Tuesday, May 2
Family shave heads for cancer funding
Eleven of Jan Neville’s family members shaved their heads for the Leukaemia Foundation’s World’s Greatest Shave on her 80th birthday, in recognition of her brave and stoic fight against acute promyelocytic leukaemia.
https://www.theguardian.com.au/news/family-shave-heads-for-cancer-funding
Councils carry library funding load
Swan Hill Council moved to support an advocacy push by Public Libraries Victoria in calling for additional funding to support libraries across the state.
Director of community and cultural services Bruce Myers said “nominal” increase to the Public Library Funding Program had not recognised the price pressures on libraries driven by high inflation, nor the increasing user base driven by Victoria’s population.
https://www.theguardian.com.au/news257/councils-carry-library-funding-load
Friday, May 5
Fee cut to hit hard, says Lake Boga pharmacist
Small regional and country pharmacies feared they would face financial ruin when the Federal Government’s scheme to expand prescriptions from one month to two took effect on September 1.
Pharmacists receive dispensing fees from the Commonwealth for each medication sold, but under the proposed changes, the cost would have been halved for eligible medications.
https://www.theguardian.com.au/health/fee-cut-to-hit-hard-says-lake-boga-pharmacist
Ambo response times grow
Ambulances were arriving to time-critical “lights and siren” patients slower than during the same reporting period 12 months earlier, according to new performance data.
Ambulance Victoria response data for January-March shows 63.3 per cent of cases were responded to within the 15-minute target, compared to 67.6 per cent in the same reporting period in 2021/22.
https://www.theguardian.com.au/health/ambo-response-times-grow
Remembering a giant of regional radio
Former 3SH owner and Australian radio veteran Colin Cameron was remembered as a community-minded trailblazer. Mr Cameron died aged 87 after a long battle with pulmonary fibrosis.
https://www.theguardian.com.au/news257/remembering-a-giant-of-regional-radio
Tuesday, May 9
Country roads get Federal funding boost
Swan Hill Council was provided an additional $827,000 to spend on road projects.
The road funding injection was an election commitment, and was delivered under Phase 4 of the Local Roads and Community Infrastructure Program.
https://www.theguardian.com.au/news257/country-roads-get-federal-funding-boost
A burst of colour
It was an explosion of colour at St Mary’s Primary School as they held their fun run.
Dressed in white shirts, the students ran around the oval while being covered in coloured chalk, slime and water, raising money for a new ninja playground at the school.
https://www.theguardian.com.au/news257/a-burst-of-colour
Friday, May 12
Dryland farmers say council rate rise is unfair
Dryland farmers believed they were being unfairly expected to bear the brunt of rate rises flagged in the Swan Hill Council draft budget for 2023-24.
While the council kept the average rate rise to 3.5 per cent, rates for dryland farmers were expected to jump to 20.8 per cent.
Bank backdown a boost for town
Westpac’s decision to keep its Robinvale branch open indefinitely was labelled as a morale boost for the town, which faced losing two of its three bank branches this year.
In February, Westpac announced it would be closing the branch on May 12, however later that month opted to remain open until the end of the Senate inquiry into regional branch closures.
https://www.theguardian.com.au/news257/bank-backdown-a-boost-for-town
Tuesday, May 16
Scams target rental seekers
Victoria Police warned the community to be aware of increased online rental scams targeting those seeking accommodation.
The scammers were using established property websites, online marketplaces and message boards to offer up properties they don’t have an association with.
https://www.theguardian.com.au/news257/scams-target-rental-seekers
Flood hit to insurance premiums
Following the 2022 flooding event, residents across Balranald Shire face significant rises in their insurance premiums, or were told they could no longer be covered.
Balranald locals took to social media to voice their displeasure, with some labelling the change unfair and urging others to change insurers.
https://www.theguardian.com.au/news/flood-hit-to-insurance-premiums
Friday, May 19
‘Lets get it done’: council clear on new Swan Hill bridge
Swan Hill Council has made clear its position about the preferred alignment for the new Swan Hill bridge, supporting the McCallum Street alignment.
“Importantly, this alignment has majority community support, Murray River Council support and is the route with the least impact on vegetation and cultural heritage,” Deputy Mayor Stuart King said.
https://www.theguardian.com.au/news257/lets-get-it-done-council-clear-on-new-swan-hill-bridge
Room for everyone at Swan Hill library’s IDAHOBIT Day
Members of the Swan Hill community came together to celebrate International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, Inter-sexism and Transphobia.
IDAHOBIT Day is held each year on May 17, having begun in 1990 to mark the World Health Organisation removing homosexuality from its classification of diseases and related health problems.
Tuesday, May 23
Cheers, councillor: pub sessions raise the bar
The first Coldie with a Councillor session was an overwhelming success, with Cr Ann Young and Cr Stuart King joining locals at the Beverford Tavern.
Starting as Coffee with a Councillor, the evolution to pub sessions came about when it was decided that an additional demographic was needed to win access to a greater cross-section of people.
https://www.theguardian.com.au/news257/cheers-councillor-pub-sessions-raise-the-bar
Saluting work of volunteers with a wow
Victoria State Emergency Service celebrated Wear Orange Wednesday, its national day of thanks for SES volunteers.
VICSES chief executive Stephen Griffen said he continued to admire the remarkable and relentless efforts of volunteers, thanking them for their time and dedication.
https://www.theguardian.com.au/news257/saluting-work-of-volunteers-with-a-wow
Friday, May 26
Drinking water in the pipeline for Berriwillock, Culgoa
The introduction of a drinking water supply in the Berriwillock and Culgoa townships was welcomed by community members, who said they had put up with smelly, dirty water for years.
https://www.theguardian.com.au/news257/drinking-water-in-the-pipeline-for-berriwillock-culgoa
A force for good for more than 46 years
Sergeant Stan Atkins, who protected the Swan Hill community for close to five decades, retired from the thin blue line.
“I still keep in contact with some victims over the years, because they are the people you are trying to protect,” he said.
“They are the people in our community whose lives have been impacted short and long term and who we think of when we try and bring them some justice and closure.”
https://www.theguardian.com.au/community/a-force-for-good-for-more-than-46-years
Tuesday, May 30
Schizophrenia symptoms behind Swan Hill arson attack
A Swan Hill woman who torched her social housing unit during an auditory hallucination avoided further jail time after pleading guilty to arson in the Koori County Court.
Pokies sign ban not enough – Dalton
External gambling-related signs will be scrapped in NSW, in what Member for Murray Helen Dalton described as only a “very, very small step forward”.
Then minister for gambling and racing David Harris said the government was committed to introducing important harm-minimisation measures.
https://www.theguardian.com.au/news257/pokies-sign-ban-not-enough-dalton
