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EDITORIAL

  • Australia Day

Australia Day a chance to reflect on exceptional community service

In every corner of Australia, community service is placed in the spotlight on Australia Day.
People from all walks of life come together to celebrate achievement at all levels, from the presentation of Australia Day Honours to acknowledging dedication at a community level.
Narrabri Shire has no shortage of great achievers and this was evident at the presentation of local Australia Day awards on Friday morning.
The presentation of awards is a reminder of extraordinary service to the community.
This service takes many forms, through community groups, sporting clubs, achievements and just generally being a person who is both kind in spirit and with time.
There is no greater gift than giving back to the community.
That investment in time is usually returned and more, through the friendships and connections you make while rolling up your sleeves and getting to know your community in greater detail.
Australia Day also serves as a reminder of the great work community and sporting groups provide at a local level.
In towns and cities, small and large, these groups are the glue which keep communities together.
Without these organisations, important services, cultural and sporting activities our communities would be poorer.
From the volunteer firefighters who put their lives on the line to the groups which fundraise for services and facilities, every organisation and individual plays an important role in the fabric of our society.
The greatest gift you can give back to your nation is to volunteer in your community.

Jan 31, 2024

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Equity at last for conscripted National Servicemen?

When Australians were sent to the battlefield of the Vietnam War their individual terms of enlistment meant that some of them would not be awarded the Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal (RVCM).
With Anzac Day having come just before the election, both Labor and the Coalition stand to benefit from making an early announcement that under their government these veterans will now also be eligible to be awarded the RVCM.
The people concerned were mostly conscripted and, at the behest of our government, served with honour and distinction during the Vietnam War. They had spent at least 60 days but fewer than 181 days on active service in South Vietnam, when they reached the end of their term of enlistment, without having any obligation to voluntarily extend it. This meant that they did not reach the timebased ‘criteria’ to be awarded the RVCM, as did their longer-serving comrades.
As such, some 2,500 or so, mainly ex-National Service and possibly some other veterans, have been cruelly denied this Medal over many years; even in the face of overwhelming community, veteran and bi-partisan political support, including from senior members of the Australian Vietnamese Community. They were almost approved to receive this medal just before the last election; but have since again been denied it.
It was due only to government neglect that this unanticipated circumstance led to their ‘ineligibility’ for this Medal. Had the government engaged with the Republic of Vietnam at the time, there is no doubt that it would have agreed to recognise and avoid this circumstance. (Senator Paul Scarr, 2023).
Equity and fairness demand that this be fixed, but a lack of empathy and a grudging unwillingness has stood in the way of doing so for far too long. There is more than enough lawful scope to make an apolitical Determination to rectify this situation.
The election campaign gives both contender governments the opportunity to display true bi-partisanship and respect for veterans and to promise to make such a Determination as soon as they have been elected.
Let’s all call on them to do it. Lest we forget.
Bert Hoebee,
Waramanga ACT

May 2, 2025

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TOPICAL

Topical 1/5/25

‘The little town with the big heart’, Boggabri, once again staged a very successful Drovers Campfire last weekend. The weekend included a variety of entertainment, stalls, bus tours, food stalls, whip cracking, music, raffles, a dog jumping demonstration, billy boiling, art and craft displays and a colouring-in competition and this year for the first time, yabbie races were held. There was something for all ages. Narrabri Shire Council mayor Darrell Tiemens opened the campfire and welcomed visitors and praised the committee and volunteers for organising and hosting the event. The popular drawcard is on caravanners’ calendars which they look forward to coming to each year, with 171 booked in this year. The final event was a fun, trivia night on Sunday night. Next year will be Drovers Campfire’s 20th anniversary and work has already begun to make this event one to remember.

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