Business

Back when Kookaburra was young and out for adventure, he used to jump into a car and drive overnight to the Western District of Victoria, traversing half of New South Wales and then half of Victoria to get there. A nap at a truckstop near Tocumwal was about the only break as the miles signs (in those days) clicked by. The sun rising near Maryborough whilst the car thrust its way forward through the ranges and down to Beaufort signalled the journey was nearing its end. A quick pit stop and then out on that last stretch to Stockyard Hill and my destination – a poll Dorset sheep stud owned by some old family friends – who always managed to find a spare room for the blow-in.

Close to 50 members of the Newstead community participated in a question-and-answer session about the Newstead Community Energy Project on Thursday 22 August, following the launch of the new solar farm. Representatives from project partners Renewable Newstead and Flow Power were on hand to explain the thinking behind the partnership, some technological context and the benefits to consumers for joining the project.

The Snowy Mountain Tango Festival took place, for the third consecutive year, on the weekend in Corryong. Steadily growing, it attracted more than 100 participants with dancers and performers coming from Melbourne, Canberra, Brisbane, Sydney, Adelaide, as well as from Gippsland and the local region, including Albury/Wodonga, Batlow, Corryong.

The biannual cluBarham Rock by the River Rock ‘n’ Roll Festival attracted 250 attendees from local and interstate to enjoy four days of live music and dancing ... The four days of entertainment were complemented by dancing lessons and the opportunity to buy the perfect attire or pair of swanky shoes to complement one’s moves on the dance floor.

Yellow Crazy Ants (Anoplolepis gracilipes) – which are now established in Australia –are  one of the worst invasive species on Earth ... “A truly proactive approach involves everyone affected and in areas potentially affective taking control into their own hands to proactively eliminate at a local level all known and potential threats, such as ants being carried further afield on machinery and vehicles”: David Priddy, Sundew CEO.

A national pest eradication expert says the news that Queensland is more than doubling the Red Imported Fire Ant eradication zone highlights the need for residents to be equipped with site-specific self-treatment products to combat known outbreaks ... There have been several fire ant incursions since 2001, and all those outbreaks were eradicated. “That tells us eradication is possible. We have the people and the know-how to make fire ant eradication a reality”: David Priddy, Sundew CEO.

West Wimmera Shire Council is embarking on a project to professionally record the rich history of the historic Serviceton Railway Station. The project involves creating a high-quality audio recording of local historian Les Millikin as he narrates the detailed history of the Serviceton Railway Station, capturing his extensive knowledge and personal insights about this significant heritage site.

Hugh Schuitemaker. A Riverland grape grower has begun pulling his vines – describing it as a "nightmare" – amid uncertainty surrounding prices and a lack of supportive industry action. Renmark West-based grower Ray Hartigan, 80, said he could no longer justify the impacts of poor economic returns.

The NFF Horticulture Council has today reaffirmed its call for tighter government controls on supermarket trading practices as annual profits are reported by the major listed companies. Council chair, Jolyon Burnett said the results would speak for themselves, and that not even a cost-of-living crisis had dampened the supermarket drive for profits above all else.

As the trend for native Australian tucker is on the rise, Celebrity Bush Cook and multi-award winner Ranger Nick takes camp oven cooking to another level. Inspired by the creativity among the competitors at the annual Trundle Bush Tucker Day camp oven cook off, Ranger Nick is expanding the Oz tucker from kangaroo and other game meat to a more refined flavouring of his meals with a taste of Australian native ingredients.

Sebastian Calderon. A new satellite built by South Australian-based companies will aim to deliver critical space data for use by government and research institutions, including data covering the Riverland, particularly in the areas of sustainability and climate impacts. The State Government-funded satellite Kanyini was successfully launched into orbit last week onboard a SpaceX rocket, being the first of its kind in Australia, built by SA-based companies – SmartSat, Inovor and Myriota.

The night sky in Kaniva has a new star attraction: a colour-changing windmill, the crowning achievement of a three-year community-driven lighting project that has transformed the town’s main street. From purple to blue, red, green, and gold, the windmill now lights up with subtle hues, adding a splash of color to the town’s nighttime landscape.

The Lower Clarence town of Maclean has been named first on Airbnb’s Tiny Towns Guide of the top 50 small towns across Australia, winning a $30,000 grant that will help the future of the town’s famous Highland Gathering ... “Maclean offers a unique blend of cultural heritage on the banks of the picturesque Clarence River,” an Airbnb spokesperson said.

A new round of a vineyard resting trial that enables red wine grape growers to save up to $2,000 per hectare in input, water, and management costs, has opened today. The new trial will provide growers additional time to make diverse business decisions as the state’s wine industry continues to experience an oversupply of red wine grapes, following challenging market conditions and changing global preferences.

Michelle Daw. Farming and transport industry representatives have praised a decision by Yorke Peninsula Council to open its roads to higher-productivity heavy vehicles as a victory for common sense. The move followed an enormous response of 789 submissions to council’s public consultation about a proposed strategy to address safety concerns on its roads.