CatholicCare Wilcannia-Forbes Aboriginal financial counsellor intern Shardai Charters, and colleagues (second right) Jacqueline Coe and (right) Kyle Nixon-Croaker complete the training led by Jordy Dwyer from First Nations Foundation (second left) to become My Money Dream mentors.

Aboriginal people in western NSW seeking to build up their financial well-being and security need not do it alone. 

CatholicCare Wilcannia-Forbes (CCWF) is ready to help on the ground, a number of its team members recently completing training with First Nations Foundation to become My Money Dream mentors. 

My Money Dream is an education program created by First Nations people, for First Nations people, to teach skills for financial security and future prosperity. 

CCWF provides free access to My Money Dream, and now with more CCWF team members across western NSW trained as mentors, it can further assist community members. 

CCWF team members based at Dubbo, Forbes, Narromine, Orange, Bourke, Broken Hill and Condobolin took part in the training on 6th September at Dubbo. 

“We are thrilled to partner with First Nations Foundation to become My Money Dream mentors, supporting us to bolster financial literacy in a culturally safe format,” CatholicCare Wilcannia-Forbes Financial Stability portfolio manager Louise Cormie said. 

“Enhanced financial literacy helps everyone. First Nations people were only permitted to enter our country’s economy in the 1970s. 

“We can take steps to reduce this financial well-being deficit, by building confidence in managing money and for a secure financial future.” 

CCWF notes a 2019 study by First Nations Foundation, in partnership with the Centre for Social Impact and NAB, that underscores the need. It found 48 per cent of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians were living in financial stress. 

CCWF provides free access to My Money Dream education via all formats – online, self-learn, or in-person with a mentor for individuals and groups. To sign up or for further information call 1800 067 067 or email lcormie@ccwf.org.au 

Potholes seem to be appearing like mushrooms overnight as the rains keep falling.

It’s a topic that has dominated our conversations for the past couple of months, so many of us have whinged about it, letters have been written, and social media even has dedicated pages for potholes.

Hopefully there will be some improvement with the NSW Government’s announced of a $50 million investment to help regional and rural councils fix the increasing number of potholes brought on by this year’s extreme wet weather.

Minister for Regional Transport and Roads Sam Farraway said the funding was available to help every regional council across the state to carry out emergency repairs and would fix roughly more than 420,000 potholes on their roads.

“NSW has had more than its fair share of natural disasters and extreme weather and it’s promising to see that more than 135,000 potholes have been repaired on State roads in regional NSW since February.”

However, plenty more potholes still require attention, particularly on council-managed roads, which is why our government is putting more money on the table for councils to repair potholes on the roads regional communities use every day.

“This additional support will help ease the pressure local councils are facing and boost the resources they can draw upon to repair their most damaged roads to improve safety and reduce wear and tear on vehicles.”

Funding under the Fixing Local Roads Pothole Repair Round is available to 95 regional councils and authorities to help repair potholes on regional and local roads. Work must be completed by 1st January 2024.

Applications for funding are open for two weeks with funding announced in November so councils can begin work as soon as possible.

Cutting the cake for 100 years of Vinnies shops in Forbes on Monday were (L-R) former store manager Kay Toohey, former store manager Wendy Adams, current store manager Anne Redfern and former store manager Bev Parsons.

Volunteers past and present celebrated 100 years of Vinnies shops in NSW on Monday morning in the Forbes shop. 

More than 40 people attended the morning tea, including three former store managers. They also helped to cut the beautifully decorated cake with the current manager Anne Redfern. 

Vinnies NSW Regional Retail Manager Tanya Godden said Vinnies stores needed more volunteers as the rising cost of living and high rental rates had created a sharp increase in people needing help in the community. 

Celebrations for the St Vincent de Paul Society’s 100th anniversary started this week and will run until 6th November with some stores (including Parkes) offering golden tagged treasures for customers to find. 

The Forbes Phoenix 2022 Footy Tipping prize has changed hands for the second time to end up with a good cause.

The first round of exchange took place when the winner of the competition, Joshua Matic who is also the owner of the Phoenix Newspaper Group, decided to donate his prize to the runner-up. That happened to be Federal Member for Riverina Michael McCormack, who is also the Shadow Minister for International Development and the Pacific. Michael decided to donate the prize, sponsored by Harvey Norman Parkes, to the local efforts to support Tonga after the volcano disaster in January.

Michael donated the prize to Forbes local Sharnie Morris, who works closely with the Tonga-based charity organisation The Mango Tree Centre. The prize, which includes an air fryer, blender and frying pan, will go towards local humanitarian efforts for Tongans still impacted by the disaster.

“Tonga has been devastated by this disaster with many still suffering, so every little bit of effort and every kind donation counts,” said Michael.

Sharnie and The Mango Tree Centre have so far sent 22 drums of clothes, toiletries, shoes, and kitchenware items to Tonga supported by local businesses and organisations.

By Maggi Barnard