Business

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.

In his latest attempt to channel Australia’s wealth into government-approved projects, Chalmers announced plans to steer the Future Fund toward housing and renewables, claiming these priorities will secure both national prosperity and a moral high ground. But if the Treasurer is serious about backing industries with real potential, it’s time to herd the Future Fund into the sheep yards of Western Australia, where $200 million could establish a state-of-the-art abattoir to breathe life into a sector gasping under the weight of Canberra’s policy redirection.  

Labour shortages in the horticulture sector have eased slightly, according to a report from the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences (ABARES). ABARES executive director Dr Jared Greenville said the report, based on a survey of over 2,000 horticulture farms across Australia, showed a fall in the number of farms struggling to find workers.

An important milestone in constructing Lismore’s new $3.9 million Lismore Skatepark was reached this week, with the pouring of 2400m2 of concrete set to begin ... The facility includes both ‘street’ and ‘park’ (bowl) sections and a covered mini ramp, which is eagerly anticipated by the local skater community.

The Albanese Labor Government’s Aged Care Bill has today passed Parliament, ensuring once-in-a-generation reforms to aged care ... Starting from 1 July 2025, the new Act will deliver a range of improvements including a tougher regulatory model, strengthened Aged Care Quality Standards and a Statement of Rights to ensure older people and their needs are at the centre of the new aged care system.

In a major win for connectivity and economic growth, Sunshine Coast Council will partner with Google, NEXTDC and others on Australia Connect, an initiative to further the reach, reliability and resilience of digital connectivity in Australia and the Indo-Pacific. Australia Connect will deliver new subsea cable systems and build on the Pacific Connect initiative.

Wilson McShane. Six-year-old Harry Rendell, from Moonta, is following in the footsteps of his running idols. Supported by his parents Kara and Nick, he is training for a five-kilometre event in Melbourne ... Throughout November, he and his running team RUNNEZ have been participating in Stride 4 Stroke, a fundraiser for the Stroke Foundation.  

Rachel Hagan. Minlaton Family Centre is moving towards becoming the wellbeing hub of the lower Yorke Peninsula. However, these dreams may fall short if the community does not start using the new health services already available ... the family centre hosts GP Gaurang Prajapati and dietitian Bonnie Sanderson, who are currently not being utilised to their full capacity.

Automotive company Lovells Automotive Systems  donated and provided generators to communities such as Menindee RFS to keep essential power, communications and services running during the recent Far West power outages. "We're honored to support the resilient communities of Far West NSW during these challenging times."

A new study has revealed there may be a significant underestimation of a specific type of  PFAS ‘forever chemical’ in the environment. Researchers from UNSW Sydney found that branched perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) was more prevalent than expected in firefighting foam.

Recently I attended a family wedding in country Victoria. It was a magical evening with a perfect sunset. Mother Nature really turned on a show! An observation several of us made at the recovery the next day was that a few family members did not leave a wedding gift or simple card, nor did they say goodbye to the bride and groom when they made an early departure. This got us talking about manners, and whether they are diminishing.

With election season upon us and rural mobile networks pushed to their limits during harvest, it’s an ideal moment to examine the persistent gaps and dropouts in mobile coverage. Before diving into the political and economic factors shaping mobile connectivity, let’s take a step back and explore the history of Australia’s mobile network rollout. By tracing its development, we might uncover how so much of the bush was left behind.

When is a bowlo more than a bowlo – when it’s at Bonalbo and the bowling club is a place to meet, eat, have a drink and even get your kit off. Bonalbo Bowling & Recreation Club is making sure it’s doing what it can to thrive. Club board president David Whitney ... quoted a shocking statistic that one bowling club a week is closing.

The Aboriginal art gallery, now known as ATSIAGA, will be placed on about half of the present Anzac Oval car park ... ATSIAGA stands for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Gallery of Australia, suggesting the plan still has ambitions for national status ... there was no mention of  the assertive campaign  by traditional custodians who want the gallery to be built south of The Gap.

The Victorian Farmers Federation (VFF) is urging the Victorian Government to consider a complete overhaul of the state’s truck wash network to plug major gaps in Victoria’s biosecurity preparedness safety net.  VFF Livestock President Scott Young said the recent closure of the truck wash facility at the Pakenham saleyards has exposed how fragile the state network is.  

As has been the case for over three decades, the 2025 Heritage Weekend will see all roads leading to Allora on the Australia Day weekend, 25 and 26 January with a stream of historical vehicles and machinery converging on the Allora township and picturesque Showgrounds ... Having been featured in British historical machinery magazines, the Allora Heritage Weekend can be said to be known internationally.