Business

The Little Flower Shop is the latest addition to our distinctive and interesting main street. Owners Jacinta and James Lax have moved into a totally renovated studio which previously housed Piston Pumps.

The last remaining tugboat that was used on the Clarence River for the sugar industry, the MV Beardmore is being considered for heritage listing, and the community have an opportunity to have their say. Built by JG Pashley and Sons in 1914 at the Harwood Mill, the 18.8 metre long and 3.4 metre wide MV Beardmore was made from local hardwood.

The Victorian Minister for Planning, the Hon. Sonya Kilkenny MP, has decided that an environmental effect statement is required for the Fingerboards Critical Minerals Project and given reasons for her decision. Gippsland Critical Minerals Pty Ltd, the proponent of the Fingerboards Project, has responded to the decision. The community action group, Mine Free Glenaladale, has responded to the decision and GCM's statement.

Bullrider Zane Hall, from Athol, is currently leading the 2026 PBR Australia Monster Energy Tour going into the next buckfest at Beaudesert. This follows an apparently flawless performance at the Scone 2026 PBR Australia Monster Energy Tour Buckfest ... Zane held onto his bull, steady on the writhing beast before coming off safely.

At just 15 years old, Ray Neville stunned the racing world with a Melbourne Cup victory. Now, nearly eight decades later, his hometown of Birchip is ensuring that remarkable moment in sporting history will be remembered, with work under way on a silo mural in his honour.

... Sussan Ley is taking her bat and ball and going home. The tenure of Ms Ley has been marred by Farrer communities being devastated by the Murray-Darling Basin Plan, a plan that her party was the ultimate architect of.

Camel milk is emerging as a nutrient-rich alternative dairy product in Australia, attracting growing interest from nutrition researchers and consumers seeking options for digestive sensitivities ... “Many of our customers turn to camel milk because they struggle with food allergies or intolerances. Gut and digestive issues are increasingly common, and camel milk’s natural composition means it is often reported to be gentler and easier to tolerate than traditional dairy.”

Progress follows when leaders provide clear direction and focus, because people perform best when they understand what matters, why it matters, and where to invest their energy.

The Finocchiaro CLP Government is further boosting economic growth in the Territory through a new acreage release for onshore petroleum exploration. The acreage is approximately 4,000 sqkm, more than five times the size of Singapore, and is strategically located near the Amadeus Gas Pipeline and the Stuart Highway within the highly prospective Beetaloo Sub-basin, one of Australia’s most significant onshore shale gas plays.

Bundaberg Regional Council and Bundaberg Tourism are advocating for fairer regional airfares, with the community invited to add their input to the joint submission.

Everyday Australians face another hit to their power bills after Transgrid applied to pass on to consumers the $1.1 billion of their cost over-runs in the 900-kilometre EnergyConnect project between NSW and South Australia. Member for Mallee Dr Anne Webster MP said the latest revelation yet again exposes the fallacy that ‘renewable’ energy is not the ‘cheapest form of electricity’.

Madison Eastmond. The crushing economic pressure of the wine industry has forced a Riverland family to dump their grapes – and prompted a Chaffey election candidate to pledge advocating for locals outside "the top end of town" ... "Where are our (local politicians)?," Mr Koutouzis asked.

Nimbin, often regarded as Australia’s heart of alternative living and sustainability, is about to mark another significant milestone with the opening of HempScape Constructions, the country’s first dedicated one-stop for all things hemp masonry. Located next to the iconic Bush Theatre, HempScape is the brainchild of Andrew Kavasilas, a pioneer in the Australian hemp industry who has long been at the forefront of the hemp movement in Australia.

Around $150 million or more changes hands at the Naracoorte Regional Livestock Exchange (NRLE) each year from sales of 85,000 cattle and 500,000 sheep. And now Naracoorte can boast it has one of the nation’s top 10 saleyard canteens as well as the largest saleyard facility for cattle and sheep in South Australia.

In Australia, the use of animals to solve various human problems is neither increasing nor decreasing. This process is becoming more humane and effective. This change is driven by public opinion and advances in science and technology.

Harvest was a huge success, can we back it up? We ask special Guests Mick Daw (CBH) and Ben Boekeman. In this Bumper episode, not only do you get all of your farming weather and your country news, we also catch up with Mick Daw from CBH off the back of a CORKER 25/26 harvest.

Greg Twelftree. SA author and journalist Max Fatchen wrote: "It's not hard to imagine the square-rigger days when the sou'wester sweeps up Spencer Gulf, hustles past Wardang and sends whitecaps racing and fishing boats rolling at their moorings by Port Victoria jetty" ... From the 1870s to 1949, farmers toiling in the dry, dusty paddocks of Koolywurtie and Wauraltee would glance seaward as 100-metre long, four-masted barques filled the horizon.

Greg Twelftree. Celebrate 150 years of Port Victoria and Wauraltee over the March long weekend, Friday 6th to Sunday 8th, with a jammed-packed program offering something for everyone. We will welcome a flotilla of two Tall Ships and other sailing vessels from the Port Adelaide Sailing Club, the Cruising Yacht Club of SA and the Wallaroo Sailing Club at 3pm on Friday, March 6.

Long-term planning to ensure a sustainable future for the West Coast Wilderness Railway has taken its next steps. The Tasmanian Government has convened a roundtable with key industry and business stakeholders to discuss next steps for the Railway.

If you’re in Bass Coast for the Labour Day long weekend — or lucky enough to call it home — there’s one place to be: the 2026 Bass Coast Sustainability Festival, a free, family-friendly celebration of community, creativity and caring for our environment ... At its heart, the Sustainability Festival is about making big ideas feel simple, practical and fun.

Annabelle Cleeland has criticised the Allan Labor Government’s so-called “Big Switch”, saying it has failed to deliver for regional Victoria, with overcrowded, unreliable services on the Shepparton and Albury–Seymour lines while Melbourne continues to receive the lion’s share of upgrades.

Tasmania’s visitor economy has been given a significant boost, with a record number of travellers passing through Launceston Airport on a single day last month. The airport saw 6880 people passing through its gates on 23 January, the eve of the Foo Fighters concert in Launceston.