Dementia Awareness
During Dementia Awareness Month throughout September, Alzheimer’s Australia, with support of the Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing (CHeBA) at UNSW, is calling on the community to join them in Creating a Dementia-Friendly Nation – that is, creating communities where people living with dementia are respected, valued and supported to maintain a good quality of life.
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In your own electorate of Bega there are an estimated 1560 people living with dementia. That figure is projected to increase to about 3540 by 2050.
These numbers show how essential it is that we pave the way for future generations to live in dementia-friendly communities.
Greater awareness and understanding of dementia in the community is essential to prevent the social isolation experienced by so many people following a diagnosis of dementia.
I encourage your readers to find out more by going to www.dementiafriendly.org.au
I urge all Australians to understand that small actions count and can make a significant difference to the lives of people living with dementia.
To become involved in the range of activities hosted by Alzheimer’s Australia NSW throughout September, visit www.fightdementia.org.au.
John Watkins, CEO, Alzheimer’s Australia NSW
Professor Henry Brodaty, Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing (CHeBA) and Alzheimer’s Australia NSW
Respect for cyclists
I ride my push to work to Bega everyday along the Tathra Road to keep fit and because I like riding.
I wish to thank the vast majority of road users who follow the rules and realise that cyclists have the same rights as any vehicle on the road.
I wear highly visible colours, have rear and front flashing lights (which I use in the day and at night) and I ride on the side of the road.
However, I have had several very close encounters with a local semi-trailer truck who has forgotten that I have the same right to be on the road as they do.
They have come within centimetres of hitting me.
They do not realise that I have a wife and three children at home.
I would like to remind all vehicles of the road rules and if you see a cyclist, please take care.
I would encourage the council to promote the construction of a Bega-Tathra cycle track.
There are many cyclists who use this road.
This would benefit communities, the environment children and tourists.
On behalf of all cyclists in the Bega Valley.
Name withheld
Landcare concerns
I was interested to read Neil Waterson’s comments and the loss of staff to the Bega office of Local Land Services (LLS).
The Bega LLS office coordinates a number of local Landcare Programs involving many volunteers passionate about restoring and protecting the Bega Valley natural environment.
One of the incomprehensible decisions by Mr Constance’s Federal Coalition colleagues in the May Federal Budget were the cuts of $480 million to the Landcare Program.
This has put many of the 120 Landcare groups in Mr Constance’s electorate in jeopardy and would explain the loss of some of the local staff in the Bega office.
This seems a particularly short sighted decision as Landcare is a well-established program in its 25th year of successful operation.
This decision to cut the funding to Landcare might be understandable if we were making good progress with our environmental indicators however, the latest Australian Bureau of Statistics Report 2013 – “Measuring Australia’s Progress” on the environmental indicators of threatened species, land clearance, degraded land, declining river health, loss of biodiversity and climate change, all these indicators continue to show a negative trend.
Why is this important, because if we don’t reverse the current trends, at some time in the future, there will be no natural environment or species left.
Imagine the impact of that scenario for a moment.
If you think that is bad enough, in the May budget, Mr Constance’s Coalition colleagues announced a $50million cut to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) and as from July 2014, the ABS have announced that, as a consequence of the funding cuts, the three yearly Measuring Australia’ Progress Reports will be discontinued.
So Mr Constance, are these your priorities for the Bega Valley environment?
Do you have any influence with your Federal colleagues or perhaps as Treasurer you can find the money to repair some of the damage that your Federal colleagues, including our local Federal member Mr Hendy, are inflicting on us.
R. Kingston
Bega Valley