Cobar Memorial Services Club 2 Marshall St | 6836 2102 cobarrsl@bigpond.com
FRIDAY AT THE CLUB BINGO IS BACK + RAFFLES
Weekend RAFFLES Saturday 3.30pm Meat Trays & Hot Chooks Sunday 1pm
Punter’s Club: Besty & Robbo to bet
News
Call for changes to FBT benefits
Cr Jarrod Marsden is calling on Cobar workforce strategy to be more residentially Shire Council to reconsider a previously based,” Cr Marsden said. passed motion asking for council to lobby He said in the 1990s the Howard Governthe Federal Government to change fringe ment introduced tax incentives in the form of benefits tax (FBT) rules and concessions. FBT credits which were originally aimed at The credits relate to Fly-In/Fly-Out and off-shore oil rig workers which have been Drive-In/Drive Out workers. slowly broadened to include all businesses. “CSC has already passed a motion support- “This caused a massive shift in how busiing the approach, but it hasn’t been further nesses operate, especially in rural and semiactioned,” Cr Marsden said. remote regions such as Cobar and Broken “The change would see any businesses who Hill. operate within a safe driving distance of a “The FIFO/DIDO shift is unequivocally and town or city that is capable of sustaining their undeniably bad for the fabric and prosperity of workforce become ineligible for FBT credits rural towns such as Cobar,” Cr Marsden said. for FIFO and DIDO workers, but instead “This change represents an opportunity to would be entitled to FBT credits for expenses move back towards a higher percentage of related to housing said workforce residentially residential workers without any impact to (rates, water, power, rent etc). business or government, but would be a huge “This change is aimed at a net zero impact/ win for towns such as Cobar.” change to both business spending and the Cr Marsden’s Notice of Motion will go to government bottom line, but the change next week’s Ordinary Council Meeting for should encourage businesses to re-think their discussion.
A little rain welcomed by local residents
There hasn’t been much rain to speak of The thermometer dipped back down to 20.3 over the past month and so the 7.2mm that on Sunday while Monday’s top was slightly fell in the Bureau of Meteorology’s gauge warmer at 22.8. on Saturday night/Sunday morning was The Bureau is not predicting any rain for the very welcomed by locals. week ahead and expects temperatures will Cobar’s total rainfall so far this year is remain mild and close to the average for this 119mm according to the Bureau’s figures. time of year (25.4 degrees). Daytime temperatures over the past week A top of 26 is forecast for today, tomorrow were varied with a warm 28.7 degrees record- is expected to reach 25 degrees while Friday ed last Wednesday before the mercury and Saturday should be mostly sunny with 26 dropped almost 10 degrees to a much cooler predicted for both days. 18.8 degrees on Thursday. Sunday and Monday may be slightly warmer Friday’s top temperature was 27.5 while with 27 the expected top daytime temperature Saturday was 26.2 degrees. for both days.
Page 8 The Cobar Weekly Wednesday April 19, 2023
