Member for Parkes, Mark Coulton has slammed the Government’s decision to axe the Harvest Trail program.This comes after the Federal Government halted funding for the Harvest Trail Services and Harvest Trail Information Service which helped link seasonal workers to regional jobs, effective as of July 1. The move was part of a cost savings exercise, according to the Government.Mr Coulton said the decision would make it increasingly difficult to get food from paddock to plate by axing the crucial backpacker and worker program for farms.“The Harvest Trail has helped connect farmers with thousands of backpackers and jobseekers during the harvest period, also helping both employers and employees get a background check, enabling confidence in both the job and the industry,” he said.“In the Parkes electorate, the major agricultural industries are cropping – including grains, cotton, oil seed, lucerne and vegetables – as well as livestock such as cattle and sheep, in addition to some fruits.“Each of these industries are reliant on seasonal workers, particularly during busy harvest periods when there’s generally more work and not enough people within our small communities to fill them. Seasonal workers help fill those positions such as driving tractors, picking fruit, handling grain, bug checking, shearing and more. “It’s often not realistic for our farmers and agricultural companies to pay workers year-round when there isn’t always work available, which is why the seasonal workforce is so important,” Mr Coulton said.Coulton predicts a big impact on this year's grain harvest. IMAGE: RDA RiverinaHe predicts the winter grain harvest would be most affected by a reduction in seasonal workers. “We saw the impacts during COVID when there were less backpackers in Australia and many farmers struggled to get their crops off.The Harvest Trail provided background checks for both employers and employees which provided both parties with more confidence and peace of mind. “Finding and retaining workers in our rural and remote communities is challenging enough as it is, which is why the seasonal workforce plays such a crucial role in filling essential farm jobs,” Mr Coulton said.“The less workers farmers can find, the less they can plant, or harvest, meaning families will pay more for their food at the checkout.“The agricultural industry underpins the economy of nearly every town and community in the Parkes electorate and seasonal workers play a key role in that industry.”

Coonamble farmer James Nalder has joined the NSW Farmers Federation in backing calls for a fox bounty saying foxes are becoming a “growing concern” across the region.It comes after NSW Nationals leader and member for Dubbo Dugald Saunders suggested in parliament that NSW should consider following Victoria’s lead in paying $10 for each decapitated fox scalp presented by a shooter. Mr Saunders told parliament that he believed the program was successful.Around 940,000 of the $10 bounties have been handed in Victoria over the last decade.However, the impact this has on overall fox numbers is debated - with critics like the Invasive Species Council suggesting 940,000 is “insignificant” in a state where fox numbers are unknown but estimated to be in the millions.Fox numbers in Western NSW are unknown, but Coonamble farmer James Nalder said foxes were a growing concern on his property for baby goats as well as native wildlife.Image: NSW Government“We go through periods of baiting and this keeps them await for a little while, but then they end coming up, coming in from somewhere else” he told the Western Plains App.“It comes in waves, but I think everyone's sort of saying at the moment they're seeing more foxes running around”He supported the introduction of the fox bounty” Look I think anything that can be done there to encourage people, people to be taking active role in foxes and fox control would be great.”Mr Nalder said he believed there needed to be more ways to get people to be active on foxes.Dugald Saunders. Image: NSW Nationals.He added that he found the fox baiting has so far been effective and has reduced kid deaths on his property.The NSW Farmers Association told the Western Plains App it has been calling on the NSW Government to introduce the bounty for ten years.However, NSW Minister for Agriculture Tara Moriarity said in a statement that past experience had shown that fox bounties “are not successful” - saying they have been previously been introduced into the state and made no difference to fox numbers.Mr Nalder said he would like to see the state introduce a competition where the person who collects the most fox pelts wins a prize.“I’d like to see something more like that, something innovative,” he said.

Sue Armstrong has told the Western Plains App that a reduction in daylight savings months might be “worth considering”. Members of NSW Farmers will vote at the peak body's state conference later in July on whether or not to oppose the current daylight saving period from October and April because of the health impacts for farmers rising early in dark mornings. There has been some suggestion the group may advocate for the period to be reduced by two months. NSW Farmers board member Oscar Pearse, from Moree told Sydney Radio 2GB "There is real scientific evidence the circadian rhythm disruptions and the unnatural process of getting up regularly in the dark can have an impact."Oscar Pearse. Image: NSW Farmers Foundation.  Ms Armstrong, who ran the Warrawong farm outside of Coonabarabran until last year told the Western Plains App “In summer its light at 9 o’clock at night and farmers don't come in until its dark and we don't finish until dark”. “We end up eating at 9 o’clock at night.  I mean I don't think its such a bad idea to shorten it all." Jed McEvoy. Image: Coonabarabran Times However, agronomist Jed McEvoy said that working a regular day job and returning to farm crops and cattle meant he wanted to see more later daylight hours not less. “I’m really not against it, the way it is” he said, Daylight saving is currently used in every state except Queensland and Western Australia. The Northern Territory is also yet to adopt the measure. It has been in place in NSW since 1971. Premier Minns has said he would not support a change to the current daylight savings months.'I understand that there's different views, particularly in regional communities, about daylight saving, but it's an important measure for the state,' he told reporters on Friday. 'It means that you get more time outside when the sun's out, particularly in summer, and that's not a trivial thing, particularly when we're fighting obesity, we're fighting diabetes in the community.' 

The Coonabarabran Peter Chrystal Rotary Skate Park reopened on Monday 15 July, after a vandalism incident shut the park down temporarily. "The damage which included graffiti and irreparable harm to the park's shade sail, occurred earlier this week, was extremely disheartening for our community," Warrumbungle Shire Council Mayor Ambrose Doolan said. "However, through cleanup efforts by dedicated council staff, the damaged sail has been safely removed, and the skate park has undergone extensive maintenance to ensure it meets safety." "As a result, the park has reopened just in time for the school holiday period, much to the relief of residents and skate enthusiasts." Community members are disappointed that the skate park was vandalized again. "It's regretful that something like that could happen," Jo Wilkins, a representative of the Coonabarabran Rotary Club said. Members of the Coonabarabran Rotary Club have assisted in removing graffiti from the skatepark in the past and played an instrumental role in getting a mural painted on the back wall of the main ramp. "Council of course has continued its maintenance over the years and has extended the whole unit by providing the coverage and sails that have now been damaged," Ms Wilkins said. "We would hope that more respect is shown to a community project that's been created for the health and enjoyment of young people in the community." "Hopefully, once it's repaired everybody works together to encourage the growth of respect, so that activity can continue in the future," Ms Wilkins said. The mayor encouraged residents to report incidents of vandalism to the police. "We urge residents to report any information related to the vandalism incident to the authorities. It's essential that we all work together to protect and maintain our public facilities," Cr Doolan said.

After five years at the wheel, Nicole (Nic) Morris has handed over the keys to Gulargambone's community-owned Two Eight Two Eight Café.The Armatree resident said she wants to spend more time with her grandchildren and finished her lease on June 29. She has passed the baton to staff member of three-and-a-half-years Chereese Manaia."I've had a few tears," Nic said. "I will still be involved because I just won't be able to help myself to come in and volunteer."The advice I've already given her is I'm only a phone call away and the committee are there to support her too. We want to see her have a go."Nicole became involved with the Bourbah Street café 20 years ago when it was still largely volunteer run, and took over the lease in 2019.When the cafe’s committee evicted the previous tenants and held an emergency meeting, Nic put her hand up to run it."I just knew that it needed some love and was happy to take it on."She steered the ship through COVID, drought in the late 2010s and the 2021 mouse plague, where hundreds of mice stripped Gular's Friendly Grocer just down the street. Nicole Morris (centre) has been a driving force at the cafe for two decades.Despite the rocky times, Nic has kept her passion for the venue and what it could provide for the local community."My passion was giving jobs to people who hadn't had one, and young people," Nic said."It's one of the heart and souls of Gulargambone and we really need it." Nic has still been running the café during a transition period, with her successor taking the wheel this week. Chereese began at the café for extra cash as a dishwasher, her first job since having her first child Madison 16 years ago.From there she moved into a front-of-house role taking orders and making coffee.The New Zealand-born Gular resident admits it was an uneasy start to her hospitality debut."Nic has taught me a lot," Chereese said. "There was a few glitches. Trying to take orders and stuff like that took a bit of getting used to, but after a while I just clicked."When me and Nic worked together, we bounced off each other. It wasn't a 'boss' sort of thing, even though she was my boss. Whatever she didn't know I'd know and whatever I didn't know she'd know."I never actually thought I'd be in this position, and I thought 'if she has the confidence to put her faith in me trying to take over, then surely that's got to say something.'" The new owner has a few changes in mind from the end of July, including an earlier start and opening for an extra day, although the café's name is here to stay."A lot of people in town love their coffee early," Chereese said. "We close the Monday and Tuesday, but sometimes we get a lot of caravans that come through on those days, so I think that opening an extra day might help increase a bit of people coming through."I love the name, everyone knows the name. It's going to be a bit hard if you change it."

A young man, reportedly aged in his twenties has tragically died in an aircraft accident south-east of Lake Cargelligo at a location between Lake Cargelligo and Tullibigeal. Last Thursday, July 18 while undertaking aerial spraying on a farming property, the aircraft reportedly struck a wire and collided with the terrain. Investigations into the incident are ongoing by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) and NSW Police. The on-site investigations involve evidence-gathering activities which include mapping, examining the wreckage, and recovery any aircraft components for further examinations. These examinations will take place at the ATSB's technical facilities at Canberra. Interviews will also be sought with any witnesses and involved parties. Other information to be collated are relevant recorded flight tracking data as well as pilot and maintenance record and weather information. A final report will be released by the ATSB, but in the interim if a critical safety issue is identified the ATSB will immediately notify relevant parties to ensure safety action will be taken.Authorities have called for any witnesses to come forward.

Warren residents can sleep easier after the completion of a 2.5 kilometre pipeline that will secure water for firefighting, announced 15 July. Warren had relied on the Macquarie River for firefighting supply and uses bore water for drinking. However, the new pipeline between two sub-artesian bores site at Bore Flat and Ellengerah Road connects to the town's river main, giving fire fighters another option in dry times. "Now we can connect our bore water system, which is a continuous supply because of that sub-artesian basin connection, into our river water, which then makes sure that our fire supply is 100 per cent guaranteed," Warren Shire General Manager Gary Woodman said. Three special values systems only allow flow in one direction towards the river mains, which prevents river water from contaminating the drinking supply. Warren mayor Milton Quigley said the project may have been a long time coming, but he was pleased to see it cross the finish line. Warren faced drought in the mid-late 2010s that seriously threatened it's firefighting supply when river flows ceased. PHOTO: River McCrossen The project had been delayed due to floods and COVID. “Having limited firefighting capacity during a drought is a significant risk to our community," Cr Quigley said in a media release. “For the first time, this project will offer us access to bore water for firefighting, which will help to boost community safety when there are extremely low flows in the Macquarie River or if flows in the river are below the Warren Weir and are suspended."The project began in February 2020 and completed in April 2024. The pipeline is part of a $1 million project funded by the NSW government, which included a new one megalitre water storage tank at Bore Flat and a "state-of-the-art" chlorination system at each bore site. Lisa Hingerty, Executive Director of Development at the NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, said the system means Warren residents will get reliably safer drinking water. “Through this million-dollar investment, we’ve been able to build Warren a robust groundwater system that gives residents more reliable access to drinking water, while also providing an alternative source for firefighting," Ms Hingerty said. “It’s great to see this project crossing the finish line months ahead of the next bushfire season with Warren in a much stronger position to protect its community during an emergency.”  

The full impact of a global software outage is yet to be quantified as banks, media, supermarkets, airlines and tech platforms across Australia race to try and minimise the damage.It has been reported that a technical glitch relating to CrowdStrike software caused a global outage with significant reach today (Friday 19 July).The Commonwealth Bank, NAB, Suncorp, Microsoft 365, Foxtel and the national broadcaster ABC are all among those impacted, according to Down Detector, a service that records reports of website outages.The outages, which have also occurred in the US and Europe, are thought to be caused by a glitch in cybersecurity company Crowdstrike's Falcon anti-malware software.Microsoft Corporation's 365 app were affected for a number of hours today.The impact saw users of Windows PC’s involuntarily shut down on Friday afternoon, with attempts to restart them being met with a "blue screen of death" telling them that Windows could not load.At the time of writing, CrowdStrike said their engineering teams were actively working to resolve this issue.Australia's National Cyber Security Coordinator, Michelle McGuinness, reinforced via an X post that the disruptions were not thought to be caused by a cyberattack."I am aware of a large-scale technical outage affecting a number of companies and services across Australia this afternoon," she said."There is no information to suggest it is a cyber security incident... Our current information is this outage relates to a technical issue with a third-party software platform employed by affected companies."If you have been impacted by the outage, we would like to hear from you. Please Contact Us to share your experience.

Carinda, in the south western corner of Walgett Shire, will see its population swell by hundreds of visitors when the town’s Carinda Races 2024 are held tomorrow.Despite rain in the build-up, the new race committee are confident that the six-race program will be a great day out for the local community and all those who travel to the event annually.The volunteers are ready and rearing to give jockeys, trainers, bookmakers and racegoers a big helping of their legendary hospitality.In her first year as President of the race committee, Taryn Gough said there had been extensive work on the track this week to help drain away moisture which had left parts of the track muddy.She said the committee have done a huge amount of work to make sure both the track and the facilities are in top working order.“We had 1.5 millimetres of rain this week and 20 mm a fortnight ago, so we needed to dig out the wet soil and replace it, but it’s looking great now.”Ms Gough said the event, now in its 109th year was an important social event for the community. “It’s so important for us to gather, relax and have fun.“There are obviously benefits with earnings from an event like this, but the real benefit to the community is having a social day, and the positives that has for our mental health.”Ms Gough said punters usually travelled from across the district for the race day, as would the horses in the six races, which range from six to ten nominations per race.“Our big race is Race 5, the Corinda Cup, which is a benchmark 66 handicap, 1400 metre race. That’s at 3:35pm, all things running smoothly.”A relaxed day for spectators at a previous Carinda Cup race meeting. IMAGE: Carinda Race ClubTrainer Krissie Simpkins is dominating hopes in the Cup according to punters, with two runners tipped to perform well. One is top weight Kateru, and the other is Distinctive Glory.More detail on the full field here.The racing is not the only attraction set for tomorrow, with fashions on the field, and plenty of fun to be had at the after party with ‘Race Day Kick Ons’ until 10pm.A musical accompaniment to your socialising will be provided by the brilliant Brad Haling.The Carinda Cup Calcutta will also be held tonight (Friday 19 July) at the Carinda Hotel for those keen to start the celebrations early.The height of fashion at Carinda Races 2023. IMAGE: Carinda Race ClubWhether you're into classic or contemporary, it's an occasion to 'frock up' as well, with Carinda's own Maz Lifestyle on course to oversee the Fashions on the Field for seniors and juniors.Punters and social attendees are reminded there is no EFTPOS on site, so make sure to have cash on hand before you get to the course.Details: Gates open at Corinda Racecourse Saturday, July 20 at 11am. The first race will be held at 1pm.

Marra Field day was held on Saturday 13 July with a fantastic crowd in attendance. The small village of Marra (situated between Warren, Coonamble, Walgett and Nyngan) holds the field day annually and it takes a mammoth effort for the tiny community to bring it all together. In a district renowned for its quality wool, the Field day hosted competitions for Maiden Ewe, Prime Lamb, Grand Champion Ewe, Merino Hogget Ram, Pen of 3 Prime lambs, Pen of 5 2023 drop Ewe competition, Sheep counting, Farmers Challenge, Invention – Innovation Competition and even a Calcutta Dinosaur race, along with an array of stalls and demonstrations, the day had something for everyone. “The day was a success,” according to Jack Green, President of the Marra Hall Trustees. ”I can’t thank the sponsors, studs, exhibitors, stallholders and the general public enough for all coming along.”“The efforts from the Field day committee were rewarded with a great day out.”“It’s always a pleasure to see so many people travel to our community and showcase the ag industry,” he said.With prizes over $8000 up for the taking, the committee did an amazing job attracting over 25 sheep, cattle, goat and kelpie studs to attend the day.Junior sheep counters in action at the 2024 Marra Creek Field Day. IMAGE SUPPLIED Organiser for the sheep events Andrew McGrath told Western Plains App he was really happy with the turn out. “We had a great day at the Field Days in the sheep section. It was great to see all the studs that turned up to support us and the quality of sheep and wool were exceptional,” said Mr. McGrath.“It takes a big effort for the breeders to come out for the day and we are always pleased to catch up with them all and have a yard,” he said. Matthew Coddington from Roseville Park Stud Dubbo was the 2024 judge for the sheep events and with 14 rams competing he had his hands full, finally deciding on “Towonga” Stud of Peak Hill for first place, “Boonoke” stud of Deniliquin was awarded second place and “Haddon Rig” of Warren came in third. The pen of five merinos and the champion ewe awards were taken out by local graziers George and Libby Caton in a successful day for the pair, while the Reid family took out the inaugural Paul Kelly trophy for the champion commercial merino ewe. Lamph Pastoral had lots to smile about by days end with first and second ribbons in the short wool ewe judging as well as reserve champion in the three lamb’s pen. Jim McLaughlin and “Merryanbone” collected a flock prize along with the Steele family’s “Mundadoo” and Gordon Welsh and “Wamboin”. The popular sheep counting competition saw Dubbo stock agent Lachie Mann take the Open win, Local Lady Kelley Earl took out the ladies counting, while Egelabra jackaroo Digby Munro was named under 25 best Counter. Charlie Gibson won the popular junior counting competition to add to his win at Nyngan Show’s junior sheep counting competition for 2024. A jackaroos race where contestants wore dinosaur outfits had the crowd in stitches along with the Farmers Challenge with cheers all round for the plucky competitors. With a catch cry of “Let your innovative ideas shine by creating something that tackles a problem or simplifies life” entries to the Innovation section saw a display of great thinking in practical design. Local Peter Reid won the open section with a generator cut-off. Ethan Reid (son of Pete) was Runner-up with a trailer step, and a toasting fork made by Tony Cooper came in third. Junior Innovator Ryan Newton not only took out first prize, but his home-made trailer was put to good use transporting rams to the judging pen and back, while Marra local Pippa Turnbull scored second place with her feed bucket design. A highlight of the day was an auction with an array of items to sell. The proceeds of the auction were divided 50/50 with half being donated to the Royal Flying Doctor Service and the other half used for the upkeep of the much used and loved Marra Hall.Charlie Gibson was winner of the Junior Sheep Counting competition. IMAGE SUPPLIED. Narelle Spears and her husband Kevin of Hermidale attended the day with their White Dorper and Boer goats stud – ‘Dusty Downs’. “We love supporting the Marra field day. It is a well organised event and a great day out,” said Mrs. Spears.“As well as displaying our White Dorper Rams and Boer Goats we enjoyed the opportunity to socialise and network with the Marra community and its visitors. “We chatted to people from Blackall, Victoria and a multitude of places in between. While the day was a little cool, the coffee was hot and the steak sandwich outstanding. We look forward to next year’s field day.”

Sheriffs across rural NSW staged a walk-off on Wednesday 17 July, in protest of what they say is a staffing crisis and poor pay across the sector.  Forty-four courthouses were affected including those in Bourke, Cobar, Nyngan, Warren, Narromine, Dunedoo, Gilgandra, Coonabarabran, Lightning Ridge, Walgett, and Brewarrina.  "Central West has some of the most egregious vacancies in the sheriff's office," organiser from the Public Service Association (PSA) Lachlan Good said.  "The $70,000 to $77,000 a year that sheriff's officers are entitled to at base isn't a wage that competes with many equivalent wages in the law enforcement sector, or the security sector."  "Why not just go work somewhere else if they're going to pay them out poorly?" In NSW, there are 300 sheriff's offices spread across 170 courts, this means that some courthouses do not sit on any given day.  Sheriffs spend one week in different circuits.  The Dubbo Circuit includes Bourke and Brewarrina; Coonabarabran and Coonamble; Cobar, Nyngan, Warren; and Walgett and Lightning Ridge.  "We need more sheriff's offices to accommodate the growing number of matters in local and district courts."  Mid-2022 the leadership of the office of the sheriff received a pay increase, however, the benefits did not trickle down.  "We are meant to operate as a team, we should be renumerated together as a team," a sheriff of several years said. "The reason I am taking action is because head got a huge pay rise mid-2022 but it hasn't filtered down." “In 2023 there was a review of Sheriffs’ pay but the report was never released under 'cabinet in confidence," PSA Secretary Stuart Little said.  "Sheriffs waited patiently, and were told the matter would be resolved in the 2024 budget, but when it was delivered in mid-June nothing happened, and now they’ve been fobbed off again with some other made-up bureaucratic process, so Sheriffs have just had enough." Sheriff duties include serving warrants, summons, enforcement, and other orders issued by various NSW courts and tribunals.  There are, however, dangers that come with the job and the PSA says the risk that sheriffs put themselves at daily is not reflected in their pay. Bourke Courthouse. IMAGE: Bourke Shire Council “Sheriffs put their lives on the line in courthouses to make sure judges, lawyers, and members of the public are safe from crooks and criminals, yet they are paid the same as people with desk jobs and administration roles at the courthouse, it’s just not on,” said Mr Little. "It's like nurses in hospitals or teachers in schools. Everyone has unique stresses and difficulties in their role but you have to be paid a living wage for it." NSW sheriffs will be part of an industrial action in two weeks until the government responds to their demands for better pay.  Public Service Association Secretary Stewart Little. IMAGE: PSAThe action will involve a shortening of the work hours from eight hours per day to seven.  Mr Good said sheriffs may work more hours upon request, however, with overtime compensation. A spokesperson for the Department of Communities and Justice said, "The NSW Sheriff’s Office, part of the Department of Communities and Justice, is working with the Public Service Association of NSW (PSA) to resolve this industrial issue." "NSW Sheriffs have been offered a 10.5 percent pay rise, including super, over three years." "This matter is currently before the NSW Industrial Relations Commission."

Eight junior rodeo bucking bulls from Gulargambone have given budding young cowboys a run for their money at the Bucking Bulls Australia (BBA) Brewarrina Classic Bonanza on Saturday 12 July. BJ, Cody, Geronimo, Sitting Bull, Dingo Five, Sioux, Tobermory and 2828 bucked in the Junior Bullride event for 14years to 18years cowboys at the event held at Brewarrina RSL Club. These bulls were bred on a property just south of Gulargambone by Chris 'Hipshot' Mead and his partner Karen Mackay as 'Cockatoo Rodeo Gulargambone'. Hipshot is a well known bullrider, having competed throughout Australia, the USA and Canada with two World Titles to his name. Hipshot's bull riding days might be over, although Chris still helps train the sport's young cowboys with practice days at home and taking the Junior Bulls to bull riding schools and practice days and helping out. "It's great for the bulls, it's great to see the people and catch up," Karen said. "Hip Shot, he likes helping the young kids with their bull riding, and they talk to him about what they can improve on which is what led to him producing the junior bull pen and contracting to rodeos with them. "It's putting the right type of bulls under the Junior Riders so they can learn before moving up to the Novice Level, then Open Level. Having the right type of bulls encourages them to stick with bull riding as you do not want to see these kids hurt on stock too good for them. However, Hipshot said there are less juniors staying in the sport these days, partly because he believes they are being thrown into the deep end way too early. Entrants in the BBA event at Brewarrina RSL Club on 12 July. IMAGE: Bucking Bulls Australia "To learn to ride bulls, you can't do it overnight," Chris said. "It's just like me wanting to be a boxer. It's no good going training with Mike Tyson every day because I'm going to get knocked out, and at the end of the six months I've learned nothing because of it.""It's the same as these kids getting on 'Mike Tyson' bulls. A lot of them are too well bred for a Junior Bull Pen. You got to get them learning on the right stock"  Scoring in Bull riding involves two judges, who each give up to 25 points to rate the bucking bull's performance, plus another 25 for the rider.  Two-year-old BJ is currently unridden in the Junior Bulls but its early days yet for him."He bucks pretty good," Chris said. "He’ll get an extra bucket of oats when he gets home." PHOTO: Chris with his partner Karen Mackay.The pair know how unpredictable bulls can be - Chris has had friends killed in the sport."You often see the rider come off and a bull will turn around and go back to hook them with his horns. We don't aim for that with a Junior Pen," Karen said. "There are protection athletes there protecting the Bull rider. "You’ll see that a fair bit in Novice & Open Bull rides but that’s a different story as by that level the Bull rider has had more experience. "With Chris' pen of juniors, he starts handling them young. So, they're well-handled, they're in the yards a lot of the time, they're petted, he walks around feeding them with a bucket. They follow him, they all know him well, but he still does not take his eyes off them or trust them."BBA started a few years ago now, cowboys breeding bucking stock and taking them out to compete in “Dummy” and Ridden events. BBA are now taking these events all over NSW to places like Brewarrina. "Its great entertainment all around and good for country towns," said Karen. "It is run by a good crew of Cowboys. "There's plenty of BBA events nowadays, good prizemoney and finals every year.

A new project aims to make a do-it-yourself skin test available for farmers and farm workers to improve the early detection of potentially fatal skin cancers in patients in regional and rural Australia. The Cancer Council estimates two in three Australians will be diagnosed with some sort of skin cancer during their lifetime and about 2,000 Australian die from skin cancer every year, according to Sun Smart. Some 95% of melanomas, the most dangerous form of skin cancer, can be resolved with simple surgery if caught early enough. Researchers will use a combination of technologies, including artificial intelligence, that Image: Beef Central. In 2021, an estimated 8,000 Australians in regional areas were diagnosed with melanoma, and this is expected to rise dramatically to over 11,000 annually by 2030.  The project is targeting regional and rural communities from the Medical Research Future Fund, and particularly men, who are twice as likely than women to die from melanoma. Skin cancer can occur at any age, however, many older people living in regional and rural areas have an increased risk of melanoma due to longer unprotected UV radiation exposure and a history of burning during childhood. Fewer than 10% of the nation’s dermatologists practice outside of capital city areas. Greg Sharplin. Image: Squarespace. Greg Sharplin a health researcher from the University of South Australia who is involved in the project told the Western Plains App that Early detection of skin cancer can save lives and AI-lead self-screening made perfect sense to reach out to those in isolated areas.  He explained that the study would look at how 3D total body photography, combined with artificial intelligence to support clinicians, can help improve and speed up skin cancer imaging. “One thing we recognise is the challenges of people living in rural and remote Australia being able to have a fully body check” he said. “Normally this requires a lot of training to detect a comprehensive skin check. But this piece of artificial intelligence, scans an area of the scan and using algorithms it can detect whether or not something is benign or more serious - with the results being sent back to a nurse to interpret.” He said he understood that farmers and farm workers often spent most of their working day outside and had so much to get done they didn’t take the time out for something like a skin cancer check - let alone the amount of travel involved. “We will be targeting people throughout Australia at things like field days where we can speak to them and explain that we know in a busy farming life they don’t always have time to prioritise their health”. The project is an initiative of the Australian Centre of Excellence in Melanoma Imaging and Diagnosis, comprising researchers from UQ, Monash University and University of Sydney. 

A 14 and 15-year-old boy have been charged following an investigation into multiple property offences in Walgett last week. Officers began inquiries following reports of multiple property offences that occurred in the Walgett area between 2am and 3am on Thursday 11 July. Police were then called to Wee Waa Street at about 11:30am the same day after a victim of an alleged theft spotted two teenagers with shoes that were allegedly stolen earlier that morning from his home. "Officers attended and searched the two boys – aged 14 and 15. Police located and seized car keys belonging to a Holden car and two pairs of shoes alleged to have been stolen," a police spokesperson said. "The pair were arrested and taken to Walgett Police Station. A short time later police executed a search warrant at a home in Walgett where they located and seized a further two pairs of shoes." The 14-year-old boy was charged with;Larceny (two counts)Enter enclosed land not prescribed premises without lawful excuseGoods in personal custody suspected being stolenBe carried in conveyance taken w/o consent of owner, andBreach of bail. The 15-year-old was charged with;Enter building/land with intent commit indictable offence (three counts)Face blackened/disguised with intent commit indictable offence (three counts)Larceny value under $2000Enter enclosed land not prescribed premises without lawful excuse, andBreach of bail. Both boys were refused bail to appear at court on Tuesday 27 August 2024. The arrests were part of Operation Regional Mongoose, a high-visibility police operation aimed at tackling serious property-related crime, predominately by young offenders.

Local Shire Councils will have their performance around housing approvals laid bare in a new, publicly accessible document. As councils assess approximately 85% of all residential development applications, a new Statement of Expectations and league “performance” tables will be critical to confronting the housing crisis, said the Minister for Local Government, Ron Hoenig. Mr Hoenig said the NSW Government had been clear that addressing the housing crisis was a shared responsibility, and all levels of government must do their part.“Local government has a critical role to play in approving housing across NSW,” said Mr Hoenig. “As Minister for Local Government I have the authority to issue Performance Improvements Orders to councils to rectify issues of ongoing underperformance." The "performance league table" will hold local councils accountable for the approval of more housing as NSW works towards its commitment of 377,000 homes by mid 2029 under the National Housing Accord. In addition to council planning data, State agencies concurrence and referral timeframes will also be published. This data will monitor the State Government’s performance so that it also is held accountable, said Mr Hoenig. “The State Government is instituting a range of measures to support councils but where there is continuing underperformance despite that support, I will step in,” he said. The data shows the average lodgement days, number of applications lodged and the value of these applications for every shire council in NSW. From all data collected across NSW LGA's, it is two local councils that have tipped each end of the scale.Varied efficiency across the region In the past financial year Warrumbungle Shire Council had the slowest average lodgement time of 70 days for 54 lodgements. Most efficient was Walgett Shire Council who reported an average lodgement time of two days for 24 lodgements. Brewarrina (55) and Bogan (52) Councils also featured on the list of the slowest NSW councils by lodgement days. Across the board, the average lodgement time was 17 days. Mayor of Walgett Shire, Jasen Ramien was proud of his council's performance. "As a Shire, we really encourage development and do our best to make it easier for people to build houses or start businesses," he said. "That will continue as one thing that helps us prosper is having quick development turnaround. The lack of housing in NSW is on a high and to have these approvals go through in a timely manner to boost regional housing is vital." Minister for Planning and Public Spaces, Paul Scully said performance isn't measured then is can’t monitored properly. “Councils approve the vast majority of residential development in our State, so tracking their performance is critical if we together want to meet our housing targets. "But we will also track the performance of the State government as well to hold ourselves to account," Mr Scully said. “The NSW Government will work collaboratively with councils and support them to meet assessment expectations."But it isn't as simple as reading the provided data according to Local Government NSW (LGNSW) President, Darriea Turley. Ms Turley, who welcomed the release of a planning league table for councils, cautioned that the NSW Government needs to provide more detail and an accurate evaluation of all players in the housing supply pipeline. She said that while local government played an important role in planning for new housing supply, it did not build houses and could not control the number of dwellings actually built by private or government landowners or the time taken by the government to respond to council referrals. “Councils are just one of several players in the housing supply pipeline and while local government continues to approve 97% of all DAs, they play a limited role in the housing construction and completion stages, which are driven by the market," Ms Turley said. “Additionally, councils don’t control the speed of responses from NSW Government departments involved in the process.” “Councils are doing anything and everything within their means to improve performance while ensuring they continue to look for the best planning outcomes for their current and future communities, including the provision of much needed community infrastructure.” “Skills shortages and a council’s resourcing can also play a role, meaning the league table data does not tell the whole story." To view the council league table, visit here.    

The federal government has committed nearly $7 million to detect and respond to the H5 strain of High Pathogenicity Avian Influenza (HPAI). The strain is deadly for chickens and wild mammals and is not the same as the H7 strain causing the current outbreaks in Australia. $2.2 million will go towards the Wildlife Health Australia One Health Surveillance Initiative, while $1.1 million will extend the National Avian Influenza Wild Bird Surveillance Program for another four years.Another $1.95 million of the announced funding is earmarked for Animal Health Australia, including investigating the potential for commercial avian influenza vaccines in Australia. Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Murray Watt said "we cannot rest on our laurels." “The arrival of migratory birds from areas where H5 HPAI is present – particularly as spring approaches – means we face a constant risk that is outside of our control," Minister Watt said.“We can’t stop the natural migration patterns of wild birds that may be sick, but we can prepare ourselves if that does occur.“There has been a multi-faceted response across governments, other agencies and industry, led by the team at Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, as we work to mitigate the impact that any H5 high pathogenicity avian influenza incursion could have.“We are also working with affected jurisdictions and industry to respond to the H7 high pathogenicity avian influenza outbreaks in Australia.”Swollen heads, combs and wattles, shown in this image, are some signs of avian influenza. SOURCE: NSW Department of Primary IndustriesIt comes after the NSW government confirmed on 19 June that the H7N8 strain was detected at a poultry egg farm in Hawkesbury.The same strain was detected on a nearby farm on 22 June and farm were placed underThe NSW outbreaks are separate to the H7 HPAI strains found in Victoria and are not linked.Authorities believe the NSW outbreaks likely originated from wild birds.National Farmers Federation President David Jochinke welcomed the funding. “The current bird flu outbreaks have reaffirmed that timely and accurate information is critical,” Mr Jochinke said“It is imperative that we pull every lever to ensure Australia is prepared for this deadly strain, if and when it arrives on our shores.“Poultry farmers across the country will also be pleased to see Animal Health Australia supported to increase the national response capability in poultry, including investigating the potential for a vaccine."

Brewarrina and Collarenebri will soon see their first official public transport service. The funding is part of the Transport Access Regional Partnerships grant from the NSW government. “People living in remote communities shouldn’t miss out on travel opportunities, family visits, and important appointments because of a lack of transport options. Improving public transport to remote communities will help have an impact on everything from cost-of-living pressures to medical outcomes for people in the bush,” Minister for Regional Transport and Roads Jenny Aitchison said. The ‘Barray Waraba’, which is Gamilaraay for fast turtle, will deliver transport services to Collarenebri as early as Thursday 18 July.Collarenebri has twice the average number of households without a motor vehicle and in Brewarrina the number is also above the state average. The Barray Waraba will run to Moree every Thursday and to Walgett on Monday and Friday where there is a connection to Dubbo. The Healthy Communities Foundation proposed the service to give the Collarenebri community a reliable transport service to get them to the services they need. Anyone who needs to use the bus service can ring the Healthy Communities Foundation or visit them in their office to book the bus.CEO of the Healthy Communities Foundation Mark Burdack said that the bus delivers more than just a method of transportation. “What Transport NSW has been really clever in doing is working with a number of other agencies to ensure people have access to services on the day in which the bus is around.”“It’s not just to get people from A to B, it gets them the services and health care they need.”Mr Burdack said the new transport options open the door for community members to have access to many other services, such as lawyers, doctors, counselling, and Centrelink.“We need more organisations like Transport NSW to actually sit down with communities and listen to their problems and how they can be solved.”“The more of those services we can actually bring together, the better we get addressing the fundamental reasons why people are getting sick and intervene quicker.”In Brewarrina, the Outback Express bus service will kick off on 31 July.MP Roy Butler and Minister for Regional Transport and Roads Jenny Aitchison in the Outback Express The Outback Express will also service the neighboring reserves and villages, Bush Queen, Barwon 4, Newtown, and Billabong, running Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. The departure times for the service within Brewarrina and the surrounding villages are flexible. Bookings for the bus can be made either in person at the LALC’s office or by giving them a call. Towards the end of August, the Express will expand to offer weekly services to Bourke on Thursday and fortnightly services to Weilmoringle on Friday.Acting CEO of the Brewarrina LALC Urayne Warraweena said the public transport services will offer a great relief to the community. “I’ve seen people who’ve had to walk after coming home from getting chemotherapy in Dubbo.”“We get up to 50-degrees in summer, so it’s quite dangerous, especially to have our Elders walking around in the heat.”The Brewarrina LALC has been assisting people who needed a transportation service, however, acquiring the grant means that they will now have a dedicated bus driver, Natalie Boney, to do the job.“It is a very important grant because it not only helps the community but it helps pay the wages,” Ms Warraweena said.The bus services will be driven by locals who have an understanding of people’s mobility and needs to be able to accommodate their needs. The transport services will run for a trial period of 24 months.

A chief resigns, a board faces the sack and a new inquiry is announced into animal welfare standards - it's fair to say it's been a rocky couple of weeks at Greyhound Racing NSW (GRNSW).The racing body's troubles began to publicly unfurl overnight on 4 July with media reports saying NSW Minster for Racing David Harris had issued the board of GRNSW a 'show cause' notice.It meant that the board had until Friday 12 July to explain why it shouldn't be sacked over allegedly breaching rules on how it handles complaints. Minister Harris has not provided further detail on the alleged breaches or indicated a decision on the board since the deadline passed. Then a report by former GRNSW chief veterinary officer Dr Alex Brittan surfaced publicly on Tuesday July 9 claiming poor animal welfare standards persist within the industry."There are cases of extreme distress, deep claw marks gouged all over the inside of metal cages and recent pools of blood from toe nails that had been ripped off from clawing at the cage door in distress," the report said.GRNSW CEO Rob Macaulay resigned later the same day, with Deputy CEO Wayne Billett stepping in while the organisation finds a replacement.Two days later the NSW government confirmed an inquiry into GRNSW to look at track safety and animal welfare issues, although it stopped short of announcing a ban.The inquiry will also cover issues around reporting, workplace culture, adoption and rehoming programs and management's response to complaints.The government appointed Lea Drake as an Acting Commissioner of the NSW Greyhound Welfare and Integrity Commission (GWIC) to lead an inquiry, which will be able to refer serious misconduct allegations to the Independent Commission Against Corruption. The inquiry will report back to Minister Harris by 13 December 2024.Coonamble Greyhound Club President Graham Pickering in front of a concerned local crowd the morning after GRNSW announced they would close the Coonamble track. IMAGE: COONAMBLE TIMESBoon or bust for Coonamble track?It was revealed on 30 May that GRNSW would close the Coonamble track in a shift in investment towards larger regional centres. Since then, state Barwon MP Roy Butler said he received a commitment from GRNSW to allow the October Carnival to go ahead and for Mr Macaulay to meet local club members in Coonamble. Mr Butler told The Coonamble Times Mr Billett rang him on Tuesday 15 July to confirm the commitments remain unchanged."They're probably in a bit of a stage of reorganising themselves, but the commitments that were put on the table remain in place," Mr Butler said.Mr Butler said he doesn't want to see the track forgotten while the headlines are on GRNSW's recent woes. "The commitment at this stage enables the door to still be open for Coonamble to be maintained as a GRNSW track. How that looks in the future will probably be guided by the discussions that they have with the community and the club," Mr Butler said. Coonamble Greyhound Racing Club President Graham Pickering welcomed Mr Macaulay's resignation."Rob was never going to come out here. He couldn't even ring," Mr Pickering said. "Wayne Billet was the only one that rang us and he's the new interim CEO. "I think that it's good that Rob is gone, because now we have got a chance at staying open. Now we've got someone in there that actually wants to listen to you."I'm hopeful that we can get something turned around."

Western Plains shires will benefit from a trainee program aimed at improving Aboriginal mental health access in the bush. Twenty-nine people have already graduated or are training under the Marathon Health Aboriginal Wellness Worker traineeship program, where they gain on-the-job experience supporting young people alongside their studies. While the practical work may have varied depending on participants' field of study, some of that experience included mentoring people aged 12-25. Warren-based Shaana Daley was among the first cohort and graduated with a Certificate IV Mental Health. She said there wasn't a lot of mental health support growing up and now helps to turn that around in her community. She said couldn't have done it as easily without the training.Shaana recently completed her Certificate IV in Mental Health at the Warren Youth Centre and Community Hub. PHOTO: Western NSW Local Health District"It's based around youth work, you know, getting to know them and for them to be confident enough to just come and chat," Shaana said. "I learned lots of things, strategies people can use and how to talk to people and help them advocate for themselves. "A lot of people, when it comes to mental health, don't want to talk about it. So, it's giving them the confidence to be able to say they think might have a problem and they want to get help. "I've already made some good connections with the youth." From the twenty-nine participants across areas including Coonamble, Walgett, Bogan and Warren shires, 13 have graduated in the first cohort graduated with a Certificate IV Mental Health, and seven in a second cohort graduated with a Certificate III in Primary Health. A third cohort of nine people is still in training for a Certificate III Community Services. The program is currently set to run until around early 2025 when the group finishes. Andrew Higgins, Acting Director of Regional Aboriginal Partnerships at NSW's Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, said the program will allow graduates to provide culturally safe mental health support. "It will essentially help them to listen to their community, especially young Aboriginal people. Mental health is not something that was spoken about for a lot of people for a long period for time," Mr Higgins said. "I think engaging in this program allows them to have those listening attributes and to support even one or two people in their community to help them. "That's going to make our community strong in rural and remote NSW. "There's employability and transferable skills, but particularly in the mental health community services space." Marathon received $1 million last year from the NSW government under the Regional Aboriginal Partnerships Program to roll out the traineeship, as well as funding from the Western NSW Primary Health Network. Minister for Regional and Western NSW, Tara Moriarty said the program is addressing immediate health-care needs in far western communities."I am pleased to share that we have extended the Aboriginal Wellness Worker traineeship program to now facilitate a third cohort of trainees who will graduate with a Certificate III in Community Services," Minister Moriarty said.“It means that by the time our trainees graduate, they already have some great experience under their belt to support and help youth in their local communities to help ensure they are aware of what mental health support services are there when, or if, they need them.”