Our nation is now sailing in uncharted waters. None of us know just how the COVID-19 situation will end but we all know that every Australian must play their part in doing what they can to limit its spread and look after each other.
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As we approach ANZAC Day, one of Australia's most important national occasions, we are advised the ways in which we traditionally observe this day is banned.
By now we all fully understand why such drastic measures are necessary however this does not mean we should fail to remember the ANZACs and the nation's sacrifices since Gallipoli.
Now more than ever we owe it to those who were so central with shaping this great country to honour their memory on ANZAC Day.
I have spoken to many Mid North Coast locals who will be lighting a candle on the day or have vowed to stand in silence at dawn and these individual acts of remembrance are as touching as they are appropriate.
At a national and state level it is likely we will see a nationally televised Dawn Service from the Australian War Memorial and there may also be a televised 10am state service from Sydney. These televised services are about the limit of what can be done under the current circumstances.
In their capacity as the custodians of local ANZAC Day Commemorations, the executive members of the RSL Sub Branches in Nambucca Valley towns of Nambucca Heads, Macksville, Bowraville, and Stuarts Point met this week to develop a uniform approach to commemorations across the valley. Based on the outcomes of that meeting I can advise the following:
In compliance with state and federal rules regarding public gatherings and RSL NSW direction as a result of the coronavirus there will be no ANZAC Day march or public ANZAC Day Commemoration Services conducted in the Nambucca Valley towns of Nambucca Heads, Macksville, Bowraville, and Stuarts Point on ANZAC Day 2020. Under current restrictions it is likely that pubs and clubs will also be closed on that day.
It is understood there may be members of the public and organisations within the broader community who would like to lay a wreath on ANZAC Day as an act of remembrance.
RSL Sub Branches in Nambucca Heads, Macksville, Bowraville, and Stuarts Point advise that, state and federal restrictions on the day permitting, they will, on behalf of their sub branches, lay a wreath at their respective memorials or cenotaphs sometime between 6am and 10am on Saturday, 25th April 2020, ANZAC Day.
Provided that individuals do not breech personal distancing protocols and state and federal rules in place at the time, members of the public and representatives from community organisations are advised that if they intent on laying a wreath please be advised that an RSL Sub Branch representatives will be in location to assist if required between 6am and 10am on ANZAC Day.
Nambucca Valley Radio 105.9 FM will broadcast a special ANZAC Day presentation between 6am and 10am on Saturday, 25th April 2020, ANZAC Day. This presentation is delivered as a community service and will include an ANZAC Day Commemorative Service commencing at 9am.
The presentation will be produced locally and will contain a significant amount of local content. In 2019, 2NVR broadcasted the Nambucca Heads ANZAC Day Service with some aged care facilities accessing this broadcast as an option for their residents to observe ANZAC Day.
In 2020 this broadcast can be utilised by all in the listening area to observe ANZAC Day without leaving their home. You can tune in on your radio on 105.9 FM or steam the broadcast by going to www.2nvr.or.au and clicking on the live stream icon.
On ANZAC Day 2020 commemoration will not look the same as it has in the past. What is most important is that the memory of the fallen, the returned, their families, and the sacrifices of the nation during times of conflict is does not fade. On ANZAC Day 2020 we will remember them. Lest we Forget.
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