Maldon Village Quilters
D Buck. The Maldon Village Quilters group has a history spanning decades and continues to thrive ... at the request of Maldon Hospital, we made and donated two quilts to be used for palliative care patients, and have made three Healing Quilts for members facing serious illness as well as one for another much loved member of the Maldon community. Some of our members also make Hero Quilts for Australian service personnel, especially those serving abroad, and others make caring quilts for neonatal units and other worthy causes.
The brave fight MND
Taylah Pomery. On Sunday 28th of November the Debbie Davis School of Dance hosted the Fight MND Dance-a-thon at the Naracoorte Town Hall. In total, the event has made approximately $7,900 to go to the Fight MND charity, inspired by beloved community figure Peter Grieve ... The event highlighted the immense generosity of the Naracoorte and Bordertown community with over 80 local business donating prizes.
Govt/Dr dispute close to being resolved
Chris Oldfield. As Christmas looms, and the final 2021 edition of this newspaper goes to print, high level negotiations were taking place between the SA Government health officials, the Australian Medical Association and the Rural Doctors Association of SA. The News understands the intention on both sides was to resolve the rural doctor crisis crippling country SA. And in good faith, for three of the five unfilled 24-hour shifts on the Naracoorte hospital roster, local doctors are working together.
Naracoorte’s meth “doctor”
More than 50 dealers of methamphetamine are currently active in the Naracoorte area, with one allegedly moving $14,000 worth per week, it has been claimed. In recent weeks, The News has been approached by several concerned residents claiming consumption of the illicit drug is growing in the local area. One such source, who spoke to The News on the condition of anonymity, claimed more than 50 active methamphetamine dealers were operating in Naracoorte, with peddlers also selling the product in Lucindale, Bordertown, Keith, and Mount Gambier.
Arts markets forty years young
Serena Kirby. This December marks 40 years since the ï¬rst Denmark Arts Market was held at Berridge Park. What started with just a handful of stallholders and a few locals casually playing music on the grass has grown into a regional drawcard that brings thousands of people to town on market days.
Retirement calls Buddhist leader at 89
The Mahakaruna Buddhist Society celebrated 21 years since it was established in Denmark on December 12 and marked the retirement of The Venerable Lozang Chodzin ... In 2003, Lozang Chodzin was ordained as a Buddhist nun and eventually took over the role of teacher.
Pollack Wetlands Indigenous food & fibre day
As part of the UN’s Decade on Nutrition, Western Murray Land Improvement Group (WMLIG) with Forestry Corporation, hosted a field trip to the Pollack Wetlands, food and fibre displays and a barbecue for 40 community members. The visit to the Pollack Swamp Wetlands allowed the community to see first-hand the amazing transformation and rehabilitation of the area from recent watering events, whilst learning about its natural resources.
Victorian Ombudsman finds border exemption scheme “unjust”
The border closure imposed by Victorian and New South Wales State Governments in response to COVID-19 not only had huge financial impacts but a great human cost. The Victorian Ombudsman has found the narrow exercise of discretion under the border exemption scheme resulted in unjust outcomes, and recommended the Government publicly acknowledge the distress caused to affected people.
Whiporie General Store reopens with new owners
The Whiporie shop closed three months ago and left the community having to travel to Casino or Grafton for supplies. On Monday it reopens with new owners. Dianne and her husband Shaun Ashen live in West Bungawalbin. They lost their home in the 2019 bushfires and have since rebuilt. They were looking for an investment property when they saw the shop at Whiporie.
Christmas and community spirit soars in Ulmarra
Emma Pritchard. The streets of Ulmarra were filled with seasonal festivities, joviality and plenty of community spirit over the weekend when the riverside village hosted a special Christmas evening ... President of the Ulmarra Village Inc Steve Pickering, who also owns the Coldstream Gallery in Ulmarra, said local business owners were thrilled to be involved with the event and he estimated upwards of 500 people attended throughout the evening.
At long last: Mapoon church opened after years of lobbying
The spirit of Mapoon’s old people could be felt as the community opened its long-awaited church last Thursday. In an emotional ceremony, community leaders spoke of the long battle to have a church built in Mapoon after the state government ripped down the last one in 1963 when it forced all residents to leave the Mission.
Opening of Mapoon church adds final chapter to a storied history
Geoff Wharton. The opening of the church at Mapoon last Thursday is an event that links today’s Christian movement in the community with the earliest days of Mapoon Presbyterian Mission and the Moravian Church missionaries who came to evangelise among the Tjungundji People in 1891.
Cattle property helping girls’ growth
A pilot program for teenager girls that focused on developing confidence, self esteem and self development has been hailed as a success. Over the course of the year, 47 girls from Napranum visited Wolverton Station, usually in groups of eight, for three days of activities on the working cattle property.
2021 Population Statement
The 2021 Population Statement looks at population change over the past year and includes projections of the population over the next decade. It describes and analyses the role of the different drivers of population change – overseas migration, natural increase and internal migration. The analysis spans states and territories, capital cities and rest of state areas, age and gender.
Don’t risk your life relying on scheme water during a bushfire
Water Corporation is reminding Perth and Peel residents not to rely on scheme water supply during a bushfire, as another challenging southern fire season is forecast for coastal WA. Power outage, heat-damaged infrastructure and high demand can all result in a rapid loss of water pressure or supply.
Festive season in full swing in Flinders Shire
Flinders Shire recently held its annual Christmas Street Party in Hughenden, with more than 400 people attending and getting into the festive spirit. Attendees enjoyed more than 18 market stalls and all Brodie Street shops were open for business to help celebrate the event, while Santa also made a special appearance.
The nurses – Part 1
Warwick O'Neill. In England a young lady by the name of Florence Nightingale read of the conditions and wanted to do something about it. As a high-bred lady of Victorian England, society’s expectations of her was to marry well, breed well, and produce many little upper-class mud-magnets for her husband. Fortunately for the world at large she said, in what I assume was a well-educated and well-enunciated voice “Bugger that. You can shove your Victorian standards up your Kyber. I’m off to the Crimea.” Or words to that effect.
Human rights award for respected Barkly Elder
A well-respected Warumungu elder was bestowed the Fitzgerald Justice Award in the 2021 Northern Territory Human Rights Awards recently. John Fitz Jakamarra was nominated for his dedication to being a community mentor to the welfare, wellbeing and reintegration of local people in the Barkly community ... An NT Shelter spokesperson said John is committed to supporting to those who have been impacted or at risk of being impacted by the justice system.
We’ve got to save our kids from COVID: NLC Chairman
Samuel Bush-Blanasi. The Northern Land Council supports the call by AMSANT that urgent steps are needed to contain the COVID-19 outbreak in Katherine and the Big Rivers region of the NT. For everyone in the Katherine and Big Rivers region the CHO has given us all clear messages – get vaccinated; use the Territory Check In App; if you feel no good, stay away from work and other people and get tested for COVID-19; wash your hands and use hand sanitiser regularly and maintain social distancing where possible.
When it rains, it paws for CFA Oscar1 Brigade
A specialist CFA brigade has been called out to two incidents within a week, both involving the rescue of a dog from a mine shaft. Bendigo-based Oscar1 Brigade helped rescue Bruno the Bull-Arab on Sunday 5 December after he’d fallen down a mine shaft at Castlemaine Diggings National Park. Captain Daniel McMahon said it was quite unusual and surprising to receive another call less than six days later, this time to rescue Terry the Kelpie-cross from a mine shaft at Woodend.
Pandemania and the Bexhill Quarry Parklands
It's worth reflecting on what-just-was: wave after wave of pandemania. Snap lockdowns and travel restrictions were for some, a form of forced minimalism ... The antidote of course is to find our social focus again, re-acquaint ourselves with community activities, get out of forced hibernation and meet the real world ... ranked up there with hidden Hinterland beauty spots is the spring fed waterhole of the old Bexhill Quarry.
Dunoon Rural Fire Service update
Mike Berry. At the time of writing for the last Gazette edition the landscape was becoming quite dry and the fire risk was increasing. Ironically by the time that edition hit the streets the rain had arrived and has been pretty persistent since. Whilst the outlook at the moment is for rain to continue, once the hot weather arrives and if the rain stops, long grass will quickly dry out and become a fire hazard.
