Win a $500 Hunter Valley staycation travel voucher
Council’s Economic Development Team have launched a new Support Local competition, this time focussing on our wonderful local accommodation providers. For the month of November, residents are encouraged tag their favourite accommodation business (or somewhere they would really love to stay) on Facebook, explain why in 25 words or less, and post a photo of…
Council facilities to reopen via staged approach
Following the announcement that NSW has reached the 70% vaccination rate milestone, Cessnock City Council has released a schedule for reopening their facilities via a staged approach (pending the approval of COVID Safety Plans). Monday 11 October saw the reopening of Kurri Kurri Library, the Hunter Valley Visitor Information Centre, Cessnock Performing Arts Centre, the…
Path to freedom as NSW Roadmap revealed
The path to freedom for NSW is just weeks away with the NSW Government announcing its re-opening roadmap weeks ahead of schedule. Back to business day is likely to begin from 11 October 2021 when the state is expected to hit the 70% double vaccination target with freedoms further increasing once we hit 80%. Hospitality,…
Save the date, Great Southern Nights returns 2022
The NSW Government is amping up the State’s live music scene with the return of Great Southern Nights in March and April 2022 and local musicians and live music venues are being encouraged to get involved. Following its hugely successful debut in 2020, Great Southern Nights will again create jobs and revenue for artists, venues…
Helping hand for local heritage
In welcome news for owners of heritage listed properties across the region, Cessnock City Council has announced applications for its 2021/22 Local Heritage Fund are now open. If your heritage place is looking a little worse for wear and in need of repairs or a fresh coat of paint to give it a new lease…
Wollombi Valley Sculpture Festival goes online
The 2021 Wollombi Valley Sculpture Festival is adapting to current circumstances and will become an online event this for year. Finalists had already been selected for exhibition at this year’s festival when NSW was plunged progressively into lockdown from late June. Rather than deprive the community of the fantastic collection of works that had…
The Rebuilding Futures program – New Grant
Suncorp Group has announced a new Community Partnership with the Foundation for Rural Regional Renewal (FRRR). The aim of the program is to support communities to strengthen their resilience through long-term recovery from significant natural disasters by undertaking community-identified and led long-term recovery activities for public benefit. The Rebuilding Futures program encourages communities to build back better to…
Did someone say QR Cards
Checking into venues and managing your check-in history will become easier thanks to a new COVID-19 check-in card and suite of updates to the Service NSW app. NSW residents will soon be able to register for a COVID-19 check-in card which can be presented to supermarkets and other essential retail businesses to scan. The cards…
Create, Connect and Convert in Cessnock
Cessnock City Council in partnership with the Hunter Region Business Hub (HUB), Australian Small Business Advisory Service and the Digital Solutions Program under the Advance Greater Cessnock banner is delighted to bring the Create, Connect and Convert webinar to our businesses. The workshop is the ultimate digital marketing guide for small businesses and is being…
$280 million available for recovery and resilience after Black Summer Bushfires
The $280 million Black Summer Bushfire Recovery (BSBR) Grants program will help communities address priorities for recovery and resilience after the 2019-20 bushfires. This grants program comes from the National Bushfire Recovery Fund and is additional to support already provided through a range of bushfire recovery programs. It covers every Local Government Area that was…
Micro businesses eligible for funding
If you are a micro-business that has been impacted by the recent COVID-19 restrictions, you may be eligible for the COVID-19 Micro-business grant. Eligible small businesses, sole traders or not-for-profit organisations with aggregated annual turnover between $30,000 and $75,000 may be eligible to apply for a fortnightly payment of $1,500 to cover business expenses…
New program empowering small businesses
Cessnock City Council is delighted to support the Hunter Region Business Hub and Australian Small Business Advisory Service’s Digital Solutions Program under the Advance Greater Cessnock banner to bring this opportunity to our businesses. The Digital Solutions Program is a new Australian Government initiative empowering small businesses across the Hunter Region to make the most…