A PARLIAMENTARY petition has been launched calling on the state government to retain Banksia House for the purposes of a regional drug and alcohol detoxification facility. The call-to-action has been initiated by Samanthan McBean and supported by Member for Tamworth Kevin Anderson. “This petition from residents of New South Wales draws to the attention of the house (House of Assembly) the significant unmet need for alcohol and other drug detoxification services across rural and regional communities,” the petition reads. “In the New England North West of NSW, people requiring detoxification and rehabilitation are often required to travel significant distances away […]

HOUSEHOLDS will soon be able to have asbestos waste collected and disposed of for free under a major state government initiative designed to tackle illegal dumping and improve community safety. The NSW government has announced a $16m NSW Asbestos Plan of Action, including a $9m, two-year household collection trial that will begin next year. The program will allow households to arrange free collection and disposal of asbestos waste, removing one of the biggest barriers to proper disposal. The reforms are part of the government’s response to the Chief Scientist’s report into asbestos in the waste stream and are intended to […]