Krista Schade, Back Country Bulletin

A new report from Geoscience Australia, in collaboration with the Geological Survey of New South Wales, has found elevated levels of natural hydrogen and helium in locations throughout New South Wales.

The rumbles began with a 2.6-magnitude quake, which struck just before midnight on Friday January 3. This was followed by a followed by a larger 4.1-magnitude quake at 2.50pm on Saturday afternoon and a 3.3-magnitude tremor at 5.30am Sunday morning.

The man who pled guilty to transporting homemade pipe bombs along the Sturt Highway will serve his sentence in the community. Thirty-three-year-old Timacoy Jason Williams remained in custody after pleading guilty to all charges at his October 4 appearance at Griffith Local Court and was sentenced on November 20 by Magistrate Wright.

Australian rapper Briggs (Adam Briggs) posted a message to fans on Sunday evening, of a racial slur that occurred in Balranald ... On his social media platforms, Briggs posted a story, describing an incident that occurred at an unnamed motel in the town.

The Broken Hill Mundi Mundi Bash has won gold at the 2024 NSW Tourism Awards in the festivals and events category. "This is a fantastic achievement and recognition for a festival which only commenced in 2022, having been created from scratch on the red dirt of the Mundi Mundi Plains 40km outside Broken Hill," Outback Music Festival Group founder and MD Greg Donovan said.

The Rural Applied Drug and Alcohol Research group (RADAR) will tackle the prevalence of drug and alcohol abuse in Western NSW, which is higher than most other parts of NSW ... Core priorities of RADAR include addressing the specific, geographical issues those afflicted by substance misuse in western NSW often experience.

Australia Post has lodged a draft notification with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), proposing an increase to the Basic Postage Rate (BPR) of $0.20 for small letters, from $1.50 to $1.70, and to the prices for ordinary large letters, delivered at the regular timetable – to take effect from July 2025.

Federal Member for Parkes Mark Coulton delivered his valedictory speech, just a few days short of 17 years since he was first elected as the 1029th Member of the Australian Parliament ... “I said in my first speech that I have a deep and unshakeable belief in inland Australia; and I still believe that today. It holds the keys to the future prosperity of our country."

In February 1957 a dirt track at Carrathool was the site for record breaking Australian land speed records. Behind the wheel of an AC race car was a glamourous young British socialite, Mary Seed (nee Morton). Seed has raced an Austin Healy in the UK in 1955 but after coming to Australia as a new bride in 1956 she drove an AC.

Weather forecasters are predicting widespread rainfall for November, across NSW and Queensland. Falls of between 20 and 60 mm are being touted for the Back Country. The Bureau of Meteorology says rainfall is likely to be above average across much of eastern Australia and parts of the interior until January.