This new part of the network is fully funded by Goulburn Mulwaree Council, and will be 1.5km length and was completed at the start of the month.

This area of Goulburn is just another gem waiting to be discovered, and I think many residents will be pleasantly surprised by the native trees and bushland, passing under the railway line and then Sydney Road before linking with Cemetery Street.

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We will now shift focus to the next stage of the river walkway network, which will be 2.7km long and will link Cemetery Street with Josephs Gate subdivision.

This section is being joint funded by the Federal Government and NSW Government, with $2 million contributed through the Bushfire Local Economic Recovery Fund. It will feature a low level river crossing behind the Goulburn Correctional Facility, with construction slated to begin towards the end of this year.

The future of hockey in Goulburn and the wider region is looking bright, following completion of the hockey light upgrades this month. I'd like to once again thank Wendy Tuckerman and the NSW Government for their generous funding towards the project.

New LED lighting systems have been installed for both fields, with a maximum light level of 500 lux which is of a standard which will enable Goulburn to host national grade competitions. Power by Watts were awarded the tender for this project by Council in February this year at a cost of $324,971.

It is a wonderful result to have this lighting already completed within six months of awarding the tender for the project. This is a significant step in our redevelopment of the entire Goulburn Hockey Complex, with refurbishment of the western field now also well underway. Soon we will once again have a complex with two high standard fields, which is excellent for the region.

Upgraded men's and women's change rooms, and a new 132 space sealed car park are also to be constructed as part of the wider project which will see the Goulburn Regional Hockey Facility able to cater to state and national hockey championship requirements.

$3.8 million has been provided by the NSW Government through the Restart NSW Program, with the Goulburn Hockey Association also contributing $200,000. Goulburn Mulwaree Council purchased the complex off the Goulburn Workers Club in November 2020 for $3 million in order to secure the future of hockey in this region.

On Friday morning we were notified of a COVID-19 positive case visiting sites in Goulburn and Marulan. Sites open to the public were Bunnings Goulburn and KFC Marulan. Additional cleaning has been undertaken at both stores overnight and all staff will be tested for COVID-19 today.

Anyone who visited Bunnings Goulburn on July 20 between 12.30-12.45pm or KFC Marulan on July 20 between 1.30-1.50pm is a close contact. You must immediately get tested and self-isolate for 14 days regardless of the result.

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Three contacts have been identified and managed by the SNSWLHD Public Health Unit. Testing on these three overnight returned negative results.

For the information of residents we are also part of the sewerage testing program for COVID-19, with this done twice weekly. There are no signs of COVID in our region as of Friday, which is positive news; I encourage everyone to stay calm and get your information from NSW Health, not the rumour mill.

In the meantime Southern NSW Local Health District is urging anyone feeling unwell - even with the mildest of symptoms such as a runny nose, scratchy or sore throat, cough, fever, shortness of breath, headache, tiredness, loss of taste or smell, nausea, diarrhoea or muscle aches - to self-isolate and seek COVID-19 testing.

Council has locked in three pop-up consultation sessions as part of the Towards 2042 project, after having to postpone face to face meetings due to COVID-19 concerns.

Pop-up consultation will be held in Goulburn, Tarago and Marulan, with the online survey also continuing for another two weeks to ensure the community has the chance to provide feedback. It is important we offer the chance for face-to-face consultation, and these will be run in a COVID safe manner.

The consultation will feed into a new community strategic plan which will guide the new council, who will be elected in September.

Dates and locations for the pop-up consultation are:

If you would like to take the online survey you can do so at www.surveymonkey.com/r/GMC-Main

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