Business

Lismore City Council is excited to announce that hundreds of cycling enthusiasts will converge on Lismore next month for the first-ever Lismore Cycling Festival. The bumper two-day event, held in partnership with the Byron Bay Cycle Club ... promises a mix of competitive racing, participation rides and ‘Come-and-try’ sessions for children and adults.

Joanna Tucker. After years of hard work, the Moonta Mines Cornish mining sites have been added to Australia’s UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List, along with mine sites at Burra. This listing was announced on September 6 and is a significant step towards achieving World Heritage protection for the two historic areas.

Dr Skye Charry. In December 2023, Australia enacted significant amendments to the Sex Discrimination Act 1984 (Cth), enforcing a new era of workplace responsibility. Under this reform, all business owners, regardless of size, are mandated to take ‘reasonable and proportionate measures’ to eliminate sexual harassment and related harm ... For rural and regional businesses, this presents unique challenges.

Kyogle chef Shelly Snadden cooked her heart out at the Sample Food Festival in Bangalow ... Kyogle councillor Danielle Mulholland was by her side in the My Mayor Rules cook-off. Kyogle mayor Kylie Webster was unable to attend so former mayor Danielle stepped up.

Many of Australia’s oldest, running cars and motorbikes will visit South Australia in September, when the town of Naracoorte plays host to the sixth, annual Pre-1905 Pioneer’s Run ... "From Friday 13th to Sunday 15th September, 30 cars and motorcycles from all over Australia, the oldest an 1899 Peugeot, will be defying the years and visiting the Naracoorte Caves, Penola and Frances," says Rally Organiser, Julian McNeil from the Veteran Car Club of SA.

The Victorian Public Service Enterprise Agreement includes $300m one-off cost-of-living payments for public servants while Victorian families and businesses struggle with increased taxes and no sign of relief from cost-of-living pressures ... Member for Western Victoria, Bev McArthur said, "the $5600 cost-of-living bonus for all public servants is more than 7 per cent this year for an average employee!"

Just when it seemed ANZ’s attempts to justify the closure of a regional NSW branch in defiance of a condition of the Suncorp acquisition deal not to close any regional sites for three years could not get any more farcical, the bank has upped the ante. In a letter to a customer complaining about the planned closure of the Katoomba branch next month, ANZ claimed that although it had triggered regional branch closure protocols (established as a direct result of two federal government inquiries into regional bank closures), the protocol was not about regional branches.

"Another sad day for dairy processing in Australia. Every time we lose food and beverage processing infrastructure in Australia, we move closer to being net importers of manufactured products even in staples like dairy ... Whatever the fate of the cheese factory, it’s timely to think about whether it’s in the long-term interests of Australian farmers and farm communities to have so much processing ownership held offshore": Melina Morrison.

Exploring the Southern Downs through the free official Southern Downs & Granite Belt Visitor App is easier than ever with new upgrades that make it a breeze to experience everything there is to see, do and discover in our region. The new version of the app #SeeSouthernDowns can be used 100 per cent offline, putting essential information about the region’s towns...

They’re not old time-travellers, they’re old-timers, travelling! The largest vintage car tour in Victoria, and possibly Australia, travelled through Muckleford and Maldon last week as part of the 2024 Golden Oldies Tour. It was a marvellous sight to see all these Roaring Twenties transporters...

Luz Restrepo. Our small towns are brimming with untapped potential and as business owners, we are the driving force behind our local economies ... In these challenging times, when the economy is under pressure, it is crucial to think creatively and seize new opportunities. The Village Business Expo is one such opportunity.

Get ready for a paw-some day at the inaugural 2024 Pet Expo this weekend. The expo features 35 pet-related stalls, free kids’ activities, plus plenty of fun for dogs, and is held at the Robert Schwarten Outdoor Pavilion from 9am to 3pm...

The [Naracoorte Community] News is introducing a new series called Hard Talk, focusing on in-depth interviews with hard-hitting questions on issues relating to communities like ours ... In our first issue, we questioned Premier Peter Malinauskas and newly appointed Opposition Leader Vincent Tarzia.

A history of Camellia Shows, Camellia Festivals and the Narrandera District Garden Club (last updated 1996) has been provided to the Narrandera Argus. Narrandera’s reputation for the production of top quality camellia blooms has been growing over a period of 23 years ... It began in 1973 when the ladies of the St John’s P.W.A. changed from their traditional Annual Fete to an afternoon of "Flowers and Fashion"...

If you’ve ever shouted, “Are we there yet?” in a fit of boredom, then a tractor trek may not be for you. For the members of the Harry Ferguson Tractor Club of Australia, tractor trekking offers them a chance to see the countryside in unique red, grey and even gold style! The procession of Masseys rolled into Barham last week on their biennial trek, snaking the Murray River with a start in Corryong…

Council leaders from Gannawarra, Swan Hill, Mildura, Loddon, Campaspe and Moira shires visited Canberra and Bendigo over the last two weeks, speaking to politicians and advisors on water management, renewable energy, housing and the funding of local government ... The latest round of buybacks was a pressing issue for the group.

There is an old saying “not a lot of sense is common!” There are things that should be taken as a given in life. Things such as manners, not talking over people, being polite, saying please and thank you, looking at people who are talking to you, and assuming best intentions when dealing with colleagues. To be respected you must first be respectful. So, when our elected Members of Parliament require a code of conduct on how to act and behave to prevent bullying, sexual harassment, and inappropriate behaviour, you have to ask what happened to common sense?

Almost a dozen power poles have been lost in the past few months due to fires from what’s thought to have been a series of separate hazard reduction burns across the state. Energy Queensland Chief Operating Officer Paul Jordon said while hazard reduction burning is an essential tool for managing vegetation and reducing fire risks, it is crucial to exercise caution to prevent unintended electrical infrastructure damage.