PICTURE OF THE MONTH: Year 7 student Sebastian Leitch is guided in the art of basket weaving by Liticia Ross (left) and Roz White as part of Deni High School’s new ‘culture’ classes. The school partnered with Yarkuwa Indigenous Knowledge Centre and the Deniliquin Local Aboriginal Land Council to deliver the first of its kind program.
This is what made headlines in the Pastoral Times in February 2021.
■ ‘Boom time’ – A boom unlike any seen in recent history was starting to emerge in the local real estate market. Very few homes were on the market after a steady and significant increase in sales, resulting in waiting lists of interested buyers.
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■ ‘Not adequate: Inquiry submissions paint an unhealthy picture’ – A submission from the Deniliquin Health Action Group to an inquiry into health outcomes and access to health in rural and regional NSW indicated that health services in Deni were not adequate to meet the needs of the district community. It outlined that residents were having to travel ‘‘hundreds of kilometres’’ to access medical care.
■ ‘Land release' – More highly sought after residential land was earmarked for release, with Edward River Council close to going to the public on designs for its retirement living complex and Elders Residential (now Ray White) getting ready to launch blocks in the south east of Deniliquin. Elders had been working on making the eight blocks available for at least three years.
■ ‘Media banned’ – The Pastoral Times and other media outlets were banned from Facebook, in response to the Federal Government’s media code that would force major tech companies to pay Australian news outlets for content. Non-media companies were also caught up in the stoush, with Edward River and Murray River councils also hidden from view until protests saw the error rectified.
■ ‘Jobs aplenty ... but few applicants’ – More than 70 job vacancies existed in Deni and district at the end of February 2021, but it appeared there were not enough job seekers to fill them. Local businesses reported few to no applicants for open positions, which included everything from retail to specialised scientific and medical vacancies.
■ ‘Vaccine rollout’ – The Riverina was preparing for the rollout of the first stage of its COVID-19 vaccine rollout. Deniliquin Clinic was to be among the first local medical practices to administer the vaccines, after it was selected to be part of the COVID-19 Emergency Response Team.
■ ‘Payne tops Classic’ – Christian Payne took full advantage of the Deniliquin Fishing Classic going virtual in 2021. The Townsville-based teen — the son of former local Jodie Payne and grandson of Deni’s Wayne and Cheryl Bradley — had catches amounting to 1240cm from the weekend, claiming the Champion Junior Angler trophy. Echuca’s Roger Kolenaty won the overall Champion Angler trophy with catches totalling 774cm in length.
