As a regional city, a crematorium is a much needed & overdue facility which needs to be provided by council.

Statistics show that over 60 per cent of deaths in our region are cremations and cost is much cheaper than a regular burial, with cremated remains taking considerably less room.

It is in the interest of local residents and surrounding communities to have this facility available locally and given the priority it deserves. It is council's responsibility to service the needs of its community.

I have previous emailed council, and have actually spoke to the cemetery staff personally, but due to no Area News printed due to COVID, I haven't been able to make a public comment on the Griffith Cemetery.

Being a frequent visitor to the Griffith Cemetery, visiting the graves of departed friends, I take this opportunity to sincerely congratulate and thank the staff at our cemetery for it's presentation and current condition.

The cemetery is in absolute pristine condition, the staff obviously take great pride in their work, and it is a pleasure to visit there.

I think one would go a long way to find a cemetery having such good presentation. Very well done cemetery staff, keep up your excellent work.

TWELVE months ago, in the midst of the impacts of one of the worst droughts on record, Barnaby Joyce stood up for the little guys impacted by drought and argued for Centrelink to raise the rates of welfare payments.

He was meet by his colleagues and media with a barrage of criticism. I remember comments like, "he needs more money to feed his growing family".

Today with the unemployment rate in cities starting to match that which we experienced in rural areas during the drought, it is very interesting to see ongoing media and social discussion of "what will happen when unemployment benefits are returned to normal".

Chronic pain affects over 3.2 million Australians and is arguably one of the world's fastest growing conditions.

It can significantly impact a person's quality of life and mental wellbeing, often leading to isolation and feelings of hopelessness.

This National Pain Week (July 27 to August 2), Chronic Pain Australia, the peak national grass-roots voice of Australians living with chronic pain, is launching two important new resources to help educate and reduce stigma in the community - a video series called Faces of Pain, which tells the stories of everyday Australians living with chronic pain, as well as a new booklet called 'Understanding chronic pain' to explain what pain is and how best to manage it. These can be found at www.nationalpainweek.org.au.

During National Pain Week, people living with chronic pain are also encouraged to share their experiences and ideas at chronicpainaustralia.org.au/forum or on social media using the hashtag #NPW2020

Together, we can improve the lives of those living in pain. We appreciate your support.

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