Life

There’s something very special about country doctors; they rarely work in the places they were born and raised and often bring with them a wealth of knowledge and life experience. Alex Sleeman is one country GP who had a big life before he became a small town GP.

If you’re aged between 3 and 60 and grew up in the district, chances are you were taught to swim by Geoff Dale. Geoff has celebrated 30 years of his Geoffswim program, which has seen him teach swimming and water safety to the youth of Cohuna since 1992. But his swimming teaching goes back much further – to 1967.

An emergency services leader and a passionate musician have taken out Gannawarra Shire Council’s 2023 Australia Day Awards. Kerang Fire Brigade captain Ramon Steel was named Gannawarra Shire Council’s Citizen of the Year, and Deaken Fawcett presented with Council’s Young Citizen of the Year Award.

The BlazeAid camp saga continues. BlazeAid co-ordinators Cindy and Wayne Lusted were told to pack up the camp of volunteers staying at Rappville Sportsground ... Mick and Marie Evans, who were volunteers at the first BlazeAid camp in Casino are taking on the smaller jobs on the BlazeAid list and plan to finish the fencing themselves as M&M Fencing, not under the BlazeAid umbrella.

Sections of the highway around Fitzroy Crossing were completely washed away in the recent one-in-100-year flood event, while the Fitzroy Crossing Bridge sustained significant damage and will need to be fully replaced. The plan will involve the implementation of a barge system across the river, which will initially be operated by tugs, with a cable system to be operationalised shortly after.

Staff and patients in NSW public hospitals are set to benefit from a major workforce boost with almost 1,100 medical graduate interns starting work in city and country hospitals this week – more than any other state or territory in Australia ... Minister Taylor said the new medical graduates will be welcomed with open arms to our rural and regional hospitals, with almost one third or 396 of the positions in the bush.

Giving the gift of variety all while supporting local has come out on top over the festive season with thousands of dollars being injected into the community thanks to the Buy Local Greater Geraldton Gift Cards. Reaching impressive new heights, nearly 900 Gift Cards were purchased in the month of December last year, totalling over $107,000 for the month alone.

In WA Covid-19 cases are continuing to fall but ... WA Health said one case of the Omicron XBB.1.5 variant has been confirmed in the state. The Omicron XBB.1.5 variant is a sublineage of XBB, which emerged when a person was infected with two BA.2 sublineages.

The state government’s program for the collection of sandbags from properties in Echuca and Echuca Village has resumed. Campaspe Mayor Cr Rob Amos is encouraging Echuca residents and businesses with sandbags on their properties to take advantage of the free service, which is provided through Emergency Recovery Victoria’s (ERV) Flood Recovery Clean-up Program.

Even with the current economic uncertainty, if you think the skilled worker shortage problem was all COVID-19 driven and will self-correct over time, then think again ... According to a recent study, 87 per cent of global employers admit that they are currently struggling with skills gaps issues, which is probably why your machinery dealer is telling you that the wait on new equipment is anything up to two years.

Disabilities and Multicultural Affairs Minister Ngaree Ah Kit was in Tennant Creek this week to meet with key stakeholders to ensure their voices are heard and represented in government decision-making. Over two days she met with The Mob Aboriginal Corporation, Barkly Regional Council, Julalikari Council Aboriginal Corporation and the Barkly Disability Network to name a few.

Our children have been nagging us for some time to get a dog, and I’m thinking about finally giving into them. We want a breed that is child-friendly, doesn’t shed too much, is easy to train and doesn’t need too much exercise. Any suggestions?

Ali Bohn. Travelling three hours a day, five days a week for six years to attend secondary school in Echuca might seem more than a little daunting for many students, but for Harry Coughlan, he looks back on the last six years and feels that every minute of travel was worth it. The Koondrook local graduated from Echuca’s St Joseph’s College last year with a 95.3 ATAR score, affording him the opportunity to enrol and be accepted into his first course preference of bio medicine at the University of Melbourne.

The wild Australian Brumby is seen by many as a threat to the native environment, especially in the Snowy Mountains, but horse trainer Joe Hughes has not only helped to solve the problem but in the process has saved the lives of people suffering the effects of trauma ... he now uses his unique 4BP horse training methods (4 Brumby Protection) to transform wild brumbies for a life working with people.

Returning to Mount Peel Bushland Park in 2023 will be Hike to Heal, an interactive hiking adventure suitable for all levels of fitness and hiking experience. Hikers have fun following clues at the Mt Peel Bushland Park or a park of their choosing to find natural treasures and solve riddles as they walk along the trail.

If you have driven a header, seen a header or seen a picture of a header, you are welcome at the annual Header Drivers Convention in Narrandera on February 3. Main organiser of the event for the past 20 years, Neil Seidel, said the night was a great opportunity for farmers or anyone interested in a good night out, to tell lies about the harvest just gone...

Artist Donna Mitchell has been drawing and painting since the age of eight, with portraits her speciality. She now shares her knowledge and skills by conducting art classes for kids and adults ... "Since moving to Hendon in 2022, we have enjoyed the simpler lifestyle that comes with living in the country."

Territorians and visitors are being urged to protect themselves from mosquitoes bites, with mosquito numbers expected to increase following recent heavy monsoonal rainfall. Some mosquito species can transmit viruses including the Ross River and Barmah Forest viruses, as well as the potentially fatal Japanese encephalitis and Murray Valley encephalitis viruses ... three cases of Japanese encephalitis have been diagnosed in the Northern Territory (NT), with the first detected in in 2021.

Chronic pain doesn’t discriminate. It can impact anyone, of any age, and in any location. However, how it is managed can differ greatly ... The problem of chronic pain is complex, so solving it is going to be difficult. However, progress is being made and researchers at the University of South Australia are exploring how to bring better outcomes for rural Australians challenged by chronic pain.