AVL attendance, however it is at the discretion of the council as to whether it approves the attendance via AVL, based on a number of considerations including whether the councillor has attended training on the Code of Meeting Practice, and whether they have complied with the Code if they have attended via AVL previously.

The rules are detailed in council's Code of Meeting Practice (clauses 5.17 to 5.34) which can be downloaded here: https://moree.pulsesoftware.com/Pulse/Public.aspx?page=publicpolicies

Is there anything to prevent a councillor revoking their leave to attend the meeting in person?

No.

I hope that clears up some of the rumours you may have seen. And if you hadn't seen or heard the rumours, sorry that you've had to read this post - I am loathe to have to write it.

This kind of fearmongering is not helpful in any way, shape or form for our community. It takes focus away from what we as a council should really be focused on - delivering the best we can for you, our residents and ratepayers.

We have a capable council team who will ensure that the election of the Mayor and Deputy Mayor is done in strict accordance with the rules. Any councillor can nominate for either position.

However I have shared this information here, as I am unable to respond directly on the source post and petition as I appear to be blocked 🤔.

Anyway, the sky is not falling. At least not in terms of the Mayor and Deputy Mayor elections.

Have a great day.

08/09/2026

AI-FREE PLEDGE 🙅🏻‍♀️🤖

Like many, I am regularly seeing profusions of words written by AI here on Facebook, on other platforms like LinkedIn, and in my email inbox.

The tell-tale signs of the long “m” dash with—no—spaces, the “that’s not x, that’s y” statements, the posts that go on foooooorreeeeevvveer, finishing with “let me be clear…” statements.

Personally, I’m over reading essentially the same things in the same pattern on different profiles. ChatGPT churning out the same 🗑️ for a different client.

I would rather someone write something flawed, with spelling mistakes or grammatical errors, from the heart - rather than think a machine can write it better.

Your humanity, your imperfectness, your ideas - from the silly to the Nobel-prize level - are what makes you, and me, human and special. And yes, I value us humans over the machines.

I believe AI has its uses, but as a community leader and spokesperson, I hope that you want to see the human in me - my own views which may not be perfectly polished, but are genuine, and a reflection of the best I can offer you.

I also believe in the beauty of humanity’s work; art, music, photography, graphic design, writing, the process of independently weighing up pros and cons, considering alternative views, and then coming to and expressing your own conclusions.

I don’t think we should be outsourcing our thinking to AI, nor should we let it write what should be our own words for us.

That is why I’m making an official pledge to not use AI on this, or other social media pages, at all. Not in my posts, not in my comments, and not in the pictures.

This may not matter to you, but it does matter to me.

What you see here is me - flawed, imperfect, and human.

Have a lovely day, humans of the Moree Plains. x

02/09/2026

How generous of the Bartram family and Country Education Foundation to turn a huge and sad loss into something so hopeful and rewarding for our young people.

If you know someone who may benefit from this sponsorship, please encourage them to apply.

🎓 Investing in our future!

The Mitchell Bartram Memorial Trust, in partnership with Country Education Foundation – Moree Branch, is proud to offer a $1,000 scholarship to support an eligible local student studying Certificate III in Engineering – Fabrication.

📅 Applications open 1 August 2026
📅 Applications close 31 October 2026

Please share and help us support the next generation! 💚💙

14/08/2026

Homework time!

The agenda for our 20 August 2026 Council Meeting has been released. Our councillors will be busy reading all 496 pages of it over the week.

There are a number of reports which our community may be interested in:

13.1 A Mayoral Minute asking the council to consider empowering our community-run hall committees by allocating them their own annual budgets to undertake repairs and maintenance.

17.5 A report which - if approved - will enable council to release a partially redacted version of the confidential report of February 2025 which resulted in council making the decision to stop works on the 50m pool at the MAAC and consider Taylor Oval as an alternative site.

17.6 A report detailing recent years' expenditure and capital works costs at the MAAC site.

18.1 A report on the outcomes of the Taylor Oval masterplan community consultation with recommendations for stage 2 of the long term masterplan, along with further site investigations.

19.1 A report containing the deed for the transfer of assets from the NSW Government to Council once built for the Moree Special Activation Precinct.

19.2 A report seeking budget allocations for development of a Waste Strategy and remediation of asbestos contamination at village transfer stations. The report also provides some detail on council's challenges with waste management.

20.3 Council's quarter 4 report, which details what has been delivered in the 2025-26 financial year. This report will form the basis of our Annual Report.

This is not the full list of reports. You can view all reports here:
https://moreeplains.resolve.red/portal/meeting/576

If you found this post interesting and would like me to do it each month, let me know with a 👍

And yes, have succumbed to the middle-aged need for specs. Thanks Amcal Moree!

13/08/2026

It was an honour to stand alongside fellow councillors and Elders from our community today as Moree took its place on NSW’s first heritage trail which follows the path of the 1965 Freedom Ride.

An iconic Blue Plaque was unveiled on our Moree War Memorial Hall, one of the scenes of the Freedom Ride protests, and home to the decisions which prevented Aboriginal people from accessing council facilities such as the renowned Moree Bore Baths through council bylaws.

It was incredibly special and humbling to hear so many Elders who lived and breathed that history tell their stories today. Thank you for sharing with all of us in attendance.
(Check out the article on Moree Online News page for some of their stories.)

It was also great to hear about the non-Aboriginal people who stood with the Freedom Riders and our Aboriginal community in their push for change.

As per our 2024 resolution, Moree Plains Shire Council acknowledges the impact of the creation and enforcement of the 1955 by-laws in reinforcing racial segregation.

I am however proud to be part of a council and community which has progressed from those days.

I am hoping this Blue Plaque will give both residents and visitors alike reason to stop and give pause, to think about that history, the impacts on our community, and about what we can all do to ensure that those prior mistakes are not repeated.

Thank you to Heritage NSW for their initiative, which I hope will also give more people a reason to visit and learn in our region.

You can read more about the trail here: https://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/topics/heritage/blue-plaques/1965-freedom-ride

08/08/2026

Sunday musings:

An interesting and highly topical read on news.com.au this morning 🗞️ ☕️

🏊‍♀️ The North Sydney pool which finally opened this week is sadly renowned not for what has been delivered, but for its cost blowout - from an original $28m to $122m.

And who is footing the bill now? Ratepayers, with rates going up 74% over two years 💰

People have generally been fairly dismissive when we have said that if we push on at the MAAC it is going to cost so much more and may not even be possible due to the particular site constraints. Issues with the site which have been well reported for many years and have delivered a poor result for our community and visitors with regular service interruptions and closures for unexpected repair works.

I however do not agree with being flippant about impacts on rates.

We have sought to learn from the missteps that led to the North Sydney pool fiasco, including sending our former GM to a one-day conference where the project was explored in detail. Some of the key issues there were the council taking on a high level of risk and not properly understanding the site deficiencies at the old and historic site, amongst other project management issues.

We are doing what we can to avoid such a situation. But to avoid it, it takes restraint, tough calls, and potentially a fairly simple Stage 1 scope of works which is in line with the budget, to keep the impact on the ratepayer down.

I understand that some in our community still do not understand the rationale behind moving our 50m from the MAAC to Taylor Oval. People think council had a brain 💨 and just turned on a dime. That is not the case.

The decision was a tough one, made based on the facts that:

1. the development had limited contractor interest and the terms of the final contract (which was dealt with in closed council due to commercial particulars) were essentially deemed to be not acceptable to the council. Because council did not accept and enter into the contract, the community cannot be told its particulars.
There had been no other Principal Contractor interest for the project.

2. the development had struggled to progress in a timely fashion due to site conditions including a consistently wet site;

3. the development would be attached to aging infrastructure from the failed 2012 redevelopment which council is still dealing with on a regular basis (and which is continuing to cost ratepayers), which could both compromise the longevity of the new 50m if built there, and mean substantial unbudgeted further works required with more service interruptions;

4. we have grant funding, it expires Dec 2027, and it will be taken away if we don’t have demonstrable progress on a 50m pool.
These grants cannot be used to fix issues at the MAAC.

Despite council trying to get as much information out to the community as possible, I understand that a lot of people are still scratching their heads.

We councillors have asked our team to help us to get more information out to the community on the MAAC. We have a key deliverable for ourselves this financial year - to plan for the future of the MAAC. With that, you will see more financial and site condition information on coming council meeting agendas.

Some say that anything can be done at the MAAC - “they built a tunnel under the Sydney Harbour!” Yes of course, anything can be done with an infinite budget, but we don’t have an infinite budget. We have $13.7m in remaining grant funds and $6.7m in council cash to contribute.

Yes, we could potentially borrow more. But we know that pools are not money makers, and successive councils have worked hard to curb debt, getting it down from the 2014-15 level of $53.7m to $36m.

We are working to deliver a 50m facility that the community can afford.
It isn’t easy, but we are trying to learn from mistakes of the past, both here and beyond.

You can read the news.com.au article about the North Sydney pool here:
🌊 https://bit.ly/4g2mcWo