But, from the bravery of some of our city’s residents, we can start taking steps to understand and empathise with those who suffer from mental illnesses.

Bipolar sufferer Samantha Brunskill has been a shining beacon to those lost at the sea of mental health disorder.

Now she is starting up a mental health support group for people who are looking to find comfort in numbers and who might understand what demons taunt their very existence.

It is a sad reality that residents can not turn to those close to them at their time of need for various reasons – they feel too proud or maybe they fear they’ll be labelled as weak, or maybe they feel like the glue that keeps the family together and if they show a perceived weakness, then their entire family will unravel.

Ms Brunskill’s support group will at least give those feeling trapped by their feelings a safe place to discuss their experiences with real people. Mental health is becoming one of this century’s largest health challenges, and to move forward there needs to be a community-based, grassroots network available to those vulnerable to depression – preferably before its grip takes hold. 

Ms Brunskill should be applauded for her efforts to make our community better for all who live in it.

With all this talk about El Nino and the lack of rain that comes with it, you could be lulled into a false sense of security that all water users are a responsible bunch.

But figures released by Riverina Water tell a different story.

Some of us are still not getting the message that our most important liquid is a precious resource to not be frittered away.

We all take it for granted from time to time – the fact that it is pumped straight to our homes makes it all too easy – but maybe there needs to be a fundamental shift in attitude towards our usage of water.

It is unfair that some water users can use more than 10 times the average household usage without having some sort of concession. As water becomes even more scarce, measures will need to be placed to ensure the survival of the region, without pumping up the price and punishing those who are more responsible with their water.