Corryong powers up
Corryong has received the bulk of almost $18 million in funding that has been awarded to seven projects in Indi to build resilience to natural disasters under the Disaster Ready Fund, Federal Member for Indi, Helen Haines, has announced. A staggering $15 million has been delivered for the only project in the Towong Shire to establish an Advanced Microgrid that would improve energy resilience to Corryong during natural disasters.
Offshoring of Australia’s food processing must be reversed: BCCM
The Business Council of Co-operatives and Mutuals today said the offshoring of Australia’s food processing capability must be reversed ... “The last three decades have seen more and more of our food processing offshored and a steady decline in Australian owned agricultural supply chains,” said BCCM CEO Melina Morrison.
Hamilton speaks out against pharmacy changes
"Having spoken at length to several pharmacists in my electorate, my greatest concern is for residents of small communities like Goombungee, Kingsthorpe, Cambooya and Westbrook," Mr Hamilton said. "The small local pharmacies in these towns simply are not large enough to sustain significant changes to their business model."
Bold changes
An education union has called for bold changes in the way the South Australian Education Department manages education across the state, particularly in country schools. Australian Education Union (SA Branch) president Andrew Gohl says for over a decade, governments have banked on the goodwill of educators to keep their system running ... the Department’s own Country Education Strategy highlighted several areas that needed improvement, including the attraction and retention of staff, incentives, access to student support services, country housing, and conditions.
Dairy cattle on a downer
Kristin Murdock,. Recent analysis of ABS data by Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA) has seen some interesting trends emerge within Australia’s cattle herd. Between 2016 and 2021, there was an increase in running cattle in general of two per cent. At the other end of the scale, dairy enterprises have dropped by 23 per cent.
Ganmain Arts Festival returns for second year
The second ever Ganmain Arts Festival on Ford will be held on June 24 and 25. The Art Festival will transform Ford Street with art from local artists in different disciplines to be featured in storefronts, businesses and the town hall.
Beauty business icon made impact on industry
Peter Ward Harris, who grew up in Narrandera, passed away on March 8 this year ... Founder and owner of Arbré Beauty Programs, the original Arbré products were sold by party plan in the early 1980s and Peter had a very good business relationship with John Allan from JC Allen Packaging who helped Peter out with the original product range.
cluBarham bowls coup
cluBarham has been announced as the home of the Over 60s State Championships and Women’s Country Carnival for the next three years. Play will take place on the club’s state-of-the-art facility opened in September 2022, including two synthetic 9 rink greens, one of which is undercover.
Paul Kelly concert to help the Red Centre warm up this October: Kirby
Legendary music icon Paul Kelly is heading to Alice Springs this October to headline an exciting new event, The Warm-Up ... His performance will complete a program of activity for The Warm-Up, which will celebrate one-year-out from the return of the 2024 Alice Springs Masters Games.
Sheep reproductive facility for Allora
Arolla Pastoral Company’s James and Carla Pidgeon hope to fast-track the production of genetically superior sheep. Works are underway on a sheep reproductive facility at Allora designed to fast-track Queensland’s supply of genetically superior lambs while creating four direct jobs and 11 indirect jobs for Queenslanders as a result of the project.
Accessible tourism
When the Kaniva Wetlands and Fauna Park was re-imagined by the Kaniva community in 2014, part of that plan included creating an aged and disability-friendly experience ... Resident and photographer Matt Bale had an idea to create a 360 tour of the wetlands and fauna park.
A spirited festival celebrates far north’s top tipples with “vintage circus”
Far North Queensland’s Festival of Spirits is back from midday on Saturday 10 June 2023 at Hemingway’s Brewery in Cairns with a shaken and stirred “vintage circus” styled celebration showcasing the region’s local craft distilleries and top tipples. Promising colour, fun and a heady mix of entertainment, Festival of Spirits will highlight the region’s delicious array of gins, whiskies, rums and more...
‘The Winning Formula for Regional Victoria’ – How the 2026 Commonwealth Games can benefit all of regional Victoria
Regional Cities Victoria (RCV) launches ‘The Winning Formula for Regional Victoria’, a document outlining the group’s priorities to ensure a lasting legacy is created for the whole of regional Victoria as part of the 2026 Commonwealth Games ... The Winning Formula for Regional Victoria examines six key areas with recommendations that will ensure a lasting legacy for every regional city beyond the event period and across the whole state, not just for the five cities hosting events...
Vegetable icecream – clever consumption or crime against frozen dessert?: Hort Innovation
Humble vegetables ignited hot debate this week when icecream featuring pumpkin and cauliflower was served to more than 3000 people at the nation’s annual Hort Connections event in Adelaide. The two bespoke gelato flavours - cauliflower-vanilla bean and pumpkin-ginger bread - are harmonious savoury-meets-sweet flavour combinations.
Wheels turn on inclusive cycling
Fin Hansen. Elderly people and those with disabilities are being encouraged to sit back while someone else pedals. Wallaroo Community Development Association has launched a Cycling Without Age chapter and purchased a trishaw bike to transport people across the Copper Coast comfortably.
Seaside charmer tops for tourism
Michelle Daw. Port Broughton’s laidback seaside appeal has made it a family holiday favourite for decades and now it has been recognised as South Australia’s best Tiny Tourism Town. The 2023 Tourism Town Awards were presented by the Tourism Industry Council of SA last week.
ANZ Clarkson branch to close
The ANZ Clarkson branch is set to close this week while the ANZ Joondalup branch will move to a new location. In letters to customers the ANZ said its Clarkson branch at Unit 2, 23 Ocean Keys Blvd would close at 4pm on Wednesday, June 7.
Our forests are too important: Forestry Australia
Blanket bans of native forest harvesting will not improve our carbon balance or recover biodiversity according to the professional association for forest scientists, growers and managers, Forestry Australia. President Dr Michelle Freeman said the consensus position of independent scientific experts, forest managers and researchers is that active management of forests is required to maintain forest health, mitigate fire risk, conserve biodiversity and maximise carbon outcomes.
Meat Business Women – Gender Representation in the Meat Industry 2023
The independent, global Gender Representation in the Meat Industry 2023 report draws on international data from more than 50 major meat organisations ... Australia's OBE Organic - whose MD Dalene Wray is herself a notable woman in the meat business - featured as a case study in the report ... ARR.News asked some questions about women in the meat business of Dalene and Laura Ryan, Founder and Global Chair of Meat Business Women.
Rudderless PALM on the road to ruin: NFF
The NFF Horticulture Council has rung the alarm bells loud and clear that the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme is now heading toward calamity ... Horticulture Council spokesperson Rachel Chambers said it was increasingly clear relevant ministers aren’t working together to ensure the scheme meets the long-terms interests of the Pacific and Australian industries it’s meant to serve. 
Wycheproof Wetlands Precinct to boost nature based tourism: Dimopoulos
Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events Steve Dimopoulos announced construction will soon begin on the Wycheproof Wetlands Precinct – which is backed by the Labor Government. The project is helping to create a 70,000m2 wetland system, transforming the area into a world-class nature-based tourism experience while offering new recreation opportunities.
Delay in timber contracts – $11 million to prop up Forestry Commission: SFI Roundtable
Questioning by the WA Opposition’s Mia Davies has revealed that the Forest Products Commission is not planning on issuing any timber contracts from 1 January 2024 until an indeterminant time in the future ... “It is a clear tactic to force businesses out of the sector”, said David Utting, convenor of the Sustainable Forest Industries Roundtable.
