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Topics to watch
Teamsters
Records tumble as teamsters pull out all stops at the Good Old Days Festival at Barellan
Records tumbled at the 2024 Good Old Days Festival as teamsters from around the nation brought out the biggest horse, camel and bullock teams ever seen in modern Australia. The teamsters also excelled themselves with creating a world first – four bullocks, two camels and two horses harnessed together and pulling a wagon.
Heritage horses
Standing with the Guy Fawkes Heritage Horse Association to champion the legacy of a historical icon!
In an effort to raise much needed funds, the Guy Fawkes Heritage Association is opening its doors at the Ebor Sports and Recreation Grounds for their 20th anniversary on Saturday 12 October ... The Open Day will commence at 10am and see activities such as camp oven cooking by Ranger Nick, who will also facilitate a hands-on damper making workshop for the kids. There will be market stalls, whip cracking, Guy Fawkes Heritage Horse Challenge and conclude with a concert, featuring country music singer James Blundell.
Light Horse
Light Horse Trail tells of heroic tales
Honor Auchinleck. "Why wasn’t this done years ago? We need to get the Light Horse Trail into our schools," someone said as we delivered Chauvel Border Light Horse Trail brochures to the Visitor Information Centre in Gundagai ... The Trail runs from the Light Horse Memorial in the New South Wales regional capital of Wagga Wagga to the statue of Brigadier Murray Bourchier CMG DSO in Victoria’s regional capital of Shepparton.
Firefighting - volunteers
CFA open for all
Andrew Mole. There is a certain can-do attitude when it comes to Koondrook and getting things done – and the town’s CFA volunteers are a prime example. On Sunday, the local brigade held a very casual, very enthusiastic and very well received open day to unofficially officially unveil its new annex.
Aged care
Musical gift from the Bowe family to Maldon Hospital residents
Kerry Cain. Music plays a vital role in promoting joy and well-being for residents in aged care, and recently, Maldon Hospital welcomed a meaningful gift that will enhance the musical experience for its residents. The family of nursing heroine Ethel Jessie Bowe has donated a beautiful Thalberg piano to the hospital, celebrating the legacy of the remarkable woman for whom Jessie Bowe House is named.
Health - volunteers
Transport service expanded
Serena Kirby. The Denmark St John community transport service capabilities have expanded with the recent purchase of a second vehicle. Established in late 2018 to transport residents to non-urgent medical, hospital and allied health appointments, the service has made more than 2700 trips around Denmark and Albany ... “We have nearly 20 volunteer drivers on the roster and all hold a first aid certificate but more importantly they all have a strong desire to help others and enjoy meeting and talking to people”: Yvonne Hortin, Service coordinator.
Accident
Tractor horror – Alex’s eyes on the future
Serena Kirby. Denmark GP Dr Alex Sleeman knows first hand how life can change in an instant. He suffered serious injuries last month when his tractor rolled and pinned him underneath while working on his Peace Street property ... Speaking from his bed in Royal Perth Hospital’s spinal unit, Alex said he was lucky to be alive.
Beef
Winners announced at Darling Downs Beef Battle 2024
The "steaks" were high at the 7th running of Toowoomba and Surat Basin Enterprises’ (TSBE) Darling Downs Beef Battle. Nine of our region’s best beef brands, Australian Country Choice, Grove Shorthorns, JBS, John Dee, Mort & Co, NH Foods, Rangers Valley, Stanbroke and Stockyard, went head-to-head, showcasing their brand and superb product to over 500 attendees.
Farm safety
Safety no accident on farms
Paramedic Tom Connellan understands that in farming a lot of things can come down to chance, but experience tells him that staying safe should not be one of them. From growing up on his family’s sheep, cattle and cropping farm, to now responding to medical emergencies in the Swan Hill region, Tom has a unique perspective on the common myths around safety in agriculture and why they need to be busted.
Work safety - SA
October – Safe Work Month
Preventing injuries, accidents, bullying, harassment, and sexual misconduct while at work will be a focus this month - National Safe Work Month ... Although some people have died while working in their own businesses, helping to keep employees safe in the workplace is behind recent reforms to work health and safety laws. SA Industrial Relations Minister Kyam Maher announced the “significant reforms” ...
Domestic violence
Breaking the cycle
An award-winning local policeman says the district needs to come together to “break the cycle” of domestic violence that exists in our community. Naracoorte’s Senior Constable, Chris Mailley, who works in supporting domestic and family violence victims, says, “just one incident is too many”.
Yorke Peninsula
Farmers face tough choices
Michelle Daw. Yorke Peninsula farmers are facing difficult decisions due to some of the lowest rainfall figures on record, compounded by hot, dry weather and frosts in September. These harsh conditions have severely impacted crop yields across the region, with many farmers facing difficult decisions ahead of the upcoming harvest.
Cotton
Ginning ends – Successful season for AFF gin
The 2024 ginning season came to an end last week at the Australian Food and Fibre (AFF) gin south of Hay. The ginning season ran for five months and processed 45,000 round modules into 199,000 finished bales, making 2024 one of the Hay gin’s biggest runs ... “Prices are down a little, but yields are well up.”
Murray Darling
Furious farmers boycott water webinar
Farmers on the Murrumbidgee River claim they have been kept in the dark about a NSW Government plan to acquire flow easements along the riverfront to accommodate environmental water releases ... The scheme would allow the government to negotiate with landholders to acquire flow easements and, if no agreement can be reached, the water minister can decide to proceed with compulsory acquisition of the flow corridors "on just terms".
Compulsory acquisition
Council elections
Murray Darling
Tender time
Senior Riverland politicians have urged local irrigators to avoid signing up for the Federal Government’s latest expression of interest for water buybacks. The Federal Government last week opened the Restoring Our Rivers 2024: Expression of Interest 2 (Large Portfolios of Water Southern Connected Basin), allowing for water buybacks from Riverland communities.
Industrial action
Workers at Graincorp vote on industrial action: AWU
Grain handlers at Graincorp sites across NSW will vote on whether to take industrial action after negotiations broke down with the company, said the union which represents the workers. The 200 workers may decide to refuse to load or unload grain trucks and trains after an application was made to the Fair Work Commission to hold a ‘protected action ballot’ application on Tuesday.
Union support
Union supports ICPA call to increase boarding school allowances: IEU-QNT
The Independent Education Union – Queensland and Northern Territory Branch (IEU-QNT) supports the Isolated Children’s Parents’ Association (ICPA) as it calls on government for an urgent increase to the Basic Boarding Allowance to cover 55 per cent of boarding costs, as originally intended. IEU-QNT Branch Secretary Terry Burke said the increase was essential to ensuring equitable access to education for all children in rural and remote Australia.
Innovation
Sea the growth of algae industry with plans to grow ten times its size
Among the canefields of Woodburn, a new, nutritious industry is blooming. The Sea02 Nanno Agriculture is a biotechnology company that is growing algae.
Infrastructure
Tourism gets a fresh charge
The Snowy Valleys region is set to become an even better destination for electric vehicle (EV) owners with the installation of ten public EV charging stations. Snowy Hydro is supporting Snowy Valleys Council (SVC) to install and maintain the new charging stations which will be strategically located in Khancoban, Adelong, Talbingo, Tumbarumba and Tumut.
Opinion
Need for declared catchment highlighted
John Xanthis. Wilson Inlet opened on September 25 at 0.88 AHD in relatively ideal conditions with a north-easterly breeze, a declining swell, a good variation spring tidal range and a high pressure system ... water levels were low and late this year due to a dry winter with little river flow.
Marina
Cape Jaffa Marina closure
Following severe storms at the end of August 2024 which saw seven metre swells hit the coastline, significant sand ingress compromised safe navigation of vessels to and from the Cape Jaffa Marina. As a result, the commercial fishing fleet unfortunately had to transport to Robe to commence their annual fishing season.
Ag chemicals
Alert – APVMA cancels all products containing chlorthal-dimethyl: Melons Australia
Please be aware the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) has issued an immediate cancellation of the registration and use of all products containing chlorthal dimethyl, also known as Dacthal or DCPA. Please refer to the APVMA’s notice ... APVMA Special Gazette ... for further information.
Industrial action
Legislation
Queensland election
Queensland state election looming
With nominations for the 2024 Queensland Election closing at noon yesterday, candidates have begun hitting the campaign trail in the Condamine electorate. Barring any last minute nominations, the candidates are: Pat Weir (LNP), Ben Whibley-Faulkner (Labor), Ellisa Parker (Greens), Alan Hughes (Family First Party).
Food
Community work together to roll out Food Systems Roadmap
Following the adoption of the Central Goldfields Food Systems Roadmap in September, the Central Goldfields Food Network will reconvene to lead its implementation.
Health - SA
New program to ease pressure on GPs
Joanna Tucker. The South Australian Government has announced a significant expansion of pharmacists’ scope of practice, aiming to alleviate pressure on GPs and hospital emergency departments by allowing pharmacists to manage a wider range of health conditions. Under the new program, South Australians will be able to visit local pharmacies for common ailments ... in addition to already available services like medication for urinary tract infections and oral contraceptive pill resupply.
Health
Nhill and Kaniva paramedics and ACOs honoured at awards
Local paramedics and ACOs from the Nhill and Kaniva branches were recently recognised for their dedication and service at the Grampians Staff Service Awards ... The awards celebrated the outstanding contributions of paramedics, acknowledging their long service and commitment to safe driving.
Shearing
Five more shearing legends inducted into the Australian Shearer’s Hall of Fame
Another five shearing legends have been inducted into the Australian Shearers’ Hall of Fame. The induction took place during the Festival of the Blades event ... These men represent the cream of the shearing industry as instructors, state champions and contractors.
Sheep
Top price record falls at Janmac
Jamie-Lee Oldfield. Renewed positivity in the lamb industry and continued support of good genetics was evident at the Janmac annual on-property ram sale on Wednesday. The Hausler family achieved a stud record high price for a Poll Dorset, as well as a very solid clearance across both breeds.
Employment - landcare
Calperum Station restores hope and employment in the Riverland
Madison Eastmond. Calperum Station’s Flood Recovery program is boosting local employment and changing the lives of many Riverlanders in the process ... the four-month voluntary program at Calperum Station has expanded to a comprehensive skills and confidence-building initiative for local jobseekers, restoring habitat and community in the towns of Renmark and Berri, and producing two rounds of successful graduates since its inception.
Training - forestry
Virtual reality separates the wood from the trees in forestry industry: UniSA
Virtual reality is set to revolutionise Australia’s $24 billion forestry industry by training workers risk-free, remotely, and much faster. A VR immersive training tool developed by the University of South Australia with the support of the Green Triangle Forest Industry Hub is also expected to save the industry millions of dollars in the long term.
Cryptocurrency
Event
AI debate: Meet the teams
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is here to stay - so how should Australia's agrifood industry embrace it? Do we 'let it rip', or should we 'maintain control'? We, the organisers of the Digital Agrifood Summit, are the first to admit we don't have the answer to that. So we've enlisted two teams to explore this question in greater detail through a good old fashioned debate.
Farmland
From the Wheatbelt to the war zone: Why Ukrainian farmland is good buying
As the price of reliable rainfall farmland in Western Australia is careering past $10,000 per hectare, and the big corporates are out there with their even bigger chequebooks, outbidding the neighbours, what options do farmers have if they want to stay in the game? Well, the answer is to follow the example of their forefathers and up stumps and find a new country with some new land that can be opened up.
Tourism
Getting tourism back on the rails
For most people travelling is a means to an end – getting somewhere. For us in the vastness of outback Australia it’s an end in itself, an adventure, a buzz, something you brag about to your mates ... the five star hotel on rails, The Ghan, named after the Afghans who were doing it on camels ... may well have the formula for rescuing our ailing tourism industry.
Property
Broken Hill
Landslide victory in mayoral race
Emily McInerney. Broken Hill City Council Mayor Tom Kennedy has been voted in for his second term, with a staggering 70 per cent vote. Mayor Kennedy said he was proud of the response he received from the community at the September local government elections. Of the 13,000 registered voters, Mayor Kennedy received 7,419 votes.
Energy
Community energy
A prospect of independent power
GWMWater has recently provided an update on a study entitled “Donald Community Power Plant Study” investigating the feasibility of a community power plant and potential microgrid infrastructure to supply the residents of Donald with locally harvested and stored green energy. This is not the first time the concept has been investigated for the town.
Energy infrastructure
Powercor regulatory reset 2026-2031
On the back of last week’s storms, Powercor has announced a plan to strengthen the power network against more frequent and extreme weather events ... A $3.3 billion plan to deliver a stronger power network to better withstand extreme weather, support more electric vehicles and enhance reliability in regional areas has been unveiled by electricity distributor Powercor...
Tourism - Vic
Billion-dollar loss from Victoria’s business events: McArthur
Victoria's once-thriving business events sector is in crisis, with recent data from Tourism Research Australia showing a dramatic drop in market share from 36 per cent in 2014 to just 21 per cent in 2024. Victoria was once the leader in business events, far ahead of New South Wales (27 per cent) and Queensland (15 per cent) in 2014.
