Business

The National Clydesdale and Heavy Horse Festival has once again shaken the earth at Werribee as the world’s much-loved working breeds were shown off in hand, under saddle and in harness. Organisers this year welcomed Canadian judges Ray and Amber McLaughlin to officiate, with Amber judging the led Clydesdales/Shires and Ray the harness with Peter Strafford.

The latest data reveals that households and businesses in regional NSW are leading the charge in rooftop solar adoption, accounting for nine of the top ten electorates for installations. NSW leads the country in rooftop solar with more than 1 million homes and businesses that now have rooftop solar – a third of all NSW homes.

I don’t get it – will Queenslanders own CopperString, or will the industry and job creating project be sold off to a multinational like Glencore who only have the interests of their boardroom at heart? Katter’s Australian Party Leader, and Member for Traeger has said.

Australian agriculture is growing, adaptable, more productive, and well placed to take advantage of the transition to net zero, according to the latest ABARES Snapshot of Australian Agriculture 2026 Insights paper.

Wheatstock (Kalannie Oval Feb 28 2026) gets turned up to 11, Jack Brennan explains why!

“People in my classes often say, ‘Oh my God this tastes amazing’ and I have to remind them that it tastes so good because they made it and they made it with the right intention. If you put love into your food, you're going to put love into your body.”

Shortchanged farmers in the state’s northwest are desperately calling on government to deliver fairer compensation for small-scale title mining claims. NSW Farmers Acting CEO Mike Guerin said the proposed compensation amounts for opal mining claims fell well short of the real and ongoing losses faced by farm businesses hosting mining activity...

Flinders Shire Council is proud to announce that the 2026 Hughenden Festival of Outback Skies has received a major funding boost ... to support a landmark Festival Finale performance featuring the Townsville Great Barrier Reef Orchestra performing alongside internationally renowned didgeridoo virtuoso and composer William Barton.

The Sunshine Coast-based LifeFlight aeromedical crew yesterday winched a man from Mt Coolum to hospital in the first of back-to-back missions. The LifeFlight helicopter was tasked by Retrieval Services Queensland at 11.25am to a walking track on the mountain.

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.

Here’s some good news about Bonalbo’s 100th Show — it’s on. The show committee is pleased to inform competitors, exhibitors and sponsors that the Bonalbo Showgrounds are no longer under restrictions as an adjoining holding for cattle tick ... Remember the date — Friday, April 17 and Saturday, April 18.

Kaiser Reef, the publicly listed company that owns Maldon’s Union Hill Mine, operates the processing plant at Porcupine Creek and is exploring areas in Nuggetty, has provided the Australian Stock Exchange and a mining conference with an update of its activities. The company shared a financial estimate of the stockpile material that it has been processing from the historical waste dumps at Union Hill – a process that has some Maldon locals asking questions.

The Little Flower Shop is the latest addition to our distinctive and interesting main street. Owners Jacinta and James Lax have moved into a totally renovated studio which previously housed Piston Pumps.

The last remaining tugboat that was used on the Clarence River for the sugar industry, the MV Beardmore is being considered for heritage listing, and the community have an opportunity to have their say. Built by JG Pashley and Sons in 1914 at the Harwood Mill, the 18.8 metre long and 3.4 metre wide MV Beardmore was made from local hardwood.

The Victorian Minister for Planning, the Hon. Sonya Kilkenny MP, has decided that an environmental effect statement is required for the Fingerboards Critical Minerals Project and given reasons for her decision. Gippsland Critical Minerals Pty Ltd, the proponent of the Fingerboards Project, has responded to the decision. The community action group, Mine Free Glenaladale, has responded to the decision and GCM's statement.

Bullrider Zane Hall, from Athol, is currently leading the 2026 PBR Australia Monster Energy Tour going into the next buckfest at Beaudesert. This follows an apparently flawless performance at the Scone 2026 PBR Australia Monster Energy Tour Buckfest ... Zane held onto his bull, steady on the writhing beast before coming off safely.

At just 15 years old, Ray Neville stunned the racing world with a Melbourne Cup victory. Now, nearly eight decades later, his hometown of Birchip is ensuring that remarkable moment in sporting history will be remembered, with work under way on a silo mural in his honour.

... Sussan Ley is taking her bat and ball and going home. The tenure of Ms Ley has been marred by Farrer communities being devastated by the Murray-Darling Basin Plan, a plan that her party was the ultimate architect of.

Camel milk is emerging as a nutrient-rich alternative dairy product in Australia, attracting growing interest from nutrition researchers and consumers seeking options for digestive sensitivities ... “Many of our customers turn to camel milk because they struggle with food allergies or intolerances. Gut and digestive issues are increasingly common, and camel milk’s natural composition means it is often reported to be gentler and easier to tolerate than traditional dairy.”

Progress follows when leaders provide clear direction and focus, because people perform best when they understand what matters, why it matters, and where to invest their energy.

The Finocchiaro CLP Government is further boosting economic growth in the Territory through a new acreage release for onshore petroleum exploration. The acreage is approximately 4,000 sqkm, more than five times the size of Singapore, and is strategically located near the Amadeus Gas Pipeline and the Stuart Highway within the highly prospective Beetaloo Sub-basin, one of Australia’s most significant onshore shale gas plays.