Business

Preparations are in full swing for this year’s Man From Snowy River Bush Festival (April 11th-14th) which is expected to be one of the best attended and most successful in its 29-year history. "We are genuinely excited with what we have in front of us in delivering the 2024 festival," said festival chairman, Cameron Jackson.

Local CFA brigades attended a fire at Walkers sawmill in Corryong on Friday night which destroyed electrical equipment, necessary for the production of kindling. Two on-site mill workers heard a series of popping noises, similar to gunshots, around 10.30pm before noticing flames coming from the main processing area.

Farmers, community members and potential investors gathered at cluBarham this week to learn more about an exciting opportunity for the region.  Attendees listened to how the growing, processing and value-adding of industrial hemp could provide great opportunities to producers, in employment and provide a boost to the local economy.  

The expansion of one of the Clarence Valley’s largest timber factories, Big River Group is a huge boost to the local economy and sets the bar high in supplying the sustainable manufacturing of high-quality specialist technical timber products across the State. The upgrade includes the installation of state-of-the-art machinery that will substantially increase Big River’s output enabling them to supply an unprecedented volume of timber products.

A mandatory code of conduct is urgently needed to protect chicken meat farmers from market power abuse at the hands of processors, an industry report has found ... “The message from poultry farmers was clear: there is little to no choice in processors, growing contract terms are unfair, and there is a deliberate undermining of collective bargaining efforts within the supply chain”: NSW Farmers Poultry Meat Manager David Banham.

Patricia Gill. Business developer and founder of Denmark-based Acare WA Marie Redman has proposed that the Shire of Denmark buildings be vacated to make way for seniors’ accommodation. Her suggestion, which would involve the Shire moving into the site of Supa IGA and a new big supermarket being built elsewhere, was met with applause at last Thursday’s meeting at the Riverside Club.

Competition was tough among the hundreds of rodders at this year’s Rod Run, with a record number of entrants and over 500 cars at Sunday’s Show and Shine. The competition was made up of old and new entrants with cars of all makes, models and colours competing  for five prize categories - Top Rod, Top Kruiser, Top Ride, Young Rodder and Top Kustom.

The National Farmers’ Federation ... released its final report towards creating greater market transparency and competition in the poultry meat sector, following concerns raised by growers and the competition watchdog. In 2020 the ACCC’s Perishable Agricultural Goods Inquiry highlighted significant concerns about practices in the Australian poultry meat supply chain...

First, there was a ban on climbing Ayers Rock, gasp - what did he call it… where are the name police when you need them, or the indoctrinated millennials, I am referring to the rock you know as Uluru, and believe it or not, once upon a time your parents were allowed to climb it. Now the hunt is on to ban the Kimberley's Horizontal Falls experience, no doubt accompanied by a name change to the Garaan-ngaddim Non-Experience ... Are we heading back to the dark ages in Europe when the local lord charged you to cross his land and only the wealthy could hunt and fish on it? You bet we are.

Nhill’s local craft, home made and home grown shop, Lowana donated $3,000.00 to local volunteer groups following their March meeting. Nhill Lake Committee received $1,000.00 to be used to install interpretive signs at Nhill Lake.

On Saturday The Clifton Newsagency closed its doors for the final time. This has been a major blow for both Clifton and Allora as it leaves empty shops in the main streets of the towns.

Sarah Herrmann. Moonta was hit by a particularly unfortunate power outage on Easter Monday ... while a large part of northern Yorke Peninsula was also off the grid ... with small hospitality businesses taking a hit ... Pasky Grab & Go Deli owner Sheree Moroney said the outage created ‘absolute chaos’ for her business.

Hay and Carrathool Shire Councils are joining forces to develop a 10-year roadmap outlining practical actions councils, business, industries and communities can take to diversify their economies. This includes building economic, social, cultural and environmental resilience.

The plight of Yamba residents whose homes are shaking and cracking from excavators moving and trucks carrying fill into floodplain development sites will be broadcast to a national audience following a visit by A Current Affair last Wednesday … greeted the reporter and camera crew ... in Park Avenue, Yamba, displaying “Stop The Fill” signs, while chanting “Stop The Fill, Don’t Drown Our Town.”

Victorians have a landmark opportunity to help design the future of the state’s public land estate – which now includes more than 1.8 million hectares of forest previously used for timber harvesting. To inform the future use and management of Victoria’s forest estate the Allan Labor Government has established the Great Outdoors Taskforce…

Pia Funch & Trina Shepherd. Congratulation to Love Lord Howe for winning Gold at the Australian Tourism Awards! ... The  Destination North Coast Board (DNC) visited Lord Howe Island ... for the first time to hold their annual Board meeting and to meet and discuss tourism with local businesses and stakeholders.

Calling all Australians to add new details on public toilets to the National Public Toilet Map. The much-loved Great Dunny Hunt is back and better than ever with the Continence Foundation of Australia calling all Australians to update the National Public Toilet Map website or app with new public toilet facility details they discover while out and about these school holidays.

Maureen Donnellon. James Phelps established his blacksmith’s foundry at Birchip’s five ways in 1890 ... Both plough and monument were first unveiled for the Centenary of Birchip in 1982 and it is wonderful to see them back where they belong, this time, together ... The replica plough has been painstakingly restored by the Birchip Men’s Shed

Starting tonight with the Great Aussie Scone Bake, there's plenty of fun at the five-day Maldon Easter Fair. There'll be a range of family-friendly events at the 147th Fair.

The Newstead Community Energy Project (aka solar farm) will be commissioned during the second half of 2024 (date TBC). The inverter, solar panels and most of the tracking system have been installed.

Steve Alldrick. We are excited to be back for another wonderful Easter, with a good number of entrants and we expect similar numbers around the Narrandera Sportsground Oval as there were for last year's Easter Sunday Show 'n Shine which had 500 cars in attendance ... The usual Show and Shine will take place on Easter Sunday again at the Narrandera Sportsground like last year...

Earthmoving contractors who worked to protect Koondrook during the October 2022 floods have finally received payment from the state government after 17 months of waiting. Local contractor Danny Gleeson said that not being paid makes you question dropping everything to help.