RACGP leaders head to regional Victoria
The Royal Australian College of GPs (RACGP) President Dr Michael Wright and RACGP Victorian Chair Dr Anita Muñoz will visit practices across regional Victoria this week to meet with local GPs, healthcare teams and community organisations. The visit will focus on highlighting strong growth in the regional general practice workforce, increasing regional training opportunities...
Grape expectations: Regulators crush wine industry worker non-compliance: ATO, FWO, ABF
The Australian Taxation Office (ATO), Fair Work Ombudsman (FWO) and Department of Home Affairs’ Australian Border Force (ABF) have ramped up their compliance efforts across South Australia’s wine regions, conducting coordinated unannounced inspections targeting vineyard owners and labour hire providers.
Nursing body demands urgent Medicare overhaul for remote Australia
The Australian College of Nursing (ACN) has formally called on the federal government to overhaul Medicare structures, claiming current policies are restricting equitable access to primary care for millions of residents in rural and remote Australia.
Aviation Taster Tour opens new horizons for Wellington students
Students from across Wellington Shire have taken a hands-on step into the world of aviation, experiencing firsthand the career opportunities available right on their doorstep through an Aviation Taster Tour hosted by Wellington Shire Council. Sixteen secondary school students from three Wellington schools took part in the tour on Tuesday 17 March, travelling between West Sale Airport and the Longford Heliport.
Support for truckies across Australia: Rishworth
The Albanese Government is helping Australia’s trucking industry manage the impacts of the war in the Middle East, ensuring truckies and transport operators are better protected from fuel price rises. With global uncertainty leading to significant impacts on our transport industry, our Government is taking practical action to support the truckies and transport operators who keep the Australian economy moving.
Business community welcomes high speed rail announcement
Terry Collins. Business NSW Central Coast has described the recent funding announcement to accelerate the Newcastle–Sydney High Speed Rail corridor as presenting a major opportunity to accelerate jobs, investment and long-term economic growth in the region.
Minor doctor share: Just three of 12 new interns based locally despite ‘major service centre’ status
The Malinauskas Labor government has unveiled a $13m election commitment to build a new medical school training centre in Mount Gambier -promising a stronger “pipeline of doctors” for regional SA. But of the 12 intern doctors recruited this year to the Limestone Coast Local Health Network, only three are based in Naracoorte - a town formally designated as a major service centre under the government’s ambitious Limestone Coast Regional Plan 2026.
LifeFlight Townsville doctor swaps Denmark snow for North Queensland heat
When Mathilde Enevoldsen left Denmark to work for LifeFlight, it was minus 15 degrees and snowing. Now, she’s landed smack bang in the middle of a sweltering Australian summer, ready to help North Queensland communities as one of LifeFlight’s newest critical care doctors.
Gen Z leads great urban exodus – Australia’s future workforce is heading to the regions: RAI
Generation Z may be on the march to the regions – now the most likely cohort considering a move out of metro areas, according to new survey results released today by the Regional Australia Institute (the RAI). Generation Z (18 to 29 years) has overtaken its older counterpart, Millennials (30 to 45 years), in having the greatest desire to leave the city behind, with almost half (49 per cent) contemplating relocating.
New principals begin the year at two small schools
Two small schools more than 120km apart — Broadwater and Old Bonalbo — have new principals starting this term. At Broadwater Public School - rebuilt after the 2022 floods - Jake Debrincat joins this term as principal. At Old Bonalbo, it is Samantha Cooper’s first time as a principal.
Working together to strengthen the regional agricultural workforce: AgriFutures Australia
New research will help deepen understanding of the dynamics that influence agricultural labour and skills shortages in five of Australia’s important agricultural regions. AgriFutures Australia, in collaboration with the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF), has launched a new initiative to help tackle one of the biggest challenges facing Australian agriculture: building a stronger, more sustainable regional workforce.
Record cohort of medical interns set to care for Darling Downs communities
Darling Downs Health has welcomed a record 61 medical interns this year, marking the largest intake since the program began ... Included in this diverse group is Dr Reuben Burrough, whose journey to medicine began in the paddocks of western New South Wales.
From the Rockies to home: Mikaela Hurst’s global journey on horseback
In the dusty yards of a local feedlot, on a horse twice her size, Mikaela Hurst effortlessly moves cattle under the unrelenting Australian summer sun. But beneath the wide-brimmed hat and even wider smile lies a specialised skill set that is rare.
Analysis of ag industry pressures
The analysis of regional pressure on the agriculture workforce will look at key industry issues on the Downs. The research will be done by AgriFutures and the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. The Darling Downs and Toowoomba are among five key regions being looked at in the Strategic Analysis of Regional Workforce Pressures in Australian Agriculture.
Under pressure: The reality of Australia’s hospital emergency departments
Walk into Royal Adelaide Hospital's emergency department on any given day and you'll find a chaotic but functioning system ... Now picture Wilcannia. The Multipurpose Service there technically provides 24-hour emergency care. But as of November 2025, if you present between 7pm and 7am, you must first call ahead. Staff will decide whether to come in. The doors aren't always open.
Success in America is being an immigrant
For its 250-year history, the United States has been the largest immigration centre in the world. As of 2024, the country was home to 52,375,047 immigrants ... The concentration of illegal immigrants in the agricultural sector in some states is so high that it raises the question, "Are authorities truly combating illegal immigration, or is illegal immigration officially encouraged as a supplement to legal immigration?"
Riverina growers face penalties following Fair Work inspections
Five Riverina growers and one labour hire provider have been issued compliance notices following surprise inspections by the Fair Work Ombudsman, with combined back payments totalling $5,710 ordered for four employees. The Fair Work Ombudsman conducts unannounced workplace visits across Australia to verify that employers are paying correct wages and overtime rates, issuing proper pay slips and providing information about employee rights.
E-petition launched to boost intensive care paramedics
With only two intensive care paramedics (ICPs) working on shift to cover the entire Clarence Valley, staff at Grafton Ambulance Station were joined by Member for Clarence Richie Williamson last week to officially launch an e-Petition, calling on the NSW Government to prioritise increasing staffing across the region.
A secure and sustainable future for the forestry industry: Collins, Watt, Ayres
The industry is of such strategic importance to the Australian community we today designate it a priority industry under our Future Made in Australia plans.
Council vote in support of: timber industry employees
A Notice of Motion (NoM) put forward by Clarence Valley Councillor Allison Bryant last week which called for the local government body to formally oppose the Minns Government’s September 7 announcement to end native forest harvesting and establish the Great Koala National Park during the Monthly Ordinary Meeting of Clarence Valley Council (CVC) was carried 7-2.
The hidden side of seasonal agricultural labour
Seasonal legal and illegal labour migration in agriculture compete with each other despite serving the same goals. These goals are increasing food availability and agricultural efficiency. This competition arises because villagers and politicians prefer different paths to achieving these goals. These different paths magnify the impact of seasonal labour migration.
Launch your local career
As hundreds of Year 12 students celebrate their final weeks of schooling, Rockhampton Regional Council’s lead economic development agency, Advance Rockhampton, has launched a range of resources to encourage the next generation to explore the wealth of career and education pathways in their own backyard.
