Business

The whale watching season in Queensland is now officially open with 40,000 gentle giants holidaying on Queensland’s coastline from June to November. Queensland’s east coast, also known as the humpback highway, is expected to attract more than 127,000 domestic visitors. Queensland has a high association as a destination with world-class nature and wildlife experiences...

Almost $15 million will be allocated towards the $263.8 million Grafton Base Hospital (GBH) redevelopment over the next 12 months after NSW Treasurer Daniel Mookhey handed down the NSW State Budget for 2024-25 last week. Member for Clarence Richie Williamson said the Budget papers "lock in the redevelopment with $14.7 million in the coming financial year, and $222.2 million over the next four years."

South Australian sprinting sensation Cash On Delivery overcame a difficult start from box 3 to record a sensational win in the $75000 Thunderbolt, the richest race in the world over 350m, hosted by the Grafton Greyhound Racing Club on June 22. After qualifying for the feature event following an impressive win and placing in the Thunderbolt heats and semi-finals run on the track ... Cash On Delivery was well supported by punters as the eight finalists headed onto the track.

Alexandra Bull. A foggy and chilly Saturday morning did not dampen the spirits of all 201 rowers rowing in the annual Renmark Rowing Club Wharf to Woolshed Long Row. With 44 crews on the water, slightly challenging conditions marked the start of the 36km row ... Her Excellency the Honourable Frances Adamson also jumped into the Renmark Rowing Club eight for the last 10km

Hugh Schuitemaker. Progressing the quality of medical care in the Riverland has been a career-long goal for a local doctor who is set to retire. Renmark-based GP David Rosenthal will today retire after 50 years of practising medicine in the community.

Western Australia's first non-stop seasonal service between Singapore and Broome launched today, marking the first international route to fly directly into regional WA since the State's borders reopened ... Jetstar Asia's seasonal service will bring almost 6,500 inbound seats to Broome in its first year and reduce travel time between the two destinations by over five hours.

Rachel Hagan. The value of agritourism in Australia is expected to reach about $18 billion by 2023, and Yorke Peninsula residents have shown they are ready to learn all the tricks of the trade ... "People are doing it a lot in Europe, spending time on a European farm eating French food, on a French farm, and people are loving that very authentic cultural experience all over the world": Susan Lee.

Michelle Daw. The worst of winter ills is yet to come, along with further pain in our hospitals as staff struggle to cope. That’s the warning from groups representing doctors and nurses, as the Code Yellow crisis in public hospitals drags on.

South Australian-sourced timber will form the backbone of two of the state’s new technical colleges – simultaneously reducing the carbon impact of the construction work and supporting the state’s $3 billion forestry industry ... new technical colleges at Tonsley and Mount Gambier will both be constructed with timber sourced from Timberlink Australia’s new $70 million NeXTimber manufacturing facility at Tarpeena in the state’s south east.

Australia’s avocado industry is grappling with another year of increased production and low prices, according to a new report by agribusiness banking specialist Rabobank. However, the world’s growing appetite for the popular nutrient-packed green fruit is offering growers some relief, with increasing export demand for Australia’s produce, the report says.

The NAB Rural Commodities Index* has continued its upwards momentum, increasing 1.4 per cent month-on-month in May, driven by rising prices for wheat, barley, canola and lamb. The Index is now around levels last seen in February 2023, according to NAB’s June Rural Commodities Wrap released today.

The Albanese Government will strengthen the Food and Grocery Code of Conduct, accepting all recommendations of a recent independent review into the Code as part of a wide‑ranging cost‑of‑living crackdown on anti‑competitive behaviour in the food and grocery sector ... The Review found that the current voluntary Code is failing to address the imbalance of bargaining power between supermarkets and their suppliers, including farmers.

The Cook Government has signed a collaborative agreement with the Advanced Manufacturing Growth Centre (AMGC). Through the agreement, an industry support program will deliver financial and non-financial support for local businesses, to enhance their participation in wind energy supply chains.

More than two years ago Mike Schill and Karen Johnson opened a  rustic looking shop  on their property at Drake ... For the tourists in search of gold, the store sells gold pans, portable, foldable spades, glass vials to put all the gold you find and other gold panning equipment.

169 probationary officers graduate from the Goulburn Police Academy on Friday, June 21. The graduates include 122 men and 47 women. Out of the 169, two will be based in the Richmond Police District, four in the Coffs Clarence Police District and two in the Tweed Byron region.

Sunshine Coast Mayor Rosanna Natoli’s call to the Queensland Government for a lifeline following Bonza Airline’s closure has been met with a positive step forward ... The Fund will support direct Jetstar flights from Sunshine Coast Airport to Auckland all year round, starting in December.

PhD student Evan Curtis has reached a turning point in research investigating the use of drones, simulation studies and artificial intelligence (AI) to sustainably manage the kangaroo industry in NSW. Evan, a student at the University of Sydney, is mid-way through his project,  Determining optimal management strategies for four large macropods in NSW ...

A move from fossil fuels to renewables is a significant long-term challenge for Australian agriculture, balancing economic viability and practicality of emerging technologies in the push for a greener more secure energy future. A GrainGrowers report, Fuels, Inputs of the Future, examines possible fuels for farm machinery and equipment in the future...

Affected CFA Brigades have united in a call for industrial action to achieve demands with respect to the future of their role as firefighters, in view of the Victorian State Government proposed reckless renewables expansion. We consider untenable the risks to lives and property, and irreparable damage imposed by proposed installations of High Voltage Transmission Lines and Renewable Energy Infrastructure.

I hear a train a coming, its rolling round the bend” sang the late great Johnny Cash, and might have been a song that came to mind as the Vinelander rolled into Donald on Friday, June 6, on its way to Mildura as part of the Slow Rail Journey put together by 707 operations based out of the Newport Rail yards in Hobsons’ Bay.