October 12 2017

Halloween is coming up at the end of this month and unlike last year things are pretty quiet at this time of year.

Halloween is a topic of mixed opinion as many believe it is an American tradition and should stay over there though its origins started in the UK and slowly transformed to what it is today.

The benefits of Halloween are largely that kids get to have a night of fun as they get to dress up and get lots of treats and some residences are happy to provide their joy.

Hopefully we will see some action happening on ‘Halloween In & Around Deniliquin‘, we are happy to compile a list of Halloween friendly homes so people will know where and where not to go so everyone is happy on the night.

We’ll keep readers updated as further news comes to hand.

October 10 2017

The Murray By-Election is getting closer and here is some of the latest going ons.

Pete Robinson (Independent) has released 10 policies and reaction to them have been mixed though some may like the idea of making MP’s use Public Transport where possible and giving thought to reopening the Narrandera-Tocumwal line.

There is some good news for the Deniliquin candidate and that is one Helen Dalton ad has him at number 2 preference.

Michael Kidd‘s (Country Labor) platform is for things such as better health services, Investment in Rural NSW and Investment in TAFE and maternity services returned to Leeton

Helen Dalton (SFF) who is leading our poll and polls in other publications is being targeted by the Nationals in ads that are considered to be ‘nasty smear campaigns’, Helen wants Police returned to Yenda and adequate staffing and rural incentives for nurses in rural areas.

Austin Evans (Nats) has been touring the electorate making stops in places like Barham, Deniliquin, Griffith, Moama and Hanwood and wants the Murray Valley National Park de-gazetted for the timber industry as well as a path built between Griffith to Hanwood and bullbars to be saved.

Ray Goodlass has been somewhat a mystery as The Greens don’t seem to be paying much attention to the Murray area.

News from Brian Mills appears hard to find but he does have a website that has not been updated for some time.

That’s the latest going ons from candidates on social media, don’t forget to check out and vote on our Murray By-Election poll, so far Helen Dalton leads with the Donkey Vote 2nd.

October 9 2017

The Ricegrowers’ Association of Australia Environmental Champions Program (RGA ECP) will be holding a bus tour this Wednesday to highlight the cultural heritage of the region as well as encourage community members to learn about and connect with the Yanco and Billabong creeks.

The tour leaves from the Deniliquin Tourist Information Centre at 8:30am sharp and an hour later will be out the front of The Willows and the Ned Kelly Post in Jerilderie and the tour returns to Deniliquin at 5pm.

The cost of this tour is free and it includes lunch but bookings are essential and can be done by contacting Erika Heffer on 0438 719 628 or emailing eheffer@rga.org.au.

This project was developed and delivered in partnership with Yarkuwa Indigenous Knowledge Centre as well as YACTAC (Yanco Creek and Tributaries Advisory Council Inc) and it involved collaboration and sharing to facilitate community connections to the local area.

The project is also supported by Murray Local Land Services through the Billabong Yanco Project with funding for the project received from the NSW Catchment Action and the Australian Government’s National Landcare Programme.

Additional information can be found on the event page  which is also located on the Ricegrowers’ Association of Australia Facebook page, both locations can be visited by clicking on the links.

October 8 2017

Snake catchers are starting to get busy as they are getting calls to remove snakes away from people and their pets.

The snakes were hiding as usual in the cold months but now that the weather is starting to heat back up, it is their signal to come on out and catch some sun and get a snack.

If you do spot a snake in your yards or in your house, call Benny Moylan 0475378778
but be aware that Benny is only available to assist if the snake is inside your house or if you or a pet is in danger.

visit ‘Snake Sightings in Deniliquin‘ for additional advice but it is recommended you join the group ASAP as approval is required to see posts and it could take some time depending on admin availability.

Some basic tips on keeping the snakes from finding a place to hide are the following

Keep the grass low
Keep your garden tidy
Keep wood heaps away from the house
Keep a tidy shed

Wikihow.com also has some ideas as well from patching up holes in houses to eliminating sources of food for snakes such as bugs and rodents.

We hope all readers and their pets have a safe summer and autumn from snakes.

October 6 2017

October 15 is Pregnancy & Infant Loss Day and it is a day that marked around the world by many organizations and by those who have lost a child either during pregnancy or during the child’s infant years.

While it is not yet an official day, it is a day that is of great importance to many around Australia.

1 in every 5 recognized pregnancies end in miscarriage and it can cause overwhelming grief and sadness for the parents of the lost child.

The loss of a child so early after childbirth can also bring overwhelming grief and sadness and there is great support services for parents who face either or both of those tragedies.

One such organization that provides support is SANDS and they are for miscarriage, stillbirth and newborn death support and their website has areas on Support, Information, Professionals and Support Us.

Another organization is the NALAG Centre for Loss & Grief in Dubbo and every October 15 they have a Remembering Ceremony at their Remembering the Babies Memorial Rock Garden where parents of a lost child are offered a stone to be placed in the garden in their memory.

The ceremony is on at 6.30pm  at the NALAG Centre in Welchman Street, Dubbo and RSVP’s can be made on 02 6882 9222.

With Dubbo and other locations being so far away, it is hoped that Deniliquin will in the future have a support group of their own to help those in their time of grief.