Kimberly Grabham, Back Country Bulletin

When does the cost of human life and injury tip the scales and become the first priority? John Hanckel used to start his mornings with a jog, breathing in the fresh country air around Hay ... All of that changed on one terrible day in October 2008...

A groundbreaking 26-megawatt hybrid renewable energy system has begun full operations at a New South Wales mine site, marking the first time an off-grid solar and battery system has powered a mining operation in the state.

Country race meetings are the heartbeat of regional Australia. Unlike city races where only a small percentage of people attend, country race days see entire towns turn out to support their local event.

NSW Ambulance is considering establishing a groundbreaking Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) pilot program in Hay, marking the first time such an initiative would operate in a NSW town that already has an existing ambulance centre.

Australians living with Parkinson's disease are celebrating after the Federal Government listed a breakthrough treatment on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS), making it affordable for thousands of patients. VYALEV® (foslevodopa with foscarbidopa) is administered through a 24-hour infusion under the skin and helps restore dopamine levels in the brain.

So, after more than a year without a resident police officer, Katamatite's single-member station is about to spring back to life. Detective Senior Constable Charles Ryall is trading his role with Cobram's Crime Investigation Unit for something entirely different – becoming Katamatite's first live-in police officer in about 12 months.

Picture this: you're out checking the back paddock, kilometres from the nearest mobile tower, when your phone buzzes with a text message. Not from a satellite phone or special device, but from your regular iPhone or Samsung, somehow managing to reach up to space and back down to deliver that simple "all good here" message ...

So, you're a police officer in a small Western NSW town, and you've just arrested someone at 10am. Under the new bail system, there's a good chance that person won't see a magistrate until Monday, and you'll be stuck supervising them while emergency calls pile up on your radio ... officers are being pulled off the streets to babysit accused people while magistrates work what appears to be school hours.

Picture this: you're watching the NSW Treasurer deliver a budget that cuts transport spending by 34 per cent, slashes education infrastructure by 41 per cent, and offers zero additional cost of living relief to struggling families. Meanwhile, sitting in government reservoirs across the state is something that could change everything – 450 gigalitres of surplus water worth a potential $6.3 billion.

From July 1, the Seven Network signal will stop broadcasting into homes across the Griffith area, taking with it the AFL, international cricket, and shows like Home and Away that have been part of lounge room routines for decades ... The pattern is clear: regional viewers are increasingly being pushed towards paid streaming services as traditional broadcasting deals fall by the wayside.