Central West businesses performed better in the June quarter than the preceding quarter, according to the latest Reliance Credit Union business survey released on Wednesday 2 August by Charles Sturt University’s Western Research Institute (WRI). "Interestingly, Central West businesses still expect to improve their performance again in the September quarter, even though interest rates rose yesterday. It is expected, however, that regional NSW business will be less affected by the rise in terest rates than Sydney due to smaller mortgages and less business debt," said WRI CEO, Tom Murphy. It was noted that fuels costs were the most negative influence on business activity, particularly transport. All business sectors except agriculture showed positive performance in June. The business survey, sponsored by Reliance Credit Union and the Central West Regional Development Board, was returned by over 400 businesses including mining, agriculture, tourist, retail and transport industries across regional NSW.

Maintaining and upgrading skills, continuing professional education and accessing the latest research and expertise has been cited as major problems for attracting and keeping health professionals in regional Australia. Charles Sturt University (CSU), the NSW Greater Southern Area Health Service (GSAHS) and Occupational Therapy Australia (NSW) are collaborating to bring vital professional development to health clinicians in southern NSW. Over 30 occupational therapists from the region will update their skills and explore new forms of professional education at a two day workshop in Gundagai on Monday 7 and Tuesday 8 August. CSU’s Professor of Occupational Therapy Gail Whiteford, Dr Michael Curtin and Clare Wilding will lead discussions in how to better train future occupational therapists for the region. GSAHS allied heath director Ros Bauer said the partnership between CSU, GSAHS and OT Australia will provide much needed professional support for clinicians in communities across the region and to explore new ways of delivering health services.

Charles Sturt University’s (CSU) resident poet, David Gilbey, will spend five months on a “journey of discovery” as part of his study leave to complete his first full volume of poetry. “There is an ancient connection between travelling and writing,” says David, who is Senior Lecturer in Literature and Creative Writing at CSU’s Wagga Wagga Campus and the founding president of Wagga Wagga Writers Writers group. David begins his international sojourn next week in Paris and the Loire Valley in France before travelling to the University of Montana, USA, where he will be featured at the Montana Festival of the Book in late September. He will also read his poetry at seminars in Wales, Ireland, the Robert Menzies Centre in the UK, Shanghai in China and at Sendai in northern Japan, where David was visiting Professor of English at Miyagi Gakuin Women’s College in 2000.

Condobolin High School has won the Essay Competition at the 2nd Study Skills Day for Year 11 Students held at Charles Sturt University’s (CSU) Dubbo Campus. The six Condobolin students collaborated on the essay which dealt with the issues confronting young people in rural and regional Australia. The Study Skills Day equips senior school students with skills they will need during the stress and strain of what CSU’s HSC Online calls the “most important examinations in your life”. During the Skills Day, CSU lecturers covered subjects such as time management and essay writing, and students experienced university life first hand. Dubbo Head of Campus, Heather Bell, will present the trophy and $500 cheque at the Condobolin school assembly on Tuesday 15 August.

  Charles Sturt University (CSU) has ensured the continuing success of the Orange Campus by appointing Professor Kevin Parton as the new Head of the Orange Campus. Vice-Chancellor Professor Ian Goulter said Professor Parton is the right man for the job. “I congratulate Professor Parton in taking on this important position. He will play an active role in strengthening the University’s links with the region and the delivery of service to the community.” Professor Parton will hold the position of Head of the Orange Campus concurrently with his position as Head of School of Rural Management. “It gives me great pleasure to continue the work already commenced to expand the teaching and research work of the Orange Campus,” said Professor Parton. “There will be a more extensive range of courses in 2007 including those from Rural Management as well as Nursing, Pharmacy and Clinical Sciences. The emphasis in these undergraduate programs is on professional education and as such they offer great opportunities for students of our region and beyond to move towards highly sought after careers. I look forward to working with our dedicated staff as they guide students on this path to success.”

Stories of what happens to asylum seekers and refugees with nothing to do and preventing social exclusion of children from low income families from services are being presented at the ‘Occupational Therapy Unlimited’ conference run by final year students completing their occupational therapy course with Charles Sturt University. These join over 30 papers being presented as the students celebrate the end of their four year course. Student representative Mr Daniel Frawley said the conference explores the scope and contexts of occupational therapy practice in Australia, with diverse topics covering the interaction of the profession with the functioning brain, different cultures, mental health and working in rural Australia. Academic coordinator of the event and occupational therapy lecturer Dr Sally Denshire said “This student-led event is the jewel in the crown for the graduating student”. The conference will be held on building 667, CSU in Albury-Wodonga at Thurgoona.

The signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Charles Sturt University (CSU) and Dubbo City Council later in March heralds a new stage for development of CSU’s Dubbo Campus. “The University has enjoyed an excellent relationship with Dubbo City Council since CSU admitted its first students in Dubbo in 1997,” said Professor David Battersby, CSU Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration) and Head of Dubbo Campus. “The MOU recognises that a university presence can bring added value to the City of Dubbo, particularly in fostering research opportunities, cultural development and economic growth.” Professor Battersby said CSU and Dubbo City Council were keen to promote Dubbo as a “University City” and to explore opportunities for shared use of CSU and community facilities. The MOU also commits CSU and Dubbo City Council to plan a program of traineeships, work placements and scholarships for young people, particularly to encourage Indigenous students from the Dubbo region to attend CSU. The MOU will be formally signed at CSU Dubbo Campus at 12pm on Monday 27 March.

Glenn Tasker is the CEO of Swimming Australia Ltd (SAL), the nation’s governing body for the sport and a Charles Sturt University (CSU) graduate. After his recent travels to New York, Montreal, Shanghai and Madrid, what does he think of Bathurst? He says his student days were “the best years of my life”. After graduating in 1974, Glenn taught in Sydney before being seconded into the new NSW Department of Education Sports Unit, where his career in sports management and administration took off. He says the highlights of his time so far at SAL have been the Athens Olympics in 2004 and discovering and nurturing young athletes like Ian Thorpe. Glenn Tasker is a guest speaker at Bathurst graduation ceremony on Thursday 4 May. He wants to tell the graduates that “teachers have to have high expectations of not only themselves, but also of the pupils. I want to impress upon them that they have a very, very important role to play in society, and that they need to be inspirational and dedicated to the task”.

Australian actor Bill Kerr is in Wagga Wagga for two weeks under Charles Sturt University’s (CSU) Visiting Artists’ Program. The star of film, stage, television and radio will give two guest lectures at CSU Wagga Wagga Campus from 3pm on Wednesday 22 March and Wednesday 29 March. The first lecture will reflect on his life as a child actor in Wagga Wagga from 1933 and his work in British films until 1967. The second lecture will cover his work in Australian films from 1981, including Gallipolli and The Year of Living Dangerously. The lectures will be held in the Performing Arts complex, on CSU Wagga Wagga Campus.