A budget for the ages – Grim, dark and deceptive: Bev McArthur
On 23 May 2023, the Premier Daniel Andrews said: “We’re doing everything we promised Victorians we’d do – and we’re not wasting a moment getting on with it”. What he perhaps should have said was: “We promised some things – we even promised to govern for all Victorians – but we will deliver only some things, dump plenty of others, and govern for a few.” For me there’s only one headline from this budget: Victoria is broke.
More jobs than people in regions – New report by Regional Australia Institute reveals demand highest for doctors and nurses
Regional job advertisements grew three times faster than in metropolitan Australia at the end of 2022, with demand for doctors and nurses skyrocketing, according to new research by the Regional Australia Institute (RAI) ... “Medical Practitioner and Nurse vacancies in regions represented almost half the total national vacancies for this occupation grouping, despite regional Australia representing only one third of the population”: Liz Ritchie, RAI CEO.
Native forestry announcement a massive blow for regional Victorian families: FWCA
Today’s announcement to bring forward the end of native forestry by six years is a devastating blow for thousands of regional Victorian families. It is estimated that native forestry provides 5000 direct jobs and many more indirect jobs providing the lifeblood for regional communities such as Orbost, which stands to lose 37 per cent of its workers.
Delivering certainty for timber workers: Andrews
The Victorian Government is stepping in to deliver certainty for timber workers, sawmill operators and their communities, with an expanded transition support package as part of the Victorian Budget 2023/24. This package removes the uncertainty that has been caused by ongoing court and litigation process and increasingly severe bushfires, with an additional $200 million in support for workers and their families to transition away from native timber logging earlier than planned – by 1 January 2024.
Immigration reform won’t help SA’s labour needs
The proposed immigration reforms recently announced by the government have the potential to hobble the economic growth of smaller South Australian towns in the future. That’s the view of Shadow Minister for State Migration and Regional Population Growth, Sam Telfer, who argues the reforms are “focused on the wrong levers”. Mr Telfer told The News that the reforms would impact regional South Australian businesses and won’t address their labour needs.
Long serving school principal retires
Dr Shaun Kanowski has announced his intention to retire at the end of the School Term. We put some questions to him ... "Since arriving in Allora, I have noticed significant changes in the last 22 years ... Something that has never changed in my time at Allora, is the strong sense of community that is instantly apparent when you come to the best little town on the downs."
The shearer shortage
Editorial. There is a certain romance about shearing. But, as in so many professions, there is a world-wide shortage of shearers. If you go back 30 years, there were some 10,000 working shearers. Today, there are 2,000 in the industry. But the Covid pandemic has done the industry a good turn, inasmuch as it has enabled young people out of a job to do the necessary training for a well-paid occupation, which shearing – while hard work – undoubtedly is.
Council’s hire-local policy reaps results for Barkly community service centres
In a social media post this week, Mr McAdam claimed BRC was suffering from 111 positions vacant ... In BRC’s media release on Wednesday, it was on a positive note about adopting a hire local policy which had reaped great results for its eight community service centres in the Barkly.
TFGA says federal budget fails to address key challenges
The Tasmanian Farmers and Graziers Association (TFGA) has expressed concern over the latest federal budget, claiming that it will exacerbate existing cost-of-living pressures faced by Australians. The TFGA has criticised the budget for failing to address several pressing issues, including regional skilled labour shortages, the ongoing housing crisis, and increasing supply chain costs.
Reform needed to save rural health services
The Rural Doctors Association of Australia (RDAA) says that the GP shortage in rural and remote areas will not change unless there is significant reform of funding models. Dr Megan Belot, RDAA President, said patients right across rural and remote Australia suffer poorer health outcomes due to this reluctance to change.
Federal budget statement from Fortescue
Fortescue welcomes Hydrogen Headstart announcement which demonstrates how seriously the Government is taking the green hydrogen industry and its critical role in Australia’s future ... Fortescue has the green hydrogen projects in the pipeline ready to go to help drive the Australian industry forward.
TAFE NSW digital literacy course leads to major career change for Ulladulla resident
Ulladulla local David Doyle returned to study at TAFE NSW after almost 30 years to improve his literacy skills and switch his career from property development to mental health counselling. Last year’s Adult Literacy Inquiry finding almost half of Australians are living with literacy, numeracy, and digital literacy gaps which limit their life choices.
From foal to champion racehorse – Michael seizes a career in thoroughbred breeding: AgriFutures
Bringing a new life into the world is always a special moment, and for Michael Dickson the opportunity to foal down a mare for the first time is a favourite memory. “It all went so well. That life came into the world and I was the only one assisting – I really enjoyed that”: Michael Dickson.
New program helping Victorian student teachers go rural: Hutchins
Minister for Education Natalie Hutchins has launched the Teach Rural pilot program, which will support up to 200 student teachers - or pre-service teachers (PSTs) - to undertake placements at government schools across rural and regional Victoria in 2023 and 2024 ... Country Education Partnership ... will deliver the Teach Rural pilot program.
Closing down
The timber mill at Corryong will close by September, once the existing log stock is milled. It will be the end of an era for Walkers Sawmill after 87 years of operation under three generations of the family. Current owner, Graham Walker, was in Corryong on Friday to announce the closure of the mill to its 21 employees.
Closing town’s mill is best course of action: Graham Walker
Graham Walker. I came to Corryong last Friday to announce to the employees that our sawmill will close once the existing log stock is milled. The gloomy sky over our log stack showed how I was feeling as I delivered the bad news ... If we were to continue business as usual, we had no certainty of sawlog quantity from VicForests as they are still embroiled in battle with ‘Friends of the Forest’ and court injunctions and they had only guaranteed 55 per cent of our 19,000m3 allocation.
West Wimmera Health Service’s very own care bear
You'd be hard-pressed to find someone as passionate and as dedicated to nursing as West Wimmera Health Service’s Rhys Webb. Rhys's love for the nursing profession started back in 2013 after he completed his graduate year as a registered nurse in Warracknabeal before joining the team at West Wimmera Health Service.
Careers expo — getting local people to work for local business
Organised by Regina Hunter and Tegan Hinchey last weeks Careers Expo attracted a wide variety of organisations eager to show locals what employment opportunities they had to offer. Danny Lester, Director of Aboriginal Outcomes for the Department of Regional NSW was impressed with the event and had a number of thoughts he wanted to share.
Improving recruitment and retention in outback schools: The Remote Teacher
"I remember getting my first teaching position in the outback and just wanting to connect and learn from others as much as I could about what I was heading into ... We want teacher success because teacher success equals student success": Hakea Hustler. ARR.News found out more from Hakea and fellow remote teachers Carl Merrison and Lynette Gordon.
Farmers plead for visa solutions following Migration Review: NFF
National Farmers' Federation Chief Executive Officer Tony Mahar said the industry had long called for a purpose-built migration system designed to meet its labour and skills demands, rather than the current mixture of haphazard solutions ... Mr Mahar said there was real concern among industry regarding the review’s recommendation to limit or even scrap the requirement for Working Holiday Makers to work on farm.
Buybacks cost jobs: Irrigation Council
Water buybacks were blamed for 3261 job losses across the economies of 40 southern Murray-Darling Basin communities, according to Murray-Darling Basin Authority modelling by the NSW Irrigation Council ... "Across the southern Basin States, 648 lost jobs (21 per cent of FTE jobs losses) in the profiled NSW communities profiled were attributed to water recovery, 1684 (30 per cent) in northern Victoria and 929 (45 per cent) in South Australia, mostly in its Riverland horticultural centres": NSWIC CEO, Claire Miller.
Shire CEO reveals new game plan
Patricia Gill. Denmark Shire chief executive David Schober will officially end his tenure on July 11 to return to a lifelong passion, coaching basketball. Former professional basketball coach David will take a ‘dream job’ at the Denmark Senior High School vacated by dual Olympian Paul Rogers.
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