Business

After more than two and a half years since it was first applied for, Wyreema’s Bracknell Lodge can now become home to a horse equestrian arena after Toowoomba Regional Council gave its approval last week. Councillors had the final say at a special meeting held last Wednesday and gave their unanimous support for the development application.

A new Sustainable Procurement Policy has been implemented across the State Government’s infrastructure and transport programs as we continue working to achieve net zero emissions by 2050 ... The introduction of this new policy by the Department for Infrastructure and Transport will ensure sustainability risks...

This week sees the opening of a wonderful Support Centre for Women. Located at 37 Guy Street Warwick Protea Place welcomes vulnerable women who may be experiencing homelessness or disadvantage. The focus of Protea Place Warwick is on delivering Dignity Services such as lunch, showers, laundry, clothing and toiletries along with information and referral where possible.

On the 4th of September 1973, CA & VJ Willet were officially registered with the Electrical Contractors Association and so began 50 years of work for the local electrician. Colin commenced his electrical apprenticeship as a 14-year-old with the Southern Electrical Authority (now Ergon) working in Brisbane and Warwick.

Victorian farmers will descend on Parliament House in Melbourne next Tuesday 15 August for the ‘Stop the Towers’ rally, in response to the proposed VNI West and Western Renewables Link transmission projects.

Nhill is excited to have a funky new coffee van open in the main street from Saturday. ‘Lots of Laughter’ will be opening at 44- 46 Victoria Street (where the Nhill Garden Centre was). Local Lachlan Keller, who is an experienced cook, is looking forward to serving the local community.

Harwood Slipway will continue the transformation into a more diversified marine precinct servicing vessels along Australia’s east coast after the Polaris Marine Group purchased the facility last week, signalling the beginning of a new marine dynasty for the Clarence – Polaris Marine Dockyards. Established in 1969, Harwood Slipway was focused on designing, building, and repairing ships...

Will Hunter. Unemployment figures for Yorke Peninsula’s local government areas continue to fall and businesses are still grappling with workforce shortages. In a sign of a tightening local labour market, Copper Coast, Barunga West and Yorke Peninsula Council areas all recorded at least a 1.3 per cent decrease in unemployment in the quarter ending March 2023, compared with December 2022.

The Australian Energy Regulator (AER) has extended the timeframe for making a decision on the  dispute raised by Moorabool and Central Highlands Power Alliance Inc. (MCHPA) in relation to AEMO Victoria Planning (AVP) and TransGrid’s Joint Victoria NSW Interconnector West (VNI-West) regulatory investment test for transmission (RIT-T).

With land sales hitting an all-time high in Quilpie Shire, the vibrant local community is gearing up for a surge of new developments for both residential and industrial properties ... "I’m sure land hasn’t changed hands at such a rapid rate since Opal mining exploded in the region in the early 1900’s,” said Stuart Mackenzie, Mayor of Quilpie Shire Council.

On Tuesday, August 15, the Regional Victoria Power Alliance of farmers, their rural, regional, and suburban neighbours, retail and tourism business owners, and many other community members will be holding their "Stop the Towers" Rally in Melbourne, on the steps of Parliament and in Spring Street itself ... "Stop the Towers" spokesperson Glenden Watts, "the naked farmer" from Yeungroon, says that he and everyone else in the western and northwestern regions only learnt earlier this year that they were in an "area of interest" for VNI West.

There were shocked and angry reactions from the public gallery when the City of Wanneroo approved a glamping tent proposal for the old Quinns Rocks caravan park site last Tuesday evening ... When the Mayor Linda Aitken called for councillors to record their vote the result was tied 7-7 so Mrs Aitken used her casting vote to get the controversial proposal over the line.

Casino Truck Show became the biggest truck show in the Southern Hemisphere on Saturday, August 5, when about 600 trucks rolled into town. The Tiny Lollback Rig of the Show went to Luke Wilson, Bulmer’s Transport. Luke’s T908 rig has travelled 1.9 million kilometres.

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.