Statement on Perth farmer protests: NFF
David Jochinke. The Prime Minister, Ag Minister and all parliamentarians need to take a good look at what’s unfolding in Perth this morning. This is a grassroots farmer demonstration of historic proportions ... This latest call on live sheep exports has lit a fire under the industry and brought people together like you wouldn’t believe.
Cattle monitoring goes next level with artificial intelligence: Furner
Moove over ChatGPT – we’ll soon be using artificial intelligence to monitor cattle. The Department of Agriculture and Fisheries and Goondiwindi-based company Infarm have collaborated to create a prototype automated camera system to detect cattle and monitor their condition using advances in machine vision and AI.
James Lister speaks out: wind farms blow the seeds of community division
James Lister MP. Recent talk of more wind farm developments in our electorate of Southern Downs has stirred up all kinds of anger and ill feeling in the community. The fundamental problem is the exclusion of local input from state government level decisions over where wind and solar farms should be.
Maldon’s B-double blues
With a friendly community and picture postcard appeal, Maldon may be one of the most liveable towns in Australia. Nothing’s perfect, however, and in Maldon’s case one of the irritants is the constant stream of trucks through the town centre.
Timber’s role in the rise of Australian butter: Robert Onfray
Robert Onfray. While researching for my three-part series on the truth behind the rainforest wars in New South Wales, there was a constant theme in the historical account of utilising one species of rainforest timber. While the cutting of hoop pine (Araucaria cunninghamii) was undoubtedly very extensive in New South Wales, the scale of utilisation in Queensland was even more significant, and one of its primary uses was for butter boxes.
New signage to track Nornalup rail history
Serena Kirby. The Denmark Historical Society is in the process of erecting information signage along the Denmark - Nornalup Rail Trail. The 38 signs provide historical background about the origins, significance and role that the old Elleker-Denmark-Nornalup railway line played in opening up the surrounding areas for grazing and settlement.
We need more cops
Local Member for Condamine Pat Weir believes more staff are needed at the Cambooya and Drayton police stations, an issue that has not been made any easier by the wider staff retention crisis facing the Queensland Police Service.
New barber hunts the good life
While the fishing and hunting opportunities in the region have brought Stuart Gallus to Corryong, his profession as a master barber has also filled a niche on the local business front.
Fire officer pulls pin over loss of vehicle
The Group Captain for the Southern Border region of the NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS) has resigned after being asked to return his official vehicle. Lankeys Creek volunteer brigade member, John Hawkins, claims that on May 17th he had been told by his RFS manager that his Group vehicle - a 2005 Toyota Landcruiser with 600lts of water (classed as a Cat 9) - was to be taken off him, with no replacement available ... In his resignation letter, Mr Hawkins also took the RFS to task over a number of other issues.
Banking’s big business
I had a quiet moment of reflection after watching Bendigo Bank’s new commercial featuring Wakool farmer and butcher extraordinaire Hayley Patterson. The ad campaign titled Bigger for You points the finger at the ‘big four’, citing the Bendigo Bank is “Bigger for the community I care about”. It's a great line ...
‘Forest of the Fallen’ visits Kerang
600 bamboo stakes stood amongst the crowd at the Kerang Community Market on Saturday. Each stake held the story of an Australian who had an adverse reaction to the mandated Covid-19 therapeutic.
The road to Nhill in the Kaniva School Bus
John Williams. Being a Nhill townie, getting to and from High School was a quick bike ride for most of us. Some put boiling water in the handlebars for the chilly Winter ride to the cattle pit gates ... A few took the George Merrett blue and silver town bus, either the GMC or Chevrolet.
News from the Nhill Book Fair – antique, vintage and classic books.
This month, book fair volunteers have started sorting through the collection of Vintage, Antique and Classic Books. Sorting vintage and antique are easy. Any hardcover book printed between 1918 and 1978 can be called vintage and any book printed before 1918 can be called antique.
Kaniva District Hospital Ladies Auxiliary celebrates centenary
The Kaniva District Hospital Ladies Auxiliary marked their 100th Anniversary on Wednesday, 22nd May ... Chair Katherine Colbert expressed gratitude for the Auxiliary’s century-long support and highlighted its importance to the Kaniva community.
Volunteers track local success with tourist trains
As they stood in the shadow of the heritage 1960s 621/721 class rail motor at Grafton City Station, volunteers from the Rail Motor Society reflected with heartfelt pride and passion on the unequivocal diligence and resoluteness of their ongoing work which enabled local railway enthusiasts to experience the sensation of travelling in historic style over the weekend.
Are we uninsurable?
As the cost-of-living crisis continues to bite insurance costs have risen, resulting in home and contents insurance being cost prohibitive for some Clarence Valley homeowners with prices ranging from $35.51 to $252.36 per week, while in some parts of the valley some companies refuse to insure homes ... To determine home and contents insurance costs across the region and if we are insurable, the Clarence Valley Independent sought quotes for a 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom, single storey home...
NT in top 3 regions worldwide for critical minerals potential: Lawler, Monaghan
The Northern Territory has 17 of the world’s most in demand critical minerals, including lithium, rare earths, graphite and copper and in independent report ranks the Territory in the top 10 globally for investment attractiveness, and 3rd globally for Mineral Potential behind WA and Nevada in the US ... An outcome evaluation report by Deloitte has shown that the first four years of the Resourcing the Territory initiative – introduced by the Territory Labor Government in 2018 – has helped significantly boost investment in resources exploration in the NT.
Low emissions truck trial has QFES leading the nation: Boyd, de Brenni
Two new prime movers are set to be delivered to QFES as part of an Australian first trial. The Volvo trucks - one running on Hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) and the other electric – will support operational logistics at Caloundra and Townsville ... the HVO-powered truck comes with the latest 13-litre Euro 6 technology, allowing it to run on either the alternative fuel or regular diesel.
Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) opportunities on horizon for Australian agriculture: Rabobank
Growing global and local demand for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) could spell good news for Australian agriculture, with the country’s farmers well placed to provide low- emissions feedstock to be used in future production, according to new industry research ... the largest contribution to cutting aviation emissions over the next decade will come from transitioning to the use of sustainable aviation fuel, which is commonly produced from agricultural products and by-products.
Regional renovate to rent
Every country town has at least one building that lies abandoned or underutilised which could be turned into a house or unit that could attract another worker or family to the community. We have old train stations and roads boards buildings, there are abandoned shops in the main street, empty pubs, unused halls, even farmhouses close to town left to deteriorate.
Need a business? Build it and they will come
Don’t have a plumber, electrician, aircon mechanic, car mechanic, tyre shop, independent ag mechanic, hydraulic shop etc in your town? Then do something about it. The council or a group of farmers should get together to buy an industrial lot, build a lock up shed, offer it out for $1 a year then stand back and watch the rush.
Forest Wars – What lies beneath?: Peter Rutherford
Peter Rutherford. After reading Mark Poynter’s brief critique of The Forest Wars and the David Lindenmayer response, a few points seemed to need further exploration ... Many SETA members and others working in the forest industry have been curious as to what appear to be strong connections that Mr Lindenmayer has with a number of media reporters, who regularly report his opinions on native forest issues.
