Monday, February 17, 2025

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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, in 2025 Australian Rural & Regional News is opening some stories for comment.
Be involved. Share your views.

2022 floods - Vic

Walsh labels Allan Labor government flood response as ‘appallingly callous’

Contributor, The Koondrook and Barham Bridge Newspaper
Flood
The Member for Murray Plains, Peter Walsh, has dismissed the Allan Labor government’s response to the flood inquiry as a callous example of a citycentric government which “couldn’t care less about regional Victoria and regional Victorians”.

Natural disaster - NSW

Widespread damage across electorate: MP calls for disaster declaration

Narrandera Argus
Agriculture
Member for Cootamundra Steph Cooke said the damage across Harden and Murrumburrah from severe storms on Monday varies from businesses who were dealing with up to two inches of water in their stores, to nearby farmers and wildlife. “We’re seeing trees that are down, fences that have gone into creeks, the bird life has been impacted and most importantly, pastures have been shredded.”

Water - Qld

Cressbrook Dam the no. 1 priority

Ted Rogers, On Our Selection News
Council

Water - NSW

Democracy failing regional Australia says agricultural leader

Narrandera Argus
Agriculture
The NSW Government has been urged to show its commitment to regional NSW by backing a feasibility study into a community-supported water-saving project. Narrandera resident David Farley, who has spent time abroad developing water management strategies that support both the environment and agriculture, is calling on NSW Water Minister Rose Jackson to back a $1 million feasibility study for the Lake Coolah project.

Water infrastructure

North at the mercy of mother nature without Bradfield: KAP

Contributor, ARR.News
Dams & water
The visionary Bradfield Scheme – which by design diverts excess floodwaters from the upper Tully, Herbert and Burdekin river systems – could have ameliorated the devastating 2025 North Queensland floods had it been built, Katter’s Australian Party (KAP) Leader and Traeger MP Robbie Katter has said.

Water

Filtration is coming – at a huge cost

Rodney Stevens, Clarence Valley Independent
Council

Open for comment - forestry and fire

Logging does indeed increase fire risks!: David Lindenmayer

Contributor, ARR.News
Education & training
Professor Lindenmayer responds to Robert Onfray's article, "Debunking false claims about bushfire risk and native logging in Australia" by contending that logging does indeed increase the risk of high severity wildfires, and the evidence for this worrying narrative comes from work by many scientists across Australia and in fact around the world.
Logging debris

Open for comment - response

An alternative perspective to David Lindenmayer: South East Timber Association

Contributor, ARR.News
Fire
Members of the South East Timber Association respectfully disagree with many of the assertions made by David Lindenmayer and have a few observations and questions relating to Professor Lindenmayer’s opinion. Kosciuszko State Park was established in 1944. Areas of the original dedication, now in Kosciuszko National Park (KNP), were either never harvested or last harvested more than 80 years ago ...

Opinion

“I have concerns for the future. We are being asked to carry an unfair burden.”

Darren De Bortoli. "Our family has a proud history, building a winemaking business that we believe is a true Australian success story ... But I have concerns for the future and I believe my fellow Australians, especially those in capital cities, need to understand the pressures being applied across the board to those who grow the quality food and beverages, including wine, that you enjoy.

Food standards

Federal Parliament

Wins in parliament to save farmers millions, highlight the power of farm advocacy: NFF

Contributor, ARR.News
Agriculture
As the second February sitting week wraps up, Australian famers have secured major policy wins across biosecurity, taxation, environment and trade. National Farmers’ Federation President David Jochinke has spent the past sitting fortnight balancing his time between the farm and the halls of Parliament, speaking directly with political leaders.

Education - Vic

Student engagement at record lows

Victorian students continue to disengage with their education, as new data reveals student attendance has fallen to record lows. Released recently, data from the Productivity Commission’s Report on Government Services 2025 has confirmed: Victoria is the only state or territory where student school attendance was lower in 2024, than compared to two years prior...

Regional air

Childcare

Barham childcare shortage

Noel Fisher, The Koondrook and Barham Bridge Newspaper
Council
Barham is in the midst of a childcare shortage crisis, with a wait list of 90 at the Barham Early Learning Service alone, with 75 per cent aged in the 0-3 years old bracket. It is estimated that 45 per cent of the children in Barham, Koondrook, Moulamein and Wakool have been unable to be placed in a childcare facility.

Health - Vic

Councils shut out of hospital discussion

A decision by councils across the border region to march on the Victorian Parliament next week in a united campaign for the construction of a new Albury-Wodonga hospital has been put on hold, pending talks with the Minister for Health, Mary-Anne Thomas. The councils have previously rejected the proposal from the Victorian and NSW governments to redevelop the Albury hospital.

Youth

Newstead primary goes Gaga

Michelle Dorian, Tarrangower Times
Education & training
A great partnership driven by students at Newstead Primary School has resulted in a fun new facility in the school playground. The 2024 senior leadership group approached Newstead Men’s Shed to build a Gaga Pit… but first they had to explain what it was!

Kindy

Kinder welcomes young learners

The Buloke Times
Education & training
Birchip Kindergarten has officially commenced for the year, welcoming twenty-six children into their three- and four-year-old programs, which provide fifteen hours of free kindergarten under the Victorian Government’s Best Start, Best Life reforms.

Tourism - Riverland

Riverland Food & Wine Festival

Festival frenzy returns in 2025

Murray Pioneer
Festival

Tourism - Wimmera

Lights, camera, steampunk

Emily Gladdis, Nhill Free Press & Kaniva Times
Council

Hospitality - Riverina

Gold for Comfort Inn Bishop’s Lodge

Tertia Butcher, The Riverine Grazier
Business

Timber

Millari Group expands with acquisition of JUKEN, Gisborne, boosting Australian timber supply

Contributor, ARR.News
Building & Construction
Millari Group Australia has entered into a sale and purchase agreement to acquire 100 per cent of JUKEN Gisborne, NZ Facilities, including LVL and Plywood manufacturing lines and Sawmill ... ARR.News asked Millari Group some questions about the acquisition, including opportunities for the Australian industry.
JNL Sawmill Gisborne NZ

Recycling

Milestone for Kurrajong’s larrikin

Narrandera Argus
Employment
Sean Cunningham. In today’s society where careers change often, 43 y/o John Howitt has proven that dedication, commitment and hard work can stand the test of time. Well-known in the Narrandera community, John recently celebrated an incredible milestone - 35 years of service at Kurrajong Recycling.

Farmer health

Unbreakable wheel rolls out across Buloke

The Buloke Times
Farming
Following his successful Paddock Run tour across Buloke Shire last year, Warren Davies – known as the Unbreakable Farmer – has re-launched his Unbreakable Wheel of Wellbeing in Wycheproof. The Unbreakable Wheel ... is now featured on posters and drink coasters distributed to local pubs and clubs across Buloke Shire.

Indigenous

Warwick hosts Indigenous business event

This will be the first Warwick Black Coffee Indigenous Business Network event for 2025. Black Coffee is a grassroots First Nations business networking opportunity held in regions across Australia each month to provide a platform to connect micro and small business owners.

Koondrook Perricoota Forest

The KP group of forests February report – Net results: Fin-tastic

Contributor, The Koondrook and Barham Bridge Newspaper
Agriculture
"A healthy working forest where native species can flourish, and where local communities can connect and co-manage the forest for future generations" ... Over the past few months, various locations within the KP Forest have been sampled for native and exotic fish abundance and biomass, as part of the annual monitoring program. This sampling has involved a combination of fyke netting...

Council - Naracoorte Lucindale

What’s our strategy?

Future developments in the district must be thoughtfully planned with harmony, taste, and understanding, rather than solely focusing on “chasing rate dollars”. This was the key message from mayor Patrick Ross to the Naracoorte Lucindale Council as elected members began discussions on a crucial issue—the draft housing strategy—last week.

Council - Robe

Robe wins critical grant funding

Contributor, Naracoorte Community News
Council
The District Council of Robe is excited to announce the successful receipt of funding through the 2024-25 Coast Protection Grant Program for two critical coastal protection initiatives: the annual Sand Replenishment Program at Hoopers Beach and Fox Beach, as well as the Fox Beach Coastal Protection Project, which includes investigations and design work to address ongoing coastal erosion.

Rehabilitation

Inmates helping build futures

Rodney Stevens, Clarence Valley Independent
Building & Construction
A partnership between Serco, Corrective Services NSW (CSNSW) and the Aboriginal Housing Office (AHO) is providing Clarence Correctional Centre (CLA) inmates with valuable employment qualifications and skills through the construction of 2, 3, 4, and 5-bedroom modular houses for locations around the state.

Law & order

Community crime crackdown

Rodney Stevens, Clarence Valley Independent
Community
A former police officer, who was recently honoured in the 2025 Lismore Citizen of the Year awards for helping the community tackle the escalating crime problem, is bringing his innovative and effective approach to the Lower Clarence, holding a public meeting next month.

Sex education - SA

RHS parents kept in sex-talk loop

Murray Pioneer
Education & training
Hugh Schuitemaker. Families are being informed about contents of the upcoming 2025 sex education program at Renmark High School (RHS) ... The 2024 controversy – which saw year 9 RHS students exposed to the concepts of bestiality and incest without prior parental knowledge – surfaced again ...

New release

First Nations guide for Riverland floodplains

Murray Pioneer
Education & training
Madison Eastmond. The Department for Environment and Water (DEW) have collaborated with First Peoples of the River Murray and Mallee Region (FPRMMR) to develop a field guide on the plants and cultural significance of Riverland floodplains.
Alison Stokes and Sheryl Giles

Letters from Home

Blue Banded Bee

Letters from Home #2/2025: The Blue Bee

Fran Cleland, ARR.News
Fire
February depresses me. So many things have gone wrong in Februarys past - apart from many other minor things it is always fire month and it was this coming week 11 years ago that we lost our home, many precious animals, my garden and after 20 years in a place I loved so much, we had to move.

Fire

Little Desert fire continues

Emily Gladdis, Nhill Free Press & Kaniva Times
Council
Emergency crews have now contained the Little Desert fires that started almost two weeks ago. The fires were ignited by dry lightning on 27 January and ended up burning 95,000 hectares in the Little Desert region so far.

Mosquitoes - SA

War on mozzies heats up

Yorke Peninsula Country Times
Council
Michelle Daw. Barunga West Council has intensified pest control efforts after frustrated Fisherman Bay and Port Broughton residents reported this summer’s insect problem as the worst they have ever experienced ... “We didn’t move up here to spend summer in our house”: Robyn Lyons, Fisherman Bay.
Robyn Lyons and Julie Elliott

Beach safety

Shark plan labelled “city centric”

Wilson McShane. Narungga MP Fraser Ellis has labelled a $500,000 shark safety initiative "city centric". Mr Ellis has expressed concern about the program which will fund Surf Life Saving SA to monitor beaches. "It seems ridiculous there have been fatal shark attacks on Yorke Peninsula and Eyre Peninsula, yet a body with no footprint in either region is commissioned to shark proof the region," he said.

Opinion

Mandating cash

Hard NO to cash mandate will do more harm than good

Dale Webster, The Regional
Banking
The Federal Government has published a proposal for a cash mandate that will only apply to a legislated list of “essential” goods and services and give express permission to more than 97 per cent of businesses in Australia to refuse to accept cash. Due to the restrictions and exemptions attached to this proposal, I cannot support it.

Gardening

Last chance to see

Contributor, The Buloke Times
Gardening
The Giant Russian Sunflowers at Donald’s Red Gate Community Garden are in the final days of their spectacular bloom. Measuring some four metres in height (that’s around 14ft in Red Gate parlance) with seedhead/flowers weighing in at around 2 kgs (4lbs?), they have been photographed many times by visitors passing through town and locals alike.

Workshops

Taking a moment for ourselves

The Buloke Times
Arts
The appetite for community art workshops continues to grow in Buloke, offering a much-needed escape from busy, always-on lifestyles ... In December, Charlton artist Bronwyn Fisher’s decoupage sessions in Nullawil and Nandaly attracted participants of all ages...

Campanology

Musicophilia with Jessica Lowe: Bellringing

Dunoon and District Gazette
Arts
Jessica Lowe. Bellringing, also known as campanology, is a unique form of music. I always enjoyed hearing the bells ringing from St Andrews Anglican Cathedral when I lived in Lismore ...

Theatre

Lismore Theatre Company – “Life Without Me”

Dunoon and District Gazette
Arts
"Life Without Me" is written by the much-awarded Australian playwright Daniel Keene. It is a funny, honest and heartwarming story that invites us to question life itself, or at least our own.

Law & order - NT

Legal aid copes with pressure

Erwin Chlanda, Alice Springs News
Federal politics
All Territory Aboriginal persons facing criminal charges since August last year received high quality legal representation unless they chose not to use the North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency, or it had a conflict of interest. CEO Anthony Beven was responding to allegations made anonymously to the Alice Springs News that “there is more chaos at NAAJA”.

Murray-Darling - litigation

Outside the Courts

MLDRIN v the Commonwealth – The battle over the fractured rock water plan

Krista Schade, Back Country Bulletin
Federal politics
First Nations environmental lobbying group Murray Lower Darling River Indigenous Nations (MLDRIN) is in the Federal Court today to challenge the decision by Minister Plibersek to accredit the NSW Fractured Rock Water Resource Plan (WRP) ... “We repeatedly advised the MDBA that the Fractured Rock Water Resource Plan should not be recommended for accreditation," Brendan Kennedy, Chair, MLDRIN, Tati Tati Nation member, said.