STOP PRESS | Masses of trees nearly axed under government plan

The sports complex would be the best in country NSW, would cater for thousands of people including kids well into the future along with benefits for the broader community.

That's far better than leaving it untouched for a few people to sit under the trees planted by the Ex-Services Club after it added the golf course's extra nine holes.

But if Transport Minister Andrew Constance had got his way millions of trees would be chopped down within 40 metres of either side of all major highways in NSW.

That's absolutely unbelievable. Millions and millions of trees cut down along every highway in NSW.

Mr Constance apparently issued the ministerial direction last year to then-Transport for NSW secretary Rodd Staples after the Black Summer bushfires. The government later sacked Mr Staples after his department didn't carry out the instruction.

Mr Constance told a NSW budget estimates hearing last week he didn't want kilometres of traffic build-up "when a bushfire might hit them and we lose hundreds of Australians."

He said he was sick of trees falling across highways during bushfires. Trees were cleared underneath transmission lines yet for whatever strange reason we seem incapable of getting trees back off our main highways in advance of these types of events happening again, he said.

But due credit to Mr Constance's concerns about gum-lined roads. Driving along some of them can be a hazard especially on wet and windy days when our eucalypt icons are swaying like a bird on a twig.

Large trees regularly crash onto the roadway and you wouldn't want to be underneath one when this happens. Branches also just fall off unexpectedly.

Obviously councils can't chop down all the gums alongside roads but you can't help feeling unsafe sometimes driving past when they're rocking above you.

Next time you go into one of Orange's ubiquitous coffee shops, do you say 'please' when ordering or do you order your fix with a cheery g'day or hello?

Apparently lots of people don't and that's also the case in other service stores.

But a French cafe has had enough of rude customers and has decided to fight back by charging them a whopping $10 for their coffee.

If they say 'please' the cost is a more affordable $6.50.

And the customers who order their cup with a cheery 'good morning, coffee please' get the best deal of all, paying only $2.15.

You can wonder whether something like that will ever happen here.

It's highly doubtful.

Orange customers of Peter Smith Terry White Chemmart might soon be able to have their medications delivered by a drone.

Melbourne based company Swoop Aero will trial the scheme for the EBOS Group, parent company of Terry White, at Goondiwindi on an automated flight path approved by CASA.

The drone will deliver the medications to customers and then return to base ready for its next job.

Goondiwindi pharmacist Lucy Walker says the trial can be used to fine tune the service as well as sharing with other regional Terry White Chemmart pharmacies who could be looking at a drone delivery service.

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