Community & Business
6 June, 2024
The 2024 CWA of NSW Conference at Coffs Harbour
Reducing crime and improving medical care for rural and remote communities were prominent on the agenda as more than 700 members and delegates from across the state gathered at the recent CWA State Conference at Coffs Harbour.
By Jennifer Milligan
After the opening of conference formalities were completed, the debating of motions began. There was no controversy around the first agenda item - an urgent motion on measures to help counter rising rates of domestic and family violence, which passed unanimously.
Joy Beames, President of the CWA of NSW, told the press that the CWA would be strongly advocating for urgent and meaningful action - including a prioritisation of sustainable funding models for front-line support services and the establishment of a real-time system to record, track and share information on domestic and family violence perpetrators across systems and jurisdictions.
Speaking about members’ concerns over increasing rates of crime in rural and regional locations, Mrs Beames said this was reflected in several motions that came before the conference, including one seeking urgent and immediate action to establish 24-hour policing in all larger regional, rural and remote shires.
The conference hosted a rural and regional crime panel, and speakers included Cr Jamie Chaffey, Chairman of the Country Mayors Association of NSW and Mayor of Gunnedah Shire Council; Peter Price, CEO, Crime Stoppers NSW; and Adam DeMamiel, Co-Founder, CEO and Director of Boys to the Bush.
Mrs Beames said the discussion: “Reinforced the need for ongoing advocacy for country communities that are experiencing a real crisis when it comes to crime rates and impacts on victims.”
Many motions focused on health and education - including one calling on the Federal Government to adopt recommendations made by the 2023 Senate Inquiry into the barriers to consistent, timely and best practice assessment of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and support services for children, adolescents and adults with ADHD and/or autism. The Inquiry emphasised the issue of insufficient services in rural, regional and remote areas.
Delegates shared stories about children not being picked up by the system for years, leading to significant delays in their whole development.
“A lack of access to medical services means it is taking up to four years to get treatment. By then, it is often too late, and the situation has become out of hand,” explained Mrs Beames.
Other motions debated covered education, health, the environment, law and order, transport and telecommunications.
Delegates endorsed more than 25 motions to help determine the CWA’s future policy direction.
Motions carried at this year’s CWA Conference include advocacy on:
Additional funding for local councils for the maintenance, repair and upgrade of school bus routes.
Funding support or rental subsidies for educators working in early childhood centres in remote, rural and regional locations and the continuation and extension of the Preschool Drive Subsidy Pilot Program for remote families.
The Federal Government to urgently do more on ADHD diagnosis and treatment in regional and remote communities.
The provision of adequate funding for licenced teachers to provide swimming and water safety skills lessons to primary school students.
The banning of heading of the football by children under the age of 16 when training or playing football and promoting education around the effects of concussion and sub-concussion in sport.
A review of Triple Zero call centre procedures / tools to help with the determination of the locations of callers.
A transparent, publicly-available water ownership register and the mandatory registration of elected Members’ interest and foreign investment in water.
Urgent action around bush fire mitigation and management of government-controlled land.
A reduction in the minimum eligible age to take part in the free National Bowel Cancer Screening Program to at least 45.
The addition or retrofitting of public toilets with adult disabled changing facilities.
Ways of supporting providers of affordable accommodation in NSW for the growing number of homeless older women, particularly in regional, rural and remote areas.
Scones did not go unmentioned at the conference as delegates witnessed the Show
Catering Committee chair Donna Robertson presented a cheque for $150,000 to CWA of NSW president Joy Beames.
This was money raised from our Tea Room at the Sydney Royal Easter Show to help support CWA community programs.
Another cheque was handed to representatives of Professor Pradeep Tanwar and his team researching ovarian cancer.
Since 1987 funding medical research has been a commitment, and this year CWA members across NSW, including the Nyngan Branch, contributed a record $52,087.73 to support the chosen recipients.