Opening Soon : Molong Stores

The creator of Molong’s new business (opening August/September) is Robert Carroll (right, centre) who moved to Molong from Sydney a few years ago. “I love Molong” Robbie is often heard saying to locals and visitors.

Vibrant, entrepreneurial, creative, positive - full of smiles, laughs and fun - both Robbie and ‘The Molong Stores’ will be a fabulous addition to the growing diversity of retail shops and cafes in town.

Thank you Rob for choosing Molong.

What will Rob. be selling? See next week’s Express. (Photo right) Katie Mae and Alex celebrating with Rob. (centre) at last Friday’s food and cocktail night @ Michael and Cheryn Johnson’s ‘Sweetness’ in Bank Street. (Note: Join us on Friday night from 5pm).

Tuesday morning saw the security fence go up in front of one of Bank Street’s beautiful buildings (photo above). Having seen generations of change, landlords, purposes and tenants - this wonderful building holds many a story about Molong’s history.

This generation’s owners Peter Manwaring and Lian Loke are both a popular addition to the Molong community bringing with them their creative skills from Sydney. They have also encouraged friends to come and join them. Including Rob Carroll (see photo and story below) who is currently establishing his new business - as well as artists Maya and Jacomone who have set up an arts and dance/performance residence in town.

Thank you to Pete and Lian for choosing Molong.

Next Week: The building’s history and future role

Enrol to vote in the 2021 Cabonne Local Government Election

The Local Government Election will be held in Cabonne on Saturday, 4 September 2021. Voting in Local Government elections is compulsory for all voters included on the residential roll.

Residential Roll

All electors enrolled on the NSW State electoral roll as at 6pm Monday, 26 July 2021 residing in the Cabonne local government area will be included on the residential roll for the election.

To update your enrolment details online or to obtain a residential enrolment form visit www. aec.gov.au or call 13 23 26. Enrolment forms must be received by 6pm Monday, 26 July 2021.

Non-residential Rolls

If you are an owner, rate-paying lessee or occupier of rateable land which is not your primary residence, you (or a nominee) may be entitled to be enrolled on the roll of non-residential owners of rateable land, or the roll of occupiers and ratepaying lessees for this election.

Details of the eligibility criteria and enrolment claim forms may be obtained from Council’s Website: www.cabonne.nsw.gov.au/Local-GovernmentElections#section-10

The claim must be completed and lodged with the General Manager of Cabonne by 6pm Monday, 26 July 2021.

If a claim for non-residential enrolment was made for a previous election, contact the council to check your claim is still current.

If you need to update your details, please contact Council’s Governance Officer on 6392 3200.

Shadow Minister for Local Government, Greg Warren, has again called on the Minister for Local Government, Shelley Hancock, to urgently outline plans for voting at the upcoming local government elections, due to be held on September 4.

The Minister recently said anyone who ‘reasonably believes attending a polling place on election day will pose a risk to the health of safety of a person or another person’ would be able to vote via post.

The Minister also confirmed iVote will be rolled out for the first time during a local government election for vulnerable voters and those with disabilities.

However, Mr Warren said given the current concerns with COVID-19, all voters regardless of reasoning or location, should have access to alternative means of voting.

“People shouldn’t be pressured about their reasons for wanting to cast a vote via alternative means,” Mr Warren said.

“Fear levels should not be used a means test to decide whether you are eligible for postal or online voting.”

Mr Warren also called on the Minister to guarantee the iVote system would not compromised and ensure the integrity of the process given previous concerns with the system.

“There has been plenty of time for this government to develop and test measures to ensure local government elections can go off without a hitch in September,” he said.

Mr Warren urged the Minister to consider further alternatives to ensure voters could safely cast their vote at the ballot box, including: extending the number of days prepolling was open and exploring a ‘book in advance method’.

“Opening polling booths for longer or allowing people to register a time to vote in advance could ensure people are able to cast their vote at a ballot box while limiting the number of people gathering at polling booths at the one time,” he said.

“There may be an extra cost involved but surely this government now knows it can’t put a price on the health and wellbeing of NSW residents.

“The Minister has less than eight weeks to develop alternatives to make sure local government elections can proceed as planned and safely.”

Farmers need support, not dress-ups, to reap benefits of climate action

It’s not enough to don Akubras and RM Williams boots, politicians must represent the interests of rural and regional Australians, according to Farmers for Climate Action.

That starts with helping the bush reap the benefits of a transition to a low carbon economy, the group says in response to Barnaby Joyce being re-appointed leader of the Federal Nationals.

Mr Joyce has replaced Michael McCormack as deputy prime minister-designate after a leadership spill was moved by Senator Matt Canavan this morning at a Nationals meeting.

Farmers for Climate Action CEO Fiona Davis said: “Farmers are tired of politicians arguing about climate change when instead we could be reaping the benefits of a low carbon economy.

“The cost of inaction on climate for farmers is huge, including the EU currently drafting legislation that will penalise Australia’s farmers over climate inaction. On the flipside, regional communities stand to benefit greatly from climate action.

“We call on the new leader of the Nationals, a party that claims to represent regional Australia and farmers, to put aside party differences and urgently back a transition to a low carbon economy.

Kaniva farmer, and Farmers for Climate Action supporter, Steve Hobbs said: “Australia has everything it needs to act swiftly and decisively to help avert climate catastrophe, and for rural and regional communities to prosper in a global clean economy.

Minister must ensure local government elections are safe and accessible

Centrelink: Give us information pensioners, or else!

According to the Combined Pensioners and Superannuants Association (CPSA) CENTRELINK likes people to go online if they need to report something, so for Centrelink to direct pensioners to call them on a special number might be called good news. Except it isn’t.

Late last year, the CPSA started receiving complaints from pensioners about a letter or text message they received from Centrelink telling them to report their income every fortnight.

From December 2020, new income

“Over the next 30 years we are going to spend an estimated $1 trillion on our electricity system, which opens up massive economic opportunities for our regional areas. With support, farmers and their communities can also benefit from biodiversity stewardship, sequestering carbon in trees and soil, hosting renewables, and more.

“The time for political in-fighting and delays is over. Together we must rise to the challenges of a changing climate and identify solutions to safeguard and strengthen our agricultural sector.” reporting arrangements apply to all social security payments. These arrangements are designed mainly for employment income, but also apply to income like rent from an investment property, foreign pensions and any other income that is not deemed income.

Previously, pensioners didn’t need to report fortnightly if their non-deemed income was steady. Now they do.

Centrelink being Centrelink, it can’t be polite about it. It demands and threatens pensioners their pension will be stopped if they don’t report on time. Every fortnight. If you forget, your next pension payment doesn’t arrive until you have made your report.

It’s been a shock to pensioners.

One pensioner who contacted CPSA described it thus:

As directed, I called them on the Friday and reported my income. During this conversation I was told I had to continue to report my income fortnightly. I called in again the next Friday by mistake, then missed calling on the next Friday when I should have as I had in mind two weeks from my last call. When I logged into my bank account over the weekend to pay a bill, I noted my pension payment had not been made. My wife also checked her account and confirmed she also had not received her pension.

Reporting can also be done online, but the same threat of withholding pension payments applies.

CPSA received similar reports from pensioners with superannuation pensions. Details had to be reported only once, not fortnightly, but again this requirement was framed as a demand and backed-up by a threat of stopping pension payments.

One pensioner reported that they received a letter two days before Christmas, saying: If you do not give us this information by 6 January 2021, your payment may be stopped.

Wouldn’t you think that Centrelink had learnt some manners after the Robodebt debacle?

They clearly haven’t.