Remembering our Vietnam veterans

Dear editor,

The Cobar RSL Sub Branch would like to commemorate the service of all those that served in Vietnam.

This Friday is Vietnam Veterans Day and marks the Battle of Long Tan (which took place on August 18 and 19, 1966).

This year we pause to remember those that served in the Vietnam War. The veterans of the Vietnam War were treated terribly on their return to Australia, however, Australia now honours them for their service. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the end of Australia’s involvement in the Vietnam War.

Australians honour and remember the service of some 60,000 Australian defence per- sonnel who served in Vietnam over 10 years of the war. Our initial commitment of 30 military advisers in 1962 grew to include a battalion in 1965 and a task force in 1966.

Australia’s last combat troops came home in March 1972, about three years before the war ended. Some Australians returned to Vietnam in 1975 to help with evacuations and humanitarian work during the war’s final days.

More than 500 Australians died in the war and over 3,000 Australians were evacuated with wounds, injuries or illness.

We remember everyone that served our nation in Vietnam.

Kain Neale President, Cobar Sub Branch, RSL NSW

Gold standard care for Western NSW

The Western NSW Primary Health Network (WNSW PHN) is rolling out new gold standard care in skin cancer for residents of western and far west NSW.

DermScreen technology will give residents a faster diagnosis and general practitioners will benefit from direct clinical support for skin cancer.

Cancer is one of Australia’s biggest disease burdens with Melanoma often referred to as ‘Australia’s national cancer’.

Regional, rural and remote areas experience significantly higher incidences of melanoma than major cities, and rural people experience difficulties in accessing skin cancer diagnosis, resulting in delayed presentations, especially among men.

DermScreen is delivered by dermatologists to provide rural GPs with clinical decision support for suspicious lesions of concern.

DermScreen utilises a platform to allow GPs to submit high quality clinical and dermascopic photos with an attached questionnaire to facilitate effective diagnostic and management support for potential skin cancer lesions.

CEO and Founder of DermScreen, Dr Philip Tong said the new system was created out of a need to be more innovative.

“We needed to think about how we can use technologies to support GPs and so we have developed a system that will help GPs arrive at a diagnosis faster, and support them with the next steps. Having that type of clinical decision support will potentially expedite biopsies or save a patient from having an unnecessary procedure,” Dr Tong said.

Top priced ram sells for $5,000

The top priced ram sold for $5,000 at the Nutrien Russell Cobar Annual Ram Sale last week while the second top priced lot went for just under, at $4,900.

Nutrien’s Emily Mosely reported both rams were 15-month old Dorpers bred by Nick and Mel Paggett at Winrae Dorpers in Bundarra on the NSW Northern Tablelands.

Winrae 225287 sold for $5,000 to Nutrien repeat clients, the Bullindgie Pastoral Company at Dirranbandi (Queensland) while Winrae 225291, sold for $4,900 to Alodi Dorpers at Mendooran.

The sale’s top priced White Dorper ram was African 220413 which went for $2,000 and came from the Van Niekerk family at the Dell African Dumisa stud at Moama and is heading to its new home at the Darly Pastoral Company, in Cowra.

The overall sale clearance was 56 per cent and overall average price was $2,241 with 31 of 36 head of Dorpers offered sold (averaging $2,819); 16 of the 48 head of White Dorpers sold (at an average of $1,137) and one of three Ultra Whites offered sold for $2,000.

Assault charge

Police have arrested and charged a 37 year old Cobar man with assault, malicious damage and contravening an Apprehended Violence Order (AVO).

Police were patrolling Yarran Circle around 4pm on Sunday afternoon when they sighted the man sitting in a motor vehicle.

Police were aware the man had an outstanding arrest warrant and so he was arrested and taken to Cobar Police Station.

He was refused bail and was to appear at Bourke Local Court on Monday.