Plan ahead for fire season
The statutory bushfire danger period has now commenced in NSW. I urge the community to assist our Rural Fire Service by doing a few simple things:
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Firstly, during the danger period permits are required for lighting a fire.
Get yours by contacting the local RFS Fire Control Centre or your local brigade.
Secondly make sure your family has a Bush Fire Survival Plan. It helps you decide what action to take in the event of fire. Adequate preparation saves lives.
The Bush Fire Survival Guide and instructions on how to make one are at www.myfireplan.com.au or contact the local Fire Control Centre.
RFS volunteers give up their time and in many cases income, to help in a crisis. Let's all do our part to help our firefighters enjoy a safe and hopefully not too busy summer.
Ken Middleton
NSW Rural Fire Service Association
Return to simple life
Having just returned from Beorg Wic, a medieval re-enactment camp near Braidwood, I am contemplating human development and consumerism.
We actually were not missing anything during the camp.
Rather, we immensely enjoyed the simple life as of 1000 years ago, dressed in wool, linen or silk, eating from wooden plates using hand-carved spoons and forged knives.
There were no plastic bottles, no Coke cans, no mobile phones, no laptops, only the odd photo camera and torch at night-time.
The freshly cooked feast from natural ingredients was so tasty and filling - lots of fun without modern take-away plates or cups.
Nobody is asking for or expecting plastic shopping bags at the market for our merchandise.
We learnt lots of ancient craft to make useful, quality items ourselves - spinning, felting, weaving, embroidery, forging, silver casting in cuttlefish skeletons, chain maille making, spoon carving, leather work and so on.
It is always sad to return to the modern world with all the gadgets, noise, plastic, polyester, food and drinks full of sugar, colours, flavours and preservatives.
Multiple benefits for every single person by living simpler include saving money and energy, reducing use and production of fossil fuels/oil, therefore our carbon footprint and keeping our environment cleaner.
It would be real action against climate change to protect our Australia for our children and future generations.
Dörte Planert
South Coast Hub coordinator for 1Millionwomen
Value your mind
October is mental health month and October 10 is World Mental health Day.
The theme this year is value your mind.
When I look at young people in our services, this has never been more important.
There is a scourge on our society at the moment. Its name is “ICE” (or crystal meth) and it is having a devastating impact on our homes, community and young people.
It is the worst drug to ever hit our streets and young people are more susceptible to its lure than others.
The drug is responsible for increasing homelessness, mental illness, family breakdowns, thoughts of suicide or self-harm among young people.
The amount of damage it does to the mental state of a young person is horrific.
No one who values their mind would ever choose to do this drug.
However, not all communities have access to an alcohol and other drug program.
Communities across Australia are calling out for more information on how to combat ice. People want to know what is on their streets, how to identify it and where to seek help.
Youth Off The Streets is committed to providing programs that help to not only to address the addiction, but to prevent it by teaching young people to value their mind.