A woman will face court charged with multiple driving offences after allegedly being involved in two pursuits - in Sydney on Wednesday evening and Coonamble less than 48 hours later.Officers attached to Traffic and Highway Patrol were patrolling Bridge Road, Stanmore, at about 5.40pm on Wednesday 8 May, when checks revealed a passing hatchback had cancelled registration.Police activated their warning devices and the female driver stopped; however, after returning a positive roadside drug test to methylamphetamine, the woman drove off along Salisbury Road.Officers commenced a pursuit and she was followed through to Petersham where it was terminated due to safety concerns.About 7.55am on Friday (10 May 2024), officers attached to Walgett Highway Patrol were conducting patrols when they attempted to stop a hatchback on the Castlereagh Highway, Coonamble, due to it allegedly being driven at excessive speed.When the driver allegedly failed to stop when directed, a pursuit was initiated. It was terminated a short time later.Following inquiries, police attended a home on Pages Terrace, Coonamble at about 1.45pm the same day and arrested a 29-year-old woman.She was taken to Coonamble Police Station and charged with six offences:Police pursuit – not stop – drive dangerouslyRefuse or fail to provide oral fluid sampleUse unregistered registrable Class A motor vehicle on roadDrive motor vehicle not carry licenceEscape police custody, andHinder or resist police officer in the execution of duty.The car was later located in an abandoned block on Broad Street, Coonamble.The woman was refused bail to appear at Dubbo Local Court on Saturday (11 May 2024), where she was given conditional bail to appear at Burwood Local Court on Thursday 4 July 2024.

What was originally introduced as a hedge plant from South Africa is now a serious weed threat which covers the majority of New South Wales. The African Boxthorn is a nightmare weed to control due to its establishment as dense, impenetrable and thorny thickets, its prevalence across a broad range of landscapes and continued spread. The CSIRO say it is one of the major weed threats to the semi-arid rangelands of western NSW and a declared noxious weed in most parts of NSW (see map). Landholders continually work closely with groups such as the Western Local Land Services to battle the weed. In 2023, around 25 landholders were contracted to carry out control works for African boxthorn, mesquite and cactus, using a variety of control methods suitable for local conditions. “One landholder is getting good results using granular herbicide applied at the base of boxthorn plants,” Senior Land Services Officer, Andrea Cashmere said at the time. “This method is the most time efficient and effective for them because the plants are scattered over a large open grassland. Opportunistic control is also undertaken while mustering sheep.” But, the battle continues!Setting-up a site for monitoring the impact of the biocontrol agent on African boxthorn.  IMAGE: CSIRO Biocontrol is the latest tool to be used to control the weed with a CSIRO led project to introduce a rust fungus, Puccinia rapipes, that infects the leaves of African boxthorn. Carried out through Local Land Services, the project is looking for volunteers to get involved. The fungus was isolated from diseased boxthorn plants in South Africa, and through extensive host-specificity studies undertaken by the CSIRO, was shown to be highly specific to African boxthorn and poses no danger to native Australian vegetation. In 2021, the fungus was approved for release into the Australian environment as a biocontrol agent to assist with the control of African boxthorn.  The rust fungus infects young leaves which cause yellowing, followed by the development of pustules. The pustules produce fungal spores dispersed by wind, landing on nearby Boxthorn and under humid conditions they will germinate.In the Australian environment, the fungus is not expected to kill African boxthorn. Provided that the biocontrol agent is established widely and causes severe disease symptoms on African Boxthorn, it is expected to reduce the productive output and growth of the weed in the long term. This will in turn reduce its invasion potential in various ecosystems but will not eradicate it altogether.   CSIRO have already completed one trial and their aim now is to set up a second trial. CSIRO scientists believe if they can get enough landholders involved across NSW it will help reduce the population and spread of boxthorn.  If you would like to get involved in the second trial, CSIRO will provide registered participants with a biocontrol agent release kit. Each kit contains a vial of the rust fungus spores, along with step-by-step instructions and material to apply the spores to the target African boxthorn plant. The kits will contain enough material to spray 8 or more boxthorn branches.  The project will continue until 2026 Read more about the project and how to register your interest to participate.   

First the Country Mayors Association called for it. Now it's the Country Women's Association of NSW who say rural areas desperately need 24 hour policing.“Urgent and immediate action to establish 24-hour policing in all larger regional, rural and remote shires” was voted for the CWA following an illuminating panel discussion involving Peter Price, CEO of Crime Stoppers NSW, Adam DeMamiel from Boys to the Bush and Jamie Chaffey head of the Country Mayors Association.Mr Chaffey told the conference that “We can’t arrest our way out of the problem, but it makes a hell of difference if you have police”.The mayor of Gunnedah said there was a lack of “proactive policing in rural communities”.Police Association NSW President Kevin Morton, Country Mayors' Association NSW Chairman Mayor Chaffey and Mayor of Parkes Ken Keith. (PANSW)“We don’t see police officers walking up and down the streets. We need to go into the communities and find people who are going to become police officers”.Peter Price, CEO of NSW Crime Stoppers, shone further light on the growing problem of rural crime saying that his view “was nobody is born a criminal, people become a criminal in the society grow up in.”He said the problem of rural crime could not be divorced from the issue of drugs - in particular crystal meth.“Rural Australia is where a lot of meth is being manufactured” he said.“We have to work together to combat crime - we don’t want to get it to a point where people stop reporting crime to the police because there is so much of it. Crime, especially rural crime, is already under-reported. If you see something, get on the phone, call the police”.A meth lab was discovered near Braidwood in 2022.But it was Boys to the Bush an organisation that runs programs for the most vulnerable youth in NSW, including in Dubbo, which left people gasping with its stories of what many young people’s lives were like before they turned to crime.Their CEO Adam DeMamiel told the conference that when he started the organisation he discovered “kids I never knew existed. Kids who have never, ever been to school. Kids who are kept in cages and chained up”.“We need to stop looking at band-aid fixes and stop putting money in things that have a really short time frame. This is not just a police responsibility. These are not new crimes, the problems are compounding though and everyone can be part of the solution in their own community”.Image: Boys to the Bush. ‘It’s the Problem Everyone Is Talking About”CWA President Joy Beames said that rural crime was a topic on many people’s lips at the conference.“It’s everywhere” she told the Western Plains AppMs Beames said that she took a particular interest in the Boys to the Bush program.“They have had great success” she said “They take the boys out to the bush where they can’t use electronic devices and one of the things they teach them is that it is ok to be bored.”Senior Constable Nikolas Fluro moved to Tottenham in 2023.She explained that Boys to the Bush ran programs such as getting the boys into mechanics programs where one of the beneficial aspects was the boys formed strong bonds with the older men who they work with.“It just grounds them.”Ms Beames said that the congregation were also swayed by Cr Chaffey’s call for a need for 24 policing in all communities with the conference passing the motion calling for more police in regional, rural and remote areas.NSW Police data released in March shows that 90 percent of all police stations in the wider metropolitan Sydney area are open 24 hours a day, compared to regional New South Wales, where only 14 per cent of stations are manned 24 hours.

The skills and dedication of local nurses and midwives has been recognised with success in the latest Nursing and Midwifery Awards from the Western New South Wales Local Health District (WNSWLHD). The presentation dinner took place on Thursday, May 9th, with plenty of local faces among the award winners. Marli Sharah, a midwife from the Narromine Health Service was the overall winner in the Aboriginal Nurse/ Midwife of the Year category. In her bio, provided by WNSWLHD, Ms Sharah is described as having an unwavering commitment to excellence in midwifery care as an Aboriginal maternal and infant health services."Registered midwife. Marli's dedication to her profession is truly remarkable," the bio states. "She consistently goes above and beyond to provide exceptional care and support to her patients, ensuring that they receive the highest standard of care during such a crucial time in their lives. Her compassion, empathy, and professionalism set her apart as a leading figure in the field of midwifery. "Not only is Marli an outstanding midwife, but she is also a valuable team member who is always willing to lend a helping hand and share her knowledge and expertise with her colleagues. Her positive attitude and exceptional work ethic have a ripple effect on the entire team, inspiring us all to strive for excellence in our own practice." Other local nomineesOther local health providers nominated for the awards included Stacey Edwards from Condobolin Health Service in the Midwife of the Year category.Monica Lama from Gilgandra Multi-Purpose Service in the Pauline Webster-Cox New to Practice Nurse of the Year Award.Angela Hundy - Walgett Multipurpose Service in the Aboriginal Nurse/ Midwife of the Year Award.John Alchin - Gilgandra Health Service, Nurse Manager in the Nursing and Midwifery Leader of the Year Award. The Narromine Health Service and Gilgandra Multipurpose Service were nominees in The Team of the Year Award for their exceptional care and dedication to patients. Adrian Fahy, WNSWLHD Executive Director Quality, Clinical Safety and Nursing, said he was delighted to have the opportunity to congratulate each award recipient, who were celebrated among colleagues and guests at the presentation evening.“All eight recipients of this year’s Nursing and Midwifery Awards were truly deserving and I was thrilled to present them with their awards, as well as acknowledge all the nominees and those who received honourable mentions in each category,” Mr Fahy said. “As always we were faced with the difficult task of selecting recipients in each category having received some wonderful nominations this year, but that’s a great problem to have." “The recipients from our local award categories will now be put forward as nominees for the 2024 NSW Excellence in Nursing and Midwifery Awards.” Mr Fahy said.

We are dying because our own heart is failing us - but there is something you can do to help prevent you and your loved ones from succumbing to the condition.New data from the Public Health Information Development Unit at Torrens University shows Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) is the number one cause of death in our region with an astonishing 256 people dying from the condition - also known as heart attack or angina - between 2017 and 2021 across the Western Plains. Gilgandra topped the list with 43 deaths from CHD over that period, Walgett had 40, Warrumbungle 36, Narromine had 25 with Cobar and Brewarrina having 20. Image: National Centre for Farmers Health. CHD occurs when there is when there is a narrowing or blockage in the blood vessels that supply blood to the heart muscle.  CHD is considered preventable with modifiable risk factors including smoking, high blood pressure, physical activity, diet and obesity. Dr RT Lewandowski, President of the Rural Doctors Association of Australia, said that getting ahead of heart disease by checking heart health before suffering symptoms saves many lives. “People living in regional and rural areas have an increased risk of heart disease and, adding to that, the further a person lives from a major city, the higher their chance of being hospitalised or dying from cardiovascular disease (CDV).""CDV is actually the leading cause of death in rural and remote areas” he said. “People from rural areas are also less able to access to facilities and supports for a heart-healthy lifestyle, such as quality and affordable fresh food, sporting clubs, exercise facilities, and environments conducive to walking and cycling. “While these things do make it harder, it is not impossible, and lifestyle health benefits can be enormous and are well worth additional effort,” Dr Lewandowski added. Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease - also referred to as emphysema - is the second most likely cause of death in our regions with 180 deaths between 2017-2021. 

Coonamble's visual media landscape will feature in an academic study on local visual news by senior lecturer Dr T.J. Thomson and local residents can be a part of it.Dr Thomson (known as T.J.) works as a senior Lecturer in visual communication and digital media at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) and is a fellow at the Australian Research Council (ARC) where he won the Discovery Early Career Research Award (DECRA). T.J. arrived in Coonamble on Tuesday 7 May and will be staying for around ten days.His study focuses on local visual news looks like, who's making it, how it's made and what audiences expect of their local visual news. "A country is more than its capital cities. Australia is a huge country with so much diversity and so many interesting stories happening beyond the coasts and capital cities," Mr. Thomson said. "Yet, regional and rural communities don’t always see themselves represented in the news they consume. Local news plays so many important functions, from establishing social cohesion and a sense of shared identity to providing accountability for how tax dollars are being spent and how politicians are representing us."T.J. grew up on the foothills of the Rocky Mountains in the United States and started working as a photojournalist when he was 18. "I was always curious about how people reacted to my camera. People were either shy and tried to fade into background or began acting up and appeared more theatrical than normal."He went on to study photojournalism at the Missouri School of Journalism.T.J. has been living in Australia for the past six years and is now a dual American-Australian citizen.For the study, he is taking a closer look at the Coonamble Times & Western Plains App journalists and how they do their work. But it's not only the local publisher's team members who fall under the loop of Dr Thomson's research.He is also seeking five members of the community who would be willing to participate in a diary study. During the study, participants will mark down anything that seems remarkable to them in the news. They can also chat to T.J. about what they think is missing in their local news outlet. In return community members will receive a $100 gift voucher. Locals can also say "g'day" to T.J. at the Coonamble and Gulargambone Shows where he will be handing out $10 gift vouchers in exchange for a few minutes sorting news photographs from most to least engaging. He chose to come to Coonamble after meeting editor Lee O'Connor and her team at the Country Press NSW Conference in 2022 and was struck by Mrs O'Connor's passion for local news and local businesses. Coonamble is the second of eight towns and cities that Dr Thomson will visit as part of his study that is expected to be finalised in 2026.

The Country Women’s Association of NSW have passed a motion at its annual State Conference for the Federal Government to urgently do more on ADHD diagnosis and treatment in regional and remote communities.The CWA’s annual State Conference came to a close in Coffs Harbour on Friday May 10, with its members endorsing more than 25 motions across sectors such as health, law and order, education, transport and the environment.Among its motions were that the “Federal Government adoption of the recommendations made by the Senate Inquiry into the barriers to consistent, timely and best practice assessment of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and support services for children, adolescents and adults with ADHD and/or autism.“A lack of access to medical services means it is taking up to four years to get treatment. By then it is often too late and the situation has become out of hand” explained Joy Beames President of CWA NSW to the Western Plains App.“We heard many stories at the conference about kids not being picked up by the system for years because it has really delayed their whole development”.Over one million—or an estimated one in 20—Australians have ADHD, with Federal Government figures showing ADHD is more prevalent in rural and remote areas.The motion comes as The Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care issued warning people with intellectual disabilities, autism, dementia and other neurodevelopmental conditions are being overprescribed psychotropic medicines,.Dr Carolyn Hullick, chief medical officers said there was “limited evidence they were effective for behavioural issues in people with cognitive disability or impairment”.Image: brainfoundation.org.auThe Senate Report released in 2023 found that 'limited availability and long wait times for healthcare professionals to diagnose, and provided medication and other supports to people with ADHD, lack of services in the public health system, especially for adults with ADHD and insufficient services in rural, regional and remote areas'.The Senate's “Assessment and Support Services for People ADHD” report made 15 recommendations including “reviewing eviewing bulk billing incentives to reduce out-of-pocket expenses for diagnosis and ongoing support, shared care models, telehealth, and improving access in rural, regional and remote areas CWA Conference Winds UpAbout 700 members attended this year’s conference and State President Joy Beames said the diversity in the motions once again across a broad range of issues.Image: ABC.“Health has remained a big focus for branches, with numerous motions endorsed by delegates that seek to improve access to services for regional, rural and remote residents and enhance the recruitment of health professionals to these communities,” Ms Beames said.Some of the other motions carried at this year’s conference include advocacy on:Urgent action around bush fire mitigation and management of government-controlled landA transparent, publicly-available water ownership register and the mandating of the registration of elected Members’ interest and foreign investment in waterThe provision of adequate funding for licensed teachers to provide swimming and water safety skills lessons to primary school studentsFunding support or rental subsidies for educators working in early childhood centres in remote, rural and regional locations.  The motions endorsed this week will now be taken forward and form the basis of CWA of NSW lobbying efforts in the immediate future.

Western Plains non-profits are among 31 volunteer groups approved for thousands of dollars under the federal government's Volunteer Grants Program.  Federal Parkes MP Mark Coulton announced on 6 May that Orana organizations received from $1000 to $2000, including Can Assist Nyngan, Condobolin Picnic Race Club, Coonabaranbran Golf Club and St Vincent De Paul Society in Coonamble.  The $66,000 grant pool for the Parkes electorate gave up to $5000 per organisation to buy small equipment items and pay towards training courses and background checks, as well as help reimburse volunteers for fuel and transport costs.  Can Assist Nyngan, which formed in 2012 to support Bogan Shire locals undertaking cancer treatment, got $1580 to buy a microphone and speaker system.  President Lyn Webster said having their own sound equipment will take stress out of organising fundraising events.    "We have functions on where we need a microphone system. So, we've always had to borrow from different organisations, which is not a good thing," Ms Webster said.  "People do loan you the things, but, you know, you're always worried that there may be damage caused.  "We have a High Tea, where we have like 110 people in a hall, once a year. So, that will come in very handy. We have fashion parades."  Can Assist Nyngan volies celebrate the group's ten-year anniversary in 2022. They formed in 2012 and formally became a branch of the charity in 2014. Image: SuppliedThe non-profit has between thirty to forty volunteers and provides financial help for travel, accommodation and medical bills.  "It could be food vouchers. Whatever the people need, to a certain extent we're here to assist them," Ms Webster said.  The historic Condolbolin Picnic Race Club got $2000 to buy some marquees for volunteers to shade under during their annual race day.   Secretary Joy Gibson said she hopes the purchase will attract more volunteers.  "Hopefully we might get a few more, because it's very hot in February on race day," Ms Gibson said.  "It'll just make it more comfortable for them to work around.  "Our race club could use it if we help out other clubs."  Federal MP for Parkes congratulated organisation who received the grants.   “I know many of our local organisations have been struggling during the current cost-of-living crisis as fewer people have the capacity to donate, while their own bills continue to rise," Mr Coulton said.   “These grants will help ease some of that pressure and help our community groups to invest in projects that will enable them to continue the great work they do in communities across the Parkes electorate.   “Our volunteer groups make such a valuable contribution to our towns and it’s all thanks to the selfless volunteers who generously give their time, efforts, talents and skills for the betterment of our communities."  Organisations which were nominated by Mr Coulton as their local MP were invited to apply for a grant in November 2023. Other groups in the western plains to receive volunteer grants were Society of St Vincent de Paul (Coonamble), Warren Meals on Wheels, Coonabarabran Golf Club, and the Anglican Parish of Narromine.

The greater bilby is one of Australia’s iconic marsupials and was once widespread throughout arid and semi-arid Australia, including NSW. Due to habitat loss and introduced predators and herbivores, the greater bilby has been locally extinct in NSW for more than a century. The last record of bilbies in the wild in NSW was near Wagga Wagga in 1912.In an attempt to reestablish local communities, the Australian Wildlife Conservancy moved bilbies to semi-arid climate of the Pilliga in late 2018.Their Pilliga project area covers about 35,632 hectares at the northern, more productive section of the Pilliga forests and stretches across the flat, sandy plains and low hills between the Warrumbungle Mountains, near Coonabarabran, and Narrabri.The effort to relocate the tiny marsupials was huge. It involved catching the animals at Scotia Wildlife Sanctuary, which is located south of Broken Hill and transporting them on a chartered flight to Narrabri, where air-conditioned vehicles were waiting, fitting them with GPS-enabled radio transmitters, and releasing them after dark into the Pilliga.It was anticipated that in a few years’ time the Pilliga would be supporting a population of 850 bilbies.While these two populations have increased over time and are estimated at 175 individuals in the Pilliga (2023 census) and 116 individuals in Mallee Cliffs (2022 census), they have not reached the population numbers as hoped. However, signs are positive as since the 2023 census, the Pilliga bilbies have dispersed from the smaller breeding area into the wider fenced area.The Australian Wildlife Conservancy's protection zone for reintroducing threatened species into the Pilliga forest is well-fenced and monitored. IMAGE: AWCEcologists reported in March that they have also witnessing a burrowing frenzy in the last 12 months. The prolific foragers and diggers play an important role as ecosystem engineers, turning over 20 tonnes of soil annually through burrowing and digging for food. Their digging improves water infiltration and creates fertile microhabitats where plant seeds can germinate.“The bilbies with their engineering colleagues, the bettongs, have turned over a lot of soil in their search for food and when digging burrows,” said Senior Wildlife Ecologist, Dr Vicki Stokes. “These activities will improve the ecosystem health of the Pilliga forest over time.”During the most recent population survey in the Pilliga, Dr Stokes and her team encountered several baby bilbies.“Two of the female bilbies had tiny baby bilbies, called joeys, in their pouches. We’ve also had increasing bilby activity on motion-sensor cameras across the fenced area, indicating that the population is doing well.”UNSW researchAs this population grows in the Pilliga, new research is looking at returning the bilby to temperate Australian regions, which was their natural habitat. University of New South Wales (UNSW) scientists have just released a study about this, based on a population of bilbies in a large sanctuary near Dubbo.Dr Kate Cornelsen was lead author in the study and her PhD research focused on understanding the habitat preferences and movement patterns of these unique nocturnal marsupials in the Dubbo sanctuary. She said up until now, very little is known about what bilbies do and need in the temperate zone.“If bilbies are to be restored in the temperate zone where they once thrived, we need to know much more about where they like to go and what they need there,” Dr Cornelson says. “We fitted tiny GPS tracking devices to the tails of 20 greater bilbies, which recorded where the bilbies were every hour, giving us a unique insight into their nocturnal habits and preferences in this area. Food biomass or availability essentially had a strong influence on where they preferred to hang out."“They seemed pretty good at working out where the food was. Interestingly though, they also preferred certain soil types, and females were much pickier in this respect than were males.”IMAGE: Australian MuseumIn general, bilbies spent more time in areas further from water sources in most seasons. This was a little surprising to the researchers, as areas close to water are likely to be more productive and have more food available. However, in the temperate zone where this study took place, food might not be so limiting to the bilbies.“Food is probably less patchy and more predictable in this study area compared to the desert where they’ve been studied before,” Dr Cornelsen says. “Areas further from water probably still provide sufficient food for bilbies, and because bilbies get all of the water they need from their food, being further from water might help them avoid competition with other species that do need to drink.”

Walgett Shire recorded over 2500 participants in it's Youth Week program in April, geared at supporting the area's up-and-coming.  In a two-week program from 11 April to the end of school holidays on 26 April, young people in Walgett, Collarenabri and Lightning Ridge took advantage of 32 initiatives including cultural exchanges, life skills training and movie nights.   Part of that involved teenagers from Sydney coming out west to have a yarn with locals.  "They come up and they do different workshops with us like martial arts, theatre, traditional dancing and culture sharing. So, they share their culture with us and we share ours with them," Walgett Council's Youth Development Officer, Sandra Bladen, said.  Ms Bladen said young people were involved in developing the programs.   The two-week program included cultural activities. IMAGE: Supplied"Our focus was bringing to kids together so they have a voice, and just to show the community what the kids can do with pretty much having the run of the show," Ms Bladen said.  "We get them together during our youth councils and our after-school programs to ask the kids what they wanted to see during our Youth Week.  "We sort of spread it out so the kids always have something to do.  “We have amazingly recorded our highest number of youth participation to date and couldn’t be happier with the result.”  Ms Bladen said kids from smaller Aboriginal Villages like Namoi and Gingie were also bused in to take part in the programs.   Other activities covered youth gardening, healthy eating, animal awareness and a young girls’ program with Wirringah’s Elders Group. 

Young actors from the Lachlan shire have to chance to educate their peers in a mock crash about the importance of road safety as part of an ongoing program that is smashing statistics in the region. This is Road Safety Week - 5 May to 12 May - which raises awareness about traffic injury and the over-representation of fatalities among children and young adults under the age of 25.A shocking 45 per cent of all young Australian injury deaths are due to road traffic crashes. "Traffic injury is the biggest killer of Australian children under 15 and the second biggest killer of all Australians aged 15-25," according to Safer Australian Roads and Highways group. Along with Parkes and Forbes shires, Lachlan council and the annual crop of young actors are aiming to change those statistics. On 16 May auditions will start for the 2024 NOT A STATISTIC! Youth Driver Education Program which involves filming a mock crash with young, local actors in their late teens and early 20s.  "The program started in 2008 as a response to an over-representation of young drivers that were involved in crashes in our local road network," the Councils' Road Safety and Injury Prevention officer Melanie Suitor said.  "In the follow-up lesson, they can ask us questions about what they saw and how realistic it was and we can provide them with useful information. Since the program began, there has been a 27 percent decline in crashes involving young drivers in the three shires.  Besides age and experience, the high-speed limits on rural roads also increase the risk factor for all drivers, according to Ms. Suitor.  "I guess we can say this across the board for any of our drivers in regional New South Wales because we're separated from other towns. So we have to drive on these high-speed roads." "The bigger the speed, the bigger the impact when you crash into something. Crashes on regional roads that have a high speed limit, they're definitely more likely to result in a fatality or serious injury." According to statistics from the NSW government, there has been a 73.1 percent increase in the number of fatal crashes in country urban areas from 2023 compared with the 2020-2022 average. "Country urban areas refer to roads outside the Sydney, Newcastle and Wollongong metropolitan areas with a speed limit of 80 km/h or less," according to a NSW transport spokesperson.  In country non-urban areas, there was a 5.4 percent increase within that timeframe. NOT A STATISTIC! involves a realistic crash demo with educational lessons both before and after. The crash demo is based on what many p-plate accidents look like in rural and regional areas which often involve offenses like speeding, drunk driving, or being distracted by a mobile phone.  "It's a great opportunity for them to get some experience in acting live but also acting on camera," Ms. Suitor said.  The auditions will be held on Thursday 16 May from 5 p.m.- 8 p.m. at the Parkes SES shed in Clarke Street. 

The National Farmers Federation (FF) has welcomed the report by the Senate Select Committee on Supermarket Prices, which they say "reveals the true cost of supermarket power and exploitative behaviour being borne by both Australian households and the national horticulture industry".  The report, released May 9, makes 14 recommendations including that the ACCC gain powers to sell off subsidiary business interests or investments of supermarkets where it has found to engage in unconscionable conduct.  That is, a recommendation that the government being given the power to break up the supermarket duopoly held by Coles and Woolworths. The Greens-led Senate Select Committee on Supermarket Prices has also recommended making price gouging illegal “This is a landmark report with serious proposals to tackle the price of food, and the profiteering that has done so much harm to the people of Australia,“ Greens Economic Justice spokesperson and Committee Chair Senator Nick McKim said. “It would also create a significant new power to stop unreasonable pricing that has been rampant for years because of a lack of competition.” NFF President David Jochinke said the report was "another piece of evidence to support the challenges being faced by thousands of Australian farmers, in particular those supplying perishable goods". He said the NFF welcomes a number of the Committee’s recommendations which closely align with calls from the sector. He said these include making the Food and Grocery Code of Conduct mandatory, extending the Code to cover major retailers of ‘Greenlife’ products, and putting in place significant penalties for breaches.   Senator Nick Mckim. Image: News Corp. NFF Horticulture Council's Jolyon Burnett said the committee's report was part of a growing base of evidence painting supermarkets and Bunnings "in the same light as the big four banks following the banking royal commission". NSW Farmers Vice President Rebecca Reardon said the report findings were simply further proof of the ‘profit push’ pricing practices of the nation’s major supermarkets that farmers and consumers had been grappling with for years.  “Prices are not down – supermarkets have clearly profited off consumers amid a cost-of-living crisis, while also using predatory pricing to extract huge margins from farmers too,” Mrs Reardon said.   “The huge market power our grocery giants have held for too long is what has enabled this behaviour to spiral further and further beyond our control, backing farmers and families into a corner from which they cannot escape.” David Jochinke. Image: Trade Machinery. "The select committee has today reported on troubling testimony from growers, of predatory pricing practices that exploit the perishable nature of fresh produce, the imposition on growers of costs and risks outside their control, and of an almost universal fear of commercial retribution should any objections be raised," she said. The Senate committee questioned the bosses of Australia's grocery companies — at one stage threatened outgoing Woolworths boss Brad Banducci with contempt, which carries a penalty of six months in jail, for refusing to provide information about the company's profits. Treasurer Jim Chalmers talked up the steps the government was already taking to "make our supermarket sector more competitive", including a beefed-up code of conduct and merger reform. "We want a fair go for families and farmers," he said. "We know that it's at the check-out where some of these cost of living pressures are most acutely, most harshly felt." 

NSW Legalise Cannabis Party (LCP) leader Jeremy Buckingham has confirmed his party will run a candidate for the first time in the federal seat of Parkes for the 2025 election. The member of the NSW Legislative Council said the party will hold preselection within the next three months for their pick to run in the Nationals stronghold, where he says the party has hundreds of members. “There are over a million cannabis prescriptions in Australia now and those people are from all walks of life, and that prescription is making a massive difference to their health,” Mr Buckingham said. “That therapy is making a huge difference to their Parkinson’s, their EMS, their epilepsy, their cancer treatment, their PTSD. “There’s a lot of broad appeal and we think that’s going to translate to a significant vote at the ballot box.”  Doctors can prescribe medicinal cannabis if they believe it is an appropriate treatment option, however most medicinal cannabis products are unapproved in Australia as they do not appear on the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods (ARTG). It’s for that reason the NSW Health website says “it is expected that prescribers will have considered all clinically appropriate treatment options that are included in the ARTG before applying to access an unregistered cannabis medicine.” As the name suggests, the party is largely focused on removing legal barriers to medicinal cannabis, although Mr Buckingham said it will also platform against coal seam gas projects in the region.“We do not think we should be building the Narrabri Gas Project, nor expanding it out towards Liverpool Plains or out west towards Coonamble,” Mr Buckingham said.  “That’s been an issue for us and an issue we’re going to make a priority as well.”Outgoing federal Parkes MP Mark Coulton. PHOTO: Supplied The party will look to capitalise on the fact Nations member Mark Coulton will not recontest his seat at the next election. [See that story here: Mark Coulton announces retirement ] “There’s always a bit of a shopping around, as it were, when a popular member goes,” Mr Buckingham said. “Some of that personal vote will be up for grabs.” Mr Coulton agreed the LCP could make headway at the election. "It depends who their candidate is and I think if they can manage to tell their story that they're looking for medicinal cannabis, not just wanting to legalise all cannabis use, there's a very big difference in that," Mr Coulton said. "If someone's got a genuine need, generally I think that there's not too many issues around people being able to obtain it. "To represent the people of Parkes in the Australian Parliament, there's a whole range of issues of represent on, and I'm not quite sure how a single-issue party can represent the diversity of people, area and towns that is in the Parkes electorate."

Running has been a long-time passion for Coonamble-born Abigail Nordberg (nee Regan)."I still love it, even after two kids," she said. "At primary school, the first time I recognised that I could run was at our St Bernard's, which is now St Brigid's, at our walkathon. “I just found myself beating some of the boys and that gave me a bit of excitement. I wanted to keep to going with it."It’s been a long run from Coonamble Little Athletics to national and international competition, but Abbi’s latest outing brought her back into the spotlight.On Sunday 5 May she won $2500 for first place among the women in the Sydney Half Marathon, finishing the 21-kilometre course in an hour and 40 minutes. She also placed 15th overall out of over 15000 runners."It was an amazing feeling. We had a really good group of runners," Abbi said.A far cry from the dirt roads around her parents' property near Combara."To be honest, the weather held out pretty well, there was only just a little bit of rain. And we all train in the rain, so it didn't really make much of a difference. Just a bit slippery in some places."I ran most of the race with one other girl and then I sort of gapped her with about four or five kilometres to go."There was music and so many people just lining the street, regardless of the rain, and all the other competitors were cheering us all on, so such a good atmosphere." Abbi, who now lives in Sydney, took a "nice, slow walk" on Monday as part of recovery routine, although that won't last for long as she prepares for the Gold Coast Marathon in early July."I normally spend one or two days just walking and just eating lots of carbs, as much as I can, and then get back straight into training," "I train every day and slowly work up the kilometres."

The rising number of domestic violence-related incidents led delegates from the Country Women's Association (CWA) NSW to pass an urgency motion on measures to help counter rising rates of domestic and family violence on Tuesday 7 May.  The motion includes a call to have sustainable and ongoing funding for services for victims of domestic violence.  "That's particularly important in regional, rural, and remote areas where there are very limited services available," Yvette Smith CWA State Executive Member for Darling River from the Broken Hill branch said.  In Central West NSW, domestic-violence-related assaults have been up 3.2 percent over the five years, according to the NSW recorded crime statistics.  The CWA's motion comes just over two weeks after a man out on bail for charges of rape, stalking, and intimidation murdered a 28-year-old woman in Forbes, NSW.  The CWA called to make it more difficult for domestic violence offenders to be released on bail.  "At the moment, the presumption of bail for people who commit domestic violence offenses is in favour of them, to let them back out into society. Not for us to show the police or courts why they shouldn't be bailed. We want them to be able to prove they should have a legitimate reason for being out on bail." Ms. Smith said.  Anyone impacted by domestic can request an Apprehended Violence Order (AVO) which orders the perpetrator to not assault, molest, harass, intimidate, or stalk the protected person. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, 28 percent of family and domestic violence offenders in NSW breached their violence and non-violence orders in the 2022-2023 financial year.  "AVOs are effective, but they are only as effective as the person who is getting protected by them in making sure that they ring the police and the authorities when there has been a breach so that they can have that recorded and have the offender charged," Ms. Smith said. The CWA is also pushing for a national register where anyone can look up for themselves or a loved one if someone has been charged with a domestic violence offence, or has had an AVO taken out against them.  "People can see whether or not the person that they're intending to get into a relationship with has any prior convictions," Ms. Smith said.  On Wednesday 8 May, the CWA also discussed a ban on all alcohol advertising during sports events. Alcohol, along with other drugs and gambling can be a trigger for domestic violence perpetrators, according to the CWA.  "There is always alcohol within one of the sponsorships, So, we want there to be a ban on all alcohol advertising within sports and sponsorship," Ms. Smith said.

The National Farmers’ Federation (NFF) arranged a day of action today for producers to unite and take a stand against the Biosecurity Protection Levy.Leader of The Nationals and Shadow Minister for Agriculture, David Littleproud said Labor’s new fresh food tax will hurt farmers and families.“We need your help to put a stop to it,” he said on social media.Labor's fresh food tax has been passed in the House of Representatives, in a move that will drive up the cost-of-living and make groceries more expensive at the checkout.The NFF encourages its members, comprising all of Australia’s major agricultural commodities across the supply chain, to send a message to politicians and the public about why this tax is unfair and must be binned.“We vehemently oppose this policy as it is rotten to its core,” NFF President David Jochinke said.“This policy is less popular than a picnic on a fire ant nest. The fact the government is persisting just shows contempt for farmers and proper policy.”In a nutshell, the proposed levy will charge farmers for the biosecurity costs of importers bringing their product to Australia.The NFF's David JochinkeFederal Member for Parkes Mark Coulton spoke against the bill in Parliament in March, saying it’s a second-rate proposal that just doesn’t make sense.“Biosecurity for this country is paramount – it’s so important that we protect our borders to ensure that diseases, pests and insects do not come here and penetrate our first-class agricultural sector,” Mr Coulton said.“It only makes sense that those that are importing products pay the price for biosecurity scrutiny. To ask Australian farmers to pay for the risk that their competitors are posing to their own industry seems incredibly bizarre to me.“Can you imagine the gall of a government taxing their own farmers to pay for foreigners to bring their products into the country?”The National Farmer’s Federation agrees.“We are less than two months away from this proposed levy being implemented, yet we still have no idea how the levy will be collected and managed. What a shambles,” Mr Jochinke said.The Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Legislation Committee Senate Inquiry into the levy is expected to hand down its report on Friday, ahead of Budget Week when the NFF expects the bill to be voted on in the Senate.“The Coalition, Greens and independents have already shown their support for farmers, voting against the levy in the lower house. We call on them to continue to back Aussie farmers and do the same in the Senate,” Mr Jochinke said. “We support efforts to strengthen and better fund Australia’s biosecurity system, but this tax is not the way.”“The NFF has long-called for the risk creators who bring the pests and diseases to our shores to contribute more to our system, rather than punishing farmers who are left to deal with incursions at great cost to their farm businesses, This call has been backed by review after review and it’s time the Government looked seriously at getting this right, not just for food and fibre production, but for all Australians."A new petition, Stop the Fresh Food Tax, https://www.stopthefreshfoodtax.com/#action, is being launched by The Nationals today to coincide with industry’s ‘day of action’.

Nyngan residents are passionate about the Bogan River and caring for its flora and fauna, and the Bogan Shire Council has even created a special department – Bogan Bushcare.   In consultation with experts and community members the Shire recently held its first Bogan Bushcare community planting day which took place on the edge of the Nyngan weir pool.   Local residents joined Council staff to plant a variety of reeds, sedges and grasses.   Bogan Shire director of Development and Environmental Services Cathy Black said these plants were chosen and positioned along the bank according to their tolerance to varying dry and wet conditions.    “Strategic planting along the riverbank is important in helping to control soil erosion as well as filtering and slowing down flow of rainwater. All plant varieties provide habitat and food source for small native wildlife such as frogs, butterflies and birds,” she said.    With Council working diligently on making the Bogan River more attractive to tourists and locals alike, Acacias and Red River gums were planted to offer shade for walking tracks and benches.    Bogan Bushcare co-ordinator Karen Francis explained the reason for choosing the tree varieties.    Nate martin and Ruby Walsh “The River Reds are beautiful, large growing gums that are common to, and grow well along the Bogan River. The Acacias are attractive, medium sized trees which provide food source and habitat for local wildlife, including many pollinators. An important feature of Acacias is their ability to fix atmospheric nitrogen into the soil to the benefit of the tree and plants growing around them,” she said. “Our Bushcare activities have come a long way over the last 18 months,” says Bogan Shire Council General Manager Derek Francis.  “Our community nursery is being used to store, grow and acclimatise several types of trees and shrubs that we have bought in to use for planting. We've also had some success in propagating our own plants.” “Our recent planting day involved the planting of grasses, reed and sedges along the riverbank. These will help reduce soil erosion along the riverbanks as well as provide habitat for wildlife, said Mr. Francis. “When considering the planting area we took into account access to popular fishing spots and the need to keep them clear for access to the river.”  “As we propagate more riparian plant’s we will continue this work along the riverbanks.” “We look forward to working with local schools and anyone from our community who has an interest in looking after our local plants and animals as we develop our nursery and hold more planting days, said Mr. Francis.  Tom and Sophie Walsh  The community planting was not without reward as a morning tea followed the planting provided by Nyngan Community Hub with scones made by local Aboriginal Elder Tommy Ryan.   Bogan Shire welcomes any community members who'd like to be involved.Bogan Bushcare Coordinator Karen Francis with Wendy Beetson of Nyngan Community Hub 

Australian Gold and Copper Ltd (AGC) had made its first major gold and silver discovery at the Cargelligo project. This is the first significant discovery was made late last month and drilled within the Ural Volcanics in the southern Cobar Basin. In a window into some fascinating earlier geological history, the Ural Volcanics refers to a subterranean period of more than 450 million years ago resulting in layers of stilled lava sitting between rocks deep under the surface. In a statement to the Australian Stock Exchange (AGC) said “results returned for ten holes totalling 1,596 metres…highlighted high grade gold-silver base metal”.The Cargelligo project is covered by an exploration licence covering 227km of land 5km west of the town of Lake Cargelligo in NSW in what is known as the “Cobar Mining District” in the southern Cobar Basin.The deposits were found in an area within the project AGC call “Achilles” - 14km long north-south striking structure on the western side of the tenement.PHOTO: Lake Cargelligo. Image: Visitnsw. In its ASX announcement the AGC Board said it has “approved an immediate follow-up program of up to ten holes” and that “three additional targets have also been identified within the Achilles area”. AGC Managing Director, Glen Diemar said “It is extremely pleasing to have such spectacular gold and silver results at Achilles over such a distance and at consistent widths. The gold grades alone are positive but to have those silver grades adds another value driver”.”  “The other three targets at Achilles are equally as attractive with similar geological characteristics. It is an amazing opportunity for AGC’s shareholders and stakeholders” he added. Commenting on the initial drilling results, AGC Non-Executive Director Adam McKinnon said “The Cobar Basin has a 150 year history of discovery and mining, with significant gold, silver, copper, zinc and lead production continuing to this day. "Having been involved in multiple recent polymetallic orebody discoveries in the Cobar region, I am quite excited to see the initial drilling results returned by AGC’s technical team at the South Cobar Project.” “As drilling has only recently commenced, I very much look forward to seeing how these prospects develop with ongoing exploration”. Image: supplied.    

The imminent closure of the 3G telephone network - initially set to begin on June 30 this year – sees the end of twenty years of use for that network.But in a major rethink, Telstra will be extending its 3G network closure by two months to allow people more time to upgrade their devices.Telstra's 3G network will now close on 31 August 2024, to allow more time to transition to 4G and 5G compatible devices so customers can take advantage of the newer mobile networks, which are faster, more reliable, and more resilient. For customers who are not sure if they will be impacted or what next steps to take, they can use the SMS tool to check if their phones need to be updated before the network closes. Simply text ‘3’ to 3498, customers with a device using Telstra’s mobile network will receive a text back advising on the status of the device and what action must be taken. Channa Seneviratne is a Technology Development and Innovation Executive in Telstra Global Networks & Technology who is based in Brisbane. He said the extension of time was because many customers are still making changes to accommodate the new network. "We realized that some of our customers both individual, and also some businesses are still working through the steps that they need to upgrade their devices to be ready for that change," Mr Seneviratne told Western Plains App. "So this is why we have decided to provide more time. And it's important to remember that the closure of our 3G network impacts more than just handsets and Wi Fi hotspots. There's also other devices like medical devices, EFTPOS terminals and things like on farm machinery, and all of those devices need to be upgraded." Since announcing the closure of their 3G network almost five years ago, Telstra says they have seen a significant decline in 3G usage across the national network.Mr Seneviratne said that when the closure was announced, Telstra committed to not shutting off the 3G network until there was equivalent coverage from 4G. "We've been making great progress and we are on track to meet that," he said. "After the upgrades are complete, we will continue to test and optimize the network to make sure that our customers get the best experience possible. "And also when we shut down the 3G network, we will be repurposing the spectrum to 5G and that will allow us to extend 5G coverage particularly to regional Australia much more efficiently."Channa Seneviratne Soon, customers yet to upgrade will hear a short message on impacted mobiles when they make an outgoing call, as a reminder that they need to act. This pre-recorded message will only be removed once the device has been upgraded. While there is now a little more time, it’s vital Australians don’t delay and act now, to ensure they stay connected when the network switches off.