The Forbes, Lachlan and Parkes Shires have been listed as at high risk in NSW.

Australia Post will lend a helping hand to high-risk communities across Australia by supporting Australian Red Cross deliver Pillowcase workshops, an initiative aiming to help kids in schools across the nation understand the importance of being prepared for a disaster. Since 2019, Australia Post has raised more than $1.8 million for Australian Red Cross and contributed towards supporting 470,000 people across 133 emergency events. 

Over the next three years, Australia Post is expanding on its support to include the Pillowcase workshops, a disaster preparedness education program for 8 to 10 year-old students living in areas at high risk of disaster, like bushfires and flooding. The workshops teach kids practical skills like what to pack for an emergency and how to prepare their minds for the thoughts and feelings that may arise before, during and after an emergency. 

Australia Post will support Australian Red Cross to provide Pillowcase workshops and resources – including supplying the emergency kit pillowcases. 

Australia Post Executive General Manager of Community, Sustainability and Stakeholder Engagement, Tanny Mangos, said that Australia Post’s unique presence in regional and remote Australian communities meant it was important to contribute to, and support, disaster resilience. 

“Working in every community across Australia, our team members are often at the frontline of disaster. We see firsthand how a disaster can affect a community. 

“Ahead of what is already being predicted as a hot, dry summer, our work with Australian Red Cross on Pillowcase is especially critical. The workshops and resources will arm children in high-risk areas with practical skills in the event of extreme weather like bushfires. 

“As disasters increase across Australia so does the impact on our communities and wellbeing. Evidence and research continue to show that preparing both psychologically and practically for an emergency improves people’s ability to cope with their impacts.” 

When you think fake products, you’d be forgiven for not having food items like honey at the top of your list, from meat and seafood to dairy – not even herbs are safe. 

There are six types of food fraud practices in the food industry: mislabelling, adulteration, substitution, counterfeiting, dilution and concealment. The goal is to deceive the consumer into paying a higher price for a product that is not what it claims to be. 

What can we do about it? Government intervention can protect the industry. Policies around minimum prices for materials. Thankfully, now we have DNA technology which makes it easy to take a quick extract of tissue of meat to determine if it’s really what it’s labelled as. In some cases, we have low-tech options. For example, the freezing point is a very old test that industry can use. For example, the freezing point of milk can indicate if water has been added. 

The Western NSW Primary Health Network (WNSW PHN) has identified and responded to needs in central western NSW flood affected communities with the Wellbeing and Resilience grants.

In the recent Spring of 2022, communities in central western NSW were devastated with record breaking floods which resulted in destructive and damaging ongoing impacts to people, property, harvests, and the general mental health and wellbeing of communities. 

Residents of these communities have shown incredible and inspiring resilience as they continuously work to rebuild and manage the lasting affects of such an event. WNSW PHN has worked with these communities to undertake a needs assessment post the flooding event and determine where the greatest areas of need lie. 

WNSW PHN is pleased to offer Wellbeing and Resilience grants to flood affected 

communities in central western NSW. The grants will facilitate the delivery of community led and focused wellbeing initiatives. Funding of up to $20,000 is available per application. 

WNSW PHN welcomes initiatives that will help improve mental health and support community resilience and encourage local businesses and community groups to apply. Community initiatives should address the immediate needs of affected communities and focus on community health and wellbeing, resilience and/or build the capacity of volunteer and paid workforce. 

Our focus is patients who are at risk of poor health outcomes and working to improve the coordination of their care, so they receive the right care in the right place at the right time. 

We acknowledge that we work on the traditional lands of many Aboriginal clans, tribes, and nations. We are committed to working in collaboration with our region’s Aboriginal communities and peoples to improve their health, emotional and social well-being in the spirit of partnership. 

For further information, eligibility and the application pack, please visit https://wnswphn.org.au/tenders