Special Interests Archives - Page 23 of 118

Keep The Sheep Celebrates Historic Day

September 12, 2024 by Roxane Manley

Keep the Sheep campaigners and supporters have sent a strong message to the Albanese Government, amassing thousands of supporters to the lawn at Parliament House in Canberra to protest the government’s ban on live sheep exports.

The campaign celebrated people joining the rally from across Australia, coming from as far afield as Darwin, Broome, North Queensland and Adelaide to show their frustration.

Armed with a 50 strong convoy of trucks and vehicles that converged from Yass and Goulburn, Keep the Sheep spokesman Ben Sutherland celebrated the excellent turn out. “People feel so strongly about the government ruining our livelihoods, they came out in force today.”

Mr Sutherland said that neither the Prime Minister nor the Agriculture Minister, Julie Collins came out to address the crowd.

“People are hurting already as a result of this policy and no Government representatives turned up to listen to their concerns” he said.

With approximately 2,000 people in attendance, the rally demonstrated the frustration that farmers have felt about the government’s anti-farming policies and added to the nearly 100,000 signature petition.

See Ewe Next Tuesday, Albo

September 5, 2024 by Roxane Manley

With momentum growing for the national agriculture rally to be held in Canberra next Tuesday 10th of Sept, co-organisers, Keep the Sheep, are encouraging as many people as possible to attend to give the Government a clear message: support agriculture or face the ramifications at the ballot box.

Coinciding with news that the new Agriculture Minister’s Department advised her that, “the policy is now settled and will not be revisited”, spokesperson Ben Sutherland said that the choice was now clear, and that farmers, agricultural workers, truckies and regional people were now only left with a single choice, to campaign against bad policy at election time.

“This policy is far from settled. If the Government thinks it can dispose of our livelihoods and then declare it all done and dusted, they are very wrong,”“If the Government prefers to listen to activists or bureaucrats instead of the real people that their policy will hurt, then they will see us and hear us next week,” he said.

The national agriculture rally will be held on the lawns at Parliament House on Tuesday 10 September from 11:00 and participants can register online.

Catholiccare Wilcannia-forbes To Host Free Movie Nights For Families

September 5, 2024 by Roxane Manley

CatholicCare Wilcannia-Forbes team member Dylan Biles is encouraging families to come along to the organisation’s free Forbes Community Movie Night on Friday.

Families at Forbes and Trundle can enjoy a film event for free this month, thanks to CatholicCare Wilcannia-Forbes.

The organisation’s Family and Relationship Services team is hosting a movie night at Forbes on Friday 6th September, and at Trundle on Friday 20th September.

The events will feature a screening of the film, The Wolf and the Lion, as well as a free barbecue sausage sizzle and other activities for children, all at no charge to attendees.

CatholicCare Wilcannia-Forbes’s Family and Relationship Services team organised these events to bring families together and add to the social experience for community members in these towns.

Forbes Community Movie Night, Friday 6th September, 5pm-9pm, to be held at Forbes Public School. Bring chairs and rugs and dress warmly. Children are to be supervised by parents. No staff supervision available for children. This is a drug-free and alcohol-free event.

Trundle Community Movie Night, Friday 20th September, 5pm-9pm, to be held at St Patrick’s Catholic School. Bring chairs and rugs and dress warmly. Children are to be supervised by parents. No staff supervision available for children. This is a drug-free and alcohol-free event.

“Our community movie nights are an enjoyable night of entertainment for families that don’t break budgets,” Family and Relationship Services delivery leader Rebecca Lee said.

“They are a chance for children to make memories and they encourage strong positive bonds between family members, and between families in the community.”

Serving western NSW, CatholicCare Wilcannia-Forbes understands the needs of smaller rural communities.

“With time pressures, many families can’t take a day to travel to a bigger city for entertainment,” Ms Lee said.

“Furthermore, owing to inflation, many families may not be able to afford the fuel to travel away.”

All are welcome to attend.

‘Use It Or Lose It’

September 5, 2024 by Roxane Manley

My grandfather was the founder of a poultry farm. He loved chickens, the way they moved around, walking with a swagger, their jerky, almost nervous movements. I remember collecting the eggs with him as a child, watching his hands move quickly, with almost a flare of artistry, placing eggs gently but firmly into cartons as he pushed the trolley along through the sea of chickens.

In the last 10 years of his life, he battled Parkinson’s Disease. I once helped him from his car to the egg packing shed, a painstakingly slow process, every movement a neurological battle for his brain to connect with his muscles. His feet barely cleared the ground with short, shuffling motions, his hands shaking and his voice a whisper.

Twenty minutes into the 15 metre journey from car to shed door, I offered to get the wheelchair. He looked at me, smiled and said “My girl. If I don’t use it. I… lose .. it.” He was, of course, right.

A study about patients who are critically ill and find themselves in an ICU bed found that they lose nearly 2% of skeletal muscle per day during the first week of admission. A week in bed, motionless, well that’s almost 14% of your muscle lost. Yet we know on the flip side, it can take 6-8 weeks to build muscle up and build strength. Hardly seems fair does it?!

There are so many benefits to keeping active, across all stages of the life span, but especially as we age.

Interested in keeping strong & active? We have a new seniors exercise class at Kerin Health, run by our Physiotherapists. Find out more or secure your place in this program (places are limited) by calling us on 0437 749 746

Free Online Child Car Seat Safety Workshops

September 5, 2024 by Roxane Manley

Parents, carers and grandparents of young children are invited to attend one of two free online workshops being held to provide important safety information about child car seats.

The workshops are being conducted by Parkes, Forbes and Lachlan Shire Councils in partnership with Transport for NSW West Region. The workshops will be held via MS Teams, on Tuesday 10th September at 10am and again at 7pm, and will run for about an hour.

The Councils’ Road Safety and Injury Prevention Officer, Melanie Suitor, said the correct selection, installation and adjustment of child car seats is vital in ensuring children’s safety when travelling in vehicles.

“The workshop will cover the National Child Restraint Laws, types of child car seats available, correct installation and adjustment, when to move to the next car seat, accessories, tips for second-hand car seats and much more. It is so important to ensure your precious cargo is safe,” Ms Suitor said.

The online workshops were the first of their kind in NSW when they were trialed in May 2023.

“Over 30 local families have attended the online workshops since their inception. Participants rated the workshop 4.8 out of 5, said they would be very likely to recommend it to a friend or family member and were glad they had attended,” Ms Suitor said.

To book your place, visit the Councils’ Facebook pages, use this link: bit.ly/WorkshopRegoSept24 or call Ms Suitor on 6861 2364.

Apply Now For The 2025 Building Healthy Communities Challenge

September 5, 2024 by Roxane Manley

Enter your submission for the 2025 Building Healthy Communities Challenge now.

Western NSW Local Health District (WNSWLHD) is encouraging people who are passionate about improving their community’s health to apply to take part in the 2025 Building Healthy Communities Challenge.

The WNSWLHD Building Healthy Communities Challenge was established this year by the District’s Health Promotion team to help smaller communities take control of improving their overall health, by providing up to $12,000 in funding and intensive support to deliver a community-led health initiative.

WNSWLHD Health Promotion Coordinator Hayley Vaughan said applications are open to any community group in a town or community with less than 5,000 people who has an idea for an initiative which could improve people’s health.

“We encourage communities to apply if they have an idea which could increase physical activity or healthy eating in their community, reduce smoking and vaping rates or establishing infrastructure which promotes healthy living,” Ms Vaughan said.

“Any idea is a good idea, big or small, and they could be as simple as implementing a regular walking group or setting up community gardens to grow healthy food.”

WNSWLHD Health Promotion Officer Kelly Cook said an independent panel will assess applications and select two towns to compete in the friendly competition.

“The two chosen towns will each receive $8,000 in funding assistance and intensive support from the Health Promotion team to establish and implement their initiative, and we will also provide additional resources and assistance with promotion too,” Ms Cook said.

Applications are open from Monday 2nd September to Friday 11th October 2024.

For more information contact the WNSWLHD Health Promotion Team on WNSWLHD-HealthPromotion@health.nsw.gov.au.

Parkes Naidoc Family Fun Day

August 29, 2024 by Roxane Manley

Last years award winners with Member for Orange Phil Donato and Councillor Niel Westcott.

NAIDOC Week is an annual celebration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in Australia. NAIDOC stands for National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee. This year the Parkes NAIDOC Family Fun Day will be held on Saturday 7th September, at the Wiradjuri Amphitheatre at Bushman Hill.

This is a free, vibrant event and is open to people of all ages, and from all backgrounds. This year’s NAIDOC celebration promises a day full of culture. The event is based on this year’s theme, “Keep the Fire Burning! Blak, Loud and Proud”, which celebrates the enduring strength of Indigenous culture and unapologetic celebration of Indigenous identity.

The day will feature many local performances, a smoking ceremony and Wiradjuri artifacts Will also be on display. An awards ceremony will be held to recognise the contributions of local community members towards the Wiradjuri culture and heritage.

The day will also include other activities such as a free sausage sizzle, service information stalls, traditional weaving, emergency services vehicles, and children’s activities such as a jumping castle, face painting and temporary tattoos.

The Parkes NAIDOC Family Fun Day offers a heartfelt invitation and a wonderful opportunity for all the community to come together and celebrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander identity while having a great time with family and friends.

It’s about enjoyment, cultural exchange, and community – it’s genuinely a lot of fun for everyone involved, so come along with your friends and family on the day.

Forbes Cwa Members Advocate For Ongoing Action Around Violence Against Women

August 29, 2024 by Roxane Manley

In the wake of the unfathomable spike in the deaths of Australian women this year at the hands of their intimate partners, community outrage around the issue is increasing.

The Country Women’s Association (CWA) of NSW will use its annual Awareness Week campaign to highlight the need for ongoing action around reducing rates of gender-based violence across NSW and the ACT.

CWA of NSW Awareness Week runs from September 1 to 7, this year highlighting the continuing crisis around gender-based violence – including domestic and family violence, and also including violence against women by men who are not their intimate partners.

It’s the second time in five years the association has focused its attention for Awareness Week on violence against women, with domestic and family violence chosen as the theme for the 2020 campaign.

Robyn Miller, President of Forbes Evening Branch of the CWA of NSW, said it was clearly an enormous issue that was not going away and needed to be brought to the forefront again during Awareness Week.

“This is an issue Forbes community has experienced firsthand with the death of Molly Ticehurst earlier this year”, Robyn commented. “We need to push for more support for women confronted by gender-based violence and make our communities safe for all”.

During this year’s Awareness Week, the CWA of NSW is calling for: Further changes to bail laws to better protect victims, particularly in rural and regional areas; Prioritisation of sustainable funding models for frontline victim support services – and services that target perpetrator risk factors; The expediting of the establishment of a real-time system to record, track, and share information on perpetrators across systems and jurisdictions; and additional resources for women facing violence in rural and regional communities where isolation and lack of services can make it even harder.

Join Our Farmer’s In Canberra On 10th September

August 29, 2024 by David Jochinke

As a farmer, and head of the National Farmers’ Federation, I’m alarmed by the growing number of decisions being made in Canberra that aren’t about what’s best for farming.

It feels like we’re being drowned out by interest groups who want to tell a negative story about who we are and what we do.

Whether it’s banning live sheep exports, water buybacks, new taxes and red tape, or destroying productive agricultural land, these policies are being driven by people who don’t understand what we do.

On 10th September, farmers from across Australia will meet outside Parliament House in Canberra to send a united message. We want to tell all parliamentarians ahead of the next election that they should listen to farmers, not anti-farming activists, when it comes to what’s best for our industry.

It’s our chance to come together and send a clear and positive message that we deserve a seat at the table, and we deserve a fair go.

Join me as we come together as an industry to celebrate the positive story of Aussie farming in the heart of Canberra.

David Jochinke,
President National Farmers’ Federation

Rural Schools Encouraged To Apply

August 29, 2024 by Roxane Manley

The Royal Agricultural Society of NSW Youth Group are calling for applications for the 2025 All Roads to the Royal program, offering one lucky school a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to gain practical skills and knowledge through an all-expenses-paid, three-day excursion to the Sydney Royal Easter Show.

Open to students from years 7-12, the program will run from Monday 14th to Thursday 17th April 2025, and provides return transport, accommodation and meals for up to forty people, including students, teachers and guardians.

Heather Earney, Agriculture and Science teacher at Trundle Central School in Central West, NSW, and RAS’ 2024 All Roads to the Royal recipient, said the excursion was a highlight of the year for both students and teachers alike.

“All Roads to the Royal was an incredibly rewarding experience, allowing the students to broaden their horizons and create lasting memories and networks”, Earney said.

“The students are so thankful to have been given this amazing opportunity. They have gained experience and knowledge about the various aspects of the Show. Along with this, students gained an appreciation for the industry and the work that goes into putting such a large-scale event together”.

The All Roads to the Royal program was designed by the RAS Youth Group, with the aim to break down the financial and accessibility barriers that prevent many rural students from attending the Show. The 2025 program will be supported by the RAS Foundation, who will contribute up to $25,000 towards bus travel, food and expenses.

For further information about the program criteria or to apply, please visit www.rasnsw.com.au/AgriLink/all-roads-to-the-royal/

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