This year, CWA Canimbla along with the 400 other CWA branches across NSW, have chosen to highlight the significant impact a lack of connectivity is having on their community.           

CWA Canimbla believe a lack of internet connectivity is severely hindering the people of Cowra and district’s ability to conduct business.

CWA branches also believe these connectivity issues also restrict local residents’ ability to access education and healthcare — specifically mental health services — and can contribute to higher crime rates in regional and rural areas.

The digital age is well and truly upon us, but unfortunately Cowra is not seeing the benefits enjoyed by people with high speed internet access.

A lack of connectivity results in barriers to growth for our farmers and small business operators; barriers to a quality education for our students; and barriers to health services for our entire community.  

While 78 per cent of NSW regional residents love living in their community, they cite critical infrastructure, including telecommunications, as being under serviced.

Only 37 per cent of rural and regional Australians have good access to high-speed internet, with regional NSW being the worst.

Across rural and regional Australia, 46 per cent report poor access to mental health services and half (50 per cent) have poor access to specialist health services.

Canimbla Branch works to help mental issues e.g. Headspace and Cowra/Grenfell Community Health.

They also send quilts to Sydney Children’s Hospitals and Ronald McDonald House.

As part of CWA Awareness Week the Canimbla CWA branch will be holding a Craft/Awareness Day at the Croquet Rooms in Brougham Park on Thursday September 8 from 10:00am.

Please come along for a cuppa and friendship and see what CWA has to offer.

The CWA State Conference held in Cowra earlier this year highlighted the good the organisation does statewide.

For further information please contact Secretary Margie Ryan 0427423449.