How’s business? Le Sel, Maldon’s petite French deli
“Well, it’s very interesting because before Le Sel I’d never been in hospitality at all. Le Sel has been a totally different direction. I spent about 45 years of my life mainly doing interior restoration work, spending a lot of time in Melbourne, doing historical restoration, working for the National Trust and so forth. Then we came to Maldon": Serge, Le Sel.
Family cooks up a keen contest
On Sunday the inaugural Lebner family bake-off was held in memory of family matriarch and renowned cook, Enid Lebner. This year’s challenge was one of Enid’s favourite recipes and a diverse field of entrants lined up for the hotly contested Yo-Yo Classic trophy.
Broken promise leads to paltry payout
The Victorian government’s support package to stranded native timber workers, announced on Friday, is a final slap in the face to an industry on death row, according to Shadow Minister for Agriculture, Emma Kealy ... "Industry leaders confirm that in effect haulage operators will be offered just 50 cents in the dollar for the next year and harvesting contractors 30 cents in the dollar for the remaining term of their contract, some of which conclude as soon as mid- 2024. This does not offer the length of security they deserve," Ms Kealy said.
Rinehart picks up Driza-Bone
Australian mining magnate Gina Rinehart has moved into country apparel by purchasing the iconic Driza-Bone through her pastoral company, S. Kidman and Co ... In a statement following the purchase, Mrs Rinehart said Driza-Bone had been intertwined with pivotal moments in Australian history.
Drone helps firefighters battle silo blaze
Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) firefighters battled a blaze in a grain silo at Leeton and discovered a new use for their Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS), or drones, that is expected to significantly reduce the length of emergency operations. The Leeton crew is now preparing to share this newfound capability with their firefighting colleagues across the nation.
Shearer continues to make strides
Lockhart female shearer Nicki Guttler continues to make a name for herself in the male-dominated field of shearing ... Nicki started off shearing in the Open competition as the only female competing and surprised even herself by coming sixteenth out of 35 leaving quite a few seasoned Open shearers in her wake.
Leitchville Live
For a small town, they sure can put on a big show. A new initiative has seen an award winning indie folk duo take to the stage in Leitchville for their first and only performance in northern Victoria – and there’s more to come. Saije, an indie folk duo from Bellingen in New South Wales, came to Leitchville off the back of an extensive European tour.
“The doctor won’t see you now…“
Murrumbidgee Local Health District (MLHD) is once again under the spotlight as the Barham Hospital had been left with no doctors after the contractual arrangement with Ochre Health ran out on November 30 ... Having the multimillion-dollar facility sitting idle due to a bureaucratic standoff has greatly frustrated local doctors and distressed patients seeking treatment.
Versatile tractors on show at Allora Heritage Weekend
Over 50 years ago, in 1972 Colin Ubergang acquired the Versatile Tractor Company distributorship in Australia ... To mark the 50 Year anniversary of the first Versatile Tractor in Australia a celebration will be held at next year’s Allora Heritage Weekend on 27 and 28 January.
Feedlot fined $140,000 after telehandler operator electrocuted
A Wimmera feedlot operator has been convicted and fined $140,000 following the electrocution of a worker while operating a telehandler in 2020 ... The court heard the 29-year-old worker was using a telehandler to stack hay bales at the Gerang Gerung property in November 2020 when the raised boom and bale lifting attachment made contact with overhead power lines.
GBH redevelopment commitments confirmed amidst community concerns
A spokesperson for NSW Health Infrastructure has revealed planning for the Grafton Base Hospital (GBH) redevelopment is continuing, and confirmed there has been no change to the NSW Government’s $263.8 million investment commitment to improve health outcomes for residents of Grafton and surrounding communities ... following the recent release of the updated Clarence River Flood Model by CVC, there has been an increase in the Probable Maximum Flood Level across Grafton.
Beccy wins Natural Olympia, crowned World Champion
It’s been a decade long journey lifting thousands of kilos in the gym and last month Maclean bodybuilder Beccy Pateman achieved her dream when she was crowned overall winner of the Professional Figure category in the Natural Olympia contest, plus overall winner of the Professional Fit Body category at the WNBF World Championships.
Push to reclassify Wallaroo Hospital
Wallaro Hospital should be reclassified to reflect its status as the major hospital in the Yorke and Northern Local Health Network area. That is one of the specific requests in the petition led by Member for Narungga Fraser Ellis calling for better health services in the electorate, which was signed by 10,688 people and presented to the South Australian Parliament in November.
Wallaroo sites welcome first lentil deliveries
Michelle Daw. Both bulk grain handling companies operating at Wallaroo have accepted lentils into their local storage facilities for the first time this season. T-Ports loaded export lentils from the port for the first time yesterday ... Viterra will load lentils — including from YP and Mid North growers — onto a vessel at Inner Harbour ...
60 new nurses to work in Northern Rivers
Sixty nurses from the UK and Ireland have been recruited to work in the Northern Rivers ... Indian national Kavitha Mathew will work at Kyogle Multi-Purpose Service ... “I’m very happy to work in Kyogle,” Kavitha said.
Demolition of flooded supermarket, new design plans with ‘submarine room’ almost finished
Woodburn IGA is being knocked down. Tanya and Neale Hundy have gone away during the demolition because it’s “emotional” to watch ... The IGA supermarket was renovated and modernised a year before it was flooded to the ceiling in the 2022 floods.
Thumbs up from visitors after Babinda Quarters gets a glow-up
After years of neglect, the glory days of Babinda’s historic nursing quarters have been returned with a new lease of life, transforming the Art Deco beauty into a popular guesthouse in the heart of nature’s playground ... In carrying on her mother’s tradition of bringing old buildings back to life, Maggie Perpetua Nelson’s daughter, Kim Marsden, undertook the considered renovation of Babinda Quarters, reimagining it into a fresh iteration oozing creativity, character, and a good dose of quirk.
Aussie farmers are more prepared for adverse weather conditions now, than in the past five years: Kellanova ANZ
This World Soil Day, Kellanova ANZ, parent company of Kellogg’s, is shining a light on how farmers are preparing for the upcoming El Niño summer season, with soil health at the very heart ... New research reveals that 9 in 10 Aussie farmers already have a plan in place to deal with drier weather; Almost a third are confident the practices they use will help them prepare for potential drought.
What really happened on the Awassi Express
Rick Wilson: Given the highly dubious morality and legality of Animals Australia's actions and the privileged relationship they enjoy with the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Senator Slade Brockman, who's with me here in the chamber tonight, and I wrote to Minister Murray Watt. I will quote verbatim from this letter, which was sent to Murray Watt on 27 November 2023 ...
A government at sea: John Hassell
John Hassell. The ban on live sheep is inherently unfair and Australians can see it. Roger Cook can see it. Let’s hope for the Albanese Government’s sake they recognise it too before the next election. Underestimate Australia’s farmers at your peril.
What warning does Ukrainian history hold for world farmers?
Ukrainian agriculture has suffered catastrophic losses due to the war with Russia. However, compensation for these losses does not have clear prospects. This means that the prospects for the recovery of this sector of the economy are in doubt ... ARR.News asked US experts one question: What political decisions can be made by the USA governments to compensate for Ukraine's losses from the Russian invasion?
Running an event – pros and cons
Unpredictable weather, compliance issues, increasing costs, the ever-present prospect of a COVID wave - these problems and more are faced by event organisers. As these problems become more difficult to negotiate, is there a possibility that the region might lose some of its events? ... To examine the logistics of holding a public event, the Times spoke to Mark Blythe ...
