Business

This winter, a completed 40,320-piece jigsaw puzzle will be on display in Kaniva. "Mickey Through the Years" is confirmed by Guinness World Records as the largest commercially made puzzle in the world, both in number of pieces and overall size.

The NSW Government has rolled out 80 new four-wheel drive ambulances across the state, which will allow paramedics to access patients in challenging terrain, the NSW Minister for Health Ryan Park announced on 13 June 2023. These purpose built 4WD ambulance vehicles are used to access patients in situations where standard ambulances would not be able to, particularly in regional and remote areas.

Australia’s food systems must change now to remain sustainable in the future according to a new roadmap released by CSIRO, Australia’s national science agency ... The roadmap, Reshaping Australian Food Systems, sets a path for how Australia can secure a more sustainable, productive, and resilient future for its food, environment, and people.

Franca Fredriksen. The sins against the environment by people chucking away clothes are just hitting the headlines while Sustainable Couture has been providing an answer since 2009. The annual function in Alice Springs, except for Covid, staged by volunteers, not only has displayed stunning dress creations, it has also struck a blow for the world: The average Australian buys 27 kilos of clothes per year and a third of them finish up on the landfill.

A new barley variety launched by Agriculture and Food Minister Jackie Jarvis is being touted as 'the one' to take Australian barley production to the next level. The high-performance variety named Neo - the Greek word for new - is set to increase yields by 10 per cent, generating a potential $110 million per annum boost to the value of the national barley industry.

As Australia looks towards exploring new export markets, the MENA region presents a wealth of trading and investment potential for Australian regional businesses.

“For the last four years, the VFF has consistently called for a coordinated approach to transmission infrastructure planning. The government has heeded our call and taken some action in formulating the Victorian Transmission Investment Framework. Disappointingly however, the framework continues to neglect farmer concerns. It does not speak about agricultural land use and the impact on food and fibre production”: VFF President Emma Germano.

Minister for Energy and Resources Lily D’Ambrosio has launched the Victorian Transmission Investment Framework (VTIF) ... The Victorian Government body, VicGrid, will lead transmission project planning and development, and ensure local communities, landholders, Traditional Owners and other key stakeholders are consulted on these major projects from start to finish.

Mayor Jeffrey McLaughlin is encouraging regional residents to have their say on the Barkly Regional Council’s Draft Regional Plan 2023-2024. The Plan is open now for consultation until close of business on Monday 19 June.

The Campaspe Run H.V. McKay Rural Discovery Centre, a community-driven tourist attraction nestled in Elmore,   recently marked its 25-year anniversary. Established on April 26, 1998, following the closure of the Elmore & District   Hospital in 1994, the Centre honours H.V. McKay’s contributions to agricultural advancements and Elmore’s rich socio-historical heritage.

Local train enthusiasts couldn’t believe their eyes or good fortune on Tuesday morning, when an enormously long train, estimated to be up to a kilometre-and-a-half in length, passed through Donald, heading north, towards Mildura ... There was no official word on what was the purpose of the train might be, but one theory was that is was a test run to check the suitability of the Mildura to Melbourne line to transfer freight.

The State Government is being urged to provide funding certainty for the Mode Shift Incentive Scheme (MSIS) to encourage more freight on to rail. The MSIS is an incentive program providing financial support to rail freight companies to make the cost of transporting goods on rail more competitive ... Deputy Leader of The Nationals and Member for Lowan, Emma Kealy, said the MSIS program allowed regional rail freight operators to offer competitive transport options for exporters, encouraging them to use rail instead of road transport to get their goods to the Port of Melbourne.

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.

"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."

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.

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 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.    

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.

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.