Health

Drawcard topics such as cereal diseases, pulse variety and disease management, crop nutrition, vetch and barley agronomy as well as farming without glyphosate, attracted over 170 farmers to BCG’s annual Members’ Only Trials Review Day in Birchip last week. With participants in the room and online, the event was buzzing with questions and robust discussion.

Isuzu UTE Australia (IUA) has announced a long-term national partnership with the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS). This major national partnership will assist with delivering better health outcomes to Australians living beyond the reach of mainstream medical services, through financial support and the provision of a fleet of Isuzu D-MAX and MU-X vehicles.

The Blue Tree Project is spreading like a weed through the eastern Downs, with yet another Blue Tree painted, this time at Deuchar ... The Blue Tree Project’s mission is to help raise awareness of mental health struggles by encouraging communication.

Recent tests have confirmed bacteria levels in the Moore River have returned to the acceptable range, as is usual for this time of year, according to the Shire of Gingin. But shire staff are continuing to monitor the levels in consultation with the Department of Health.

Healthy Loddon Campaspe has partnered with Grow It Local to encourage and educate residents across the region about healthy eating, cooking and growing local food. To celebrate the partnership, Grow It Local, Healthy Loddon Campaspe and Central Goldfields Shire Council have launched the Autumn 2023 edition of the Grow It Local Seed Service – a patch-to-plate adventure that makes free heirloom seeds and instructional content available to local residents.

Health priorities for Narrandera and regional residents have been set for 2023 during a meeting last week between Narrandera Local Health Advisory Committee and Murrumbidgee Primary Health Network ... The first priority was mental health, encompassing drug and alcohol and sexual health (domestic violence).

Murray Stevens, 91, has long had a yearning to feel the sand between his toes and the ocean lap on his feet once more, and on Wednesday this become a reality. Murray was the first person to use an aided beach-walker and Mobi-mat at the  U-Beach Community Beach Day  at Nielson Park.

A contingent of local residents is in training in preparation for a trek to the Mount Everest Base Camp in Nepal as a fund-raising adventure for Toowoomba-based mental health service Momentum Mental Health ... The self-funded event has attracted 18 starters but there is room for two more people.

You are likely to have seen Towong Shire Councillor, Peter Dikschei, along with Corryong Health CEO, Dom Sandilands, training on local roads in preparation for the High Country Charity Ride ... over Mount Hotham and through North East townships - a distance of 550 kilometres.

People in Far West NSW are dying earlier than they should, from avoidable causes, and while suicide rates have steadied in Sydney, they are on the rise in the most remote parts of the state. The report warns of serious and growing inequality in health outcomes between city and country residents and recommends immediate investment in the sector.

Allora man Ken was all smiles after being the first patient to receive a diagnostic angiogram at the Toowoomba Hospital earlier this month ... A coronary angiogram uses x-ray imaging and contrast dye to diagnose heart artery blockages.

The doors on their Treelands Drive premises have been open more than three weeks and now Yamba Doctors are proud to welcome well known female GP Julia Fortes to the practice. ... Dr Fortes grew up in the UK and went to medical school in Newcastle upon Tyne.

The data of pest control expert, Rentokil indicates that mosquito activity is up right across Australia, increasing 216 per cent in November, compared to October recordings ... Rentokil has a database on pest activity across Australia. ARR.News asked a few questions of Mark Kendall from Rentokil Initial.

Clarence Valley Council (CVC) General Manager Laura Black has revealed she is unsure how long Level 4 (Severe) water restrictions introduced last week for the whole Clarence Valley water supply system due to a prolonged dirty water event following recent rainfall in the Nymboida River will remain in place but said council should have “a better idea later this week.” The restrictions were issued by council on January 30 to avoid the need to call a Boil Water Alert.

A sharp rise in syphilis cases across the Northern Rivers has prompted health authorities to advise people to get tested for the disease ... North Coast Population and Public Health director Dr Valerie Delpech said since 2020, infectious syphilis cases increased each year with 29 cases in 2020, 41 cases in 2021 and 85 in 2022.

The recommendation to reinstate alcohol bans in Alice Springs town camps and outback home lands was described as “finally some commonsense” by the Independent MLA for Araluen, Robyn Lambley. But she says Dorrelle Anderson, who made the recommendation, should now go back to her work and “sort out child protection, the most critical problem in Central Australia” and “keep off the streets” children causing trouble.

Country music on horseback will rev up Narrandera tomorrow night when multiple Golden Guitar winner, Tom Curtain, rides in to the Narrandera Showground ... Tom is an official ambassador for Dolly’s Dream, and uses his music and shows to raise awareness about the importance of mental health and wellbeing in rural communities.

The sight of two trees painted blue located on the eastern side of the New England Highway just north of the United Etonvale petrol station has caught the attention of motorists with a keen eye ... Painting the trees blue is not a random act but rather something that has been happening all over Australia as part of the Blue Tree Project.

The Shire of Gingin and the Department of Health are warning people to avoid swimming and other full-body water immersion activities in Moore River at Guilderton after recent sampling results detected amoeba and high bacteria levels at several sampling locations.

Tennant Creek’s born and bred doctor Sarah Goddard took the top honours in the Local Government 2023 Australia Day Awards for Tennant Creek. Dr Goddard has spent well over a decade reaching her goals to become a doctor and Citizen of the Year Awards adds to her list of growing accolades, winning best Indigenous doctor in Australia late last year in the Australian Indigenous Doctors’ Association (AIDA) awards.