Rolleston Airstrip set for takeoff
As part of the Australia Government Remote Airstrip Upgrade Program, council has engaged a contractor to undertake the design and construction of pavement rehabilitation works on the Rolleston Aerodrome Landing Area runway. The design phase is expected to commence in early June and conclude in mid-June 2023 with the construction phase to commence between July and September 2023.
New sister city for Barossa
The region is set to enjoy a boost to economic, cultural and educational opportunities as The Barossa Council gears up to enter into a formalised sister-city agreement with the City of Grapevine, Texas which is the fifth largest wine producing state in the United States. Barossa Mayor Bim Lange said as major wine and food destinations, the two regions share many similarities and a global reputation for premium wine, food and events.
Macadamias set to become more accessible for Australians to enjoy
Increased supply good news for consumers, but a challenge for Queensland growers. Sunshine Coast-based macadamia supplier Nutworks has revealed that macadamias are set to become more accessible for the average Australian, with increased supply of the premium product expected to lead to lower prices on supermarket shelves in the months ahead.
Powerlink aggravating anxiety: Property Rights Australia
Powerlink Queensland’s continued roll out of power transmission projects is having significant mental health impacts on Queensland landowners. "On Wednesday 26 April landowners were contacted by Powerlink representatives advising of an imminent announcement of the final Woolooga West high voltage powerline corridor": Interim Chair of Property Rights Australia (PRA) Jim Willmott.
Goldies manager calls out TCA for forgetting about the Barkly
The Manager of the Goldfields Hotel was not a happy camper this week when a customer emailed him the latest Tourism Central Australia (TCA) Dining Guide publicised on its website to promote restaurants and caf̩s in the central NT region ... "The Barkly seems to be the Bermuda Triangle of the Territory Рforget the Berrimah Line Рit should be the Capricorn Line Рeverything north of Alice is forgotten about": Jason Groves.
Recommended corridors released for Gympie, Somerset and South Burnett transmission line connections: Powerlink
Powerlink is seeking community feedback on two recommended corridors for proposed new transmission line connections in the Gympie, Somerset and South Burnett regions. Powerlink’s Draft Corridor Selection Report (CSR) has been released publicly and provides detailed analysis of a number of corridor options against social, environmental and economic criteria.
All British Bike Rally
The 45th annual All British Rally, held last weekend, brought classic vintage British motorcycle enthusiasts from as nearby as Yandoit and as far as the Apple Isle into Maldon’s Main St for a day of riding revelry ... The full canon of vintage British bikes was all on display; Norton, Triumph, Royal Enfield, BSA, Velocette – all the big hitters.
New walking trail for national park in WA’s Kimberley: Whitby
A new $150,000 walking trail has been unveiled in Kununurra's Mirima National Park in the heart of Western Australia's East Kimberley ... This is the fourth trail within the national park and the longest at 3.5 kilometres.
Banks ignore community concerns, shut more branches
As our immediate community comes to terms with the Bendigo and Adelaide Banks’ decision to rip bank services from Barham, Cohuna and Pyramid Hill, three of 16 agency closures the Better Big Bank is implementing, the Finance Sector Union (FSU) is calling on the major banks to stop closing bank branches in metropolitan and regional areas while a Senate Inquiry into Regional Branch Closures is underway ... The FSU stated NAB refuses to acknowledge community concerns and has announced branches at Jeparit and Inverloch in Victoria will close. Branches at Boonah, Qld and Queanbeyan, NSW will also be shut down.
Haines updated on community projects
Independent Federal Member for Indi, Helen Haines, visited the Upper Murray last week, receiving progress reports on bushfire recovery projects including the new battery and solar energy system at Corryong Health, the Playles Hill Park project and the Tintaldra Recreation Reserve upgrade ... "It will address the reliability, vulnerability and variability of the region’s electricity supply, which in the 2019-2020 bushfires meant power-outages lasted for weeks in Corryong and district including loss of communications": Independent Federal Member for Indi, Helen Haines.
Buybacks cost jobs: Irrigation Council
Water buybacks were blamed for 3261 job losses across the economies of 40 southern Murray-Darling Basin communities, according to Murray-Darling Basin Authority modelling by the NSW Irrigation Council ... "Across the southern Basin States, 648 lost jobs (21 per cent of FTE jobs losses) in the profiled NSW communities profiled were attributed to water recovery, 1684 (30 per cent) in northern Victoria and 929 (45 per cent) in South Australia, mostly in its Riverland horticultural centres": NSWIC CEO, Claire Miller.
Movie-making returns
"When the House is Empty" is the working title of an upcoming community initiated feature movie being shot on location in Narrandera with the future intention of creating a small film school in the town ... It is the story of a young woman who resides in the city but inherits a house from her father in a small country town.
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.
