Oar-some to be back on the water
Lachlan Dand. For the first time since 2021, one of the most prestigious events on the Rowing SA calendar last weekend returned to Renmark ... Renmark Rowing Club president Tony Townsend said the weekend was a "success" as over 740 rowers hit the water for more than 185 races across the two days, including some competitors coming from interstate.
Riverland visit missing from China wine tour
Hugh Schuitemaker. Local senior politicians are feeling "left out in the cold" after Chinese wine buyers failed to make a direct visit to the Riverland during a South Australian tour. The State Government last week hosted a delegation of Chinese wine buyers that visited regions including the Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale and Clare Valley. Chaffey MP Tim Whetstone said the value of Riverland wine to the state’s economy meant the region should have featured in the tour.
Karlene’s hindsight and insight invaluable at RIT AGM
Hugh Schuitemaker. Advocacy for South Australian irrigators in an upcoming Murray- Darling Basin Plan review will be crucial, according to a Riverland politician and regarded figure on water management issues. Former Chaffey MP Karlene Maywald was a guest speaker at the Renmark Irrigation Trust (RIT) annual general meeting, held last month at Hotel Renmark, with the topic being Our Murray River: Hindsight and Insights.
Renmark High students deliver smash hit
Lachlan Dand. It is little secret for those who have completed year 12 studies that it’s one of the biggest years some can face, as high schooling days draw to a close. With exams, prom, and graduation all wrapped up, students at the Renmark High School (RHS), have one piece of official duty left. Students will head to the Gold Coast this Sunday morning for the Australian Volleyball Schools Cup, which was previously held in Canberra and Melbourne, running until 15 December.
Stone fruit crops ‘wiped out’ by rain
Hugh Schuitemaker. Riverland stone fruit growers have seen "large amounts" of certain crops wiped out at a critical time, following last week’s heavy rainfall ... "We all appreciate a good rain, and we all need it of course – especially the farmers – but the reality is that it does do a lot of damage, in terms of stone fruit, depending on timing'; Summerfruit SA executive officer Tim Grieger.
Wunkar’s landmark silo is now gone
The demolition process of the Wunkar silo is almost complete. Wunkar local, Terry Smith, captured the removal of the three-cell, 6000-tonne silo that was carried out last week, with the concrete structure that stood for 64 years now rubble.
The Queen’s Loxton arrival
Sebastian Calderon. Loxton has become the Murray River Queen's (MRQ) new home after the boat’s successful voyage from Renmark ... The Paringa Bridge crossing was one of the highlights during her trip, as cars and people gathered to see the bridge go up and give way to Donna Neale and her team steaming the MRQ.
PALM a breeding ground for ‘slavery’?
Madison Eastmond. Claims an employment initiative utilised to bring Pacific Island workers to the Riverland is exploitative are failing to recognise both sides of the situation, according to a senior local cultural leader. A recent report by the Immigration Advice and Rights Centre (IARC), has called the temporary visas part of the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme "a breeding ground for contemporary forms of slavery".
