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Good Aged Care Facilities Vital for Rural Areas

Dear Editor,

A few weeks before the latest (November 2022) fooding, you published a report on the proposed Mount Canobolas mountain bike trail, or rather objections to the proposed trail. These objections were based on the risk of loss of Aboriginal cultural heritage.

I am very sorry to see that Aboriginal cultural heritage is being used to stop the trail going ahead.

Surely the best way to preserve our natural environment is to nurture a population that appreciates it.

If this generation of Australians are excluded from its bushland, how will the next generation learn to appreciate and preserve its natural environment?

I write to argue that it is not genuine to say that the trail should not go ahead because it risks destroying Aboriginal cultural heritage.

Henry Kendall, a poet and naturalist ahead of his time, lived from the early 1840’s till the 1870’s. He wrote the poem, “The Last of his Tribe”, a poignant ode to the decline and loss of Australia’s First People. We can conclude from Kendall’s poem written in about the 1860’s that the last of tribal Aborigines were lost about then and with them died their culture.

Is it fair to say that 5 generations later we can’t allow our young people into an area that was once frequented by Aboriginal people themselves?

Surely the best way to preserve that environment from weed and feral animal incursion is to give today’s people access that they might learn to appreciate and value their natural environment. (If access is granted then surely some of those who beneft will be descendents of the tribal people who survived that clash of cultures all those years ago.)

Let the mountain bikers have their trail on Mt Canobolas!

Experts in the aged care industry have emphasised the importance of good aged care facilities in rural areas, particularly as the population continues to age and more people require these services. They have pointed out that investing in aged care in rural communities is crucial to ensure that older Australians, wherever they live, are able to live happy, healthy and fulflling lives in their later years.

In rural areas, aged care providers face unique challenges in delivering high-quality care to elderly residents who may be geographically isolated and have limited access to healthcare services. Funding may also be limited for equipment, technology, and facilities, which can impact the quality of care provided.

The myagedcare.gov.au website claims to be helping people navigate the process of fnding and assessing a potential aged care provider. The website allows people to look at reviews for various aged care facilities, and provides a star rating for each facility based on four key metrics: compliance, quality measures, resident's experience, and staf rating. While the website provides valuable information for those seeking aged care services, it is important to note that its rating system is based on a standardised set of criteria, which may not capture all the nuances of individual experiences at specifc facilities.

In Molong, the availability and access to aged care beds and services remains a concern.

The publicly funded Molong MultiPurpose Service aged care facility has not yet been assessed or rated by myagedcare.gov.au at this time, but is currently being processed like many other similar services across Australia.

Prunus Lodge in Bells Lane is a 28bed low care aged facility that has been assessed, achieving an overall 4 star rating (out of 5 stars), despite the stafng metric requiring “signifcant improvement”. The star rating is for the aged care facility - and does not include Rose Cottage Dementia Centre.

Members of the Old Fairbridgians Association will return to Molong and Orange during the weekend 3, 4, 5 March for their Biannual Reunion that was deferred from 2022.

The program includes a dinner at Orange Ex-services Club - and a special visit to the Molong Museum to view the Fairbridge Room and to catch up with locals. All are invited to attend.

Their gathering will meet for the associations Annual General Meeting on Sunday 5 March.

During their visit to Molong many will stop at the Fairbridge Children's Park to review the food damage and the work by Cabonne

Council to clean up the park, removing all the branches etc and mowing the lawns.

The OFA was formed in 1940, when the frst boys had started to leave the farm as they had turned 15. It continued with varying numbers of members as children left the farm.

In 1966 the Association was revived and a Reunion was held in Molong over the long weekend.

Since this time a Reunion has been held every two years in the Orange/ Molong area. A newsletter titled 'Follow the Founder' is sent to members twice a year.

With members now in their 70's and older it is not sure how long these reunions will continue.

by Susan Milne

Anyone who has connections with Fairbridge are welcome to visit the Museum and meet former friends of the school at the museum.

RSVP is needed to susanmilne55@gmail.com or 0400425015.

Museum General Opening Days will not be possible until the end of May after internal exhibitions and works are carried out.