We would also like to thank a few small businesses that donated resources to our raffle hampers.

They were Leilani Steiner from Body Shop, Amanda Collins and Alison Maher from Scentsy, Nicole Wilkinson From Jamberry and doTERRA, Sheree Collins from Lorraine Lea Linen, Mini Misfit, the Leeton Tourist Supermarket, Angie’s Beauty Salon for a voucher and Daljit Singh and Parwinder Kaur for the voucher to the Curry House.

Thank you to everyone that also donated. 

Leeton Goodstart Early Learning Centre 

A NEW report just released has found that the number of people with dementia in Australia has soared to more than 400,000 - that’s one new case every six minutes – with an estimated cost to the community of more than $14 billion this year alone. 

If nothing is done to reduce the incidence of dementia, the cost will blow out to more than $18 billion by 2025, in today’s dollars, and more than double to $36 billion in less than 40 years as the number of people with dementia soars to an estimated 536,000 people by 2025 and a staggering 1.1 million people by 2056. 

In NSW, there is an estimated 138,700 people with dementia in 2017, which is expected to cost $4.7 billion this year. 

Dementia is one of the major chronic diseases of this century. It is already the second leading cause of death in Australia and we know that the impact is far reaching.

In the Cootamundra and Murray state electorates there is estimated to be 3650 people living with dementia, which is expected to increase to an estimated 4450 people by 2025 and 7050 by 2056.

The time for action is now.

Dementia can be a confronting, isolating, confusing and difficult disease to live with.

But your readers living with dementia are not alone.

We encourage your readers who have a diagnosis of dementia to contact Alzheimer’s Australia on the National Dementia Helpline on 1800 100 500. 

Our professional and compassionate staff can provide free advice and support for how to manage now and into the future. 

John Watkins

CEO

Alzheimer's Australia NSW

SOUTHERN NSW grain growers are urged to be on alert for increased mouse activity, with economic damage at sowing expected in some areas.

Recent monitoring efforts funded by the Grains Research and Development Corporation indicate mice numbers are on the rise in the southern region of the state, fuelled by ample food and cover following last year’s bumper harvest.

It is likely populations will continue to increase in the lead-up to the sowing of this year’s winter crops.

Growers need to be on the lookout for evidence of mouse activity in their own paddocks.

To look for active burrows, I suggest farmers walk about 30 metres in from the edge of the paddock and set a 100 metre (one metre wide) transect through a crop, following the furrows.

They should walk slowly along the transect scanning for evidence of mouse burrows, taking note of any burrow that looks active and recording the number of burrows per 100 metre transect, and then repeat across two or four transects.

If there are more than two to three active burrows per 100 metres, then they have a mouse problem.”

Corn flour can be used to mark potentially active burrows, but the transect should be inspected the next day for signs of activity.

Steve Henry

CSIRO researcher