News in brief from across Port Stephens: Monday, August 17

Plastic Free: The Inspiring Story of a Global Environmental Movement and Why It Matters is co-written by the Anna Bay mother of three in collaboration with Plastic Free July founder Rebecca Prince-Ruiz. The book is about the plastic-free movement, how it has grown, and why it is still so important.

The pair will take part in the online discussion, hosted by Port Stephens Council, via Zoom between 2.30pm and 4pm on August 20.

Registration is essential as places are limited. Register via Eventbrite.

Ms Atherfold Finn is also scheduled to talk about the book and plastic free moment in person at Tomaree Library, Salamander Bay from 10.30am on Wednesday, September 16. Bookings are essential as places are strictly limited. Phone Tomaree Library on (02) 4988 0670. It is a free event.

The Australian Defence Force Academy's annual open day will move online this year.

Young Australians looking to further their studies or build a career with the ADF are being encouraged to take part in the virtual open 'day', which will run on ADFA's Facebook and Instagram pages between August 17 to 22.

"While the traditional open day can't happen this year due to COVID-19, the virtual program will still provide an excellent opportunity for those interested in a career with the Australian Defence Force to have all their questions answered," Minister for Defence Personnel, Darren Chester, said.

"In these uncertain times, the virtual open day provides more young Australians and their families the opportunity to learn about the military training and academic programs on offer without travelling to Canberra."

The virtual open day will include a number of online activities for young Australians to learn about the lifestyle, tertiary education and military training on offer at the academy. Via ADFA's Facebook and Instagram (@adfacademy), people will be able to participate in virtual tours of the facilities, ask questions of current ADFA trainee officers through live Q&A sessions and see what a day in the life of a trainee officer looks like.

The NSW Government has developed a new guide to help the state's cemetery operators keep their estates in top condition. Cemeteries and Crematoria NSW has developed the maintenance guide for the state's 990 cemeteries to provide a best practice blueprint for operators.

"NSW cemeteries range from small local cemeteries less than a hectare in size in villages or churchyards to larger district and regional cemeteries that service towns or local government areas and then major metropolitan cemeteries like Rookwood," Minister for Water, Property and Housing, Melinda Pavey, said.

"The voluntary Cemetery Maintenance Guide is designed to highlight best-practice to help operators of all sizes maintain and improve their cemeteries over time to the best of their ability. It provides a range of advice, tips and case study examples of how cemeteries can be at their best through a combination of cemetery design and layout, great customer service, and smart maintenance practices."

Cemeteries and Crematoria NSW chairman Stepan Kerkyasharian said the maintenance guide would be a valuable resource to help cemetery operators abide by the industry code of practice.

"The maintenance guide follows an earlier report commissioned by CCNSW which showed how well-managed cemeteries can contribute to the environmental, heritage and cultural fabric of their local communities," he said.

The Cemetery Maintenance Guide is available on the Cemeteries and Crematoria NSW website.

Port Stephens students will be among the 11,797 year 5 and 6 students from 160 schools across the Hunter to take part in the 40th annual Newcastle Permanent Primary School Mathematics Competition.

The competition will be held on Wednesday, August 19. This year's participants will bring the total number of NSW students to have taken part in the maths comp to more than a half a million, since its inception in 1981.

Newcastle Permanent CEO Bernadette Inglis said the Newcastle Permanent's Primary School Mathematics Competition has been significant annual event in schools and the community for the past 40 years.

"Newcastle Permanent's Primary School Mathematics Competition is a rite of passage for primary school children.

"The 35-question exam follows a model that has been successful since 1981, and continues to be relevant today.

"Our Primary School Mathematics Competition encourages students to challenge their minds with no help from mathematical tools. It provides students with an opportunity to gain invaluable problem solving skills without relying on tools and technology-such as a calculator or ruler-a great asset in today's world."

Last year three Newcastle students achieved 100 per cent for a share of first place in the Year 6 Division, including New Lambton Public School's Samuel Lane, The Junction Public School's Lucille Healy and Jake Dahl from St Philip's College Waratah.

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Hunter New England Local Health District is urging parents to be on the look out for symptoms of meningococcal disease and to act fast if they suspect their child has the potentially deadly disease.

Meningococcal disease can lead to premature death or permanent disability and is a particular for children under five and those between the ages 15 to 24.

According to the health department, infections increase around late winter and early spring.

Last year, there were 59 meningococcal cases in NSW. There have been seven cases of invasive meningococcal disease so far this year in the Hunter New England region.

Symptoms usually start with a sudden fever, often with headache, nausea and drowsiness. Neck stiffness, dislike of bright lights and a rash of reddish-purple spots or bruises may also develop quickly. Babies with the infection may be irritable, not feed properly or have an abnormal cry.

Medical advice should be sought urgently and parents are warned that a rash, a well-known symptom of meningococcal disease, does not always occur or may present late in the illness.

Seeking medical help urgently can be lifesaving because meningococcal disease can be fatal in up to one in 10 cases.

One in five infections result in permanent disabilities. Vaccination is strongly encouraged as a key prevention measure.

For information visit the NSW Health website.

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Tomaree High School captain Ben Anderson is chopping off his locks for a charity that is close to his heart.

The Year 12 student from Anna Bay will be shaving his long hair - which he has been growing for some years - on Tuesday, August 18, in the school grounds.

Ben is a raising money for Autism Spectrum Australia.

Last year the Ben lost a cousin who suffered from severe autism. "I am shaving off my hair in his memory," he said.

To donate people can go to initforautism and tap in the name Ben Anderson.

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Port Stephens pensioners are to receive a boost in their water rebate from the end of the year.

The additional funding announced by the state government increases the rebate to $330 per eligible property, bringing Hunter Water's total assistance for pensioners to more than $15 million.

It comes as the region's pensioners are already experiencing falling water bills as a result of new prices introduced by the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) on July 1, 2020.

"The average pension household will now pay $722 for water, wastewater and drainage services this financial year, down from $748 in 2019-20," said Parliamentary Secretary for the Hunter Catherine Cusack.

"I encourage eligible pensioners not yet registered for the rebate to contact Hunter Water:

"The pension rebate isn't the only form of assistance and I'd encourage anyone experiencing difficulty paying their water bills to get in touch with Hunter Water to see how they can help, with options such as payment extensions and support for tenants available."

To access the pension rebate, eligible pension concession card holders and DVA Gold Card holders need to contact Hunter Water to provide their property details and Services Australia (Centrelink) Pension or CRN number.

For more information, visit www.hunterwater.com.au/pensionrebates.