Wentworth womens Gathering

The 2010 NSW rural Women's Gathering will be held in the south western town of Wentworth on 29-30-31 October
If you don't want to miss out on a unique opportunity to experience some wonderful outback hospitality ... register this week.
The program includes a broad range of workshops, inspirational speakers and even a live theatre performance at the gala dinner!
If you have never been to a gathering before then why not Wander West to Wentworth... you'll be glad you did!

Local hero on the phone book

Nominate a local hero for phone book glory
Do you know someone in your local community who is making a positive contribution to the economy, environment or social surroundings?
If so, you should nominate them to appear on the cover of the phone book.
Every year, Sensis chooses a picture that acknowledges the achievements of local heroes by featuring them on the cover of Yellow Pages and White Pages directories in 59 regions across Australia.
Nominees must have:
 undertaken projects/activities to reduce environmental impact, or to conserve or protect the local environment;
 Made a positive contribution to the local economy through employment or use of local resources and suppliers;
 Undertaken projects/activities that have contributed positively to the future prosperity of the local community in terms of social and/or financial health;
 Acted for the common good with a focus on the future as well as today;
 Showed strong leadership in their community on environmental and/or social issues to achieve a better and stronger future.

Nominees should also have a strong association and/or history with their local area.
Find out more and make a nomination (before October 15) at http://www.whitepagescommunity.com.au/

Thrive with Style

“THRIVE WITH STYLE”
With Sandra Martin and Natalie Shepherd

JOIN US FOR A FREE DAY of fun AND LEARNING

        EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES
        GOAL SETTING AND ACHIEVING OUTCOMES
        SELF ESTEEM AND SELF CONFIDENCE
        COLOUR AND STYLE

DEEPWATER HALL	MONDAY 22ND NOVEMBER 2010
URALLA McCROSSINS MILL	TUESDAY 23RD NOVEMBER 2010
DELUNGRA BOWLING CLUB	WEDNESDAY 24TH NOVEMBER 2010
BARRABA RUGBY CLUB	THURSDAY 25TH NOVEMBER 2010

TIME:                        9.30AM COFFEE/REGO 10AM START UNTIL 3PM

RSVP ESSENTIAL                JENNY CROFT NSW I&I  0429 446 417
                                        jenny.croft@industry.nsw.gov.au
Morning tea and lunch will be provided

Scholarship Opportunity

The RAMUS Scheme assists selected students with a rural background to study medicine at university. In addition to their rural background, RAMUS scholarship holders are selected on the basis of financial need and demonstrated commitment to working in rural Australia in the future.

Applications for 2011 will open on 9 November 2010. The Application Form and detailed Application Guidelines for 2011 will be available at this time.
Applications will close on 17 January 2011. Late applications cannot be accepted. 
Eligibility
To be eligible for RAMUS applicants must:

• be Australian citizens or permanent residents of Australia
• have lived in a defined Australian rural area for a minimum of five consecutive years, or eight cumulative years, from their fifth birthday up to the time of entering medical school;

The ASGC Remoteness Areas (RA) classification is used to determine eligible rural locations for RAMUS. Eligible rural locations are those identified as being within RA categories 2-5.  Information on RA categories and an interactive map can be found at http://www.doctorconnect.gov.au/internet/otd/Publishing.nsf/Content/locator

• be studying full-time in an accredited Australian undergraduate or graduate-entry medical degree;

Students can apply for RAMUS if they are applying to study medicine, but do not yet have a confirmed university place; or if they are already enrolled in a medical degree, and in any year of their medical studies.

• agree to be a member of the student rural health club at or affiliated with the university at which they are, or will be, enrolled; and
• not be receiving any other scholarships, cadetships or bursaries with a combined value of more than $7,000 per year.

Selection of successful applicants
The number of RAMUS scholarship places is limited and scholarships are awarded through a competitive selection process.
Scholarships will be awarded to the eligible applicants who rank the highest against the selection criteria of:

• rural background, based on the length of time they have lived in a defined rural area between the age of five and commencing medical studies. Having attended a rural primary school is also taken into account;
• financial need; and
• commitment to working in rural Australia in the future. 

http://ramus.ruralhealth.org.au/applying

Telstra Business Women's Awards

A champion for women and indigenous communities whose welfare service touches more than half of rural NSW has won a 2010 Telstra Business Award.

Sister Margaret Flynn, CEO of the catholic welfare organisation CentaCare Wilcannia-Forbes, was announced as the winner of the White Pages Community and Government Award at the sixteenth Telstra New South Wales Business Women’s Awards in Sydney.

Other winners at the Awards included the 2010 Telstra New South Wales Business Woman of the Year Danish-born entrepreneur Karin Adcock, who introduced the popular PANDORA collectible charm bracelet to Australia. Ms Adcock also won the Hudson Private and Corporate Sector Award.

Sr Margaret launched the service in 1996 with a budget of just $3000. Today she manages a budget of $16 million and CentaCare branches at Bourke, Forbes, Macquarie/Barwon, Narromine and Broken Hill, serving an area that covers 52 per cent of NSW. Of CentaCare’s 125 staff members, 85 per cent are women and 20 per cent are Indigenous.

A former school principal and family counsellor, Sr Margaret also worked as a Loreto Sister volunteering in soup kitchens, refugee centres and shelters for the homeless.

She also has a successful track record for lobbying government to provide funding for remote rural areas of the State.

Telstra Country Wide Western NSW Area General Manager, Darren Smith, said the leadership and achievements of Sr Margaret should provide inspiration for women throughout the State.

“As the founding CEO of CentreCare Wilcannia-Forbes, Sr Margaret has been responsible for the development of the business from its inception in 1996 – shaping its culture and ethos and responses to the needs of rural and remote communities, including Indigenous communities, across the western half of NSW,” Mr Smith said.

“Judges were impressed with the way she has fostered an environment of trust and integrity to build a strong leadership team that has a reputation for responsible business management and stable and professional structures.”

Michelle Sherwood, General Manager of Marketing White Pages, said she was pleased with the quality of finalists and congratulated Sr Margaret on winning the White Pages Community and Government Award.

“It’s terrific to be involved in a program that recognises and celebrates the passion and achievements of women in the workplace, especially in the Community and Government sector. As sponsor of the Community and Government category we are thrilled to be able to showcase the leadership, business acumen, passion and enthusiasm of women in the workplace,” Ms Sherwood said.
“Through their dedication and pursuit of excellence, they provide strong and positive role models for our next generation of leaders.”
The NSW winners proceed to the national finals of the 2010 Telstra Business Women’s  Awards which will be announced in Melbourne on 11 November. They will join an alumni of more  than 430 winners of the Telstra Business Women’s Awards since the program was launched in 1995.

Winners of the 2010 Telstra New South Wales Business Women’s Awards are:

Telstra New South Wales Business Woman of the Year
Karin Adcock, Pandora Jewelry, Warriewood. Securing the Australian distribution of international jewellery brand PANDORA in 2004, Karin Adcock has developed the company from the ground up. Starting from a garage in Avalon, Karin now runs a highly profitable business with 280 staff, 34 branded concept stores and 732 retail accounts in Australia and New Zealand. As Managing Director she is responsible for all aspects of the business, from future direction to sales, marketing, operations, human resources and finance. Many of the initiatives Karin and her team have launched in the Australian market are used worldwide in other PANDORA markets.

Commonwealth Bank Business Owner Award
Corinne Bot, Polyglot Group Pty Ltd, Glebe. As a part-time consultant, French-born Corinne Bot identified a niche in the human resources market while sourcing staff for French businesses in Australia. So in 1995 she established recruitment business Polyglot Group which provides customised multicultural and multilingual solutions to international companies investing in Australia and Australian companies expanding overseas. Ms Bot, an advisor for French Foreign Trade, has achieved average business growth of 30 per cent a year and expanded throughout Australia.

Hudson Private and Corporate Sector Award
Karin Adcock, Pandora Jewelry, Warriewood.

White Pages Community and Government Award
Margaret Flynn, CentaCare Wilcannia-Forbes, Forbes.

Nokia Business Innovation Award
Marnie Douglas, Ergoworks Physiotherapy and Consulting, Sydney. Marnie Douglas founded Ergoworks, a physiotherapy clinic at Circular Quay in 2003. After treating many patients with injuries related to poor ergonomic (workstation) setup, the physiotherapist expanded her business to include a national ergonomics consultancy that assists companies to manage staff wellbeing. Ms Douglas has developed an online workstation assessment tool, ErgoAssess, to determine the risk of injury for people using a computer and therefore minimise workplace injuries and absenteeism.

marie claire Young Business Women’s Award
Lauren Brown, Pulse Marketing Group, North Sydney. After five years as a marketing consultant at McDonald’s Australia and a short stint as marketing director for a food retailer, Lauren Brown established her own consultancy Pulse Marketing Group. The North Sydney business has grown to employ 14 staff, attract blue chip clients and win an international award for a TV campaign for Natural Gas. As Managing Director, Ms Brown developed a product that streamlines the preparation of tailored packages of marketing and creative requirements for small business clients.
Media contact:
Lighthouse Communications:                                        Telstra:
Craig Regan - Ph 02 9262 3868 or 0408 448 527                Darren Smith – Ph 0409 553 966
Further information on the Telstra Business Women’s Awards can be found at www.telstrabusinesswomensawards.com

Report on NSW Economy

New report on NSW economy in 2020: bigger, smarter, global and greener 17 Sep 2010 NSW Treasurer and Minister for State and Regional Development Eric Roozendaal today released a new report analysing what the NSW economy will look like in 2020. The NSW economy in 2020: A foresighting study was released during the second day of National Economic Review: Australia’s Annual Growth Summit at NSW Parliament House. About 100 leaders of business, government and academia attended the two day Sydney summit. “The $400 billion NSW economy is the engine room of the Australian economy - and we will continue to drive our nation’s growth,” Mr Roozendaal told the summit. “The resilience of the NSW economy is clearly evident in the recovery phase from the financial downturn. “The latest ABS data is clear - NSW has now enjoyed six consecutive quarters of economic growth. The same can’t be said for Victoria, Queensland or Western Australia. “By 2020, the NSW economy will be bigger, smarter, greener and global. “It will be characterised by high skilled and high value-added industries. Our goal is for NSW to be internationally recognised for its innovation, productivity, knowledge intensity, and carbon efficiency.” The 10-year foresighting study, prepared by Access Economics, forecasts that by 2020: The NSW economy will have grown over 30 per cent Our workforce will expand from about 3.5 million to 3.9 million people The State's population will grow from about 7.1 million to 8 million people; and The average age of NSW residents will have increased from 39 to 41. The 2020 report identifies four key ‘mega-trends’ that will shape and drive the NSW economy over the next decade: Our transition to a low carbon economy The rapid development of our digital economy Demand and competition from emerging and growing economies, like China and India; and An ageing population. The Access Economics report says that: “The NSW economy is experiencing almost two decades of uninterrupted economic growth, despite the immediate turbulence of the global financial crisis. “This growth has driven up incomes and living standards and has helped underpin the development of a modern, globally-integrated and dynamic economy.” The NSW Government will soon release a Business Sector Growth Plan in response to the Access Economics study to build on NSW strengths, leverage our competitive advantages and capitalise on emerging opportunities. This document will outline multiple strategies to grow NSW businesses over the next decade and beyond. Mr Roozendaal said the NSW Government’s vision is that by 2020, the NSW economy will be: more globally connected characterised by high-skilled and high value-added industries; and internationally recognised for its innovation, productivity, knowledge intensity, and carbon efficiency. The NSW economy in 2020: A foresighting study is available at:

http://www.business.nsw.gov.au/NR/rdonlyres/57EDFA77-D284-4D16-87BA-1DAAF2A6DEAA/0/nsw_economy_2020_20100917.pdf

Funding to save water and power

Funding for Communities to Save Water and Power

 
Just letting you know about the Community Savers Projects funding from the NSW Department of Environment, Climate Change & Water.
 
Community groups and other not-for-profit organisations can receive funding of up to $40,000 for installing water efficient toilets, fixtures and fittings, lighting and hot water system upgrades, insulation and other measures to improve heating and cooling efficiency, rainwater tanks.
 
Applications are due 25 October.  
 
Further details at http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/grants/ccfpfp.htm

Worlds Best Botanic Gardens

Public Lecture of the Central West Branch of the Royal Society of New South Wales  
 
“The World’s best botanic gardens”
 
Executive Director of the Sydney Botanic Gardens Trust, NSW Government Botanist and Adjunct Professor in the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Sydney, as well as a regular guest on ABC Radio, Dr Tim Entwisle will speak on “The World’s best botanic gardens”.
 
Venue:                 West Room, Orange Regional Art Gallery
 
Date:                     Friday, 15 October 2010
 
Time:                    6 pm
 
Cost:                      $3 for Royal Society members, $5 for non members
 

NSW Premier's Council for Women

Wednesday 22 September, 2010
Premier Kristina Keneally, and Minister for Women, Jodi McKay, today announced the seven members of the newly formed Premier’s Expert Advisory Council for Women.
The Premier’s Expert Advisory Council for Women will provide specialist advice to the NSW Government and advises on issues affecting the status of women in NSW. It replaces the former representative Premier’s Council for Women after its term expired this year.
.
The seven members are:
 
• Dr Rae Cooper (Deputy Chair);
• Mrs Ruta Asimus;
• Ms Susan Price;
• Dr Lyn Craig;
• Ms Denele Crozier;
• Ms Traci Williams; and
• Ms Janet Loughman.
 The Council will report directly to the Premier and be chaired by the Minister for Women.
Earlier this year the NSW Government undertook an Expressions of Interest process for membership of the new council. Around 150 applications were received, all of which were of a very high standard.
Premier Kristina Keneally said the seven women appointed to the new Council are all leaders in their particular fields and will bring a wealth of knowledge, skill and expertise to the Council.
“Each member brings with them experience across a range of areas that impact on women including employment, work and family issues, pay equity, leadership, health, safety and access to justice,” Ms Keneally said.
“One of the first tasks of the new Council will be to assist in the development of best practice principles to promote flexible work practices, as suggested by the Premier’s Council for Women in its report on the NSW Women and Work Survey.”
Ms McKay said she looked forward to working with the Council and delivering outcomes that will benefit women across the state.
“The Council will be closely aligned with the day-to-day policy development work of the Office for Women’s Policy to ensure we continue to lead the way in supporting women in NSW,” Ms McKay said.
“The Premier’s Expert Advisory Council for Women will also be involved in the development of the new Women’s Plan for NSW.”
The new Council will provide expert and specialist advice to Government in line with the expert model of the Premier’s Expert Advisory Council on Preventing Violence Against Women.
Biographies for Members of the Premier’s Expert Advisory Council for Women
Rachel (Rae) Cooper, (Deputy Chair), has a PhD in Economics (Industrial Relations) and is an expert on women’s employment issues and education. She is currently lecturing in the Faculty of Economics and Business at the University of Sydney. Dr Cooper has been a member of numerous women’s organisations such as NSW Working Women’s Centre, Asian Women at Work, and Women and Work Research Group, University of Sydney. Dr Cooper is a Board Director of the NSW TAFE Commission and the NSW Rural Assistance Authority, and was also a member of the former Premier’s Council for Women.
Ruta Asimus, has significant experience related to employment, leadership, and work and family issues. She has over 30 years’ experience in the private sector, during which time she implemented a range of initiatives to support work and family balance and encourage women’s access to leadership roles. Ms Asimus has recently established AsAmI Coaching, an executive coaching business to improve women’s participation in leadership positions.
Lyn Craig, has a PhD and over ten years’ experience researching and writing on work and family issues. Dr Craig’s particular expertise is in time use analysis of time spent by men and women in unpaid and paid work. Dr Craig is currently the ARC Queen Elizabeth II Fellow at the University of New South Wales’ Social Policy Research Centre where she has undertaken a range of research projects and reports for government. She is also a member of various research and advisory committees, including the Executive Council of the International Association of Time Use Researchers.
Denele Crozier, is the Executive Officer of Women’s Health NSW, the peak body for 24 non-government Women’s Health Centres in NSW, and has extensive experience in women’s issues and promoting a women’s social view of health. Ms Crozier is also a member of the Premier’s Council on Preventing Violence against Women and the Australian Women’s Health Network. She is also a Board Member of the New South Wales Council of Social Services (NCOSS).
Janet Loughman, has over 30 years experience practising law in a variety of areas relevant to women, including domestic violence, family law, sexual assault, discrimination and employment law. She is currently the Principal Solicitor at Women’s Legal Services NSW, and she has worked extensively in the community sector. Ms Loughman is also the Convenor of the NSW Legal Assistance Forum Domestic Violence Working Group and a member of Legal Aid NSW Women’s Domestic Violence Court Advocacy Program Advisory Committee.
Susan Price, is an employment lawyer with particular expertise in issues of discrimination and sexual harassment. Ms Price is currently an Executive Lawyer in Bartier Perry’s Workplace Relations Group, and is also Co-Chair of the NSW Women Lawyers’ Workplace Practices Sub-Committee. Susan has also undertaken volunteer work with the community sector, including as a volunteer solicitor at the Inner City Legal Centre and as a member of the Redfern Legal Centre’s Management Committee.
Traci Williams, a former journalist and diplomat, is an Indigenous woman who is currently the Head of Corporate Social Responsibility at Gilbert and Tobin. Prior to this, Traci was the Manager of Reconciliation Programs at Qantas Airways Ltd, where she was responsible for the implementation of the Qantas Reconciliation Plan. Traci has a Masters degree in International Relations and is in the final stages of the Executive Master of Business Administration Program at the Melbourne Business School.