Business

Optus has improved their coverage and increased network capacity in Brooms Head in Northern New South Wales, by switching on a new tower in the region to help residents, businesses, and tourists stay connected and give them a choice of network provider ... ARR.News asked a few further questions of Optus about the Brooms Head tower.

The decision by China to remove duties on Australian barley is welcome and opens the way to rebuild a $1.2 billion annual trade flow, grower representative body, GrainGrowers, said on 4 August 2023. GrainGrowers said dialogue between the Australian and Chinese governments had delivered an outcome in the longer-term interests of both countries and Australian growers.

NSW Farmers Energy Transition spokesman Reg Kidd says upgrading existing powerlines would short-circuit community pain over transmission projects. A proposal from the Victoria Energy Policy Centre to use existing powerline easements to house 80-metre-high pylons and high voltage powerlines was worth investigating for NSW as well, Mr Kidd said.

The Shire of Derby/West Kimberley is very pleased to hear the news that Tassal seafood producers will purchase Marine Purchase Australia, the company behind Cone Bay barramundi. Shire President Geoff Haerewa said that he was delighted to hear that the business will continue, and possibly even expand, and that 50 jobs will also be saved.

Tassal Group Limited (“Tassal”) has completed its acquisition of MPA Fish Farms Pty Ltd and MPA Marketing Pty Ltd (“MPA”), which operate Australia’s only ocean-based barramundi farm at Cone Bay, Western Australia ... Tassal remains focused on its purpose of ‘Sustainably Feeding Tomorrow’ and are delighted to add barramundi to its ever-growing list of products.

"A damning new report has laid bare the cost blowout and waste of the Western Victoria energy transmission project, threatening prime Mallee farmland," Member for Mallee, Anne Webster says. The Victoria Energy Policy Centre’s (VEPC) "No Longer Lost In Transmission" report highlights the VNI West) costs are understated by the AEMO and already reliant on outdated data.

Vic Jurskis. The facts haven’t deterred the ecowarriors of North East Forest Alliance (NEFA) from trying to hasten the demise of the sustainable, renewable, solar-powered native timber industry. They don’t care about habitat for people, other than themselves. They’ve launched an application for an injunction to ‘save’ the overcrowded koalas that are breeding more rapidly than ever on all the soft new growth resprouting after the Black Summer holocaust that they helped to create.

Stefan Dannhausen, the owner of dkom IT support, is not just known for his technical prowess in Maldon ... In a bid to support Maldon Primary School, Stefan’s business, dkom IT support, has launched a two-week sale of Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2021.

When Maldon resident Kim Brownbill was a young boy, his family car was a Hupmobile – an American model automobile built in the early to mid-1900s ... the spectacular classic and vintage automobile collection that’s currently under the hammer with Donington Auctions and available to view at Kim’s private shed in Maldon.

Queenslanders will have access to more health data with the launch of the new-look and easier-to-navigate Hospital Performance website. The redesigned site includes information and data that enables consumers to compare the performances of hospitals and health jurisdictions across the state.

The community-led battle to save the mining town of Glenden from impending demolition represents a “sliding door” moment for the Queensland Government, Katter’s Australian Party Leader and Traeger MP Robbie Katter said ... Glenden, a town of 670 people in central Queensland, is progressively being abandoned as its “anchor tenant” – the Swedish mining giant Glencore – wraps up...

The Victorian Farmers Federation (VFF) has launched a petition to the Victorian Parliament calling for the VNI West and Western Renewables Link transmission projects to be stopped. VFF President Emma Germano said the petition seeks to make the state’s political leaders take notice of decisions that are impacting Victorian farmers and their communities.

Have you ever noticed it is always the same people who volunteer and involve themselves in all aspects of the community? Regional and rural Australia would not be the same without our army of volunteers, community leaders, and people who put their hands up to lend a hand for the betterment of the community.

An important milestone has been reached by Snowy Hydro, the Snowy 2.0 project and for one of its three tunnel boring machines (TBM). TBM Lady Eileen Hudson was the first machine to start tunnelling on the pumped-hydro mega project, the first to complete a tunnel and is now underway on her second tunnel excavation.

Community members gathered ... to share information and discuss what they believe is an unsatisfactory time frame to provide feedback on the 500kV VNI West power line development ... it was the consensus of the meeting that community members were still in a process of discovery and lamented that the power companies probably had 18 months to put together their Draft Corridor Reports, and still missed basic information, such as areas of extensive flooding.  

A meeting held at Westbrook on Monday night provided some clarity on the Department of Transport and Main Road’s (TMR) proposed Toowoomba North South Transport Corridor, however some details still remain a mystery. The meeting was organised by concerned community members in conjunction with Member for Condamine Pat Weir.

A review of the requirements for wind farm developments in Queensland is underway. The review of the Wind Farm Code (State Code 23) and its accompanying guidelines will aim to build greater community and industry confidence in clean energy projects.

Last Friday Senator Malarndirri McCarthy made a not well publicised visit to Wilcannia. Word soon went round town and a number of locals were able to tell her of their health and other concerns. The Senator toured the hospital where she met some staff, the new Maari Ma health building, and met with representatives of the Wilcannia Local Aboriginal Land Council.