Business

The Northern Regional Planning Panel chair Penny Holloway heard 38 people speak for or against the development application for the Bentley Quarry expansion at an online meeting on Wednesday, December 7 ... Ms Holloway announced that the quarry expansion DA was considered to be in the public interest and the DA was approved.

Australian consumers are seeing significant price increases across dairy products – based on the national Consumer Price Index (CPI) data – with milk prices having risen at the fastest rate since records began, according to a new report by agribusiness banking specialist Rabobank. In its Global Dairy Quarterly Q4 2022 – Walking the Tightrope into 2023, Rabobank says while the Australian consumer has shown resilience in the face of cost-of-living pressures, signs of dairy demand weakness are emerging as a willingness and ability to spend on discretionary items softens.

Katter’s Australian Party is flagging a proposal incentivising Year 12 students to take up the forgotten “wet” trades of bricklaying, concreting and scaffolding in a transitional schedule strategically-timed with the winter weather. In response to predictions that North Queensland would face an alarming lack of willing workers in the “wet” trades of bricklaying, concreting and scaffolding in the next decade, the KAP proposed to incentivise and provide employment pathways for an annually-set number of Year 12 students.

If you understand the difference between 5G low and high band, fixed wireless, repeaters and extenders, then you don’t have to read this. While the tech savvy know their way around digital connectivity, the vast majority of us are staggering around in the dark when it comes to getting information on how to get a couple of extra signal bars on our mobile phones or stop the download lag on our broadband.

The National Farmers’ Federation (NFF) is calling on Australian energy ministers to make sure the transition to renewable energy is overseen by a national code, so we don’t sacrifice food security for energy security ... NFF CEO Tony Mahar said energy, agriculture and food prices were inextricably linked and at a time when food security was high on the agenda, careful consideration had to be given to how the energy and farming industries could work together.

Jason Dunemann. Tennant Creek Darts hosted its annual Darrell “Bear” Logue Memorial Golden Nugget Tournament last weekend. The 34th edition of this fabulous tournament brought players from all over the country – 53 men and 20 ladies, including 10 locals, 18 from other parts of the NT and 45 from interstate.

Vic Jurskis responds to ARR.News questions including about the different methods for monitoring koalas, sustainable koala populations, koala habitat and the relationship with timber harvesting ... "Gathering numbers should not be an end. Deliberations of the TSSC assume that more is better. The koala’s ecological history of irruptions and crashes in numbers after European arrival clearly shows this not to be the case. Effective monitoring requires an understanding of the reasons for any real changes in numbers."

A partnership between Forestry Corporation of NSW,  Pentarch Forestry and the Tumbarumba community has seen donated timber enhance facilities at Tumbarumba Carcoola Children’s Centre and Tumbarumba Public School. The partnership has seen renewable resources used to benefit children and the community, said Forestry Corporation’s Billie-Jo Brown.  

Chris Oldfield. The Liberal Shadow Cabinet will continue to support a moratorium on fracking in the SE which runs until 2028. It will also continue to work on land access through agricultural properties to mines because “both agriculture and mining are important to the economy”.

Sometimes, an action that has been carried out with the best of intentions can have unintended consequences. That would appear to be the case when it comes to the red Christmas Shop/North Pole signs that have been added to the wooden direction post on Bank Corner.

New forecasting showing record Australian grain production numbers – despite impacts of severe weather and flooding during a delayed and disrupted harvest – makes good news for today’s papers. However, Grain Producers Australia says the headline numbers mask some serious structural issues faced by growers on the ground, which impact productivity and need to be urgently addressed.

Since its inception, Toowoomba’s Christmas Wonderland has welcomed over one million visitors and has returned over $1.32 million back to the local community through its beneficiaries. This year is its 20th year of bringing the joy of Christmas to the young and young-at-heart across the Toowoomba region.

Eighty-three year-old Narrandera woman Marjory Longford has set the record straight on the origin of an unusual 19th century meat smoker that has been preserved at Griffith’s Pioneer Park Museum ... The smoker is made from a hollow log cemented to the ground and connected to an underground tunnel three metres long, which leads to a firebox smoker ... it came from her grandmother’s farm near Bringagee Station.

Animal protein producers and processors face an “inflection point” with a need to respond to structural changes in the market even with production levels and prices likely to remain elevated next year, according to a new report by agribusiness banking specialist Rabobank.

Two of the world’s leading palaeontologists along with scientific researchers and educators have gathered to discuss the importance of the Bass Coast Dinosaurs Trail in Inverloch ... "It is a true legacy project for Council to be at the forefront of creating a world class tourism experience that celebrates the work of scientists, volunteers and the international significance of polar dinosaurs to the Australian Continent": Bass Coast Mayor Michael Whelan.

Emma Pritchard. Beneath clear skies and amidst perfect summer conditions at Whiting Beach, 440 competitors put their stamina, strength, and endurance to the test on December 3 and 4, when they participated in the 2022 Yamba Triathlon. A popular local multisport competition which consists of swimming, cycling, and running over various distances, the event attracted triathletes from across the country ...

Peak industry body for Queensland horticulture, Growcom is calling on the federal government to engage in genuine and meaningful discussion after the passing of the new Fair Work Legislation Amendment (Secure Jobs, Better Pay) Bill 2022 so industry can understand how it will be implemented. Growcom CEO Rachel Chambers said when discussing a Bill called ‘secure jobs, better pay’ you need to have the business owners, the people who create the jobs for employees, around the table. Without employers there is no employment.

Plan the trip of a lifetime with expert advice and a full itinerary from Australia's most popular travelling family. In the seven years since the 'Trip In A Van' family set off on their first adventure, they've covered tens of thousands of kilometres and become Australia's most popular travelling family.

Australia's master storyteller takes us all around the country, uncovering tales of unsolved crimes, early exploration and military exploits, fascinating natural phenomena and iconic destinations.

“Crops in Western Australia and South Australia benefitted the most from spring conditions, with total production in both states forecast to reach new record levels. Total production in Queensland is forecast to reach the second highest on record, despite parts of the Darling Downs missing out on plantings after being impacted by the floods. In other parts of the country, the results are mixed with both flooding and water-logging impacting winter crop production": Jared Greenvillle, ABARES.

Sarah Martin. Seasoned sailors have warned of the importance of remote telecommunications and being prepared following a freak storm that left dozens of yachts damaged at Lizard Island. Watson’s Bay, a popular anchorage on the northern side of Lizard Island and home to some of the world’s most pristine reefs, had about 25 vessels anchored when a freak storm with winds over 100km/h burst in from the north.

The first of December marks the start of summer, as well as onset of snake season. As temperatures rise, AMA (NSW) is warning residents to look out for venomous snakes and refresh your knowledge of snake bite first aid.