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Dubbo Photo News December 7-13, 2017
7 DAYS • ANALYSIS OF THE WEEK’S NEWS Airport rain attack INCLEMENT weather claimed a more static victim over the weekend and that’s the Dubbo Regional Airport. A coordinated emergency exercise that was scheduled was postponed by organisers because police, council and senior members of Dubbo’s emergency services decided that the risk to volunteers could not be justified for exercise purposes. The exercise had been designed to test the response capabilities of local emergency services and, despite the event being postponed until next year, those in charge hastened to assure everyone that they’re aware disasters and life-threatening events can occur in any weather conditions, and that there’ll always be a suitable response.
Wet marketers, no way DUBBO’S Farmer Markets are always a glorious morning in the park behind the Visitors’ Centre when the sun’s shining, but according to Amy Cole, thank Goodness there’s a wet weather plan to locate the stalls under the RSL high-rise car park. She brought a trailer of peas in
the pod and sweet peas from Mt Canobolas this time around and says the load was all but sold. “It’s very important to have a wet weather venue. I’ve been out in the rain several times at markets and sometimes people come, sometimes they don’t, but if there’s somewhere they can go that’s undercover, they can come knowing they won’t get wet – it’s amazing,” Amy said.
Piping the post WHEN the pipes play their haunting notes of the Last Post at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra on Saturday, to commemorate the beginning of the Battle of Buna, the air to power those pipes will be expelling itself from Dubbo lungs. The city’s District Pipe
Above: Amy Cole at last weekend’s Farmer Markets in Dubbo. Right: Veteran Dubbo bagpiper David Walker will be one of 12 members of the District Pipe Band to play the Last Post at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra on Saturday. PHOTOS: DUBBO PHOTO NEWS
Band will be afforded that signal honour, according to veteran bagpiper David Walker. “Following on from Brendan Nelson’s (Director of the Australian War Memorial) visit to Dubbo back in August, where we played at the function he attended, he made a point of inviting us to come and play at the Last Post ceremony they have every afternoon at the Australian War Memorial, and that’ll be this Saturday,” Mr Walker said.
“It’ll be a pretty big day because it’s the 75th anniversary of the beginning of the Battle of Buna, which was one of the final battles on Papua New Guinea when the Australians succeeded in overcoming the Japanese and driving them out. “We’ll have about 12 of us down there – eight pipers and four drummers – so that’s a really well-balanced band. “It’s a huge honour. Usually that Last Post ceremony is overseen by
a lone piper,” he said. Congratulations and good luck. It’s great to see the variety of Dubbo excellence on display around the nation. z Send your news tips to john.ryan@panscott.com.au or 0429 452 245 txt is best z Additional reporting by Dubbo Photo News staff. John Ryan is also a councillor on Dubbo Regional Council. He writes here in his capacity as a journalist.
Over 70% of fatal crashes on country roads involve country residents. Our mates. Our families. Us. towardszero.nsw.gov.au ENIGMA.TSAVS0019/DubboWK