Business

Australia must act now if it is to seize the opportunity to play a significant role in decarbonising domestic and global steel production and utilise the nation’s significant international comparative advantage to create a competitive Green Iron industry, Magnetite Mines has asserted in the company’s submission to the Australian Government’s Green Metals Consultation Paper.  

As the Federal Government gets to the pointy end of its Regional Migration Review, peak bodies for farmers, backpackers and tourism have released a new report highlighting the economic value of backpackers in the regions. The report by Aither was commissioned by the National Farmers’ Federation (NFF), Backpacker & Youth Tourism Advisory Panel (BYTAP) and Australian Tourism Export Council (ATEC).

Following their August meeting, where memories of previous Olympic Games were shared, Donald Combined Probus Club members welcomed retired local builder, Murray Broughton as their guest speaker. Murray spoke on the changes to the local building industry as he has seen it, over the last 58 years, since becoming an apprentice to J.L. and M. A. Howley, after completing year 10, at the age of 15.

John Hassell. On 16 July members of the ‘Keep the Sheep’ group of industry peak bodies fighting to retain the live sheep trade signed off on a letter to the WA Minister for Agriculture, Jackie Jarvis, in response to the Albanese government's disgraceful vote to put live exports to the sword. Now I won’t print the whole letter, but it is worth knowing what WAFarmers, the Pastoralists and Graziers, WA Shearers, Livestock Transporters, Stud Marino Breeders and the Live Exporters Assn are asking in the letter, so I'll quote the key bits ...

The Albanese Government will strengthen competitive settings through an open approach to market for the Sydney Airport Slot Manager, as part of overarching reforms to the slot system at Sydney Airport. The competitive tender to be released today (Monday 5 August) will require prospective slot managers to demonstrate how they will deliver on the Government reforms announced earlier this year, following recommendations from the Harris Review and the ACCC.

With a prediction more than 1000 older residents will need suitable accommodation by 2027 some might want the Shire of Gingin to rethink its priorities. In the past six months the shire has controversially spent more than $700,000 for land on Dewar Rd for a future recreational use while the amount of housing available for seniors remains at the same level it was in 2015.

Farmers have renewed calls for meaningful competition reform as experts warn the aviation sector faces similar problems to the supermarket sector ... While Rex’s regional routes were still in operation, NSW Farmers President Xavier Martin said the similarities between aviation and supermarket concentration were too big to ignore.

Cars didn’t stop tooting as they drove slowly by the nurses, midwives and other hospital staff protesting outside Lismore Base Hospital ... The rally was to highlight the need for a 15 per cent pay increase nurses say they deserve and for better conditions.

A dangerous incident at the Lakes Creek Road Waste Management Facility last week has reignited the importance of proper battery disposal. While loading household recyclables on a truck bound for the Material Recovery Facility (MRF), a lithium-ion battery ignited within the load.

BeeHero's updated sensing solution, already in use worldwide, enables first-of-its-kind, high resolution heat mapping of bee activity, and features improved sensing and pollinator monitoring capabilities that enable predictive models for pollination success. ARR.News found out more about PIP 2.0 from Yuval Regev, Co-founder and CTO of BeeHero.

The Senate’s Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Reference Committee ... called for a delay in the shutdown of Telstra and Optus’ 3G networks until more is done to work out how many devices could be impacted by the shutdown (including non-phone devices). The committee has heard from a variety of different stakeholders about the impact the shutdown will have on devices that hadn’t been considered when the decision was made, including medical devices, emergency phones in elevators, and even surveying equipment.

Chris Murray. Growing up on Lord Howe during the halcyon days of the flying boats, the Lord Howe waterfront seemed like a sea of tranquillity: cheerful crowds congregated at the jetty to greet and farewell passengers; flower leis were romantically cast into the lagoon by departing passengers; Hawaiian music was piped in the vicinity of the jetty; and it all happened against the backdrop of Lord Howe’s opalescent lagoon and towering southern mountains… surely the picture-perfect setting?

John O’Donnell identifies numerous instances of what he sees as poor and inadequate governance at local, state and federal level, many of them being cross sector issues, highlighting the importance of working more effectivly together to address them. John goes on to identify possible ways to influence better outcomes.  

Four new homes in Tennant Creek are ready for tenants, and a construction tender has been awarded for a further six. The one-bedroom units at 86 Peko Road will augment the public housing stock in Tennant Creek.

The people of Moulamein and district have embraced their Moulamein Heritage Village (MHV). Taking just over four years to complete, we reconstructed our first historic building, Jeraly wool shed, in 2020 … just completed the cultural infrastructure around the village … includes a large sealed car park with designated disabled car parking spaces and magnificent wide concrete pathways linking the car park to all the buildings on site.

Narrandera's reputation as a venue for friendly and well-organised Horse Trials continues to grow. The 49th year of horse trials in the Riverina will see an increased number of entries surpassing the 2023 competition when riders and their horses gather at the Narrandera Rodeo and Pony Club grounds next month.

Koondrook has taken out bronze in the 2024 Victoria Tourism Industry Council Top Tourism Town Awards. Our idyllic Murray locality was one of nine towns recognised across three categories in the awards; Koondrook competing for the Top Tiny Town award against five finalists, with Timboon taking out the win.