More than $7 million in funding for small businesses in native forest regions: Jarvis
The grants of up to $400,000 will help small businesses with a reliance on the native timber industry remain open and invest in job creation through diversification, expansion and innovation. The recipients include furniture makers, transport companies, children's playground builders, firewood contractors and garden suppliers.
Bute PO posts solid results
Michelle Daw. Bute's post office has the potential to become a thriving, privately run, business in the future, thanks to strong results achieved in the past decade under the management of Barunga West Council. That was the assessment included in a report by CEO Maree Wauchope, tabled at council’s April meeting.
Masters to make history
Fin Hanson. SA Masters Games is set to return to the Copper Coast in 2024. It will be the third time the Copper Coast has hosted the event in four years and the first time in SA Masters Games history a region has hosted in back-to-back years.
Australia passed peak food price inflation, but still well above long-term average: Rabobank
The latest Consumer Price Index (CPI) data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, released on 26 April 2023, shows annual top-line Australian food price inflation had slowed to 8.0 per cent in the March 2023 quarter, from 9.2 per cent seen in the previous (December 2022) quarter. Rabobank senior food retail analyst Michael Harvey said while this easing was good news for consumers ... the figure was still well above the long-term (10-year) average of food inflation of 2.2 per cent.
Regional innovations, global connections
As Australia looks towards exploring new export markets, the MENA region presents a wealth of trading and investment potential for Australian regional businesses ... This inaugural event on 4 May 2023 will be co-hosted by the Australia Arab Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and Regional Development Australia in Central Coast, with a guest speaker and participants joining from the MENA region and Australia.
Autumn break buoys outlook amid lower agricultural commodity prices: NAB
Australian agricultural commodity prices took another downward turn last month with the NAB Rural Commodities Index* now 19.7 per cent below year-ago levels. Lower beef, lamb, canola, dairy and wool prices saw the Index fall 3.6 per cent month-on-month, according to the bank’s April Rural Commodities Wrap released on 26 April 2023.
Council supports farmers in transmission fight
Northern Grampians Shire Council has issued a harsh rebuke of the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO), citing its abject failure to answer local landowners' questions about controversial power transmission infrastructure. Mayor, Cr Kevin Erwin said there was absolutely no justification whatsoever that the legitimate concerns of landowners remained unanswered at this stage of the project. “We are talking about one of the biggest rural energy infrastructure projects built in the past 60 years, and the government’s planner can’t confirm how it will operate on the easement,” Cr Erwin said.
To whom it may concern:
The 2009 Victorian Bushfires Royal Commission investigated the Black Saturday fires ... found that the blaze was caused by the negligence of SP AusNet and their assets managers Utility Services Group in the duty of safely maintaining the infrastructure under their control ... Keep this deplorable behaviour and lack of honesty front of mind when considering AEMO and SP AusNet’s bungled attempt to rush through a flawed and less-than-optimal solution to the VNI West project.
Labor’s PBS changes risks unintended consequences to regional Australia: Littleproud
Ahead of next month’s Budget, the federal Labor government plans to double the amount of medicines Australians can purchase, by allowing 60-day dispensing. However, experts have warned the move, which is being described as one of the biggest shake-ups the PBS has faced, could create significant medicine shortages and delays.
2023 SA Wooden Boat Festival on this weekend
The countdown is on for the 2023 South Australian Wooden Boat Festival (SAWBF), which is set to take place this weekend (29-30 April). Thanks to major sponsors Coorong Quays, this year’s festival will be held at Hindmarsh Island’s – Alexandrina Cove, providing visitors with front-row seats to the action.
We need ‘critical minerals’
If the Northern Territory wants to achieve a 50% renewable energy target by 2030 and net zero emissions by 2050, as it says it does, it seems we will need to make a choice between two types of mineral extraction: Good Mining and Bad Mining. “Good Mines” would get out of the ground the dozen-plus materials needed to make batteries and solar panels, known as critical minerals, needed for clean energy technologies, including copper, nickel, manganese, cobalt, chromium, molybdenum and zinc.
WA’s resources sector has record-busting year: Johnston
Western Australia's resources industry achieved record sales of $246 billion in 2022 and delivered more jobs than ever before, underlining our State's role as the driving force behind the national economy. Resources sales for 2022 were up an impressive $15 billion from 2021 based on the latest annual data released by the Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety (DMIRS).
Hydrogen for transport a lost cause: AEVA
The Australian Electric Vehicle Association (AEVA) has criticised the inclusion of ‘hydrogen highways’ in the National Electric Vehicle Strategy as outdated and inefficient ... The President of AEVA, Dr Chris Jones, said that the recent emergence of rapid battery-swapping services, combined with the conversion of heavy trucks from diesel to electric power, have eliminated any potential benefit for hydrogen in the long-distance freight sector.
Buloke Times editorial: Banking closures
The situation about bank closures is clouded. Over a year ago, the “Times” published its last editorial on rural banking. At that time, a study was to be made by a Rural Banking Taskforce, giving the final result in April 2022 ... Since the Taskforce investigation produced its pre-election final report on September 20, 2022, more than 80 regional banks have closed or have closure notices issued.
As AEMO’s transmission blunder boils over … the placards say it all!
Janine Batters. Over 300 community members with placards - on foot, in trucks and tractors - put their message in simple terms for the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) at St. Arnaud on Monday, regarding their views on the VNI West Transmission Project. The protest blocked Napier Street for over an hour to send the message home to AEMO, after feeling any previous attempts had landed on deaf ears. The protest took place before a planned community consultation meeting regarding the project.
Cairn Curran Sailing Club receives Bendigo Bank grant
Cairn Curran Sailing Club is delighted to receive funding from Bendigo Bank for shade cloth ... Club members had been hoping to provide access to shade on the deck for many years and were thrilled when Bendigo Bank generously provided a grant of $12,000 towards the cost of the purchase and installation of the much-needed shade cloth.
NT the place to be for mining: Minister at Alice conference
NT Mining Minister Nicole Manison was addressing more than 300 industry people attending the Annual Geoscience Exploration Seminar (AGES) in Alice Springs ... She said the NT has 15 of the critical minerals the world needs, “and we have lots of copper as well, and 13 prospective critical minerals” ... Minister Manison said the government will change the royalty system to ad valorem, including petroleum.
Author stops in at Narrandera
Well known author Maya Linnell visited Narrandera Library last week and called in to Mon Repos store to visit the owners Scott and Rebecca Rowlings. The reason she visited Rebecca and her husband Scott was because of Rebecca’s review of Paperbark Hill for Australian Rural and Regional News - Rebecca is a book reviewer for the online news site.
Shire CEO reveals new game plan
Patricia Gill. Denmark Shire chief executive David Schober will ofï¬cially end his tenure on July 11 to return to a lifelong passion, coaching basketball. Former professional basketball coach David will take a ‘dream job’ at the Denmark Senior High School vacated by dual Olympian Paul Rogers.
Global orange juice prices to remain higher for longer on the back of tight world supply: Rabobank
For now, the orange juice market is staying tight for at least another season, unless there is a significant supply-side surprise for the 2023/24 harvest in Brazil or a much sharper contraction in global demand in 2H 2023. According to a recent Rabobank report, record-high orange juice (OJ) prices in 2023 are a consequence of a very tight market, with smaller-than-expected production and low inventories.
Farmer voice in path to net zero: NFF
The National Farmers’ Federation (NFF) welcomes the Net Zero Australia study report, which recognises the need for a fair transition to a carbon neutral future – and not at the expense of agriculture ... The report outlines exclusion areas to reduce the likelihood of solar and wind developments on productive farmland, while water reliant industries like hydrogen will use desalinised water rather than tapping into Australia’s limited fresh water supplies.
Son of a gun salutes
After completing his apprenticeship in the junior ranks by winning two titles in 2028 an 2019, Tooma-based horseman Travis Bandy has taken out the senior Stockman’s Challenge at this year’s Man From Snowy River Bush Festival. Travis is following in his father Scott’s footsteps, a five-time victor of the prestigious event.
