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Open for comment
In the interests of healthy discussion and debate on issues relevant to our readers and to rural and regional Australia, Australian Rural & Regional News is opening some stories for comment.
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Australian Rural & Regional News wishes all its readers a Bright and Successful 2026.
We’ll be waltzing through January, working on a few fresh features for our news mix in 2026.
Back at a canter by the fifth anniversary of our launch on the 26th.
Onwards!
Algal bloom - SA
Oysters reopen at Stansbury
Michelle Daw. Stansbury oyster growers have cautiously welcomed the reopening of their harvesting area, which had been shut since early May. Growers were informed of the reopening mid-afternoon on Wednesday, December 31 — too late for them to sell for the lucrative Christmas and New Year's Eve markets.
Buffel grass - NT
Comment: Cattle or tourists – The buffel debate nears deadline
The debate about buffel needs to be broadened to take account of the weed's current and future commercial as well as social consequences. The pastoral industry, in love with the irresponsibly introduced plant, has leases over half of the NT, land that is owned by the people of the NT. From 31 December they will have just 43 days to comment on how the government should be dealing with the scourge, declared a weed in 2024, yet still expanding in the region's prime tourism areas.
Mapping Lord Howe history
Museum cultural project – A place names map
Ian Hutton. Throughout 2025, the Lord Howe Historical Society has been working on a project to enhance the Island cultural history – a Place Names Map. Since the Island's discovery in 1788, a few place names have remained constant whilst others have changed depending on the era.
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December 2025
Christmas - Birchip
Community together in song and fellowship – Birchip Ecumenical Christmas Service
The Birchip community came together in a spirit of unity, reflection and celebration at the Ecumenical Christmas Carol Service held at the Birchip Public Hall ... Representatives and congregations from St Mary’s Catholic Church, the Anglican Church, the Uniting Church joined with community members of all ages ... In a powerful moment of solidarity, Robyn invited attendees to hold hands as a visible sign of unity and support for Jewish communities, both locally and around the world.
River health
What next? Tinnie group makes plans to save the Richmond River
In September this year, Steve Posselt and Graeme Gibson set off from Ballina in a tinnie to travel upstream towards Kyogle ... The Tinnie Trip was part of the Riverfest and its aim was to highlight the state of the Richmond River.
Tourism - Alice Springs
What future for tourism?
Hopes that growth in tourism will lift Alice Springs out of its economic slump in 2026 look like wishful thinking. There are no major projects. There are still no accommodation facilities other than camping in the West MacDonnell National Park (2,568 km2), the jewels in our tourism crown, nor in the East Macs. Ross River is available only for special functions and Glen Helen is still closed.
Tourism - WA
Western Australia leads the nation for international tourism recovery: Whitby
International tourists have descended on WA in nation-leading numbers, with the State out-performing the rest of Australia for growth in overseas visitors. The latest visitor data has WA on track for full recovery to pre-pandemic international visitor numbers by the end of 2025, with the State achieving 99.5 per cent of 2019 numbers in the year ending September 2025.
Wine
Call to love Riverland wine this summer
A Riverland MP is urging locals and visitors to show their support for the region's wine industry while enjoying the summer holiday season. Member for Chaffey Tim Whetstone launched his Local Labels campaign last week, highlighting the range of Riverland wines available from wineries, liquor stores and venues like hotels, clubs, cafés and restaurants. "This summer is the perfect time to celebrate and the exceptional wines that our region produces, while also sending a clear message that this is an industry worth fighting for," Mr Whetstone said.
2026 outlook
Conditions favourable for Australia’s livestock sector –Rabobank 2026 outlook
Export market demand has supported elevated prices for Australian lamb, mutton and beef through much of 2025, with favourable market conditions expected to continue into the new year, according to agribusiness banking specialist Rabobank. In its Global animal protein outlook 2026, the bank’s RaboResearch division says high cattle inventories will maintain elevated Australian beef production, while sheepmeat production takes time to recover.
Forestry
State Forest pine brings festive cheer to Government House: Forestry Corporation of NSW
A radiata pine grown in a Southern Highlands State forest is taking pride of place in the foyer of Government House continuing a grand NSW Christmas tradition. For decades, real Christmas trees selected from State forest pine plantations have delighted guests and visitors at the Governor’s residence ... Forestry Corporation has also supplied a 3.5-metre pine to feature at Vaucluse House.
Wildlife hospital
A medicated spa day for one lucky echidna
NR Wildlife Hospital. Thankfully, not every patient journey begins in crisis. A crowd favourite on our socials this month, this little echidna came in bright eyed and alert, but a little too smelly for our liking!
Talking rural and regional
It’s cheaper to live in England now? Plus your Christmas weather
In the Christmas instalment of No Drama Farmer, Fiona L Fox joins us to talk about koala numbers plus is England cheaper than Australia? (cost of living) it might be!
Art
Wilcannia HSC graduate art
This edition we offer you a look at the stunning art work submitted by graduate Tahlarah Lawson for her HSC Art folio. Tahlarah’s art appeared in the Broken Hill Art Gallery’s 2025 HSC Art Show held at the Albert Kersten Mining and Mineral Museum (Geo Centre) in Broken Hill.
Bumper holiday quiz
Local history - Corryong
Society continues to preserve our past
The Upper Murray Historical Society has celebrated a landmark year, capped by the recent installation of a new memorial board for Jack Riley at the Corryong Cemetery - a tribute that reflects both the region's rich history and the dedication of the volunteers who preserve it. Much of the year's activity was sparked by Corryong's 150th anniversary celebrations in July, prompting extensive research and renewed exploration...
Theatre - Gosford
One-woman dark comedy set for Fun Haus
Ivona Rose. When Donné Restom's writing mentor gave her the prompt "these are the things I know about death", the exercise set the Umina Beach singer on a cathartic personal and professional journey. Grief and resilience evolved into the one-woman dark comedy show Everyone in My Family Is Dead or About to Be, set for Gosford's Fun Haus Factory ...
Tribute truck
Community unites to honour Lauren
A powerful show of community resilience and strength unfolded at Nobby ... as family, friends and supporters gathered to honour the life and legacy of 21 y/o Lauren Smith, whose life was cut short by epilepsy ... the Smith family, alongside local haulage company OBrienco Transport, officially unveiled a specially branded B-Triple truck dedicated to Lauren’s memory...
Local history
Time capsule finds a new home
The town's time capsule was installed in its new home last week, lowered carefully from above onto the original stand. Once displayed in the grounds of the former St Paul's Church, in Moppett Street, the time capsule was donated to the town by David Kenton, when he purchased the land from the church several years ago.
Christmas spirit
A plea for Christmas
This Christmas, Naracoorte father and leukemia survivor Remo Herron has one heartfelt wish: that people give a gift that truly matters — a gift that helps save lives and keeps families together when everything feels like it’s falling apart.
Wild beef - Cape York
Bush Beef to raise $10 million for ethical wild food
Normanby Aboriginal Corporation and Esparq Ventures have announced they have raised $600,000 as part of their mission to raise $10 million to commercialise, launch, and nationally scale their innovative and sustainable enterprise, Bush Beef ... ethical, climate-friendly food sources are in growing demand ... ARR.News found out more from Dominiqe Bird of Esparq Ventures.
Lifesavers
Storm
Fast and furious
An intense and devastating storm hit Central Victoria on Saturday 13 December and cast a weird yellow light ... In Tarrengower, Anne-Maree McComb described the destruction: “It took out trees in a straight line over around 800 metres as well as the roof of our house, spreading debris over about 250 metres. We were watching two storm fronts colliding and a mini tornado circling in our back yard when our back verandah was ripped off, taking the whole roof of the house with it.”
Ag labour - Pt 2
Success in America is being an immigrant
For its 250-year history, the United States has been the largest immigration centre in the world. As of 2024, the country was home to 52,375,047 immigrants ... The concentration of illegal immigrants in the agricultural sector in some states is so high that it raises the question, "Are authorities truly combating illegal immigration, or is illegal immigration officially encouraged as a supplement to legal immigration?"
Gun laws
Gun laws are not a substitute for courage
Firearms reform is attractive politics because it is administratively complex but morally simple. It produces press conferences, committees, compliance regimes and the soothing language of “community safety”. What it does not reliably produce is protection against terrorism, extremism or ideologically driven murder ... Western Australia’s experience is instructive.
Responsibility for RFS assets?
Fisherman
Fish tales
I’m certainly no fisherwoman but when my elderly neighbour, Jim, offered to take me out on the inlet to go fishing I keenly accepted. Jim hadn’t told me what to bring so I borrowed the full range of fishing gear from friends so I’d be properly prepared. I had rods and reels, bait and burley and my gear quickly cluttered up the bottom of the boat. Jim by contrast had only a hand line and bucket and told me his bait was “still breathing” ...
Marine monitoring
Watching for marine recovery on SYP
Michelle Daw. A team of citizen scientists is monitoring the impact of the harmful algal bloom on two southern Yorke Peninsula jetties that were home to a dazzling array of sea life. Certified volunteer divers involved in the Edithburgh and Wool Bay Jetties Marine Watch are conducting monthly photography, transects of the seafloor, and quadrat observations under and around both jetties.
Fishing - WA
Abalone fishers’ safety a focus
With the first day of the 2025-26 abalone season underway on Saturday fishers, who are no doubt keen to get their hands on the delicacy, are being asked to keep safety front of mind ... Surf Life Saving WA (SLSWA) has reported an increase in incidents over the past few years, with their lifesaving services performing 118 rescues during the four hours of fishing last season and 101 rescues the previous year.
Algal bloom - SA
Algae monitoring buoys ahoy!: Scriven
Six hi-tech monitoring buoys which will automatically detect future harmful algal blooms before they reach our shores are being deployed across South Australian waters. The state-of-the-art oceanographic moorings are equipped with specific sensors for early detection of key harmful algal bloom (HAB) species such as Karenia.
Leadership & You
Eight truths I learnt about leadership in 2025
I feel 2025 has been one of the most instructive leadership years I can remember. We have seen plenty of leadership lessons and styles on the world stage, much of it on what not to do! Many regional and rural businesses have faced uncertainty, skill shortages, rising expectations from staff, rapid shifts in technology, and the everyday pressures of running operations that never stop. Yet it has also been a year where I’ve watched extraordinary leadership rise from ordinary circumstances.
Compliance
Opinion - science, research and academia
Songlines, space stations and the slow decline of science
The Americans had Apollo. The Soviets had Soyuz. The Chinese have Tiangong. And Australia? We now have the world’s first taxpayer-funded attempt to guide space exploration using songlines ... The real culprit here is modern academia, which now treats all “knowledge systems” as equal. They are not. Knowledge that is testable, repeatable, measurable and falsifiable is superior to knowledge that is not.
Asbestos
Council and community discuss hall problems
More than 70 community members gathered at a meeting in Charlton this week to discuss the current temporary closure of the Charlton Shire Hall due to the potential friable asbestos identified in the decorative brickwork wall cavities in June ... Laboratory analysis confirmed the presence of Amosite asbestos within cavities ...
Bondi massacre
Opinion: Australia is a safe country, acts of terror like the Bondi shootings do not happen in my country
As news of the Bondi shootings travel the globe, I sit at in a beer garden in Munich where gigantic fake snowflakes hang from tall trees and the cold air bites into my cheeks. The news from Australia is even more chilling. Australia is a safe country I tell the two women who sit next to me. Things like the Bondi killings do not happen in my country.
Open for comment - cash mandate
Power - WA
Manufacturing - WA
Gemco Rail establishes wagon manufacturing in Karratha
Gemco Rail is proud to announce that wagon manufacturing is now established at our Karratha facility, marking a major step in bringing rollingstock capability into the Pilbara and closer to our customer operations.
Public art
Mural completed at Darlington Point pool just in time for Christmas
Darlington Point’s War Memorial Swimming Pool has been given a stunning new look, with a vibrant mural completed just in time for Christmas. The eye-catching artwork celebrates the area’s unique landscape and biodiversity, bringing native birds, bees and local flora to life.
Public art
Have you seen the murals? Ideas for things to do in the region this holidays
Practically at our back door are these exquisite murals painted in Griffith. Located in Banna Lane, and with over 30 large-scale murals, the Griffith art trail is constantly evolving, making it the perfect weekend adventure for locals and visitors alike.
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Environmental laws
Environmental law change highly controversial
AgForce General President Shane McCarthy, appearing with Mr Perrett and Mr Weir at Wyreema last week, said the implementation phase will determine how the reforms function in reality. "What happens in the implementation phase will decide whether these laws support environmental outcomes or unintentionally restrict the routine land management that keeps Queensland landscapes healthy, productive and safe."
Fire - Central Coast
Residents in shock after Koolewong fire claims 16 homes
The community is still reeling after a devastating bushfire destroyed 16 homes and damaged a further nine at Koolewong on Saturday, December 6 ... News of the fire first broke at around 1pm on Saturday at which time four homes had been lost, with reports of more homes destroyed surfacing during the afternoon and early evening...
Local history
Historic tree immortalised
It has stood in place since the 1870s, but the significance of the Stone Pine that towers over the Apex Park in Church Street has now been immortalised. A research project, headed by Hay Landcare member Sally Ware, has unearthed the history and probable provenance of the tree.
Christmas - Riverland
Toy and Tucker’s 2025 record
Madison Eastmond. A record total of donations has been counted from last weekend's Toy and Tucker Run, with the annual drive ensuring a brighter Christmas for Riverland families ... Using the annual December ride to collect toys, non-perishable foods, and cash donations for the Riverland Christmas Appeal, the Ulysses Club Mallee Branch's 23rd Riverland Toy and Tucker Run raised $7937 last Sunday for locals in-need.
Leadership & You
Retail
Co-op switches focus to online model
Five years after establishing a community-driven food system in the Upper Murray, the Acres & Acres Co-op paused operations at its retail outlet ... to review the business. Following a trial period, Acres and Acres is now operating under a new model and a new board ... "The new model has already allowed us to reduce the price of many products in-store as our markups are very low.
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Fishing
Monster cod catch makes Cohuna fisherman a local hero
Gus van Hart. A young angler has landed the catch of a lifetime off the Cohuna pier, reeling in a metre-plus Murray cod that has kids around town asking him how to fish. Personal trainer Jye Hill, who recently turned 20, was only a few minutes into a session at the popular Cohuna spot when his rod suddenly came to life.
Surfing
A wave of success
When Shayne Sutherland and his partner Courtney Ann started Surf Camp Down Under, they had the goal of becoming the best surf school in Australia, and on Saturday night their ambitions were realised. Surf Camp Down Under was awarded the Surf School of the Year award at the 2025 Australian Surfing Awards...
Christmas - Charlton
“Spark” ignites Christmas vision
Jenny Pollard. A new vision for Charlton's Christmas decorations has been realised thanks to the innovation and inspiration of a small group named "Community Spark". The volunteer-led team, comprising many "newcomers" to town, has created the impetus for refreshing and renewing the main street décor, along with encouraging local involvement in boosting the festive signature of the township.
Native flora
Beating buffel: From that to this
Alex Nelson. When I moved to Pitchi Richi Sanctuary in October 2022, buffel grass smothered almost the entire site. Aside from a small area around the resident caretaker's cottage, I assessed that buffel grass comprised a minimum of 99.9 per cent of the groundcover across the entire property.
Christmas - Casino
Sirens for Santa as emergency services crews map Christmas route
The emergency services join forces at Christmas to bring Santa to Casino. The annual emergency services Santa run is on Sunday, December 14 and on Friday, December 19 ... On the first day of the Santa run the volunteers gave out more than 400 lollipops and candy canes.
Australian Stock Horses
51st Dalby Australian Stock Horse Sale shatters records with $8 million milestone: Ray White Livestock
Historic sale achieves $170K mare, equal Australian record $110K gelding, and exceeds $8 million for first time. The 51st Annual Dalby Australian Stock Horse Sale has cemented its position as the world's premier Stock Horse sale, delivering a historic weekend that shattered records and exceeded $8 million in sales for the first time in the event's history.
Law & order - NT
Defence industry - SA
Missiles made in Port Wakefield
Austinn Lane. A new missile manufacturing facility at Proof Range, south of Port Wakefield, is the only site outside the US authorised to produce the Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System ... The facility marks a major step forward in Australia's missile capability, creating around 20 on-site manufacturing jobs and supporting hundreds more ...
Housing
How the housing boom broke the Lucky Country
Like every parent watching their adult kids edge toward the real estate market, I look at the numbers with growing alarm. In 25 years, Perth house prices have jumped from roughly $200,000 to close to $900,000 — a three-to-fivefold increase — while wages have barely doubled from $50,000 to $100,000. That’s not a generational squeeze; it’s a structural impossibility.
Flood recovery - Northern Rivers
A chance to be heard, four years on
Andrew George. On Tuesday 18th November, the NSW Reconstruction Authority (RA) facilitated the first of four meetings of the Community Reference Group (CRG) for Disaster Adaptation Planning (DAP) for the Northern Rivers (NR). This is a positive step for democratic, community participation in disaster preparedness and adaptation in collaboration with the RA. It is also a sliver of hope for deliberative democracy for the region.
Water - Denmark
Nutrients still a threat to ‘good’ inlet water quality
Mat Dalby. A Department of Water and Environmental Regulation report, Wilson Inlet (Nullaki) – Condition of the Estuary 2025, was tabled at the Wilson Inlet Community Science Forum ... Department officials presented the report which assesses the main drivers of estuary health that includes rainfall, river flows, catchment condition, nutrient inputs and sandbar dynamics, as well as the estuary's water quality and seagrass pastures.
Water - Narrandera
Clean water – we’re one step closer
Narrandera Shire Council is excited to announce that the community is one step closer to safer, more reliable water, with $908,000 in funding from the Albanese Government to develop a full business case for a new, state-of-the-art Narrandera Water Treatment Plant.
Net zero costing
“Out of date and out of whack”: Canavan calls for net zero modelling re-do
“Net zero means we have to completely change everything we do in a single generation, from how we drive, to what we eat and make ... There needs to be new modelling done on what the exact cost of net zero is. In Senate estimates, the government was unable to outline the cost of Australia reaching net zero. That is unacceptable. Australians deserve to know how much this radical proposal will cost them”: Senator Matt Canavan.
Asbestos audit
Asbestos scare hits wind energy sector
The safety of workers and the integrity of renewable energy projects across the state has been called into question last week, after a nationwide audit was launched following the discovery of asbestos in wind turbine components. The finding points to a lapse in compliance with Australian import laws, and has raised concerns the future of planned energy project development in the Hay and Balranald region.
Data
Energy Estate Digital announces Tasmanian data centre hubs and digital infrastructure plans: Energy Estate
Energy Estate Digital is developing state of the art subsea data cable networks between Australia and New Zealand and key global hubs including California, Japan and India. These new networks are designed to support the growth of the AI economy and connect global hubs with new regions with access to the abundant land, energy and water resources.
Land use
New national park at Vergemont: Powell
Negotiations to create a new western Queensland national park on Vergemont Station have been finalised ... The proposed 300,000-hectare national park ... will form part of a 1.5 million-hectare protected area corridor. ARR.News asked the department some further questions.
Martial arts
Donald welcomes inaugural Taekwon-do championships
Phil Zdybel. The United ITF Inaugural Victorian Regional Championships which included the Buloke and Geelong Taekwon-do students, were held at Donald's Dunstan Stadium ... This event marked a historic milestone, the first martial arts competition ever held in the Wimmera and Mallee regions – vast sparsely populated areas now bridged with the energy of Taekwon-do.
Photography
Architecture – Angles worth capturing
Last month Architecture was the topic, and Allora Photography Group (APG) members wandered near and far to find that special image and gain that illusive Honour which must meet some very strict criteria for John Stewart to award ... "Choose Your God" by Michael Campbell made members feel a little dizzy with the towering heights.
Ballet
Ballet Under the Stars to dazzle beneath the Horsham summer sky
Horsham Rural City Council is thrilled to welcome The Australian Ballet to Horsham for a magical evening of world class dance, transforming the City Oval into an outdoor theatre. Ballet Under the Stars will delight audiences with a varied program of ballets ...
Exhibition
Somerset artists and ag show enthusiasts celebrate ‘The Show’
Somerset Regional Art Gallery welcomed agricultural show enthusiasts and art lovers for the opening of two new exhibitions on Saturday, 6 December. Nine talented Somerset artists produced artworks for ‘The Show’ a new exhibition capturing the sights, sounds and atmosphere of the region’s agricultural shows.
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Racing milestone
Harry heads towards a thousand
Quill. Tuesday's mid-week meeting at Donald and District Race Club was one that reminded me of the perks of my job as the local race reporter; what a glorious day ... There was a buzz of excitement around the grounds with Harry Coffey's win total sitting at 997 prior to the first of his eight races on the day.
Equestrian
Narrandera rider tops HRCAV leaderboard
The Horse Riding Clubs Association of Victoria (HRCAV) staged its annual awards on 15 November in Melbourne, celebrating standout achievements from the 2024–25 competition season. Among the evening's major honours was the Level 2 Overall Champion Rider award, claimed by Narrandera Adult Riding president and founding member, NSW competitor Erin Anderson and her horse "Adventures of Grand Rock".
Regional capital
A big week as Gosford forges ahead
Terry Collins. It's been a huge week for Gosford, with the opening of the long-awaited Archibald Precinct on the site of the former Union Hotel and a hugely successful open day at the new Gosford campus of The University of Newcastle, which is set to open next year. Business NSW Central Coast Regional Director Scott Goold said with more major developments in the CBD well underway, the longed-for reactivation of the regional capital was finally becoming a reality.
International
Kerang mill’s Pacific trip turns into cattle mission
Gus van Hart. For Kerang operator Michael Sommerville, a four-day visit to Samoa in November showed how a small, family-run business in northern Victoria could build deep ties with Pacific workers and end up advising the nation's Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries Fuimaono Maiava Tito Asafo.
Cash
Fishing - WA
Local fish for the few: The Cook Government’s dhufish disaster
The Cook Government’s demersal “reform” package is not fisheries management. It’s fishing for votes at the expense of the two and a half million West Aussies who never step onto a sports-fishing boat loaded with the latest eco sounders. And, like most of this Government’s environmental crusades, the rhetoric is heroic, the delivery is sloppy, and the consequences fall squarely on the people who don’t have a big boat parked in their driveway.
Public art
Serviceton silo art now complete
Painting of a new art installation at GrainCorp's Serviceton site has now finished, marking a major milestone for the town and its place on the Wimmera Mallee's growing network of silo art installations. Adelaide-based artist Jack Fran spent about two weeks painting the mural, which tells the story of the South Australia–Victoria border dispute and features historical surveyors Henry Wade and Edward White.
History & heritage
Gold
Works restart at Maldon’s Union Hill Gold Mine
The owner-operator of the Union Hill Gold Mine and nearby gold processing plant, Kaiser Reef Ltd, held an information session for Maldon residents ... to advise of current and future works planned for its Maldon sites. ... Kaiser Reef Ltd, which is listed on the ASX, has operated in Maldon since 2021 after an acquisition agreement with Golden River Resources Pty Ltd.
Vet of the year
John’s pawsome service awarded
Madison Eastmond. A long-serving Riverland veterinarian has been awarded as the best practitioner in Australia. Recognising close to 50 years of animal care, and 40 years of service to the local pet population, Riverland Veterinary Practice (RVP) principal vet John Hammond received the 2025 Australian Small Animal Veterinarians (ASAV) Roger Clarke Practitioner of the Year Award in August.
Mining access - SA
Council - Hay
Community project funding
FRRR awards vital funding for 78 locally-led initiatives across Australia
Remote, rural and regional communities across Australia will share $981,100 in grants through FRRR’s Strengthening Rural Communities (SRC) program, empowering them to create vibrant and sustainable places to live, work and thrive. This funding will support 78 locally-led projects that foster resilience, social connection and greater capacity in regional communities.
Naval visit
HMAS Canberra visit Lord Howe Island
HMAS Canberra visited Lord Howe Island on the 18th and 19th of November. The sailors came ashore in shifts to enjoy the Island, and our school children went aboard the ship to take a glimpse at shipboard life ... Throughout the two-day visit, Navy personnel spent time on the Island and were warmly received by the community.
Renewables - WA
Cook Government must provide answers on asbestos risk in regional wind farms: Love
Leader of The Nationals WA Shane Love MLA has called out the Cook Labor Government for its failure to provide clear answers or decisive action following revelations that asbestos has been discovered in the lift brake pads of wind turbines imported into Australia from China.
Fishing - WA
State-wide reforms to protect fish for future generations: Cook, Jarvis
The Western Australian Government has announced important reforms across WA's coastline to protect demersal fish like pink snapper, red emperor and dhufish from extinction and to help stocks recover for future generations.
Renewable energy
Snowy locks in long term contracts
Snowy Hydro continues to strengthen its critical role underpinning reliability while enabling Australia's renewable energy transition with the signing of major energy contracts with Aula Energy and TagEnergy, securing new capacity in wind generation and grid-scale battery storage. The long-term Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with Aula Energy will see Snowy Hydro procure 120MW of renewable energy from the Carmody's Hill Wind Farm in South Australia.
Health - SA
Health inquiry response tabled
Caitlin Menadue. The long-awaited response to the Yorke Peninsula health services inquiry has landed, with SA Health tabling its position in state parliament on November 26. SA Health has accepted all 16 recommendations from the Economic and Finance Committee's Inquiry into the Delivery of Health Services on the Yorke Peninsula.
Environmental laws
Farmers will pay for Labor’s rushed EPBC Act reforms: Littleproud
Leader of The Nationals David Littleproud said Labor’s rushed Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBCA) Act reforms are a confusing mess, with the Department unable to guarantee farmers won’t experience a financial loss due to the new changes.
Bees and biosecurity
Riverina’s beekeeping industry under threat as Varroa Mite takes economic toll
The beekeeping sector across the Riverina is experiencing an unprecedented financial crisis as the region grapples with the ongoing challenge of varroa mite management, placing critical agricultural pollination services at risk.
Communications complaints
Open for comment - Murray-Darling
Report
Fishing - WA
Rock lobster whites active with run to ramp up any day
Rock lobsters are active now in waters off Two Rocks with the annual whites run expected to ramp up any day now. Earlier this week Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) scientists predicted the annual whites run of three-and-a-half to four-year-old western rock lobsters would occur at the usual time from about Friday, November 28.
Theft
Loxton arts advocate’s honour
Sebastian Calderon. "In a country town, if you can play piano, you get asked to do a lot of things... " - Karyn Skewes ... Community contribution through music, mentorship and quiet leadership has earned Loxton's Karyn Skewes the District Council of Loxton Waikerie Citizen of the Year award – recognising more than three decades of shaping the region's cultural life and strengthening local connections.
Right to repair
Regional patients left behind by Metro Tunnel connections: Cleeland
The Nationals Member for Euroa, Annabelle Cleeland MP, has criticised the Allan Labor Government for designing the Metro Tunnel around Melbourne priorities while leaving regional Victorians to battle difficult, impractical connections.
Critical minerals - Vic
$1m flows to local business as demonstration pit gets the green light: Gippsland Critical Minerals
Gippsland Critical Minerals (GCM) will commence work on its Mining and Rehabilitation Demonstration Pit (MRDP) in early 2026 with the workplan formally approved by Resources Victoria, marking an important step forward in progressing the redesigned project ... “It is exciting to get the go ahead to commence this work which will give the community some real insight into our mining methods and how the project has changed”: GCM CEO Michelle Wood.
Sand - NT
Warning on state’s hidden fire danger: NSW Farmers Association
Farmers have warned the state’s national parks have become ticking time bombs for bushfires this summer. As authorities continued to confiscate large swathes of land to form national parks, NSW Farmers’ President Xavier Martin said vital resources to properly manage bushfire risks on public land had failed to follow.
Emergency Services levy
Farm crime
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