Monday, 29 September is National Police Remembrance Day, also observed as Blue Ribbon Day, a moment for our community to reflect on the dedication and sacrifice of police officers who have lost their lives in service.
This day is especially poignant for our region following the tragic deaths of Detective Leading Senior Constable Neal Thompson and Senior Constable Vadim de Waart-Hottart.
Their commitment to keeping Victorians safe will always be remembered.
Across the state, as well as locally, services will honour the bravery of police.
I want to acknowledge the tireless work of our local police officers, whose daily efforts protect our communities and deserve our gratitude and respect.
Latest Stories
On Blue Ribbon Day, we pause to honour the fallen, support those who serve, and recognise the vital role our police play in keeping our communities safe.
Tim McCurdy, Nationals MP for Ovens Valley
Pool owners be prepared before summer
As the warmer months approach, Royal Life Saving Australia is urging all backyard pool owners to check their pool fences and gates as a matter of urgency.
It is vital to save lives.
Children under five are very curious, quick, and fearless.
Their love of water puts them at a very serious risk of drowning.
Each year in Australia, we lose on average 19 young children to drowning, with half of these tragedies occurring in backyard swimming pools.
The majority are aged just one year old.
The risk of drowning triples at this age when children become more mobile.
We should all be deeply concerned.
For every child who dies, around eight more are hospitalised following a non-fatal drowning incident - this is over 150 children under five every year.
Some of these children will experience long-term health outcomes, which can have life-long impacts on children and their families.
This is extremely alarming.
While active supervision is always the best protection, no parent or caregiver can watch a child every second of the day.
A functioning, compliant pool fence and self-closing, self-latching gate provides a vital extra layer of protection - for those everyday moments when life interrupts: the phone rings, the doorbell goes, or another child needs your attention.
Royal Life Saving’s free Home Pool Safety Checklist can easily be downloaded at www.royallifesaving.com.au/keepwatch.
Pool owners should always check that wet weather hasn’t loosened fence posts, gates are working and close properly, toys are packed away, and portable pools are emptied when not in use. Just as important, brushing up on CPR skills ahead of summer could well save a life.
By taking the time now to check your pool fence, gate and surrounds - making sure there are no climbable objects nearby - you could prevent a tragedy.
Keep Watch and protect the littlest members of your family.
Justin Scarr, CEO Royal Life Saving Australia
Labor cuts support for workers
Regional Victorians are being abandoned by the Allan Labor Government, with vital employment services cut while communities are reeling from major job losses.
The Local Employment Transition Service (LETS), a program within Jobs Victoria designed to help workers and businesses through the process of retrenchment, has been dissolved after losing government funding.
The decision is another cruel blow for regional Victorians.
LETS was a lifeline for people who had lost their jobs, helping them retrain, connect with local opportunities, and get back into work.
Now, when business closures are hitting our region harder than ever, Labor has cut the very program designed to support people during tough times.
Workforce Australia Local Jobs in the Goulburn Murray region has stepped up to provide support, but they should never have been forced to fill a gap left by government cuts.
This comes on top of the collapse of the lucrative Benalla munitions deal, which has cost our region over 500 jobs.
Government decisions are directly responsible for so many of these job losses, and now they’re cutting the very support services that help workers pick up the pieces.
Adding to the pain, regional development funding has been slashed by 17 per cent in the latest State Budget – from $296.7 million to $245.6 million.
These are massive cuts that will only make it harder for country communities to recover,.
Instead of investing in our people, Labor is walking away from them.
Annabelle Cleeland, Nationals’ MP for Euroa
