CWA conference backs school counsellor and caravan safety motions from Wagga and Uranquinty branches

The issue was one of more than 30 motions debated last week at the annual CWA of NSW state conference in Sydney, which also marked the association's centenary.

Wagga Evening Branch's motion enjoyed strong support from conference attendees, with near-unanimous backing to add it to the CWA's advocacy efforts over the next 12 months.

Branch secretary Julie Morrison said the motion was about making sure children in regional areas had the support they needed to deal with challenges at school.

"This is what started it: I had a [relative] going to high school in Wagga and she was being bullied and attacked. She didn't want to go back to school and the counsellors were not available for four weeks," Mrs Morrison said.

"It's not just Wagga - it's very bad in Wagga - but it's all over the state that there's not enough counsellors and psychologists."

Mrs Morrison sad the next stage of the campaign would be to raise the issue in the NSW Parliament.

"We will be asking for the state Minister for Education to supply more counsellors and psychologists without delay; it needs to be done soon," she said.

"It can't wait. There are many schools in Wagga that share a counsellor and they don't have one of their own. One school has a counsellor but you can't see them for three or four weeks. It's appalling."

The CWA's Uranquinty Evening Branch was also able to get its motion on caravan towing safety adopted at the conference.

Branch president Maree Crosskell said the motion was in response to the trend of caravans getting larger.

"Our motion was that the government review caravan ownership with appropriate education and licensing because caravans are getting so much bigger; you can buy a 36-footer now," Mrs Crosskell said.

"When I grew up, a caravan was just a little double bed at the end and a little table but you don't see many of them on the road anymore. The new ones are like a mobile apartment."

Mrs Crosskell said there was some debate about the issue at the conference but it was mainly about the wording of the motion.

"I did say at the conference that I understood there were a lot of ladies in the room that probably had heavy vehicle licences themselves, but 95 per cent of the population lives in urban areas and they are the ones getting out in caravans now," Mrs Crosskell said.

Outgoing CWA state president Stephanie Stanhope said the motions reflected the diversity in the association's members and the concerns of their communities.

"The endorsed motions will now be taken forward and form the basis of our lobbying efforts for the next 12 months, supported by the strength of more than 8000 voices who not only expect, but demand, better outcomes for regional NSW communities," she said.

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