A refuge for women and children fleeing violence will be constructed in Glen Innes.

The new refuge will be built by Pathfinders after $7.6 million for the project was secured from the NSW Government’s Core and Cluster Program.

Up to eight self-contained dwellings will be built to allow independence.

There will also be communal spaces and private rooms built onsite for women and children to access services such as counselling, legal assistance and group programs.

Establishing a refuge in Glen Innes will ensure women and children have access to a secure environment where women and children have access to the safety and care they need close to home to re-build their lives.

Sensory Garden in Glen Innes opened

The new sensory garden Glen Innes Severn Council’s Life Choices Support Services has now been officially opened.

The sensory garden was established after a $100,000 grant from Round 5 of the Stronger Country Communities Fund helped deliver the facility for the community.

It uses carefully selected plants, textured surfaces, water features and other elements to support individuals with sensory processing needs.

The project was spearheaded by GISC’s former manager of community services, the late Anthony Williams, and also stands as a legacy to his work in the Glen Innes community.

Member for Northern Tablelands Brendan Moylan, Pathfinders national director for Child and Youth Services Courtney Pay, and Pathfinders co-ordinator for Specialist Homelessness Service, Liesel Taber.

National Seniors Australia visit

Thank-you to the Armidale Branch of National Seniors Australia for having me along to their meeting earlier this week. The NSA organisation is a not-for-profit which gives older Australians a voice.

It was great to talk all things Northern Tablelands and state politics with the group.

Long weekend double demerits

There will be double demerits on the Anzac Day long weekend from 12:01am Thursday, April 24 to 11:59pm Sunday, April, 27.

Applications open for Community War Memorials Fund

Applications are now open for round 2025-26 of the Community War Memorials Fund.

The Fund was established to help conserve, repair and protect war memorials across NSW. Grants of up to $15,000 are available to provide conservation assessments, honour roll repair, war memorial cleaning and conservation work, arborist advice for war memorial trees, minor repairs to war memorial halls and improve the accessibility of memorials.

For more information and to apply, visit www.veterans.nsw.gov.au/heritage/community-war-memorials-fund

Bush Babies maternity services campaign

Rural maternal health advocate Jen Laurie has started a Parliamentary ePetition to address the decline in maternity services in rural and regional New South Wales.

The ePetition needs 20,000 signatures to be debated in Parliament. It is currently sitting at around 1900 so we need a lot more!  You can sign the ePetition at www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/la/pages/epetitions-list.aspx and sign under ‘The Bush Babies Campaign’.

During the last sittings I also filed a Notice of Motion in relation to Maternity Services in regional NSW which will hopefully come up for debate in the May or June sittings of Parliament.

Service NSW mobile centres

Service NSW is being their mobile service centre to Pallamallawa, Gravesend, Guyra and Uralla.

The mobile service centre can help with driver knowledge tests, drivers licence applications and renewals, working with children check, birth, death and marriage certificates, and more.

The mobile service centre will be at Moffat Park, Gwydir Highway, Gravesend on Monday, May 12 from 1pm-3.30pm.

The mobile service centre will be at near the Pally Pub on 59 Bingera Street, Pallamallawa on Tuesday, May 13 from 10am-3pm.

The mobile service centre will be at the Public Car Park, 119 Bradley Street Guyra on Tuesday, May 20 from 9am-3pm.

The mobile service centre will be at Apex Memorial Park 55 Bridge Street, Uralla on Wednesday, May 21 from 9am-3pm.

Japanese encephalitis free vaccine

Five Local Government Areas in the Northern Tablelands are now eligible to provide the free Japanese encephalitis vaccine; Glen Innes Severn, Gwydir, Inverell, Moree Plains, and Uralla.

The vaccine is available through General Practitioners, Aboriginal health services and pharmacists.

Once vaccinated, protection can take up to two weeks to develop. For more information on the free JE vaccine program, visit www.health.nsw.gov.au/Infectious/jev/Pages/vaccination.aspx

Commentary by Brendan Moylan, Member for Northern Tablelands