Friday, 22 November 2024
Subjects: Paint the town Purple (Hilltops), Rail Union strike threats, Remembrance Day (Boorowa honour board), Young Cherry Festival, Shop local for Christmas, Road Safety, National Rural Health Month, Crown Reserves Improvement Funding, Clubgrants Category 3 Funding, Sport Defibrillator Funding
E&OE…
Rich Spence: Welcome to the phone member for Cootamundra, Steph Cook. Good morning, Steph.
Steph Cooke: Good morning. It's great to be with you and your listeners across the region this morning. I'm coming to you from Sydney, of course, and with what I hope will be the last sitting week of the year here in the New South Wales Parliament.
Rich Spence: Okay, and we're looking at today. Paint the town purple, a family violence and awareness day. I'm wearing my purple shirt in support this morning?
Steph Cooke: Well that's very good to hear Rich and I too am wearing a lavender light purple coloured shirt down here for the day in Parliament today. We also have a couple of badges that people will be wearing in the Chamber which is fantastic and this is a really important day and certainly growing in importance across rural areas, which is good to see,
and it's an opportunity for us to recognise the wonderful work that the Young Crisis Accommodation and Margaret House do in our communities.
They cover large, large areas of the electorate and help victims and survivors of domestic violence and families in a lot of cases, get their lives back on track and looking forward for them to have a positive future.
So, it's an important day. I know that there are many businesses up and down the main street that have recognised it by putting some purple in their windows today and the town has to be fully commended for stepping up.
Rich Spence: For sure, and it's certainly a terrific initiative and the Hilltops Domestic and Family Violence Reference Group have a great slogan, "Break the silence and the violence," because that's what we need to do.
Steph Cooke: Yeah, we certainly do, Rich, and I had the opportunity a couple of months ago actually to attend the meeting, the regular meeting of the Reference Group, and they were in the full froze of planning for today's event, and they too really need to be recognised for their efforts in pulling this together. It's not something that just happens overnight or with a few hours' work.
This is something that has been months and months in the planning, and that comes on top of the work that they are doing each and every day in this space to help people.
It's a very intense space to work in and you cannot be untouched yourself by some of the stories of what people in our communities have been through.
And at the moment we know that we're experiencing a housing crisis in towns across the electorate and indeed right across New South Wales. So times have never been more difficult for people with respect to housing and also cost of living has also, you know, impacts people and the decisions that they make around whether they stay in what is often a very precarious and dangerous environment and situation for them or do they make that big leap and look to leave that life behind them.
And so, when you're making those types of really difficult decisions, having support around you is so, so important. And for some people, that support just isn't as strong as it is for other people. And so, you know, people like the Young Crisis Accommodation service and, of course, Margaret House with the emergency accommodation that they provide, are that really, really important conduit between someone who's in a very difficult situation now and a future that they can see for themselves that is free of violence.
Rich Spence: Yeah for sure and the Young Crisis Accommodation Centre, their phone number is 63824436 and there's other support with the domestic violence support 1800 respect. You're wrapping up in for the year today, how's it been?
Steph Cooke: It's been a very interesting week here in the New South Wales Parliament,
the RBT union, the rail union, has been threatening to shut down the network now for around about six months, six to seven months, and the government has really struggled. In fact, we would argue they have failed to adequately resolve that situation. And it's all come to a head in this final sitting week.
And so, all week there's been discussions down here in the city about whether people would be able to get to work today because the union was threatening to shut down the whole rail network for Friday, Saturday and Sunday and it just affects everyone down here in the city. But also, for people in the country areas that might be going to, for example the Pearl Jam concert this weekend or other events that are on down here in Sydney. There's many, many shows as we know that happen here.
There's many, many shows, as we know, that happen here, and when people from our part of the world head to Sydney for those events, they often take the train or they'll drive part the way and catch the train the rest of the way. So, a full shutdown of the rail network for three consecutive days was just an incredible and unprecedented threat. And the government has managed to put a stay on execution with that particular industrial action. They've bought themselves an extra two weeks. At some expense, I must say, to the New South Wales taxpayers. But at the end of the day, all that they've seemingly done is kicked this problem down the road even further just for another couple of weeks so it'll still, you know, be not resolved in time for Christmas. And that's a real worry and has certainly dominated the final
sitting week of parliament down here.
Rich Spence: Yeah, it's certainly concerning, but it's great that that disruption has been averted. But that example you used of people travelling not only around Sydney, but from other parts of the state and relying on that transport, planning for going to events, planning months in advance and then coming to the weekend and having that disruption, it would be absolutely devastating.
Steph Cooke: Oh, Absolutely, Rich, and the talk around Sydney in the last couple of days has been that people have to simply cancel their plans because they just couldn't face that prospect of having to get into the city in gridlocked traffic jams or not really knowing how to get there, not just knowing how it would all unfold.
And so, they've cancelled their plans, and so I've had the opportunity to touch base with a couple of business people here in the city and cafes and the like. And they really rely on this time of the year to boost up their end of year revenues.
It's no different to what we have in our small country towns and so the level of disruption that this incident has caused there's been huge and there will be economic impacts and there will be impacts on people's jobs, rosters have been changed that weren't reverted back to what they were beforehand.
There's all sorts of implications when something like this happens and the government really needs to step up and do better and ensure that this is resolved on a more permanent basis because quite frankly we all deserve better.
Rich Spence: For sure and hopefully common sense prevails in the end while you're not in Parliament sitting in Sydney you're in the electorate getting out and about and of course a very important day early this month Remembrance Day and there was the Boorowa honour rolls unveiled.
Steph Cooke: Absolutely, what a what a beautiful Remembrance day we've had this year for the electorate Rich, a number of services held right across the Cootamundra electorate. I was fortunate enough to attend the Remembrance Day service in Boorowa, where we were joined by Commissioner Karen Webb.
As everyone in our part of the world knows, Boorowa is her hometown, and it was lovely to join her, not just for the service, but for the unveiling of the honour roll boards there and I think it's important to acknowledge that, you know, for a town of 2,000 people and a few more in the outed districts, there were 887 names on that on a board of people who served during World War II.
I mean, that is absolutely incredible, what incredible service, and I would encourage anyone are passing through Boorowa, even if you're on your way to Canberra or Sydney or some other place at some point in the future, drop into the RSL Club and have a look at that honour board.
It is extraordinary, it's not only beautiful and a work of art in its own rise, but you cannot help but be moved and taken aback by the sheer number of names that are on that board and the
families that are represented and the font size has to be quite small as you can imagine to fit that many names on it and yet the board itself is enormous and the community there should be fully commended for their work.
It's taken years and years to pull this project together and of course RSL sub branch president Alan Banks have had a huge amount to do with that, and so has Diane Elliot, who sadly has passed away, but her husband, Peter, was there and she was instrumental in ensuring that this project got to a certain point and before she passed away, she's handed that project on to a couple of other people and said this must be finished, and they have lived that on, in her memory, and these boards are now completed and it is absolutely extraordinary and the community has got something now that will be there for generations to come and they should be fully proud of what's been achieved.
Rich Spence: It's important they get that recognition not just in Boorowa but right around the electorate.
A busy few months, around the electorate at the moment too with the harvest in full swing it's
important to know that there are farm vehicles getting out and about on the roads and just to accommodate them with you when you're driving in the vicinity?
Steph Cooke: Absolutely, that's a really important message that we need to get out at this time every year. We are sharing the road with some big harvesting equipment. It's great to see, harvest is a very very important time for our region and it's also a time when we welcome more visitors and people who may not be as familiar with our local roads as we are.
So just that that important reminder that we do share the road with other road users of all shapes and sizes and to ensure that we look after ourselves and those passengers that we have in our own vehicles and also to look out for others on the road as that the next few weeks continue to be a very busy time for us at home.
Rich Spence: Certainly, and 33 days until Christmas, Steph, and we're going to support the local businesses as best we can when shopping for Christmas.
Steph Cooke: Oh, definitely, I think that this is the one time of the year when we can all make that little bit of extra effort to buy something locally from one of our really hardworking business people.
I'm looking forward to getting back into the electorate tonight, it'll be wonderful, and you've just reminded me, Rich, that at 33 days I have not done a single piece of Christmas shopping yet, so that it'll be a big effort for me over the next couple of weeks to pull together what I need to.
But what I do know is that we've got just about everything that you could need from a local perspective. So, I'm looking forward to dropping in on a number of businesses in all of our small communities over the next few weeks, and I'd really love to see other locals support our businesses as well.
Rich Spence: And 40 days to 2025, just so you know.
We've got the National Cherry Festival coming up next week, a big three days of events and happenings there?
Steph Cooke: Oh, isn't that just a great event each and every year, that one event on the calendar that we all look forward to and it's right about now, Rich, that we start having a look at the weather forecast and saying, "Ooh, what's it going to be this time next week?" and at this stage, I think it's looking okay.
There's some conjecture about whether there'll be some showers, but I think on the whole, whatever the weather will be, we will certainly enjoy it as we do every year.
It's a massive three -day event. We welcome visitors from all over New South Wales and certainly Canberra. People come and enjoy the cherries and the festivities and all of the activities that are on offer over this time, and I'm really, really looking forward to spending that time with locals and welcoming visitors to our region.
Rich Spence: And I think the cherries have been pretty good this year already, I believe.
Steph Cooke: That's certainly what I'm hearing, and there was even some discussion on Sydney Radio this morning about the optioning of the first box of cherries that will happen over the next week, and there's some talk that There's some talk that it will be from Young, the box you see will be from Young. We're yet to have that confirmed, of course, but it's great that we are the cherry capital of Australia, if not the world, and it's great that even so far from home, these discussions are being had in the city.
Last year's box of cherries was auctioned for $70,000, and it goes to a charity called Little Wings, which many people have heard of, but for those who haven't, they help to get sick children to medical appointments. They fly them wherever they need to go to attend those medical appointments. So really, really important charity and such a worthy cause, and fingers crossed the box if you will come from young and that it will achieve a record amount.
Rich Spence: Yeah let's hope so and end of school term only just a few weeks away. I've got teachers and parents just getting ready for the wind down of school and another great year and there's the end of year awards and presentations and exams happening as well.
Steph Cooke: Oh, look it's a really, really busy time of year and I think it's important that that we you know acknowledge the hard work of our teachers and parents and caregivers and everything that people do to ensure that our students have the successful year that they continue to have, and we look forward to those presentation days.
I certainly know I've got many, many to go to and I always look forward to them because it's an opportunity to recognise the achievements of our students, and you and I have talked about many of those achievements all the way through the year, whether it's academic or sporting or community service, there are many different ways that our students step up and the end of the year is the opportunity to support them with that and recognise it.
So, there's still a few weeks to go now. I know that those preparations are in full swing, and I look forward to joining our school communities towards the end to really celebrate everything that's been achieved in the school community throughout 2024.
Rich Spence: And that's for sure, and another important thing in our region is the GP services, and that this month has been National Rural Health Month.
Steph Cooke: Yeah, it has Rich, yeah. It's again, that important opportunity to shine a
spotlight on the issues and challenges and opportunities that we face in rural health,
and you and I talked quite often about doctor shortages and the impacts that that has on small communities and the developments that are happening in our hospitals, things that concern us, but there's also some wonderful things happening in rural health.
We are recruiting new people into the system all the time, we welcome nurses and other allied health professionals to our small communities, and while we need to ensure that we get - certainly get out there, share during Rural Health Month, it's an opportunity to recognise people who work in the space in our rural areas and also for all of us to have a look at our own health and make sure that if there's things that we need to attend to. This month is a very, very good time to get on and get that done.
Rich Spence: For sure. And before it gets busy and hectic with the holidays as well. And just quickly, some of the grants that are still available towards the end of the year?
Steph Cooke: Yeah, there's just a couple of funding opportunities that are still available as we head towards the end of the year. I think the main two ones to mention are other Crown Reserves Improvement Fund.
So if you are an organisation and your facility operates on Crown lands, there is opportunities at the moment to apply for funding for upgrades, whether it be an amenities block or, you know, some funding to help you keep weeds under control, whether it's to put in cattle yards on a show ground or any number of other projects that people might want to have a look at, that funding is now available, please reach out to my office and we will help you.
And the same goes for Club Grants, Category 3, and without taking up too much time to go through the specific criteria of that, there is funding available through that stream. We've had great success in that particular program this year and I'd encourage anyone who's thinking about a project, reach out to my office and the team and I will help you in every way that we can to make sure that you get a supported application in and we know about your project and I can advocate it down for it, down here in Sydney.
Rich Spence: And just finally, we've got about 40 seconds to go, the local sport defibrillator grant program, applications closed on the 27th of this month next week.
Steph Cooke: That's exactly right which that's another very very important funding program I'd like to see those defibrillators in all of our sporting and other venues to be honest so please put in an application and we will support you.
Rich Spence: Alright thanks a lot then, Steph we're out of time but thanks for joining me this morning I think we've got one more this year in December before we go on to break so thanks a lot for all your contributions this morning and throughout the year.
Steph Cooke: Thanks Rich, and I look forward to catching up with you in a couple of weeks.