Lloyd Polkinghorne, The Koondrook and Barham Bridge Newspaper
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D’Silva trades netball uniform for football jersey
Kendall Jennings. Koondrook teenager, Alethea D’Silva, has been selected for an inaugural under 14 girls football development game against Sunraysia at Tooleybuc on Sunday, August 7 ... a great discussion about what Alethea has overcome to play any sport with girls' participation low.
The madness continues…
Australia’s $13 billion Murray-Darling Basin Plan is in its tenth year. The plan had key objectives to save the Murray, restore the balance and do so in an adaptive way based on best available science ... The sheer insanity of the basin’s direction can be demonstrated by the huge almond plantations adjacent to the Murray. What were dryland farms 20 years ago are now intensive irrigation areas often using more water than rice or cotton per hectare with no regulation on salinity.
High voltage highway
Gannawarra Shire Council and Murray River Council Local Government Areas have been earmarked by the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) for the development of 500kV high voltage transmission lines and terminal stations. KerangLink, also known as Victoria New South Wales Interconnector West (VNI West) is planned to proceed “as urgently as possible” after the government’s plan to close Australia’s main energy source, coal fired power generation, faster than expected.
The Grainger connection
Joan de Bondt. Percy Grainger was a composer and pianist born in 1882 whose legacy is generally associated with his piano arrangement of the folk dance tune ‘Country Gardens’ ... Percy Grainger was a cousin to Bruce’s great grandfather. A wedding photo of Bruce’s grandfather, Stewart Hamilton Grainger, is attached to a photo of Percy at about the same age and the resemblance is unmistakable.
Childcare still a local issue
Kirstin Nicholson. Parents in Cohuna are finding it difficult to access childcare – a problem that is not new and will not disappear any time soon. Gannawarra Shire Council (GSC) family day care is the only option in town, but the number of providers has been gradually declining, forcing more parents to travel to neighbouring towns to access childcare, juggle childcare between numerous family members, and delay or give up their working life altogether.
Murray cod stranded
It’s that time of year when irrigation channels are drawn down for maintenance works. Native fish such as Murray cod and yellas often find themselves stranded.
Stranded cod at Wakool
A large number of Murray Cod have been relocated from irrigation channels in the Wakool area, thanks to collaboration between numerous individuals and organisations ... At the end of the irrigation season, it is common for native fish to be left stranded in pools of water behind channel gates and irrigation syphons, and unfortunately, they perish.
Largest rice crop in five years
SunRice has announced that the 2022 rice crop has now been harvested, and at ≈675,000 paddy tonnes, is the largest in five years. Estimated range for the 2022 pool is $390 to $450 per tonne for medium grain Reiziq ... It has been a great result despite challenging trading conditions, unprecedented escalation in freight rates, and systemic supply chain disruption.
