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The community thanks the hundreds of selfless individuals who provide hours of ongoing unpaid support to family, friends and neighbours, as we celebrate the 30th anniversary of National Carers Week. Member for the Dubbo electorate Dugald Saunders said carers go above and beyond to ensure their loved ones are best supported. “Carers look after the most vulnerable members in our community and there is no better time than Carers Week to recognise the extraordinary work they do day in, day out,” Mr Saunders said. “This year’s theme ‘Millions of Reasons to Care!’ is a testament to the hours carers in […]

Applications are now open for the 2022 NSW Government’s Local Domestic and Family Violence Committee grant program. Member for the Dubbo electorate Dugald Saunders said the program would help local domestic and family violence committees raise awareness about domestic and family violence issues in their communities. “Examples of initiatives include community awareness campaigns that reinforce messages about positive behaviours and healthy relationships,” Mr Saunders said. “Other ideas include holding events with local community groups including men’s organisations and schools to lead efforts for change. “Outreach programs to raise community awareness about support services and assistance available for victim survivors.” Local

The NSW Government today promised to support – not tax – farmers to reduce emissions and grow their businesses, ruling out imposing a methane tax on agriculture. Deputy Premier Paul Toole said a proposal by the New Zealand Government to tax farmers for agriculture emissions from 2025 would only drive up farmers’ costs without giving them the necessary support to genuinely reduce emissions. “We have a clear policy to partner with farmers to improve their productivity while reducing emissions – New Zealand Labour’s policy is the complete opposite, and has raised fears it will shrink their livestock industry and drive

Additional warning signs will be introduced around all mobile speed cameras across NSW, to enhance driver awareness of enforcement. Member for the Dubbo electorate Dugald Saunders said ensuring local roads are as safe as possible for pedestrians and motorists is an absolute priority for the NSW government. “Speed cameras play an important role in keeping commuters safe by reducing fatalities across our road network, including at high-risk areas,” Mr Saunders said. “But we have heard loud and clear from the community on this issue, so from January 1 next year, all mobile speed cameras will have portable signage placed both

Further funding is available for festivals and events that help bring people together through the NSW Government’s Stronger Together Festival and Event Grants Program. Member for the Dubbo electorate Dugald Saunders said local groups and community organisations can apply for a share of $500,000 through the program to continue hosting celebrations into 2023. “Our communities are home to so many vibrant cultures, with people from right across the globe excited to call our region home,” Mr Saunders said. “This is a wonderful opportunity to get out and about and experience the diverse cultures that make our region such an amazing

Today marks day one for 553 Higher School Certificate (HSC) students across the Dubbo electorate, with the start of the 2022 HSC written exams. The HSC written exams are a mammoth operation that will take place over the next 18 days, with a total of 75,000 students across NSW involved in more than 25,000 exam sessions. The exams start with English Paper 1, and end with Design and Technology on 4 November 2022. Students are set to receive their results and ATAR on 15 December 2022. Member for the Dubbo electorate Dugald Saunders said the Class of 2022 has worked

The children of the Dubbo electorate are being invited to let their creativity flow by helping to design local Member and Minister for Agriculture and Western NSW Dugald Saunders’ annual holiday greeting cards. Primary school students across the region are being asked to submit drawings with the theme My Country Christmas. The winning entry will take pride of place on Minister Saunders’ Christmas card which will be delivered to thousands of households across the region. The card will also be delivered to hundreds of people and organisations across NSW. “This year I want young people to show me what Christmas

More farmers across NSW will soon be swinging their gates open to visitors, thanks to a new policy that makes it easier to set up agritourism opportunities. Deputy Premier and Minister for Regional NSW Paul Toole today released the Government’s final agritourism policy aimed at helping diversified farm businesses thrive. “We’re making it cheaper and easier for our farmers to diversify their income by starting, running and growing agritourism experiences, such as farm stays, cafes, cellar doors, retreats, roadside stalls, fruit picking and small wedding venues,” Mr Toole said. “Farmers who want to innovate and share a taste of their

The NSW Government has launched two new groundbreaking projects to encourage landholders and farmers to invest in sustainable timber production as part of their land management practices. The Forest Stewardship Program and Farm Forestry Certification Pilot are the first of their kind in Australia and mark a new era in sustainably managed forestry on private land in NSW. The two programs will increase the amount of environmentally sustainable wood available on the market to help deal with the current timber supply crisis. Minister for Agriculture Dugald Saunders said the Farm Forestry Certification program will mean landholders can have their forest