This is an opportunity for rural NSW to send a strong message to the NSW government that the forced amalgamation of rural councils is not acceptable and the bush deserves better.

The merger process has been a farce from the beginning and has only succeeded in ripping the heart out of local communities throughout the state. In our case, the amalgamation of Gundagai and Cootamundra councils has been an expensive blunder and has not produced any positive outcomes. The mooted cost savings that amalgamation was supposed to generate have been shown to be a myth as indeed the financial mismanagement will result in our communities paying more for many years to come.

And there’s more to come – it now appears that your local Police Local Area Commands will be subject to amalgamation thanks to Minister Troy Grant. Some of you reading this have as yet been unaffected by the amalgamation process, but let me assure you they haven’t finished yet. Minister for Local Government Gabrielle Upton refused to rule out further amalgamations when appearing before a Senate Committee a few weeks ago. This is the same Liberal MP who stood before her electorate in Mosman prior to the last election and promised there would be no forced amalgamations. This comment was repeated by both Liberal and Nationals statewide: a lie that has resulted in rural communities being devastated.

With this by-election, residents have the opportunity to register a risk-free protest vote. We would urge a strong message to the Berijiklian government that the wishes of rural communities cannot be taken for granted. We want more effective representation from the Nationals in this coalition. 

Our group will continue the fight for a de-merger for as long as it takes. We want to retain the identity of small rural communities, have transparent and strong local governance and effective service delivery.

I, like many, was saddened to hear of the passing of Gavin Frew. PTSD is clearly a crippling issue for individuals, and a plague on society at large, and I am glad that more is being done to raise awareness. 

However, I was dismayed that the print media chose not to use the word ‘suicide’ or directly mention that as a result of PTSD, Gavin took his own life. Instead, choosing to tiptoe around this, and indirectly imply that this were the case. 

When we are actively trying to destigmatise mental health issues, it does no good to dance around this issue.

I understand that there may be codes and regulations limiting what information can be published and how, but I would surely imagine the phrase ‘suspected suicide, pending confirmation’ would be perfectly acceptable, and respectful, in such a case. 

Quickly, as a pre-emptive to those who might argue that using such blunt language will only ‘put the idea of suicide in people’s heads’ and increase suicide rates, a simple google search will point you to the evidence that this idea is an unqualified myth. 

It’s appropriate that The Border Mail, and the media at large, make this simple adjustment, respectfully opening dialogues for people who need to talk or we are at risk of more tragically avoidable deaths by suicide.