Managing Crown Land for the Community
See what we have been up to below
Great night in Sydney at the Channel 7 Community Achievement Awards, held at the Shangri-La on Saturday.
We were proud to attend as finalists representing the Lightning Ridge Area Opal Reserve and to stand alongside so many outstanding community organisations, including the Narrabri Showgrounds Committee and Ooranga Family Mobile Resource Unit in Baan Baa.
We were also fortunate to share a table with Roy Butler MP for Barwon, and to hear NSW Minister for Crown Lands Steve Kamper speak about the importance of Crown land and recognise the work being done by Crown Land Managers across NSW. It was also great to catch up in person with Crown Lands staff and colleagues from around the state.
While we didn’t take home the award on the night, it was an honour to be recognised for the work happening on the ground at Lightning Ridge, including:
• Indigenous-led share farming
• hands-on learning programs for young people
• converting a farmhouse into an education and research hub
• partnerships with UNSW and the University of Sydney
• and delivering a biological control program using cochineal to tackle Hudson Pear infestations
Congratulations to all finalists and winners — and thank you to Channel 7 for shining a light on the people and projects quietly strengthening regional and remote communities.
The Western Herald Roy Butler MP Walgett Shire Council Outback Radio 2WEB Jamie Chaffey MP ABC Rural Hands on Learning Community Achievement Awards for NSW & The ACT NSW Government ABC Landline
A big thank you to Andrew Brown, the General Manager of Walgett Shire Council, and the whole Council team for officially commencing the long-awaited upgrades to the Grawin Front Road.
This road is a vital access route for residents, businesses, visitors and emergency services, and seeing real work no underway is a great outcome for the Grawin community and the wider opal fields area.
The improvements being made now will make a genuine difference to safety, accessibility and long-term usability. It’s encouraging to see commitment being turned into action, and we sincerely appreciate the effort being put in by Council staff, contractors and all those involved behind the scenes to get this project moving.
Walgett Shire Council The Western Herald Roy Butler MP Outback Radio 2WEB ABC Rural Jamie Chaffey MP
We’ve made it as a finalist in the Community Achievement Awards for NSW & The ACT for the Crown Land Manager Excellence Award, and we’ll be attending the awards dinner in Sydney on 29 November, hosted by Minister for Crown Lands Steve Kamper
If you like what we do for the Reserve and the wider community, we’d really appreciate your vote in the People’s Choice Award. To vote, just follow the link, find our picture, and cast your vote.
Thanks for all your support — it genuinely helps us keep this work going.
awardsaustralia.app.do/2025-community-achievement-awards-for-nsw-the-actLightning Ridge Area Opal Reserve Crown Land Manager is one of the most unique and significant Crown Land Reserves, spanning over 20,000 hectares across the iconic opal fields. Managed by a diverse volunteer local community board, the Reserve balances mining, culture, education, tourism, and conservation in remarkable harmony. Over the past 18 months, it has launched the Wandella Education and Research Hub, partnered with schools and universities to deliver youth and Indigenous programs, implemented an Indigenous-led share farming program across 3,000 acres, and undertaken major environmental works including Hudson Pear spraying and biocontrol releases, feral pest management programs, and infrastructure upgrades to roads and firefighting resources.…Congratulations Lighting Ridge Area Opal Reserve Crown Land Manager
Grawin–Glengarry Sheepyards Opal Fields – Fire Trail & Track upgrades
Crown Lands and the Lightning Ridge Opal Reserve are continuing to deliver important on-ground improvements across the Grawin–Glengarry Sheepyards area, supporting community safety, fire preparedness, and reliable access for locals, miners, and visitors.
At Grawin the Opal Reserve manages two lots of Crown Land within the broader opal fields. These parcels include areas at Grawin, Glengarry, and the Sheepyards area, located on either side of Mundaroo Station (we do not manage Mundaroo Station).
Over the next three weeks, Soil Conservation Service (SoilCon) will be onsite completing significant upgrade works, including:
• Grading and reshaping priority fire trails
• Watering and rolling road surfaces to strengthen and stabilise them
• Installing concrete matting to improve drainage and reduce erosion in key problem areas and locations with known water-flow issues
These upgrades represent a meaningful investment in the long-term safety, accessibility, and resilience of the opal fields, delivered through strong cooperation between Crown Lands, the Lightning Ridge Opal Reserve, and the NSW Rural Fire Service.
A big thank-you to Crown Lands staff in Dubbo, and also to Jason and the crew from SoilCon for their professionalism and high-quality work. Please take extra care when travelling through the area while crews and machinery are operating.
Further updates will be provided as works progress.
Roy Butler MP Walgett Shire Council Outback Radio 2WEB NSW Rural Fire Service - North West The Western Herald
Captain Leo Fransen Memorial Plaque Unveiling
Today, our community comes together to honour the life and service of RFS Captain Leo Fransen, who tragically lost his life while fighting the Hudson Fire on the opal fields.
Sunday, 16 November 2025
10:30am
Memorial – halfway between the Sheepyards and Glengarry (orange cones marking the turn-off)
This morning, Captain Fransen’s brother, John Fransen, will unveil a permanent memorial plaque organised by the NSW RFS. Today marks two years since Leo’s passing, a solemn reminder of the sacrifices made by volunteer firefighters who put themselves in harm’s way to protect others.
Following Leo’s death, our organisation coordinated a petition in support of renaming Grawin Front Road to Leo Fransen Way, and more than 1,200 community signatures were submitted to Walgett Shire Council. The request remains in progress as Council works through the statutory requirements for an official road name change. The community will be updated as this progresses.
Everyone is welcome to attend today’s service and pay their respects to Captain Leo Fransen — a volunteer firefighter who gave his life protecting the opal fields and the people who call this place home
NSW RFS - Diamond Beach NSW Rural Fire Service The Western Herald ABC Rural Roy Butler MP Walgett Shire Council
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The NSW Government Gazette has now confirmed that the Grawin Front Road (Miners Road) has been formally transferred from Crown Land to Walgett Shire Council.
More than three years ago, the Reserve identified that this road — with its high daily use by miners, residents, tourists, school buses and emergency services — required a more robust, long-term management arrangement. We initiated discussions with Crown Lands and Walgett Shire Council at the time, with the shared view that Council was best placed to manage and maintain this key piece of community infrastructure.
Since then, all three parties have worked through the required assessment and gazettal steps, and we’re pleased to see the process officially completed. From here on, the road will be formally maintained by Walgett Shire Council.
For clarity, the section now under Council management runs from the front grid and the bitumen on the Grawin side, right through to the children’s playground at Grawin.
This is a positive outcome for the Grawin, Glengarry and Sheepyard communities, supporting better long-term road management for everyone who relies on this route.
We thank the staff from Crown Lands and Walgett Shire Council — past and present — who have contributed to this transition and helped bring it to completion.
Important update for the opal mining community
The NSW Government has released its response to the Independent Review of Small-Scale Titles, supporting 74 of 81 recommendations.
Key changes proposed for small-scale mining areas include:
🔹 Up to 8 mineral claims per person (up from 2)
🔹 Stronger rehabilitation requirements and potential reuse of mullock
🔹 Shift to digital systems for applications, renewals and transfers
🔹 Staged rollout over the next 6–24 months
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Our role in the review
The Lightning Ridge Area Opal Reserve took part in the stakeholder committee, raising local issues directly with the Minister, and helped residents prepare and submit submissions to ensure local voices were heard.
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What’s next?
There is still a long way to go, with further consultation and detail to come.
We’ll keep the community updated as the process continues.
www.resources.nsw.gov.au/mining-and-exploration/opal-mining/independent-review?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZ...
Great news for Wandella!
We’re thrilled to share that we’ve received a $10,000 @GrainCorp Community Foundation Grant to complete and fit out an unfinished room at the Wandella Education and Research Hub.
The new room will be named the GrainCorp Education and Research Room.
This new space will help grow our agricultural and educational programs, supporting local school groups, BroSpeak and Aboriginal Youth Initiatives, birdwatching groups, and visiting researchers.
It’s another step forward as we build opportunities in agriculture, science, and learning right here in the far west — creating pathways for young people that strengthen education, employment, and community outcomes across the @WalgettShireCouncil area.
A huge thank you to @GrainCorp for backing regional education and community development — and thanks to @Stephen Kamper MP for his support in making projects like this possible.
We’ll keep everyone updated as the building works get underway!
(Photos below: some of the programs this space will support.)
Hands on Learning Roy Butler MP Steve Kamper Lightning Ridge Central School GrainCorp NSW Department of Education Community Achievement Awards for NSW & The ACT ABC Rural The Western Herald The University of Sydney Plant Breeding Institute Narrabri UNSW Jamie Chaffey MP Flow-MER - Lower Balonne
#Wandella #GrainCorpCommunityFoundation #CommunityGrant #EducationAndResearch #FarWestNS
🌾 Harvest season is in full swing across the Opal Reserve! This week, local Indigenous sharefarmer Charlie Carpenter took Hands-On Learning students from Lightning Ridge Central School out to the paddock for a practical examination of cropping — with wheat, chickpeas, and barley all just about ready for harvest. Students explored the process up close and gained insight into how these grains are grown, harvested, and prepared for delivery.
Based at the Wandella Education and Research Hub, this initiative is about more than just harvest. It’s about connection — between land and learning, experience and opportunity, and the next generation growing up right here in the Walgett Shire with pathways into the agricultural sector.
Hands on Learning Community Achievement Awards for NSW & The ACT NSW Department of Education Lightning Ridge Central School Jamie Chaffey MP Roy Butler MP Western Plains App ABC Rural ABC Central West The Western Herald NSW Government Steve Kamper GrainCorp The University of Sydney Plant Breeding Institute Narrabri Outback Radio 2WEB
Lightning Ridge students return for a hands-on term
Lightning Ridge students return for a hands-on term
www.thewesternherald.com.au
As students return to Lightning Ridge Central School for Term 4, the Hands-on Learning group is gearing up to complete the final stage of their project at the Wandella Education and Research Precinct ...