Friday, 23 August 2024
Subjects: Flanno for a Farmer - Farm Angels, Yannawah Rural Fire Brigade and South West Slopes RFS Medal Presentations, Cowra Hospital, Rural Women’s Gathering, 36 Month Campaign, HSC, Cootamundra Wattle Time Festival, Seniors Festival 2025 funding, NRL Hall of Fame inductees
E&OE…
Rich Spence: Welcome in the studio member for Cootamundra, Steph. Good morning,
Steph Cooke: Steph. Oh, good morning, Rich, it's really great to be with you and your listeners this morning. And I just think I need to say to your listeners, you know, that off air we're frantically trying to work out what we should talk about because there is just so much going on.
Rich Spence: There is and I got a message from you last night about what today means and it's where Flanno for a farmer day, and that's pretty much me all day, every day through the winter.
Steph Cooke: I knew that you were a big fan of the Flanno and so I thought, oh, well, never miss an opportunity and today is, you know, we're a Flanno for a farmer day, It's raising funds for a really important organisation called Farm Angels.
Rich Spence: Okay, yes.
Steph Cooke: And, you know, we've seen some research come out recently, that whilst our farmers are amongst the best in the world of what they do and they're certainly for the Cootamundra electorate, the absolute backbone of our communities, that at times our farmers struggle with their mental health.
Rich Spence: Of course, as we all do.
Steph Cooke: As we all do, and for farmers in the last five years, they've been through drought, bushfires, floods, you know, a number of those really difficult disasters and difficult circumstances, and that can take a toll on farmers in particular, given what they do day in, day out.
And so, I think it's not too much to ask for us to wear a Flanno today, to show our support for farmers, particularly noting how important they are for our region, and hopefully we will see a bumper crop and certainly that's the predictions that we're looking at towards the end of the year.
But we also know that things can change, you know, in a very short space of time, and I think also just to touch on it for our farmers, if you are experiencing some difficulties, some challenges, there is help available, there's support available, there's plenty of it. And you can go to the Flanno for a farmer's day, or you can certainly reach out to my office, and we will connect you with services. it's not a problem.
Rich Spence: Yeah, and to just compound some of those mental health concerns with, as you mentioned, the natural disasters and that, there can be, you know, increasing costs and government policies that don't quite align with what the farming community does.
Steph Cooke: That is absolutely true, I know talking to farmers that, you know, increasing red tape is always a struggle for them. What they do best is farm their land and, you know, the whole red tape aspect of it is a challenge for them and frustrating a lot of the time.
So, and there are, there are just challenges in life that people experience day in, day out, and if you're trying to work your way through those and continue on your farming operation and all of the challenges that come with that, that can sometimes cause levels of distress in people,
and I think it's important that we as a community never forget what our farmers do and what they contribute, always buy local to the best of our ability, particularly produce, because we know that it's produced in Australia off the hard work of our farmers. And at the end of the day, the message to our farmers being that there is support available and we, you know, we want you to be in good spirits.
Rich Spence: Yeah, and you mentioned supporting the local businesses and that, I went to Wagga last weekend and on the way back, I stopped off at Cootamundra, I think it's Brad's Butchery. I always like to go to the local butcher's in different towns at Junee, I think it was, yeah.
Steph Cooke: Yeah, Junee, absolutely, and, oh, look, they do a magnificent job there, as do all of the butchers right across the electorate, every single town has one, and a lot of the smaller towns still have their butcher as well, which is really great, they do a great job, and they care about the community, they've got skin in the game and we should always support them.
Rich Spence: And before we move on, where Flanno for a farmer? That organisation, again, you mentioned?
Steph Cooke: is Farm Angels, you can just simply Google it. It'll take you to where you need to go from there.
Rich Spence: And good news, we were hearing it in local news this morning for the RFS,our truck handover for Southwest Slopes, RFS.
Steph Cooke: Oh, look, we've been doing a lot in the RFS space, and I know there's been some commentary in the news around that. The Yannawah Brigade now has a fire shed for the very first time in its history. This was a brigade established after the Second World War and now for the first time they've got somewhere to put their appliances and a new truck to go with it.
Rich Spence: Terrific and some long service medals issued as well.
Steph Cooke: Yeah, look, we presented nearly 100 long service medals across two presentations while everyone was cheering on the Yabbies or Boorowa locally. There was some medal presentations going on that Marg Roles and I attended, really, really important that we recognise the long service of our RFS volunteers.
Rich Spence: Of course, and you've got an update on the, Cowra Hospital?
Steph Cooke: Moving along to Cowra Hospital, so the slab has pretty much been laid there now.
It's a lot of work going on at that site, construction is in full swing, we cannot wait for that hospital to be finished now. It's been a long time coming to this point coming up seven years is the fight it'll be another couple of years to get it across the line but we're really looking forward to that project progressing.
Rich Spence: and everything is locked in as far as the services that are going to be offered there's no
chance of anything being pulled back at last minute is there?
Steph Cooke: oh look I, would never say that Rich you just never know what's around the corner We have to fight for everything that we have in the bush, everyone knows that, and I'll continue to keep the pressure on the government to make sure that they deliver the clinical services plan or certainly what's left of it.
We know that the Tresillian inpatient component has been dumped by the government, which is really disappointing, but I try very hard not to let that take the shine off the bigger project and the long play, which is to make sure that we've got a fit -for -purpose hospital in Cowra that's going to serve that community for decades to come.
But to your point, it's really important that not only does the infrastructure get built to support and deliver that, but that we have the people, the clinicians, the allied health services and the funding to make sure that those services are provided day in, day out for our people.
Rich Spence: Yes, of course, and rural women are being honoured with various events. There was one earlier this week, a member for Riverina, Michael McCormack, I spoke to him earlier, he attended.
There's a rural women's gathering coming up in Hardin on the 19th of October and then on the 6th of October before that, a rural women's day event at Clifton House Garden, so there's a lot on, and on top of that, the women of the year awards is open as well.
Steph Cooke: There's a lot happening in the women's space at present, which is wonderful to be a part of, and celebrating our rural women is really important.
I mean, we've just had a discussion about backing in our farmers, and we know at the end of the day that we have wonderful, strong, resilient women in all of our communities, and the contribution they make is absolutely extraordinary.
And so, we've got a women's gathering coming up in October, in Hardin, looking so forward to that. The last time the electorate hosted such an event was in 2018, so many years ago now, and that was out in Narrandera, and it was just before I was sworn in actually as the local member so these events are very very special and I'd encourage women right across the electorate to get involved.
Rich Spence: yes of course why not and well we've got a bit of time we'll touch on this one that we looked at before the 36 month campaign that's to do with children and online what they can have access to and what's that all about in particular?
Steph Cooke: yeah, so there's a there's a campaign that's been running for a little while now that resulted in a debate in the New South Wales Parliament around increasing the minimum age from 13 to 16, which is how you get an extra 36 months in relation to access to social media for our young people. and every day we hear of some new evidence that's being, that is emerging around the detrimental effects that social media and screen addiction is having on our young people.
And so, this campaign, which we're supporting, is around lifting that age from 13 to 16, buying an extra 36 months for kids to be kids and not get sucked into the vortex and all of the negativity that that can come with social media.
We know that social media does have, there's a lot of positive aspects to social media and a lot of upside, but for that age group that are very vulnerable,
Rich Spence: they are, yes.
Steph Cooke: And it's a key development phase for them in their life. It's really important that I think we stop, especially with the emerging evidence, we can't put our head in the sand around this any longer.
Every day there's more and more mounting. But we also know that it is really, really difficult for parents to make decisions with their children in that space, there's a lot of peer pressure, that's one thing that's never, ever gone away, regardless of what era we're talking about, and we're now seeing that play out with the provision of mobile phones to our younger people and all that comes with that.
So, this is about really trying to help parents make good decisions with their children, and if there was a minimum age of 16, it would really support parents to make potentially different and better decisions with their children in mind.
Rich Spence: Yeah, a very, very challenging concept, but it's a good idea, and with the prevalence of the devices and access to the internet and social media, as I said, it's going to be very challenging to try to get that to fruition.
Steph Cooke: Yeah, absolutely. It's, I mean, this is a very challenging space in general, and, you know, it's not that we want to stop our kids having access to technology and making sure that they keep up with what's going to be needed for, you know, for the rest of their lives. I mean, the world is changing so quickly all the time. We need to make sure that our young people are ready for what the future will bring.
But we also need to make sure that at this key development stage of their life, that we set them up for success, and on that social media side, we've all heard the stories of, and I'm sure that some of your listeners will have personal experience with their children being bullied and we've heard these stories and what happens out of the school playground and after hours.
And, you know, if we can limit their access until they're a little bit older and more able to comprehend what's occurring and respond in a way that is not traumatic for them and really, you know, looks to help them breach their full potential, we think this is a good idea.
Rich Spence: Yeah, it certainly is, and just moving on a little bit and just as they get older, they've got to let those distractions go off to the side as they prepare for the HSC exams, that's in swing now.
Steph Cooke: Absolutely, we're fast approaching the end of the year. It's hard to believe that we're a week or so away from September, that back end of the year, and for our students, of course, that means especially if they're in either year 11, they start to move into that year 12 content stage and for our year 12s, of course, it means trials and then that all important revision and onto the HSC.
So, I know I've done my bit. I have every confidence that every student in year 12 will go through to completion because I've signed their certificates, wanted to get that done well in advance, but I did so knowing full well that every student will go through to completion and get their certificate from me at the very least. So we do wish them all the very best.
It can be a very stressful time, of course, but we know that our teachers and our families and our communities are really wrapped around them, and we wish them all the very best in the months ahead.
Rich Spence: Yeah, we certainly do, yeah, some challenging times for the HSC students.
And, well, September means springtime, the Cootamundra Wattle Time Festival coming up, and it's all in bloom and the canola harvest season approaching as well.
Steph Cooke: Oh, look, and we touched on it briefly earlier, Rich, just moving across the landscape at the moment, it's a beautiful, beautiful site. Everywhere there's really crops coming on now, the canola is starting to come out.
I'd really encourage people If there is a good time of the year to get out and about, it is springtime, and please people come out and support the Cootamundra Wattle Time Fair, it’s first one they had post covid and they have received some Government funding in order to put that event on, there working very had deliver a great experience for locals and for visitors, so on the 7th of September, I'd really love it if everybody could come out. I will be there looking forward to it.
Rich Spence: Yeah, and I've been talking to Cootamundra-Gundagai Regional Council Mayor Gil Kelly in recent weeks on our Monday segment about that as well, and yeah, it's been great getting out and about in the area and just seeing how lush green the pastures are and then the canola, as we mentioned, starting to bloom as well. It's just been some terrific balance of rainfall over the winter, I think, to get to that stage.
Steph Cooke: Yeah, we've really had that drop when we've needed it, having said that, there are some dry patches across the electorate, and certainly some farmers have spoken to me about that.
They'd like to see just a little bit more moisture come through, particularly for the subsoil. But when you're driving through, it certainly looks beautiful, and we do wish our farmers all the very best. They've got a very busy time ahead now as well as we head towards harvest.
Rich Spence: For sure, and one thing I almost forgot there, the Seniors’ events coming up, there's funding available and the applications close very soon.
Steph Cooke: Oh, look, this is an opportunity for people who have got an idea around an event for Seniors, which could be held during the Seniors Festival next year in 2025, but the grants are open right now. They close on the 7th of September, $5 ,000 for organisations or $10 ,000 for councils to host events.
If you would like some more information on that or some guidance on your application, please reach out to myself directly or to the office. We'll do everything that we can to help you.
Rich Spence: For sure, and before we finish up, a bit of local football, but before that, the NRL Hall of Fame, Les Boyd from Cootamundra nominated, he's inducted as inductee 117.
He's also a Cootamundra - Gundagai Regional Councillor as well, I believe.
Steph Cooke: Yes, he's retiring from council in a couple of weeks' time, and we very much thank, Les, for his contribution and service to the Cootamundra Gundagai Regional Council over the last few years. It's been challenging for all of those councillors. and I'd really like to acknowledge his service and, of course, congratulate him on his induction.
Rich Spence: And another local inductee into the NRL Hall of Fame, Katrina Fanning from Junee, cousin of Laurie Daly.
Steph Cooke: Oh, absolutely, that bloodline continues, doesn't it? and we're very proud of all of our local sporting people. Right across the electorate, we have sports people who are stepping up in all disciplines and doing us proud.
Rich Spence: And Katrina's one of the six first ever females to be inducted into the NRA Hall of Fame too, so history making there.
Steph Cooke: It's extraordinary, and we're so proud of her and her family who supported her along this journey.
Rich Spence: For sure, and locally, top of the table clash to cement the number one position in the Group 9, the Temora Dragons taking on the Cherry Pickers at Nixon Park.
Steph Cooke: And I'm not going to get in the middle of that, Rich, being a Temora girl, of course, I always sort of get pulled in that direction, but Keith and I live here in Young, and we're very happy to be part of this community.
So I think I'll just sort of sit on the fence on that one if I'm allowed to do that. Politicians often get criticised for sitting on the fence, but I think I'm entitled to on this one, but look, certainly wish all of our teams the very best and those two in particular.
Rich Spence: And yeah, so literally it will be whoever wins that game will be the minor premiers. that's how tired it is, and congratulations to the young Yabbies, of course, winning the title for this year.
Steph Cooke: Oh, in extra time and I hear that it was just a great spectacle and a lot of fun had and we live not far from Cranfield Oval of course so I could hear the back end of it just as I came in from Harden from the RFS event but I you know the thousands of people that turned out it was certainly a great day certainly.
Rich Spence: thanks a lot Steph, really appreciate your time and we'll catch up with you again in the near future.
Steph Cooke: sounds great.
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