A cultural institution for areas across the state, the NSW Country Women’s Association has been giving rural women a voice in the nation’s affairs, the opportunity to socialise with others and assist their communities since 1922.

For an organisation that has been running for 94 years with approximately 400 branches, many would think the CWA of NSW would be running out of steam.

However at their State Conference in Cowra this week the women of the CWA proved they were tackling today’s challenges head on.

Amongst the agenda points discussed by delegates, issues from bans on super trawlers; limiting climate change and implementing renewable energies; lobbying for teacher training opportunities to be made equally available for rural teachers; to adequate funding for not-for-profit early childhood learning centres; population-wide screening of vitamin B12, including a fourth standard cancer treatment; having case workers and funding for support services for indigenous women in jail; the need to introduce protest exclusion zones around women’s medical centres and fast cash loan advertisements being removed from all media, were debated at length.

CWA of NSW president Tanya Cameron says the organisation was as strong as ever.

“I think the power of the CWA is still as powerful as it was, I think the credibility of the organisation is it’s conservative approach,” Mrs Cameron said. 

“Whilst it might not be everybody’s cup of tea, its been our approach for 94 years and its served us well and I think while we maintain that approach government will be prepared to listen to us.” 

Mrs Cameron continued on to say the organisation could play a role telling government what’s happening at a grass roots level.

“The organisation is very representative of consumers and users and we’re involved in our communities, we’re out there in the bush and working with our families and all the other members and people who live in our areas,” Mrs Cameron said. 

“.We are representative of those people, the role that we can play to government is to be telling them what’s happening at a grass roots level.”

Even the Governor of NSW, General David Hurley, acknowledged the significance of the CWA.

“You have been central to some of the most significant change in rural NSW and Australia throughout our history,” he said this week.

“You know what’s happening in work places, you know what’s happening in communities.”

“People have different needs, they have different time frames, it’s a 24/7 world, you know the pressures out in regional and rural areas,” he said.

Ms Cameron has had dealt with a number of major issues during her time as president.

“We had the sale of our Potts Point property, which we had owned for a considerable amount of time, we now have a nice new face in Mascot so that was one issue the members had to deal with,” Mrs Cameron said. 

“We’ve also looked at the issues around the state with drought, we’ve provided some funding and assistance through the rural financial counselling service for people in drought areas, we’ve also provided a lot of funding for emergency aid for the Dungog floods and these are all ongoing issues that happen during every presidents term that we respond to.

“We’ve also, in the last few months, sponsored rape and domestic violence service workshops around rural and regional areas, because people in these areas are at greater risk of rape and domestic violence.

“We have just launched the Salvation Army alcohol and other drugs program which is going to provide an outreach service in Dubbo but will travel up to Walgett out to Bourke down to Cobar and back through Narromine and back to Dubbo,” she said.

In his opening address, Governor Hurley said the CWA was: “the flour in the damper and the fire in the rural belly” and tasked them with being the organisation the rural women of the state needed.

The CWA of NSW agenda for this State Conference has been as broad and diverse as their memberships and has been debated with the same passion and personal conflicts that would be found in any State or Federal parliament. 

Time will tell if it has shown itself to be up to the challenge put forward by Governor Hurley.