Business

They say justice never takes a holiday, neither does crime it seems. Sadly, our sleepy safe community has been rocked by a wave of burglaries and vandalism. The not so jolly criminals appeared to get the jump on Santa with an early morning shop visit to Barham IGA before Christmas.

Totally Renewable Denmark members attended a workshop last month in Bridgetown for community renewable energy groups from regional and urban WA ... The workshop was the inaugural meeting of CREATE Community Energy, a network of community groups which are driving local energy initiatives.

Patricia Gill. Eighty shared e-scooters began operation in Denmark this month to a mixed response about safety concerns. Over the Christmas/New Year holidays residents reported on social media about young people riding the scooters at night and on roads disregarding road rules.

Rodney Stevens. The Yamba Ocean Swim kicked off 2023 with a splash as a record number of entrants hit the water across all age groups, cheered on by a crowd of hundreds on a stunning summer’s day ... “We had 397 entrants this year which is well up on our previous best of 354 in 2013,” said Yamba Surf Club Surf Sports Director and Race Organiser Jim Dougherty.

Rodney Stevens. The Clarence Valley’s reputation of being a premier holiday destination, but an even better place to live, has seen tourists and locals taking an active interest in the real estate market and holiday letting almost at capacity during the Christmas holidays. On the back of Yamba being named in real-estate.com.au Hottest 100 suburbs for 2023, agents are reporting steady sales and solid inquiries.

Rockmans clothing store in Casino has closed. The shop at the Woolworths shopping complex is empty ... mannequins, stripped of the clothes they wore, lean on boxes on the shop floor.

Michael and Karen Schill have set up a shop in the most unlikely place. A few kilometres along Long Gully Rd is the Drake Community Store ... Long Gully Rd is a winding scenic road following the path of Rocky River. Tourists come to pan for gold in the river.

The National Farmers’ Federation says an agreement struck in the US allowing farmers the right to repair their own farm equipment will place Aussie farmers at a disadvantage unless similar steps are taken here. The right to repair allows farmers to take their equipment to a dealer of their choice to fix a problem or repair the machine themselves.

Trade between Ukraine and Australia is actively developing. The total sales of Australian goods and services are growing faster than Ukrainian ones. Australian farmers are also increasing sales faster than Ukrainian farmers. However, this was not always the case. 2023 may strengthen the position of Ukrainian farmers.

Excitement  is building as  Western Australia’s biggest, best and most prestigious junior  surfing tournament prepares for a start next week, with Taj's Small Fries set to  splash down in Yallingup  for the 18th consecutive year. First run in 2006, Taj's Small Fries has become a rite of passage for many of the Australia's best young surfers, launching the careers of numerous surfing stars since it's  inception.

The Kingston District Council has issued a warm welcome to flood impacted visitors and others looking for coastal accommodation during the upcoming school holidays through an extension of its low-cost RV Park. The Park, which will offer up to six (6) nights for just $60 until at least mid-February 2023, is set to use land adjacent the existing area and adjoining Maria Creek, to make way for anticipated visitors who may have otherwise holidayed along the flooding Murray River.

“There is not one bank still open in our local area. How much cash will the supermarket give me? So far I’ve only asked for $100 each fortnight because there are still transactions to be paid in cash. Now for Christmas and gift giving I need much more because after two operations this year I’m not very mobile so cash will be for gifts.” ... Lack of access to a bank or ATM adds a layer of complexity to this time of year that our politicians just don’t seem to be able to fathom.

Passengers aboard the Memo Club’s courtesy bus last Saturday received a shock when a rock came flying through the side window, shattering glass everywhere. Luckily the passengers were uninjured, however it meant the Memo was without a bus for a few days while it was in for repairs.

In preparation for summer fires, two firefighting helicopters arrived in Bendigo this week. The helicopters will be used throughout the bushfire season by Forest Fire Management Victoria (FFMVic) and Country Fire Authority (CFA) to respond to fires across Central Victoria.

The proposed Woolworths supermarket in Castlemaine will go ahead after the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) ruled in favour of the construction. A long debate has prevailed, with Council and many locals opposed to the development.

Greenmount-based business Kialla Pure Foods has been awarded the Brand of the Year award at the 2022 Australian Organic Industry Awards ... Kialla’s flour mill is one of the last remaining in Australia which operates in the farmland where the grains are grown. “We’re proudly based in the heart of the Darling Downs, surrounded by the rich black alluvial soils that run through this region”: Quentin Kennedy.

Proposed changes to poker machine gambling in NSW has caused angst amongst ClubsNSW members. The reforms have the support of the NSW Liberal party, the Greens and also independent Member for Murray, Helen Dalton.

When Moulamein local, Shantal Sherman, was diagnosed with breast cancer in August of this year, it was the last thing she expected to hear ... What she didn’t expect to have to do was travel for basic follow up wound care, when her hometown is supposed to have an operational, functional and staffed community health service ... Shantal said she can’t believe the deterioration in rural health care and the lack of empathy and concern shown for patients.

Anyone who wanders into Narrandera Showground on January 28 and 29 next year will be forgiven for thinking they have stumbled into a post-apocalyptic wasteland. A Weekend With Max Festival, based on the popular Mad Max genre movies will take place over two days.