Phone 5862 1034 – Fax 5862 2668 – Email - Editorial: [email protected] - Advertising: [email protected] – Registered by Australia Post – Publication No. VA 1548 established 1895 LEADER NumurkahWEDNESDAY, JANUARY 29, 2020 $1.30 INSIDE Our top citizen See story page 3 Numurkah’s newest Aussies ...Teruko Smith, Srisoi Praphasiri, Runsip Morris, Amy Paisley, Glen Gamble, Edith Gamble and William Gamble were all excited to take the pledge of citizenship. See story page 6. New Aussies add Community generosity strength to Moira Shire See story page 5 Cause of water issues a mystery NUMURKAH and Wunghnu residents have ly, one reason for the delay in fresh smelling and in the next week - people will experience the ef- had two very simple questions about their water tasting water coming out of local taps is the recent fects of the treatment we’ve been doing here. the past couple of weeks - what is causing it to rain. As for question number one, despite extensive smell and taste funny, and when will it go back to “When people turn on the tap in Numurkah analysis of the water at the storage and treatment normal? or Wunghnu, the water comes from the stor- plant, there is no way to be completely sure about To answer the second question first, hopeful- age tanks and towers in those places, which is what caused the issue. ly, by the time you are reading this the taste and pumped from the storage facility for bulk use by GVW manager of water quality Mark Putman smell of our water should be back to normal. residents,” he said. said the incident could have been triggered by any Goulburn Valley Water (GVW) first received a “Because of the recent rain, people have been number of things. report of an unpleasant taste and smell to local using less water for things like gardening so those “There has obviously been some environmental water on January 8, and reports have continued reserves have been sitting there a bit longer and change that has triggered this, but we haven’t been Ross from customers over the past two weeks. the water from the plant is taking a bit longer to able to pinpoint what it might be,” he said. As of last Friday, the water at the treatment get through the system. “We test for what we call an MIB GEOSMIN plant, as sampled by yours truly, smelled and tast- “We’ve definitely improved the quality, but it release, which would explain the variation in taste awarded ed fine - if a little on the chlorinated side. will take a little bit of time to get through to peo- and smell, but there hasn’t been any detected. GVW processing water quality specialist Steve ple’s taps. Newham told the Leader that, somewhat ironical- “When those reserves are used up - some time Continued page 4 See story page 9 www.numurkahleader.net.au 2 — NumurkahLEADER, Wednesday, January 29, 2020 Blacking out ... Katunga, PETER COX & SONS Numurkah, Waaia and Yarroweyah FUNERALDIRECTORS brigades made sure the grass fire Professional service tailored to your needs at Picola was all the way out. Locally owned & operated 24 hours - 7 days a week Funeral calls and information Cnr5862 Meiklejohn &3047 Quinn Streets ACCREDITED MEMBER OF THE AUSTRALIAN FUNERAL DIRECTORS ASSOCIATION Meals on Wheels Roster Rnd 1 Rnd 2 Rnd 3 J. & H. A. Cook M. Ford 3/2 Pickersgill D. Roughsedge R. & P. Hall Belmore W. Gapes 4/2 Accountants L. Decker M. McNamara R. & G. 5/2 V. Dickinson & Co. Chessells S. Kennedy E. Adams M. Caccianiga 6/2 L. Watson J. Brandreth L. & M. J. Stanyer 7/2 Mitchell Coordinator – MHA Care Phone 5742 1111 COME AND SEE US FOR ALL YOUR Busy week for local brigades LOCAL CFA brigades have been kept busy sponded to a report of a bonfire, one kilometre body was injured. over the past week, with eight call outs. west of the railway crossing at Pump Bend Track, At 10.10am the following day, Tuesday, Jan- Two of the calls were particularly concerning Koonoomoo. uary 21, Numurkah brigade responded to an given they occurred last Wednesday, January 22, The fire turned out to be a legal camp fire, alarm at Numurkah District Health Service, which was a day of total fire ban. which are permitted on the Victorian side of the which was triggered by cooking in the Karinya The first of those came at 3.20pm, and saw river, as long as it is not a day of total fire ban. activities room. PRINTING Katunga, Numurkah, Waaia and Yarroweyah Camp fires are not allowed in NSW on any day At 4.05pm that afternoon, Yarroweyah brigade CALENDARS brigades responding to a grass fire at Katunga/ during the fire danger period. was called to perform a wash away at the corner Picola Road, Katunga, between the GV Highway At 4.55am on Monday, January 20, Naring bri- of the Goulburn Valley and Murray Valley High- and Shinnucks Road. gade was called to perform a wash away after a ways, Yarroweyah. POSTERS UP TO A1 Fortunately, it was small fire alongside an ir- car and a utility collided on Katamatite/Nathalia A fuel cap on a truck had not been tightened, rigation channel beside a ploughed paddock Road, Numurkah, between Labuan and Gor- and a small amount of diesel spilled as the vehi- which stopped the fire from spreading. The fire dons Roads. cle left the road house. The fire brigade was not PROMOTIONAL burnt about 120 x 20 metres. Police attended the scene, and fortunately no- required. At 8.30 that night, Numurkah, Katunga, Wunghnu, Tallygaroopna and Waaia brigades PRODUCTS were called to a grass and scrub fire on the east side of the creek behind the poultry shed at Nu- murkah showgrounds. FLYERS Strong winds had blown a tree against power lines, causing a spark that started the fire, burn- BUSINESS CARDS ing around 100 square metres of grass and leaf litter under the trees. At 1.25am on Friday, Wunghnu and Sheppar- MENUS ton brigades were turned out to support Tallyga- roopna at a grass and scrub fire at Aldinga Drive, Bunbartha. VOUCHERS The fire was a vehicle that had been torched; also burning about 200 square metres grass and scrub. BOOKS AND MAGAZINES On Saturday afternoon, at 3.10pm, Numurkah brigade was called to assist Nathalia at a struc- Fire at the showgrounds ture on Robertson Street, between Katamatite/ ... A tree falling onto a power Small numbers of anything Nathalia Road and Manifold Street, where solar line caused a spark that panels were observed to be smoking. Numurkah ignited grass and leaf litter. Ph. 5862 1034 was stopped enroute. NumurkahLEADER 88 Melville St, Numurkah At 8.55pm that night, Yarroweyah brigade re- Find us on POLICE BEAT Bad behaviour all round RECENT weeks have seen police across the shed at a property on the GV Highway overnight Other recent crimes within Numurkah town- district kept busy, with a range of illegal behav- on January 24, and the theft of a grey 2007 Toy- ship include the theft of a Waeco car fridge and facebook.com/ iour on display. ota from a property at Allerts Road overnight on power tools from the rear of a ute parked in Vic- A brazen thief was busy last Thursday, January Sunday. toria St overnight on January 21, and windows Numurkah NumurkahLeader/ LEADER 23, starting the day by stealing a Nissan Patrol The Landcruiser’s registration is 1DR 8GQ. being smashed at the Masonic Lodge between @NumurkahLeader and trailer from a property on Butts Rd, Katun- Routine patrolling by Numurkah police on January 18 and 22. ga, while the owner was inside eating breakfast. Sunday night netted a high-range drink driver, Meanwhile in Nathalia, storage containers The ehiclev was located in Wunghnu a short after police observed a ute being driven errati- have been targeted in two separate incidents. Numurkah Leader is time later. cally at around 11pm. Some time between January 3 and 23 a con- bound by the Standards The same thief is believed to also be linked to An evidenciary breath test of the male driver verted storage container on Stewarts Bridge of Practice of the a theft from motor vehicle outside a business on recorded a reading of 0.244, with officers dis- Road was broken into, and towels, blankets and Australian Press Tyack Street, Numurkah. covering that the man was also driving on an a camping chair were stolen. Council. If you believe The vehicle was waiting to be serviced when expired licence. Two locked storage containers on a remote the Standards may have been breached, the window was smashed and the contents rum- The man’s vehicle was impounded, with a re- property on Yalca Church Road also had their you may approach the newspaper maged through. The offender was seen driving a covery cost of $1,240, and his licence was imme- locks removed and were entered and searched itself or contact the Council by email black CRV. diately suspended for 12 months. The driver will between January 17 and 24. ([email protected]) or by phone The Butts Road theft was one of a number of be summonsed to appear before a magistrate on A Sunshine farm gate was stolen from a Katun- ([02] 9261 1930). For further information recent vehicle thefts from Katunga, including charges of erratic driving, drink driving and un- ga-Picola Rd property between January 17 and see www.presscouncil.org.au. the theft of an Arctic Cat 700 ATV from a locked licensed driving at a later date.