Deeper reforms needed as Fed Govt celebrates biosecurity cost win: GPA
These fees and charges, largely applying to importers and travellers entering and leaving the country, had remained unchanged for the best part of a decade until July 2023 and have since brought in an additional $47.1 million. Grain Producers Australia Chair Barry Large said having fees and charges for these activities match the actual costs of managing these processes, whether it be for inspections and assessments or potential incident management, was commonsense.
Firewood theft cripples parks and forests
The silent and devastating toll of people stealing wood from Victoria’s forests and parks has been revealed as public land authorities announce a crackdown on escalating illegal firewood take and habitat destruction threatening the survival of native wildlife and Aboriginal cultural heritage. In 2023 alone, firewood thieves damaged or destroyed more than 9,200 native trees or cleared roughly 462 hectares of public land in Victoria ...
Renmark icon’s restoration
Madison Estmond. “Around 10 months ago, a 5kg concrete slab fell off the building’s soffit onto the road,” Hotel Renmark general manager Darren Baker said ... With the project approved by Stage Heritage and the hotel’s community board, Hotel Renmark will also be painted.
Load shedding leaves 24,500 in the dark
Northern Rivers politicians have slammed Transgrid, the high voltage electricity transmission network operator and manager, and the Australian Energy Market Operator after more than 24,000 customers across the region were left with power last week for more than 3 hours on one of the coldest nights of the year. Power went out as people were cooking dinner at 6.20pm on July 8, in a large area from Mullumbimby to Ballina and Alstonville, and west to Lismore, Casino, and Kyogle, and didn’t return to some homes until almost 11pm.
Toyota bids farewell to country favourite
Toyota is bidding farewell to one of the iconic symbols of the wide brown outback – the V8 Landcruiser. Often the butt of well-meaning ribbing thanks to the over accessorising of the popular ute, the announcement by Toyota will end an era of motoring across rural Australia.
Kick in the guts
Michelle Daw. Yorke Peninsula commercial fishers say they are being discriminated against by a new fees regime that took effect this month, which has been described as a "kick in the guts" that could send them out of business. The fees are based on a quota system aimed at making fishers pay the full cost of government management for King George whiting, garfish and calamari, in Gulf St Vincent and Spencer Gulf only.
Wallumbilla’s new community precinct breaks ground: Chisholm, Taylor, Kennedy-Clark
Construction works on Wallumbilla’s new community precinct has officially begun with Assistant Minister for Regional Development Anthony Chisholm joining Maranoa Regional Council representatives to turn the first sod on the new $4.85 million facility (in south-west Queensland). The precinct upgrade will feature a new community centre, library, visitor information centre and professional service spaces.
Farmers welcome fairer biosecurity funding: NSW Farmers
Farmers have welcomed a $47.1 million dollar boost to the nation’s biosecurity system thanks to the Australian Government’s new fees and charges system for importers. NSW Farmers Biosecurity Committee Chair Ian McColl said the new cost recovery mechanism was a strong step towards better biosecurity funding for the future, with the proposed biosecurity tax on farmers now defeated in the Senate.
Can drones provide farmers with early warning?
Tristan Steventon. Finding time to scout for weeds or monitor paddocks after a spray application is almost impossible as growers are typically managing larger cropping areas than ever before. Tristan Steventon, StevTech drone and data specialist says ultra-high-resolution cameras on drones provide a practical way to rapidly and remotely collect weed data for spray jobs and to monitor changes over time.
Spiritual cleansing for Wallaroo Hospital
Sarah Herrmann. An Aboriginal traditional healer has performed a spiritual cleansing at Wallaroo Hospital after Indigenous patients reported feeling uncomfortable while receiving health services there. The Yorke and Northern Local Health Network invited traditional healer, or Ngangkari, Debbie Watson, from the APY Lands in northern South Australia, to help cleanse Wallaroo Hospital and the Wallaroo Community Health Building last week.
Juliet Grist – The economist and the village
“It used to be all about supply and demand; about economic growth. In some ways it still is but in the last decade or so many countries have come to the realisation that just because you're getting economic growth doesn't mean your population is actually benefiting. One of the new schools of thought - and one I’m trying to focus on - is not what the numbers say about economic growth but what’s actually happening at the community level."
Five employability skills for our next generation: Number 4 – adaptability
Charles Darwin was right when he said: "It is not the strongest nor most intelligent of the species that survives, but the one that is most adaptable to change!" The ability to adapt is just as important for a business as it is for staff. History is littered with organisations that failed to adapt ...
Birchip embraces skilled migration
Birchip has a strong connection with Sri Lanka that began when Laki Wijethilake serendipitously came to Birchip to work as a chef in the Birchip Hotel in 2013. Laki developed a great relationship with the Birchip people and a Birchip contingent attended Laki and Hansi’s wedding in Sri Lanka in 2016.
Corporate buyers may end family cattle industry
How come the value of cattle stations is skyrocketing? The bar of the Centralian Beef Breeders Association was a good place for a pub test ... The [Alice Springs] News spoke to several of the bar’s patrons on the condition of not naming them, about what is clearly a historic switch from a 150 years old family-based industry to investment opportunities for big companies, some from overseas, and superannuation firms.
SA medical imaging Mobile Bone Density clinic visit to Coober Pedy
The Royal Adelaide Hospital Mobile Bone Density clinic is visiting Coober Pedy soon in August 2024. Speak to your GP to get a referral beforehand, then phone (08) 7074 5400 to book an appointment while the mobile unit is in your local area.
Mitigating the disproportionate bushfire vulnerability in rural communities
Over the years, Australia has experienced several large scale bushfires, with many of these fires and 90 per cent of the associated fatalities caused by faulty power lines in rural areas, according to Professor Alan Wong, Founder and CEO of IND Technology ... The early fault detection (EFD) system acts like a smoke alarm for the power network, enabling the prediction and locating of potential fires through this Australian-made innovation.
Russia running hot and cold
You have to hand it to the Russians; they are a resilient mob. I had started to write a story back in May about how drought, frost, labour, and parts shortages were about to combine and smash their next grain harvest but luckily, I didn’t, as my predictions would have been way off the mark. As it turns out, despite what all the global grain experts said at the time, about Russia facing a difficult year, it seems they are on track for another big crop.
Sky News withdrawal: South East ‘deserves better’
South East free-to-air TV viewers suddenly deprived of Sky News Regional – as of last week – “deserve better”, a state MP says. People across the South-East and the state’s Riverland – plus sections of NSW – lost access to Sky News Regional on Monday 1 July after Sky’s affiliation agreement with WIN Television ended.
Corks out for 20 years – Coonawarra Cellar Dwellers
Cellar Dwellers is underway in Coonawarra, with wine lovers invited to discover treasures from Coonawarra’s cellars during July. 2024 marks the 20th Anniversary of the month long event which offers a fabulous program of food and wine events and bespoke tasting experiences, designed to highlight the wonderful cellaring ability of Coonawarra’s world class wines.
50 years of depreciation?
The whereabouts of 50 years of depreciation for the Naracoorte saleyards is under the spotlight following questions by Cr Cameron Grundy. Cr Grundy has further queried if livestock owners have paid for the yards twice - once via fees when they sold their stock, and again as ratepayers via their council rates. He raised the matter at council’s June 25 meeting following a motion on notice by Cr Craig McGuire regarding the Naracoorte Regional Livestock Exchange (NRLE).
Ready for pole dancing?
Naracoorte’s Stacey Windsor is on a mission to change mindsets on pole dancing and promote the popular artform in town. Also known as Dee-Dee, Stacey is opening a new pole dancing studio in Naracoorte ... The Naracoorte News recently caught up with Stacey and spoke to her about why a pole dancing studio in Naracoorte.
Stories from the museum
Ian Riley. This week, we’re backtracking. In finding out about some of the exhibits in the museum, I’ve discovered that the museum itself has a fascinating history ... The Maldon Vintage Machinery and Museum was started as an offshoot of the Maldon Museum & Archives Association about 20 years ago.
