9am: That's all we've got time for here this morning, we hope you've enjoyed your Tuesday Morning Grill. Tune in tomorrow with Steph in Dubbo for your third day of the Brennan's Mitre 10's 12 Days of Christmas and all your local, regional and national news!
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DUBBO | NARROMINE | WELLINGTON | NYNGAN | THE RIDGE | WESTERN MAGAZINE
We hope this hasn't happened to your Christmas Tree!
8.57: Making entertainment news this morning:
ROYAL NEWS: Prince William and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge have arrived in New York to a celebrity welcome, with screaming crowds braving a chilly 1 degree evening to catch a glimpse of the royals and their baby bump. However, not everyone is happy to see them.
BOOKS: For a second time, Bill Gates has chosen a novel by the Australian writer Graeme Simsion as one of the best books he read this year. Simsion's romantic comedy, The Rosie Effect, is the only fiction among the five books named today on GatesNotes, the blog of the Microsoft founder turned philanthropist.
CELEBRITY: If you post a tribute to Stella Young today, please do not include a picture of a snowflake. Just two months ago, Young – who died unexpectedly on Saturday – issued this precise instruction on Facebook.Read the instructions here.
POLITICS/CELEBRITY: Tony Abbott has made an awkward appearance on Channel Seven'sSunrise, twice addressing host David Koch as "Chris". An increasingly tetchy Koch was forced to correct the Prime Minister, who was responding to today's disastrous poll figures. Answering Koch's first question about the poll, which indicates voters trust him less than opposition leader Bill Shorten, Abbott responded, "Well, Chris ..." before, hastily reverting to "David" and then the matey "Kochie".
8.51: Did you participate in yesterday’s Brennan’s Mitre 10’s 12 Days of Christmas? Did you get the answer correct? We were at the Dubbo Observatory!
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Come back tomorrow for another chance to enter the 12 Days of Christmas!
8.47: Is it your birthday today? If so HAPPY BIRTHDAY we hope you have a fantastic day!!
You share your birthday with actor Kirk Douglas, 97, actress Dame Judi Dench, 79, actress Felicity Huffman, 51, Neighbours Star Ashleigh Brewer, 23 and former Australian prime minister, Robert Hawke, 85.
8.40: What's making sporting news today?
RUGBY LEAGUE: A number of the region's most skilled young rugby league players converged on Dubbo on Saturday for a combined training session at Apex Oval.The CRL Western and Far Western Academy squads have a combined 80 players and they were put through their paces by Academy staff, as well as staff from the Penrith Panthers
CRICKET: Yesterday's NSW Country Cricket Championship final has been postponed to February after the host city Orange had one of its wettest days this year in the lead-up to the match. According to weatherzone.com, more than 27 millimetres of rain fell in the city on Saturday, bringing to a halt all Orange District Cricket Association first, second and third grade games while also forcing ODCA administration into calling off the Western Zone and Newcastle country championship decider.
CRICKET: Newtown has survived its toughest test to date in the 2014/15 Whitney Cup season, beating Macquarie by 49 runs in their two-day match at No.2 Oval. Macquarie started the second day of the game on 0-17 in reply to Newtown's first innings total of 215 but it was the 'Skinner Show' as brothers Mat and Steve took all 10 wickets between them.
RACING: A return to the track where she scored a brilliant victory and being adept in wet conditions are two factors apprentice jockey Eleanor Webster-Hawes believes can help Just Pay Up return to winning form today. The five-year-old mare, trained at Bathurst by Don Ryan, is likely to start as one of the favourites in the JBB Racing Benchmark 55 Handicap (1300m) at Dubbo after returning from a break with a pair of solid performances.
8.33: Christmas is fast approaching, in fact we have the days, hours, minutes and seconds for you so it doesn't catch you off guard!
8.28: Checking out today's front pages from around the region:
8.15: Checking out rural news this Tuesday, December 9:
MRFF NEW CHAIRMAN: The region’s peak irrigator group, Macquarie River Food & Fibre (MRFF), have elected Warren farmer Michael Egan as their new chairman. Mr Egan was previously the chairman of the Macquarie Valley Cotton Growers’ Association and is the current chair of the State Water’s Customer Service Committee for the Macquarie-Cudgegong.
FARMER CONFIDENCE: Central-west and north-west farmers confidence in the rural economy is weaker due to continued dry conditions. Rabobank NSW state manager Tjerk-Martijn Mulder said climate conditions divided the state.
CHERRY SEASON: Cherry season is well underway in Young, the cherry capital of Australia, with local orchards expected to pick over 100 tonne during the summer harvest. Joanne Wells from Main Range Cherry Orchard, in Young said “We're expected to pick over 100 tonne of cherries this harvest.”
FARM ARMY: Farmers in drought stricken areas of NSW and QLD have been given a helping hand as volunteer tradies have come out to help with maintenance and repair works around the property. The Farmy Army came about from the Buy a Bale campaign, when co-ordinator Charles Adler realised drought stricken farmers were struggling to keep up with infrastructure repairs.
8.06: Want to give the gift of life this Christmas? For free you can visit the Dubbo Blood Bank and give blood.
The Dubbo Donor Centre are urging Dubbo residents to make the most critical secret Santa exchange this Christmas with a blood donation.
Dubbo Donor Centre is one of NSW most poorly-booked sites this Christmas.
More than 140 Dubbo blood donors are needed this festive season, in order to prevent a shortage of blood stocks between December 22, 2014 and January 3, 2015.
"Blood will be needed every day this month by road trauma patients, pregnant mums, cancer patients and premature babies. With so many people likely to be away on holidays, we need others to step forward and be an Australian patient's secret Santa' to ensure no one misses out on receiving that special gift,"
- Blood Service spokesperson Erin Clarke
8.01: Do you love Pixar as much as I do? Then you'll love this behind the scenes at Pixar video from YouTube:
7.55: Taking a look at today's front page:
Western NSW residents could receive a shock to the hip pocket if electricity privatisation becomes a reality.
New research by the McKell Institute has calculated bills could cost up to $350 extra over the next five years under the proposed privatisation of the electricity network.
Premier Mike Baird recently proposed leasing 49 per cent of the 'poles and wires', generating an estimated $13 billion to help fund $20 billion worth of infrastructure projects.
Using comparisons between publicly owned and private owned companies the Nothing to gain, plenty to lose report found privatisation could lead to an increase in operating expenses, resulting in higher power bills costing between $38 and $103 more a year.
"After extensive analysis, the report found that based on the implications for the budget and the efficiency of the entity there is no logical case for privatisation,"
- Eeconomist and report author Stephen Koukoulas said.
We want to know what you think, let us know by answering the poll below:
7.48: While you're sitting down to your banana and muesli or Vegemite on toast why don't you take a look at our SNAPPED gallery? It features loads of Christmas parties as everyone gears up to the silly season!
7.44: We are up to day two our massive 12 Days of Christmas Competition today Grillers. You could have a massive $200 voucher to Brennan’s Mitre 10 if you’re the lucky winner!
We want to go on a destination hunt with you!
We’ve picked a destination around the region and all you have to do is guess where we are by our clues!
Fill out the form below and at the end of the 12 days we randomly select a winner.
We’ll tell you the correct answer the next day. The more times you enter the more chance you have to win!
Today's clues:
- “I have sat in the middle of the town all of my lifespan.”
- “After 25 years of debates the Council has decided to move me.”
- “Twice a year I am the centre of attention as people pay respects.”
VISIT THIS LINK to see what you could buy with your voucher!
7.38: Taking a look at what's making news nationally and internationally:
PIRATED MOVIES: Australians will be blocked from accessing popular overseas websites hosting pirated movies and TV shows but would escape punishment for downloading illicit content under copyright law proposals being presented to federal cabinet on Tuesday.
INCREASE RISK OF BUSH FIRE: An increased risk of bushfires is being cited by the electricity industry as it starts its campaign against cuts recommended for power prices in NSW. The industry is challenging a key component of the Australian Energy Regulator's decision amid warnings the power companies may be forced to slice spending on trimming undergrowth near power lines.
SELLING URANIUM: The treaty to sell uranium to India will face tough scrutiny after the former chief atomic watchdog warned the deal lacked safeguards to ensure Australia did not inadvertently fuel India's nuclear bombs.
FIRE: A massive fire at an apartment complex has shut down parts of two major freeways in downtown Los Angeles. The LA Times has reported that the fire broke out in an apartment complex that was under construction.
CLIMATE CHANGE: Australia is the worst-performing developed nation when it comes to climate-change action, with the Abbott government's scrapping of the carbon price cementing its lowly ranking, a survey by European non-government organisations shows. Australia ranked 57 out of 58 nations reviewed by the survey, which has been done each year since 2005 by Climate Action Network Europe and Germanwatch. Only Saudi Arabia fared worse.
7.33: Checking out what's happening around regional Australia:
CRIME: Victoria Police believe there are people who know what happened to murdered Bendigo mother Vicki Jacobs and have urged people with information to contact them.
MOUNT PANORAMA: Work will begin soon on a new $1 million roundabout which will improve traffic flow to and from Mount Panorama during major motor racing events. Bathurst Regional Council's director of engineering Doug Patterson said there is already a smaller roundabout in place at the intersection of Ray Bant Drive, Peter Gannon Parade and Panorama Avenue, but it will be replaced with a much larger, two-lane one.
COURT: Scott Bernard Cole was under the orders of a suspended jail sentence at the time he allegedly glassed someone at a pub in Peisley Street on Friday night. Cole, 22, was granted bail in Orange Local Court by the acting registrar on Saturday and again on Sunday despite his previous criminal history.
DUST STORM: The tiny outback Queensland town of Bedorie has been swallowed by a dust storm, with incredible photos of the event going viral.
SCHOOL PROTEST: Carcoar Public School P&C president Nicky Parker says she feels sorry for the incoming principal of the school who is walking into “a hornet’s nest”. Her comments come after about 100 people rallied at the school yesterday to show their support for outgoing relieving principal Chris Smith.
PRISON BREAK OUT: AN investigation will be conducted into the security at a minimum security prison near Oberon after two prisoners escaped yesterday. More than 24 hours had passed since Matthew Hayne, 18, and Eli Heigh, 18, were last seen at the Oberon Correctional Centre, and police were yet to locate them late yesterday.
7.16: Taking a look at the local news this morning:
CRIME: A NSW health service has successfully appealed an order to pay more than $250,000 to the family of a man killed by a mental health patient who had just been released from care. In a judgement examining the extent to which doctors should detain people with a mental illness in order to protect the wider community, the High Court of Australia overturned a damages decision in favour of the family of Stephen Rose.
WEIR DESIGN: The design of works to reduce the dangers of the South Dubbo weir is "proceeding satisfactorily", a Dubbo City Council director reports. Stewart McLeod provided the update this week nine months after the council committed to safety improvements of the site where two teenagers have died since 2008.
WESTERN CLIMATE: MORE hot days, fewer cold nights and a greater fire danger. That is the prediction for the state's west according to new data developed following a research partnership between the NSW and ACT governments and the University of NSW Climate Change Research Centre.
PLANE TURNED AROUND: An aircraft travelling from Dubbo to Sydney turned back following a "technical issue" with one of its engines. A QantasLink spokesperson said flight QF 2039 returned to Dubbo shortly after take-off on Friday afternoon when the captain received a warning light in the flight deck indicating a problem with the left engine.
FAVOURITE CHRISTMAS TUNE: Traditional beats modern carols in one Dubbo office but the sounds of children's surprise and delight on the day are a favourite. Australian Hearing Dubbo centre manager Debbi Amos said the look on clients' faces - young or not so young - when they could hear was such a rewarding part of her work.
COBBORA COAL PROJECT: The state-owned Cobbora Holding Company is being investigated over alleged improper handling for storing of asbestos at the Dunedoo site of the Cobbora Coal Project. The NSW Environmental Protection Authority is investigating whether Cobbora Holdings has a case to answer and is also working with the company to ensure all asbestos is disposed of safely.
LOURDES HOSPITAL AND COMMUNITY HEALTH SERVICE: Lourdes Hospital and Community Health Service yesterday celebrated a further three years of accreditation by The Australian Council of Healthcare Standards. It successfully completed the National Safety and Quality Health Service (NSQHS) Standards Survey.
7am: Good morning everyone, happy Tuesday!
We've got the second day of Brennan's Mitre 10's 12 Days of Christmas today. Stay tuned for today's clues!
You're with Grace in Narromine today, if you have anything you'd like to add to our Grill please email me grace.ryan@fairfaxmedia.com.au
DUBBO / TRANGIE / NYNGAN: are all mostly sunny with extreme UV index. Dubbo will get to 34, Trangie 35 and Nyngan 36.
COBAR / BOURKE: are also mostly sunny with extreme UV index. Cobar will get to 37 and Bourke to 39.
