Snippets

Letter To The Editor

The release of the Natural Resources Access Regulator’s (NRAR) annual progress report is not usually something to set hearts racing, but there’s a lot to celebrate for the water using communities of the Lachlan region.

Our work in your region from June 2021 to June 2022 confirms something we have always known – and that is most people want to do the right thing and abide by NSW water rules.

During this period, less than 2% of investigations we completed in your region resulted in a fine being issued, and we can only thank the majority of law-abiding water users for that.

The release of our progress report marks a strong change of direction and emphasis by the independent water regulator as we go about the business of enforcing the state’s water laws.

We’ve restructured the organisation so that what we do is even more closely aligned with our fundamental purpose: to encourage, enable and educate water users to follow the water rules because they want to, because it matters, because it’s right.

The progress report is our commitment to being transparent about what’s been achieved in the last 12 months, what we have planned for the next 12 months, and the processes we use to make sure everyone gets a fair share of water resources – communities, the environment and industry.

You can download our progress report from our website https://www.nrar.nsw.gov.au/progress-and-outcomes/progress-reports

Grant Barnes,
Chief Regulatory Officer.

Student Wellbeing Programs Get Tick Of Approval

Students at New South Wales public schools are set to benefit from a new range of evidence-based wellbeing programs that have been reviewed and quality assured.

Minister for Education and Early Learning Sarah Mitchell said the new quality assured student wellbeing catalogue now available to schools was part of the NSW Liberal and Nationals Government’s ongoing work to provide greater mental health and wellbeing support for young people.

Quality assurance criteria for the catalogue has been informed by a commissioned Literature Review undertaken by the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute. While schools will be encouraged to utilise the catalogue, schools can still choose programs that meet local needs and deliver results for their students.

Close to 50 programs are available to NSW public schools under the three initial themes of Behaviour, Sense of Belonging and Resilience. The number of programs and themes in the catalogue will increase throughout 2023.

• Topics:
• Water