Nasik Swami, Naracoorte Community News

South Australia is facing a teacher shortage crisis that is “deeply affecting” schools in country towns like Naracoorte. Highlighting this, Australian Education Union (SA Branch) president Andrew Gohl says the government needs to provide improved conditions and incentives to hire and retain educators in rural areas ... He said teachers were burning out at rates never seen before, with half of them planning to leave in the next five years.

Every morning, busloads of students leave Naracoorte for their secondary education in schools in Mount Gambier and Lucindale ... Many other parents choose boarding schools in Victoria and Adelaide, where students live during each school term ... While this could be a matter of choice for many, why do you think this is happening, and what’s driving the parents to make this decision when we have a public school in Naracoorte?

An education union has called for bold changes in the way the South Australian Education Department manages education across the state, particularly in country schools. Australian Education Union (SA Branch) president Andrew Gohl says for over a decade, governments have banked on the goodwill of educators to keep their system running ... the Department’s own Country Education Strategy highlighted several areas that needed improvement, including the attraction and retention of staff, incentives, access to student support services, country housing, and conditions.

It’s a sigh of relief for hundreds who have struggled for years to access quality health services at the “unsustainable” Keith and District Healthcare. The hospital will transition into a public health hub soon with seven-day urgent care, implement a community paramedic and nurse practitioner, and upgrade the aged care facility ... under the management of the Limestone Coast Local Health Network (LCLHN).

The decision by two major commercial banks to scrap the closure of several branches across small towns in regional South Australia has been dubbed "a win for the community”. Bank SA and Westpac branches will remain open indefinitely in regional South Australian towns, including Naracoorte and Kingston. The decision by the banks in February to terminate in-person banking in the regional communities angered customers...

The proposed immigration reforms recently announced by the government have the potential to hobble the economic growth of smaller South Australian towns in the future. That’s the view of Shadow Minister for State Migration and Regional Population Growth, Sam Telfer, who argues the reforms are “focused on the wrong levers”. Mr Telfer told The News that the reforms would impact regional South Australian businesses and won’t address their labour needs.

A local disability advocate has called on some businesses in Naracoorte to fix access to their shops for people with mobility disabilities. Julie Brodie of the Naracoorte Counselling Association says the area of contention for people with mobility disabilities is by far the lack of access to certain shops in Naracoorte.

Not-for-profit aged care facilities in the region are in a funding crisis. Revealing this to The [Naracoorte Community] News, CEO of Naracoorte’s Longridge Aged Care, Mary-Ann Koerner, said this was the most pressing issue facing the state and federal governments, needing immediate solutions. Ms Koerner said the issue was even over and above health in general, with facilities full to capacity, a lack of staff to look after the elderly, and improper state funding.