Grateful reflections
Our community achieves an epic milestone this week with the 100th edition of Naracoorte News. Your support has helped us achieve our community dividend of over 1.2 million words of local stories published and more than $65,000 donated to local service, arts, and sports groups. I am filled with gratitude as I write to you. We launched in May 2020 because of our unified disdain for Australian Community Media’s disgraceful corporate behaviour that stopped our paper and told us we were not worthwhile.
Childcare for coast
Gabrielle Duykers. Kingston has been promised a new $1.8 million childcare centre under a re-elected Morrison government, just months after the local council was denied funding to establish the facility. Childcare shortages in the small coastal town have been an issue for more than 30 years.
Councils warned: ‘Don’t lose access’
Chris Oldfield. Regardless of the number of cars using a road, if there is access “don’t lose it”, a leading Australian road expert, Tyrone Toole has warned councils. Even if a local government body thinks there is no other way than to delete a road, Mr Toole suggests the council “takes another look at it”. His comments followed questions by The News regarding the Shuard’s La debacle – a 600m stretch across a wet low-lying area enabling all-weather access to farms. Without community consultation, Naracoorte Lucindale Council deleted it and others from its road register.
Jam-packed program for Arts Festival
Katie Moorhouse. Paintings made into puzzles, recycled metal sculptures, and the Penola RSL’s artistic showcase of ‘Animals in Wartime’ are just some of the eclectic exhibitions on show over the weekend of May 12 – 15 as part of the 2022 Penola Coonawarra Arts Festival.
Agricultural research cut
Gabrielle Duykers. Localised farm trials in the Limestone Coast and western Victoria will be significantly reduced after a research and innovation body chose to reprioritise its spending ... Historically, the Mackillop Farm Management Group (MFMG) used funds from its members to conduct variety trials in areas throughout the region where there are either no National Variety Trial sites, where nearby trial sites have different growing conditions to those on members' farms, or to conduct specific cropping trials as selected by the committee. Earlier this month the group announced it would cease funding these trials indefinitely, citing rising running and management costs.
Electorate win for MacKillop, Party loss
Sheryl Lowe. From sheep farmer to Parliament House, first term Member for MacKillop Nick McBride MP gained ground in the March State Election with a convincing win over his opponents, but the Liberal Party was defeated in a landslide swing towards the Labor Government. He was also defeated in his bid for Leader of the Opposition but told The News he will continue to advocate for his constituents in MacKillop during his second term in office.
Human resources and equipment important for good roads
Chris Oldfield. Council amalgamations, redundancies and retirements have resulted in the loss of experienced staff when it comes to managing road networks. And often council managers are trained in different fields, not civil engineering. “They are busy doing everything else they have to do,” national road chief Tyrone Toole said. So, road networks deteriorate and costs increase.
Top of the class
Gabrielle Duykers. A young Naracoorte wool classer has claimed top honours at the Royal Easter Show in Sydney. Twenty-year-old Sarah Haynes won the 2022 Australian Wool Exchange/TAFE National Graduate Woolclasser competition on April 12, making her the first South Australian to receive the prestigious award.
