UPPER HUNTER COUNCIL OPPOSES SPECIAL RATE VARIATION FOLLOWING COMMUNITY CONCERN

The UPPER HUNTER Shire Council has decided not to go ahead with a proposed plan for a Special Rate Variation following an extraordinary meeting held in SCONE on Monday night.

The Council held a number of local forums across the Local Government Area to gain feedback on the proposition - the major issue that emerged was that local residents are already feeling the strain with the cost of everyday living rising.

The plan was to impose a Special Rate Variation in order to better service the existing road network and possibly replace a number of timber bridges that are reaching the end of their economic life.

Mayor Lee Watts says the Council will meet next week to come up with another plan.

RE-ENTRY COURSES FOR LOCAL NURSES DEEMED TOO EXPENSIVE

There are calls today for the State Government to make it easier for nurses to return to UPPER HUNTER Hospitals after taking time off from the health care industry.

Nurses who have not worked for at least 3 months full time in the last 5 years must enrol in an 8 week re-entry course in Sydney.

Lisa Kremma from the NSW Nurses Association says this is good in principle but the re-entry course costs $10,000 and local nurses may find it hard to study in Sydney while living locally and raising a family.

Ms Kremma says the government needs to establish more re-entry courses across the state and make them more affordable to help address the current shortage of nurses in local hospitals.

HUNTER LOSING OUT ON MINING ROYALTIES COMPARED WITH OTHER TOWNS

A new report shows despite the UPPER HUNTER providing hundreds of millions of dollars worth of mining royalties, we are receiving less than average funding when compared with other communities across the state.

The Economic Assessment of Mining Affected Communities report released by the State Government reveals MUSWELLBROOK and SINGLETON are the biggest contributors to royalty revenue in the state.

However the UPPER HUNTER hasn't experienced any fruits from the labour with the the two towns receiving just $5396 per capita in capital works and funding in 2010-11,  the state average was just over $6000.

This is compared with both communities generating $20, 468 per capita in mining royalties.

Muswellbrook Mayor Martin Rush says he hopes the release of this new report will prompt the State Government to correct the imbalance.

NUCOAL LOOKING TO BUY MORE LAND TO EXPLORE NEAR DOYLE'S CREEK

Shareholders with Coal Seam Gas exploration company NuCoal Resources were given a thrill yesterday with shares jumping 12 per cent after news it would issue shares worth $75 million to buy out a CSG project in the UPPER HUNTER.

NuCoal currently hold an exploration licence near DOYLE'S CREEK which caused controversy last year when a local farmer took the company to court in a bid to prevent the company from entering his land.

Now it seems the same company is looking to buy the Plashett project which as the Sydney Morning Herald reports is an exploration target strategically placed near NuCoal's Doyle's Creek project.

The Independent Commission Against Corruption is currently investigating the company's original allocation of the exploration licence at Doyle's Creek, as well as the profits made as a result.

WOMEN URGED TO KNOW RISK FACTORS OF OVARIAN CANCER AHEAD OF TEAL RIBBON DAY

In the lead-up to Teal Ribbon Day, women across the UPPER HUNTER are being urged to know their risk factors for Ovarian Cancer.

It follows new research showing just one-third of women can identify the most common risk factors and less than 1% know to look at the family history on their father's side.

Nicole Wilton from Ovarian Cancer Australia is urging local women to learn more about the risk factors and is encouraging us to wear a Teal Ribbon tomorrow to support further research.