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Warren
Wednesday, April 10, 2024
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Show Society calls on local young ladies to represent Warren
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Regional workforce shortages are the focus of new visa agreement By HARRIET GILMORE A NEW agreement has been reached to help local employers in Warren and throughout much of regional NSW sponsor skilled overseas workers for positions they were previously unable to fi ll. The newly-approved Orana Designated Area Migration Agreement (DAMA) Variation announced on Monday, is set to help alleviate workforce shortages for more than 60 per-cent of the State. The Orana DAMA is the only agreement of its type in NSW, and one of only 12 across Australia. The formal agreement between the Australian Government and Regional Development Australia (RDA) Orana was first approved in 2019, to provide workplaces in the Orana region with access to more overseas workers than the standard skilled migration program. This latest agreement, negotiated by RDA Orana, expands on the original 2019 agreement to include more regions and more occupations. RDA Orana CEO, Justine Campbell said the Orana DAMA variation had been approved with an expansion of a further 41 local government areas throughout NSW and an increase to 129 occupations within the agreement. Continued page 6
Crime in the bush, locals urged to have their say!
Swimming successes, plus a very special Easter liturgy at St Mary’s STORY & PHOTOS: PAGE 11
Coutlon continues calling for water return and inspires young students during visit to Warren By HARRIET GILMORE FEDERAL Minister for Parkes, Mark Coulton, was in town this week, meeting with Warren Shire Council to discuss a number of projects while also taking the time to drop in to a leadership program for students from Warren Central. Mr Coulton said he always enjoys calling into Warren and the many communities within his electorate – which covers almost half of the state. From Warren, he was heading to Cobar, Broken Hill and Bourke to meet with their Councils. During his meeting on Monday with Mayor Milton Quigley, Deputy Mayor Sarah Derrett, Shire General Manager Gary Woodman and Divisional Manager of Finance and Administration Bradley Pascoe, Mr Coulton said water was top of the agenda, specifically the over-recovered water from the Macquarie Valley. Mr Coulton together with Warren Shire Council have been advocating for the return of almost 40GL of water which they believe had been over-recovered. It was reported last week, that water would not be returned despite
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Federal Member for Parkes Mark Coulton met with students from Warren Central School at a Leadership Summit during his visit to town on Monday. PHOTO: WARREN STAR. their calls, and instead it would be allocated to the environmental water required as part of the Murray Darling Basin Plan. Mr Coulton said he and Council representatives discussed the future direction of water management and ac-
tions moving forward. He said he planned to go back to the Minister for the Environment and Water, Tanya Plibersek, and float a few different ideas to see what they can look at.
from this region, Mr Couton said, but getting it back was going to be difficult. “Minister Plibersek sees this water as low hanging fruit and an easy win.”
The Murray Darling Basin Authority recognised too much water had been taken
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