Automating a SmartHog

Historically, mining companies have used photogrammetry and laser scanners to map mines, but it’s not without its limitations. It takes a lot of time to process the data and create the maps and as technology has evolved so has the way that we operate. Taking on the challenge to remove our personnel from major hazards, Cadia’s Aaron Gilbert, Logan Torrance and Finn Wedge have created a robotic inspection platform custom-made for the Cadia East Panel Cave 1 (PC1) extraction level. Cadia East PC1 is transitioning towards an integrated autonomous level meaning that it can be di cult to manage on- foot inspections of the various extraction drives in and amongst the fleet of automated loaders. Together with help from their graduate program mentor, Senior Project Engineer Tom Corbett, and Technology and Innovation Manager Jason Nitz, the trio built the SmartHog from scratch, from design and construction of the mechanical and electrical systems, to writing the computer code and implementing customised radar technology adapted from the automotive industry to control the machine and manage the outputs it produces.

YES, HEARTWORM IS IN ORANGE. YOUR DOG NEEDS PROTECTION FROM THIS NASTY PARASITE.

Heartworm is passed on by the bite of an infected mosquito. Tiny larvae are injected into your dog’s skin and can grow into adult worms in their heart and lungs.

Heartworm used to be a disease found in the warmer parts of Australia, but new research has shown that it is present in all states and in the Central West too. Heartworm cases have been reported locally and it’s been found in the feral fox population near Molong and Cudal, so spread to your dog in Orange is only one mosquito bite away. The recent wet weather means an increase in mossies which carry Heartworm as well as human diseases.

Dogs can be protected from Heartworm by a convenient annual injection or by monthly chews, tablets or “spot on” treatments. However, it’s dangerous to start your dog on Heartworm prevention without having him or her tested for the parasite first.

This is a simple test performed at the hospital, and following the results, you can discuss ongoing Heartworm protection with one of our friendly team. This month your dog’s Heartworm test is FREE when you start him or her on annual Heartworm prevention injections!

YES - A FELINE AIDS VIRUS WHICH DOESN’T PASS ON TO HUMANS, BUT PASSES FROM CAT TO CAT BY FIGHTS AND SCRATCHES.

Even the mildest of moggies can become aggressive when he or she tries to shoo another cat out of “their” garden. So any cat who goes outside is at risk of catching and spreading Feline Aids Virus (FIV) through cat fights. Sadly many stray cats in Orange and up to 1 in 5 cats in NSW carry the virus.

Is Heartworm in Orange? Can Cats catch Aids? FOR DOGS FOR CATS

FIV attacks the immune system of a cat and can cause tiredness, loss of appetite and secondary infections like severe dental disease. Luckily for your beloved moggy, there is a vaccine which can protect cats throughout the year.

If your cat is over 6 months old, he or she needs a test for FIV. If negative, he or she can be protected by a course of 3 vaccinations, then a booster each year. If your kitten is less than 6 months old, he or she doesn’t need a test first.

We can schedule the FIV injections for a time convenient to you, such as when your cat is already visiting us for annual vaccinations against cat flu and feline enteritis.

This month’s special offers at Mulberry Lane Vet Hospital give you the chance to have your cat tested for the FIV virus and start a course of 3 vaccinations to keep him or her safe and healthy. You can further reduce the risk of your cat catching FIV by keeping them indoors or by building them a “catio” to play in outside, where he or she can be safe from cat fights, as well as from cars and dogs.

Advice about vaccinations, flea and worm treatments, puppy training and cat or dog behaviour is always available from our friendly team. The Hospital is well stocked with pet supplies and high quality pet food, so we look forward to seeing you and your pet soon!

FREE HEARTWORM TEST worth over $100 for your dog when he or she starts on annual Heartworm prevention

$20 OFF A FELINE AIDS TEST AND $20 OFF a course of 3 Feline AIDS vaccinations

Conservatorium & Planetarium

√ 24 hour rescue helicopter service for Orange and region

√ $14 million for highway upgrades between Lithgow and Orange

√ Bat/hail netting funding for local orchardists

√ $1.2 million for CCTV in Orange, Bathurst and Wellington

√ 42 mobile phone towers and base stations across Calare

NEW YEAR, NEW BEGINNING

Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a great Christmas and got a little bit of a break after the harvest.

I wish all of our students and teachers the best as school returns after the summer break.

As many of you are aware, before Christmas I resigned from the National Party, and issued the statement below setting out the reasons. I will be contesting the next election as an independent. This was an extremely difficult decision however my mission to fight for our country communities remains unchanged and I would welcome your support. Come and join me!

Celebrating Australia Day In Orange

Australia Day is a day to reflect, respect and celebrate what it means to be Australian.

It’s about our history, our spirit, our people, the best of this country, our mateship, our strong sense of community, our resilience and looking to the future with optimism.

I can think of no better example than the way the local community has come together during the recent storms/ floods. The past few years have definitely been challenging but what’s gotten us through is how people have put the care and safety of others above themselves. This spirit of service above self has always sustained our nation, and it goes to the very heart of what it is to be an Australian.

The Australia Day award recipients for Orange are:

Citizen of the Year

Winner - Pip Waters

Highly Commended - Rachel Brooking

Young Citizen of the Year

Winner - Madison Gwynne

Highly Commended - Anabelle Van Wyk

Community Group of the Year

Winner - FoodCare Orange

Highly Commended - Wangarang Industries

Community Event of the Year

Winner - 2022 Orange Running Festival

Local Legend

Winner - Linda Williamson

Highly Commended - Derek Johns

Business Philanthropy

Orange Ex-Services Club

You should all be very proud! Congratulations!

Friday 23 December, 2022

It is with sadness that I announce that I am resigning from the NSW National Party, effective immediately and will sit in the Australian Parliament as an independent.

I grew up handing out how to votes for the National Party, and I have given it some of the best years of my working life. I was once a true believer but I’m not anymore. The National Party of today is very different to the one of my youth.

I feel that I can best represent the constituents of Calare and our region by speaking out on issues, free from party constraints and expectations. The recent decision by the National Party to oppose the Indigenous Voice to Parliament, and also witnessing the devasation our region has experienced over the past few weeks, has really brought home to me the importance of being able to stand up and be counted.

I can’t reconcile the fact that every Australian will get a free vote on the vitally important issue of the Voice, yet National Party MPs are expected to fall into line behind a party position that I fundamentally disagree with, and vote accordingly in Parliament. While I respect the views of my colleagues, this just isn’t right.

I didn’t bring on the debate within the Nationals over the Voice or the press conference that followed.

However in the days after stating my own position of support for the Voice, I felt that I didn’t have the unfettered freedom to speak that I needed. As the discussion on this issue around Australia builds, I want that freedom to put forward my point of view as I don’t foresee the Nationals’ policy on the Voice changing.

Our region has recently been hit by disasters in the form of storms, floods and also a gas crisis that affected 20,000 residents, households and businesses. Part of the role of being a Member of Parliament is advocating and fighting for the communities we represent. When I believe that our communities are not receiving the support they need at the speed at which they need it, I have to speak out. I can do that most effectively free of the ties of a political party. Now more than ever the communities of our region need their MP in their corner advocating for that support, no matter the political stripe of the state or federal government.

While I accept that in politics compromises have to be made, there comes a point where not speaking out freely can compromse the interests of those we represent.

This has been a difficult decision for me. I would like to thank everyone who has supported me and hope they will understand why I had to take this step.

I wish David Littleproud as Leader of the Nationals well. He’s a good man and he has my respect. The issue unfortunately runs deeper than the role of just one person. I will continue the vitally important work of securing the bright future of our region.

THE VOICE - HISTORY IS CALLING

I really enjoyed catching up with Kishaya Delaney and Alisha Agland who are members of the Uluru Youth Network, Annette Steele, CEO of Orange Local Aboriginal Land Council and Jamie Newman, CEO of Orange Aboriginal Medical Service.

We discussed the Voice to Parliament and its importance to Australia and our local communities.

As the YES campaign gathers local momentum, I would encourage everyone in our area to be part of the conversation and engage with goodwill, open minds and generosity of spirit.

Together we can do it.

with HELEN MCNULTY