Michael Waite, Naracoorte Community News

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SA Fire Fighters Memorial Service

Photos: Naracoorte Community News This article appeared in the Naracoorte Community News. Related story: Fourth Lucindale fire in four years claims life.

Elections. One down and two to go this year

Mulga Bill. We call our system ‘representative government’ which obviously means we elect Members to go forth and promote the wishes of the electorate, in the Parliament. It is a fair call that an Independent MP will accurately represent his electorate but on many occasions this fine principle is subverted for the party politician. An elected MP from a party will need to firstly raise the concern of his electorate within the Party Room ... Do you question whether we have genuine representative government?

Stubble smoke taint fears for red grapes

Chris Oldfield. As the stubble burning season fires up, the region’s grape growers hope their red grape harvest is not affected by smoke taint. Each year, traditional grain growers burn their stubbles before working their soil for next year’s crop in a bid to control weeds, pests and fungal spores. Meanwhile, a cooler grape growing season means a harvest that could clash with stubble burning.

Lack of child care at Kingston hits federal parliament

Chris Oldfield. The lack of child care for around 50 families on a waiting list at Kingston has been raised in the Australian Federal Parliament. “Those in this chamber have heard me speak about Kingston South East and a lack of childcare services before,” Member for Barker Tony Pasin told parliament ... “A farming region devastated by fire, and parents unable to earn off-farm income because there was no childcare service available."

Masters games are set and ready to go

Chris Oldfield. The 2022 Tatiara SA Masters Games are set and ready to go in “The Good Country” – featuring 24 mature age sports, social gatherings and a lot of fun. With sport being the heartbeat of rural communities, the event over four days (April 7-11) is expected to attract more than a thousand athletes, spectators and volunteers combined.

Hood takes Adelaide

Gabrielle Duykers. Naracoorte-born leader Lucy Hood has won the seat of Adelaide, ousting Liberal frontbencher Rachel Sanderson ... After a two-year campaign she emerged victorious, along with her party, SA Labor ... Ms Hood said she considered her rural upbringing a strength, and wanted to bring “country values” to her electorate.  

Transmutation wins national award

Sheryl Lowe. Successful Robe business, Transmutation, is owned and operated by Brad and Narelle Scott and has just received national recognition by being announced winners in the Australian Small Business Championship Awards (2021) ... Naming the business Transmutation, is a clever play on words for the award-winning business which is based, like the meaning of the word, on changing the form of plastic bread tags into sought-after retail items.

Producers prepare for setbacks

Gabrielle Duykers. Food and beverage producers from across the region will be meeting to discuss the impacts of drought and climate change to help bolster their preparedness for such events. The Limestone Coast Food and Agribusiness Cluster, established in December 2021, will run a series of webinars and networking events to help foster a better understanding of the risks posed by drought and varying climates.