Monday was huge. 

It was almost certain our application was set to be refused when the day started – the recommendation of Council staff.

After a non-stop day of radio interviews and phone calls with Councillors, reaching out to understand the facts and the expert evidence provided to support our DA modification, Damien presented to Council and turned the tide.

It was standing room only when Damien took the floor to address Council. The entire team from Oz Mulch were there, along with so many community members who took time to show support and remind Council that this decision impacts not just the Jensen family - but families, businesses and people right across our community. 

When it came time to vote, every single Councillor agreed that the decision needed to be deferred to personally visit the site and take more time with the facts to ensure the right decision is made.  

Your support has been a crucial in getting this matter to be considered fairly. 

• The Newcastle Herald published two articles in one day - and you jumped in with your supportive comments and thoughts.
• ABC Radio told our story - and you texted in, calling for common sense and a need for timeliness for our small business. 
  • Missed it? You can listen here from 12m 40sec

So what's next? 

We will continue to work with Council to help break down the complexity, listen to the expert recommendations, and ensure comfort that a good decision is made for our environment, our community and our business. 

How can you support?

Continue to share your voice:

• Contact the Mayor or Councillors to thank them for their consideration and urge their commitment to making the right decision in a timely way
• Write a letter to the editor of the Newcastle Herald
• Comment on any media stories you see or hear, like this one on the Newcastle Herald website, or facebook

We've already been closed more than 2 years. The Council has comprehensive, expert-led information that hits the desk with a thud. A timely decision is what's needed now. 

Finally, an apology: There's been a LOT happening, very quickly this past week. Whilst our updates appear immediately on the change.org petition page, the platform takes about 24 hrs to email our updates to you - so please accept our apologies if our updates hit your inbox after the fact. 

If you want to know the latest, you can always drop us an email at damien@ozmulch.com