For the majority of people their first exposure to the criminal justice system occurs when they are charged with offences that are dealt with at the Local Court. It is important that defendants (i.e. those charged with an offence) understand the broad range of penalties available to Magistrates.

• Fines are the most common in addition to good behaviour bonds. A maximum of 28 days is given to pay the amount in full. If a defendant refuses to pay, it may possibly result in the seizure of assets, wage deductions, an order of community service, or for to traffic fines, suspension or cancellation of driver’s licence or vehicle registration.

• Good behaviour bonds obligate defendants to be of good behavior. The court may also impose further conditions including supervision of the defendant by an officer of the Community Corrections Office. Other conditions could include counselling to treat an alcohol or drug abuse problem.

There are a wide variety of bonds available, such as the bond in section 9 of the Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999 (NSW), which allows Magistrates to direct offenders to enter into a good behaviour bond for less than five years, after convicting them of an offence. If the conditions of the section 9 bond are breached or the defendant commits another offence, the Magistrate may cancel the bond and impose a sentence.

Section 11 bonds, which allow Magistrates to find an offender guilty, but suspend the sentence for a period of 12 months to assess capacity and prospects for rehabilitation, to demonstrate that rehabilitation has taken place or for any other reason the court considers appropriate. If you have questions contact any of the Solicitors at Matthews Williams.

You might have heard him on community radio, or seen his reviews in The Forbes Phoenix every week – whichever way Monte and his famous hashtag have become a household name over the past two years.

He got his big break in radio and will be moving on soon. The Forbes Phoenix caught up with him just before he left town.

1. When did you start at 2LVR and how did your show evolve over time?

I started on 26th January 2015 doing a rock request show called Monte Rocks Your Friday Night. A few months later I started to find all this great independent music by Australian artists that we just didn’t get to hear. A friend said I should make a show focusing on this music. I then had the idea of interviewing the artists and my new show, Montefamous Mondays, was born.

2. What was the highlight of your time at 2LVR?

The biggest would be being invited to attend and present an award at the Music Oz Independent Music Awards last year. To actually meet so many of the artists I had interviewed was a big deal for me.

3. What did you learn that you will take with you?

Always be yourself on air, be authentic as listeners can tell when you’re faking it. If you are excited to be interviewing someone, let it show.

4. How many interviews did you do during your time at 2LVR?

After 90 episodes I have interviewed 270 independent Australian artists.

5. What are you going to do next?

I am moving to Inverell to become the breakfast announcer on 2NZ. I have achieved a dream, to be a paid announcer on radio.

6. Is this a big challenge?

It is going to be a huge, but fun challenge.

7. Where do you see yourself going as a presenter on radio?

I want to keep my passion for Australian independent music alive, so I will be moving Montefamous Mondays to a podcast in the new year. I would love to turn it into a national show one day.

Monte also wanted to thank the people at 2LVR for believing in him, and the Forbes Phoenix for publishing his reviews weekly. “It has meant a lot to me and the artists.”

The research is clear. Sitting too much is seriously bad for your health. We are now seeing that people who spend most of their day (8+ hours) sitting have doubled the risk of cardiovascular disease and an increased risk of diabetes and early death.

Whether it’s time spent sitting at the office or school, driving, eating or watching TV, a sedentary lifestyle causes serious threats to your health.

Additionally, sitting a lot burns very few calories and many studies have linked it to weight gain and obesity.

Human bodies weren’t designed to sit all day, they were designed to move. Muscles and bones both require regular movement or low level activity to maintain strength and help prevent osteoporosis. Reducing sitting time is linked to a lower risk of cardiovascular disease, heart attack and reduced incidence of neck and lower back pain.

It’s a common misconception that exercise can compensate for prolonged sitting. Even if you exercise for 30 minutes four times per week, you are still subject to the negative impact of too much sitting. This is a major problem for office workers since they spend most of their day sitting. Low intensity activities like standing and walking are more important than most realise.

Fortunately the use of standing desks is becoming increasingly popular. Standing desks allow you to alternate between sitting and standing. You can either get a kit that allows you to convert your existing desk to an adjustable desk or better still replace it with a sit- stand desk. For optimum health benefits it is recommended to alternate between sitting and standing every 30 minutes.

For the fitness of you,

Linda Reilly

The Forbes Historical Museum has been awarded a $64,215 State Government grant. This funding announcement was made by Parliamentary Secretary for Western NSW, Rick Colless at the museum on Monday.

The Forbes Museum was one of almost 40 recipients to be awarded a grant under the latest round of the Government’s Heritage Near Me Activation Grants Program. Rick said this grants program provided support to heritage items that were open to the public.

“This funding doesn’t only mean we can invest in protecting and preserving our local heritage but it means we’re giving more people the opportunity to appreciate their local history,” said Rick.

“These grants acknowledge and support the vital role owners and managers of locally listed heritage items play in protecting our local heritage.”

This grant will see the installation of a new elevator at the Forbes Museum. Several non-structural walls on the first floor will be removed by volunteers from the Forbes Historical Society to create a new display area increasing the museum’s floor space by 30%.

Heritage Minister Gabrielle Upton said the funding was designed for local government, businesses and community organisations to reactivate and preserve local heritage spaces and precincts.

“This funding will help communities build on the knowledge they have with their heritage. Nobody knows their heritage better than the locals who live and breathe it,” said Gabrielle.

The Heritage Activation Grants, which are part of the Heritage Near Me program, are specifically for items listed on council Local Environment Plans.