Our local public schools collectively would lose millions of dollars if the Turnbull budget plan is not blocked.

Public schools in the Riverina cannot afford to lose any of the agreed funding allocation set out in the Federal-NSW Schools Funding Agreement.

Our message to all NSW Senators is to vote down the Turnbull government schools funding package that would slash money to all our local public primary and high schools. We must retain the full gonski.

These are millions of dollars of much needed and agreed resources that are being withheld from our schools.

This budget is a clear indication of what poor priorities the government has.

Michael McCormack and his fellow Nationals need to explain why regional communities like the Riverina should miss out on millions of dollars of much-needed funding for schools, our children and our future, while they can find a lazy 15 billion dollars for businesses tax cuts.

We call on Mr McCormack and The Nationals to stand up for our communities, withdraw their support for the reduced funding for schools in the budget, and insist that education and our future be appropriately valued.

Riverina Greens

A BRAND new initiative is providing Leeton shire residents a way to recognise and thank their local emergency services workers and volunteers.

Find my Hero Australia, has been developed by Emergency Services Health, Australia’s only private health insurer exclusively for the emergency services community to support the mental health and wellbeing of emergency services workers and volunteers who put their own safety, health and even their lives on the line to protect our people and communities.

By enlisting help from people in the community via social media our brave men and women can be identified and located to ensure messages of thanks will find their way to those individuals to make a positive impact on their mental health and wellbeing.

Giving and receiving thanks has positive impacts for both people who have been rescued or helped, and emergency responders. We’ve already seen people be reconnected with their heroes and it’s been valuable experience for all involved.

There is a significant amount of research which shows that being thanked makes people feel valued and aids their future performance of selfless acts. Gratitude is also linked to reducing depression, better sleep, improving self-esteem, and strengthening our ability to cope with adversity. 

Emergency responders are there at our most desperate times, but it’s often not possible for the people they serve to share their appreciation and thanks in these situations where time and urgency is vital.

Closure can be crucial to ongoing performance, wellbeing and happiness for emergency responders, but it’s not always possible to know the outcome of accidents and emergency situations.

Significant emergency and crisis situations, such as major floods and fires, have also shown how giving thanks can be healing for communities. Expressing thanks and gratitude offers emotional engagement, whether it’s sharing a thank you message via social media, putting a sign on a road or writing a letter. To find a local hero, visit the Find my Hero Australia Facebook page at Facebook.com/FindmyHeroAU and use the hashtag #FindmyHeroAU with your story or message of thanks.  

Michael Oertel

CEO

Emergency Services Health