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Women are being reminded to book important health check-ups to take care of their physical and mental health during Women’s Health Week (5-11 September). Member for the Dubbo electorate Dugald Saunders said women may have delayed or avoided appointments during the COVID-19 pandemic, but they should now take the time to focus on their health and wellbeing. “We know women have been under greater stress during the pandemic, with increased pressures on their work, home and social life potentially taking a toll on their mental and physical health,” Mr Saunders said. “Women need to make their health a priority this

The development of the Central West-Orana Renewable Energy Zone (CWO REZ) has reached a major milestone with the opening of EnergyCo’s local office in Dubbo. Member for the Dubbo electorate Dugald Saunders was joined by EnergyCo Chief Executive James Hay and Dubbo Regional Council Mayor Mathew Dickerson to officially open the office, which will serve as the home base for EnergyCo, the organisation coordinating the delivery of the state’s five Renewable Energy Zones. “This REZ was the first to be formally declared in Australia, meaning our region has the chance to lead the way in, and really benefit from, our

Older people living across the Dubbo electorate are encouraged to check for any unclaimed money owed to them by using Revenue NSW’s online unclaimed money service. Member for the Dubbo electorate Dugald Saunders said anyone can check for unclaimed money on the Revenue NSW website. “It is a free service offered by the NSW Government to get money back in the hands of its owners,” Mr Saunders said. “The forgotten money held by Revenue NSW includes share dividends, trust accounts, refunds, commissions, deceased estates and money from a range of other sources. “Claiming money can ease the cost-of-living pressures seniors

A mass migration of more than 90 beekeepers and their 80,000 hives have moved to Griffith to help pollinate the State’s $500 million almond crop as new measures roll out to protect the industry from Varroa mite. Minister for Agriculture Dugald Saunders said the NSW Government acted early to contain the spread of Varroa mite while allowing the industry to keep moving. “This time each year, thousands upon thousands of bees are needed to pollinate almond trees – so it’s critical we’ve allowed bee movements with the right safeguards in place to mitigate the risk of Varroa,” Mr Saunders said.

An innovative program that’s already helping to address the teaching shortage in regional NSW has received a much-needed boost from the NSW Government. Member for the Dubbo electorate Dugald Saunders said Charles Sturt University (CSU), along with TAFE NSW and Regional Development Australia (RDA) Orana, is one of four partnerships to receive a share of the $1.75 million NSW Government Collaboration and Innovation Fund for its project, Collaborative Teachers Aide Pathway. “These grants will help break down barriers that impact people in our community who want to study at our world class universities,” Mr Saunders said. “The Teachers Aide Pathway

The annual ‘Wellington Wombats’ cave rescue training program has returned after a two-year hiatus, with more than 150 New South Wales State Emergency Service (SES) volunteers descending on the Wellington Caves last weekend. Member for the Dubbo electorate Dugald Saunders visited SES volunteers as they practiced carrying out tricky rescues in complex cave systems. “It is crucially important our volunteer emergency service personnel are able to train and test themselves in real-world environments to ensure they have the appropriate skills,” Mr Saunders said. “Training events like this show how dedicated SES volunteers are to making sure they are able to

The Rural Crime Prevention Team will today re-launch Operation Stock Check, an ongoing and proactive operation to prevent livestock theft by disrupting the movement of stolen stock throughout NSW. Operation Stock Check was initially launched in August 2020, and allows officers of all ranks to inspect vehicles carrying livestock to identify and target loads which may have been stolen. Livestock theft has a significant impact on farmers across the state, with over $8.5 million worth of cattle and sheep reported stolen in the past two years alone. Commencing today (Monday, 22 August 2022), officers throughout the State will be increasing

A $65 million investment to bolster the NSW Government’s biosecurity measures will fast-track the development of  vaccines against Foot and Mouth (FMD) and Lumpy Skin Disease and help position NSW as leaders in the fight against exotic animal diseases. Deputy Premier and Minister for Regional NSW Paul Toole said the goal was to develop mRNA synthetic vaccines for both FMD and Lumpy Skin, a game changer for NSW farmers. “Current FMD vaccines are made using the virus itself, meaning even vaccinated animals have to be destroyed for Australia to regain our FMD-free status following an outbreak,” Mr Toole said.  “The