MidCoast Council Meet Local Legend Star Pet Updates Graham Barclay Soxie Forster Fortnightly Your local independent community newspaper distributed fortnightly to FREE Hallidays Point, Black Head, Tallwoods Village, Tuncurry, Forster Pacific Palms, Charlotte Bay, Smiths Lake, Coomba Park, Bungwahl and Seal Rocks. Wednesday 9th June 2021 Owned and Loved by Locals Circulation 6000 N0.22 Mid North Coast buoyed by inclusive Aquatic Club at Coomba People with disability will be able to participate in aquatic training and sailing activities on the Mid North Coast with the official opening of the North Coast Inclusive Aquatic Facility at the Coomba Aquatic Club. The new complex was officially opened on Thursday 3 June by Deputy Premier and Minister for Regional NSW John Barilaro and Member for Myall Lakes, Stephen Bromhead before an audience of more than 70 people. President of the Coomba Aquatic Club, Peter Felton said that thanks to NSW Government funding of $1.3million the new Clubhouse and boat shed is the fulfillment of 30 years of fund-raising efforts. “This Clubhouse is a wonderful tribute to hundreds of hours of work by Club members since 1992, but it would not have been built without the NSW Government’s help” Mr Felton said. “Situated in a magnificent setting just metres from the waters of Wallis Lake, the facility will benefit not only club members but also the wider Great Lakes community as we will be able to hold sailing events, community functions and wedding receptions and the like.” Mr Barilaro said the facility, which includes an elevator, commercial kitchen and solar power, is the only one of its kind in the region and will lead to more participation in aquatic activities and adaptive sailing and dragon boating. “I am honoured to have officially opened Coomba Aquatic Club, which is an essential facility for national, regional, State and club disability sailing regattas.” Mr Barilaro said. for people with disability to enjoy NSW “The new clubhouse will enable sailing waterways.” regattas to operate under conditions that will “The NSW Government wants to help fund ensure safe, dignified and equitable access amenities in communities in rural and regional for all competitors as well as for carers and NSW, especially those that have helped spectators.” themselves with dedication and hard work, like “The NSW Government is proud to be a partner the community of Coomba Park.” in this project that is providing opportunities “I have not been here before today, but it really is paradise with the magnificent lake surrounded by beautiful forests.” “I will definitely be back,” Mr Barilaro said. Sailability NSW is a volunteer organisation whose mission is to facilitate and offer people with disabilities the opportunity to participate in the sport of sailing and boat usage at social, recreational and competitive levels regardless of age and level of disability. President of Sailability NSW, John Price said his organisation helped design the facility and will use it to promote the sport of sailing in the disabled Right: Member for Myall Lakes Steve Bromhead, Mayor David West, President Coomba community especially in northern NSW. Aquatic Club Peter Felton and Deputy Premier and Minister for Regional NSW Federal Stuart Silver Member John Barilaro. Secretary Coomba Aquatic Club Far Left: Sailability in action on Wallis Lake. Photo by Ian Pendon. FORSTER FORTNIGHTLY 9th June 2021 FORSTER FORTNIGHTLY 9th June 2021 Community News Page 2 Community News Page 3 Forster Fortnightly Coffee with a cop Teachers walk out Cancer screenings improve make a positive impact on Aboriginal people early detection rates The next deadline is 5pm Wednesday 16th June, to be published on in the Manning Great Lakes Police District. I would say to Aboriginal people reading this, Wednesday 23rd of June. come to our next PACC meeting in Forster (date The Australian Government We welcome your stories and letters. to be confirmed), and challenge my comments is increasing its efforts to above, to ensure I am doing more than making promote cancer screenings All submissions: www.forsterfortnightly.com.au promises in the newspaper. to support and improve outcomes for all Australians, Our commitment is to provide a newspaper that is factual, informative, and full of local I have a date for our ‘coffee with a cop’ in the including $9.7 million for a stories and community news to share. We are here to promote and support our amazing local Hallidays Point area. Local residents from the new National Bowel Cancer volunteers, community groups, sporting groups, schools, events and businesses. area are invited to the Waves Cafe, Blackhead, Screening Program awareness between 2pm-3pm Friday 18th June for a free campaign. Federal Member for Lyne Editor: Mary Yule Phone: 0413 410 492 Keir on 0439 060 700. coffee and a one-on-one chat with police. We will have, in addition to local police, our Dr David Gillespie said the Email: [email protected] Puzzles & Cartoons: Supplied by Auspac Domestic Violence Liaison Officer and Youth campaign will aim to increase Media, an Australian company with Liaison Officer in attendance, to answer any the numbers of Australians Business Hours: 9:30 - 5pm (Mon - Fri) Australian cartoons. questions you may have. A COVID Plan will be taking their free bowel cancer 2-3pm Friday 18th June test and will focus on men Graphic & Web support: Golden Age Media, in place and attendees will be asked to sign in aged 50 to 59 years, people a locally-owned business. Contact Greg Forster Fortnightly: Proud to be a family at Waves Cafe, Blackhead and hand wash on arrival. Face masks will also living in regional and remote locally-owned newspaper business. Golden on 1300 766 713. be on hand if requested. Police present will Australia, Aboriginal and Above: Minister Greg Hunt, Cancer Council CEO Tanya Buchanan Recently we had National Reconciliation Week. have a coffee voucher for you, all you need to Around 40 NSW Teachers resolved by government.” Education Sarah Mitchell to Torres Strait Islander people and Dr David Gillespie. Printed: Spotpress in Marrickville NSW, on Thank you: To Vanda Gooley and Roberta Part of the week provided myself and others do is engage with one of us. and individuals from Culturally Federation members at Great ”Government, through the respond to their real concerns sustainably sourced paper. Contact Murray Pearce for their expertise behind the scenes. to reflect on the negative impact colonisation Lakes College Forster Campus outlined below,” said John and Linguistically Diverse to 74 years, although women aged over 75 Department, has failed to staff communities. can also be screened for free. had on many Aboriginal Families in the 18th Look forward to (GLCFC) walked off the job on schools appropriately, creating Black. We acknowledge the Worimi People, the traditional custodians of the land, Century, such impact still being felt by people seeing some of Monday 31st May over the negative consequences “This situation is “Bowel cancer is one of the most common • $6.9 million in 2021-22 to establish the waterways and sky of the Worimi Nation where this newspaper is published. With today. During Reconciliation Week I had the you on the 18th. NSW Government's failure to for curriculum delivery to unacceptable. Our students cancers in Australia and is more common in feasibility of a new national lung cancer great respect we acknowledge their Elders, past, present and future. pleasure of being part of the Police Districts properly staff their school and students, student support, deserve better and the people over the age of 50. Each year, more than program, and to trial new cancer care Kind regards, other public schools in rural and work health and safety government is on notice. 15,000 cases are diagnosed, and more than nurses for lung cancer patients; and ‘Police Aboriginal Consultative Committee’ and remote parts of the state. (PACC) meetings in both Forster and Taree. I issues.” 5,000 lives are lost to bowel cancer.” Chief Inspector GLCFC members endorse the • $32.8 million with the aim of eliminating met likeminded people who want to make our John Black, Country Organiser Due to inadequate staffing, following actions to: “When detected early, however, the great cervical cancer in Australia by 2035, communities a safer place, and also provide Tony Moodie. from the NSW Teachers in Term 2 alone, GLCFC has majority (around 90%) of bowel cancers can be through the National Cervical Screening Federation (who met with • Call upon the NSW successfully treated,” Dr Gillespie said. Program (NCSP). better outcomes for Aboriginal people. I look been forced to collapse classes Government to implement Our newspaper stands are staff from GLCFC) said, “Taking on 62 occasions affecting forward to actually doing something, and action is a big deal for these the 6 key recommendations of Minister for Health and Aged Care Greg Hunt “Last month, we also held a Ministerial supporting others already doing something, to 124 classes. In addition, 63 the Gallop Inquiry and to fulfil said our Government is increasing its efforts on Roundtable with Cancer Australia, the first step teachers. They want their classes have been cancelled groaning with the weight of story told. They want the its responsibility to fully staff cancer screening to help more Australians to in the development of a visionary ten-year and placed in minimum public schools in NSW. get early treatment and beat the disease. Australian Cancer Plan,” Minister Hunt said. parents and their community supervision. That is 187 6000 free copies! to know that current classes of lost or negatively • Call on the NSW As part of the 2021-22 Budget we announced “The Plan will set out the key national priorities conditions for staff and impacted curriculum delivery Government to provide a number of measures to support our already and action areas over the next 10 years to Why jobs can’t be filled? students are not acceptable.