Little cars have huge appeal
Tweed Regional Museum in Murwillumbah is gearing up for a jam-packed school holiday program, including a special display which will appeal to people of all ages. The Museum will have 2 special micro cars on display over the holidays; a Goggomobil Dart and a Goggomobil sedan.
The end of an era: Weipa fishing icon leaves a long-lasting legacy
A giant of the Cape York fishing industry has pulled anchor on his long-standing career. Alan “Fish” Philliskirk was a pioneer of the fishing guide business in Cape York – along with a couple of others – and is one of the reasons why Weipa is now one of the most desirable fishing destinations in Australia, if not the world.
Lord Howe Island Board Report
The Lord Howe Island Board Report covers a wide range of key matters relating to the island, including management, Covid-19, projects, infrastructure, engineering, environment and biosecurity.
New Australian Lamb Campaign reunites Australia with the rest of the world
Meat & Livestock Australia’s (MLA) highly anticipated Australian Lamb Summer Campaign is back in a new TV commercial that celebrates Australia reuniting with the rest of the world after years of isolation.
World first: EV fast charger on the Nullarbor fuelled by used chip oil – Plugging the gap between WA and SA
BiØfil is a world-first fast charging system for Electric Vehicles (EVs) that is fully off-grid, self-contained and powered by used chip (vegetable) oil, a waste product ... “We’ve been isolated from the rest of Australia for too long, so once borders open up, BiØfil means all vehicles can travel across the Nullarbor, EVs included”: Jon Edwards, BiØfil inventor and retired engineer.
151 Denmark people won’t be home for Christmas
A total of 151 Denmark people, aged one year to 87, are homeless or live in caravans, sheds, vehicles, tents, in overcrowded housing, sleep rough or couch surf. The number is expected to swell by 22 per cent by the end of the year due to people living in insecure housing ... more than 30 people were applying for each rental vacancy in Denmark, rents were ‘sky-high’, families were leaving Denmark and businesses were closing or reducing operating hours because of the staff shortage.
Arts markets forty years young
Serena Kirby. This December marks 40 years since the ï¬rst Denmark Arts Market was held at Berridge Park. What started with just a handful of stallholders and a few locals casually playing music on the grass has grown into a regional drawcard that brings thousands of people to town on market days.
First harvest of biomass crops
Around one thousand trees will be harvested at Yanco this week in the next phase of a critical biomass crops for bioenergy trial. NSW DPI Senior Research Scientist, Dr Fabiano Ximenes, said the harvest operation would provide important insights into expected productivity of the trees and their potential benefits in terms of carbon sequestration and soil nutrient impacts.
Narrandera Koala Art Trail Design Competition now open
The Koala Art Trail Design competition is to encourage creative designs for decorated fibreglass sculptures that will become a feature of a Koala Art Trail. This will be a project proposed by the Tourism Department of the Narrandera Shire Council to increase engagement of visitors and locals within the various tourism and retail businesses. The aim is to create an art trail of 800mm high, decorated fibreglass Koala Sculptures in and around Narrandera.
Pollack Wetlands Indigenous food & fibre day
As part of the UN’s Decade on Nutrition, Western Murray Land Improvement Group (WMLIG) with Forestry Corporation, hosted a field trip to the Pollack Wetlands, food and fibre displays and a barbecue for 40 community members. The visit to the Pollack Swamp Wetlands allowed the community to see first-hand the amazing transformation and rehabilitation of the area from recent watering events, whilst learning about its natural resources.
Whiporie General Store reopens with new owners
The Whiporie shop closed three months ago and left the community having to travel to Casino or Grafton for supplies. On Monday it reopens with new owners. Dianne and her husband Shaun Ashen live in West Bungawalbin. They lost their home in the 2019 bushfires and have since rebuilt. They were looking for an investment property when they saw the shop at Whiporie.
Christmas and community spirit soars in Ulmarra
Emma Pritchard. The streets of Ulmarra were filled with seasonal festivities, joviality and plenty of community spirit over the weekend when the riverside village hosted a special Christmas evening ... President of the Ulmarra Village Inc Steve Pickering, who also owns the Coldstream Gallery in Ulmarra, said local business owners were thrilled to be involved with the event and he estimated upwards of 500 people attended throughout the evening.
Millicent Saleyards saved by community
Sheryl Lowe. Faced with powerful deputations from members of the community at the Special Council meeting on Tuesday 30th November 2021, Wattle Range Council moved a motion to keep the Millicent Saleyards open. The vote was unanimous. The Special Council meeting was scheduled to provide elected members with an update on the operations of the Millicent Saleyards. Included in the agenda was a prepared Millicent Saleyards Review authored by CEO Ben Gower, five deputations and numerous submissions from the public.
Coonawarra cabernet crowned country’s best
Gabrielle Duykers. A Coonwarra winery has won gold in a national wine competition, making history as the first winery outside the Margaret River region to claim the prize ... The prestigious competition saw the Yalumba 2019 'The Menzies' Cabernet Sauvignon take out both the top gold of the Coonawarra Wine Region and the overall trophy for Australia’s finest Cabernet.
New migrants join Naracoorte workforce
Gabrielle Duykers. Teys Naracoorte will welcome 15 new Pacific Island employees this month in an effort to support its cattle processing operations amid changing herd numbers. Teys general manager of corporate affairs John Langbridge said the plant was proud to be a strong employer in the community ... The new migrants will arrive in Naracoorte at a time of peak housing shortages across the region.
Modern mining in Maldon: Porcupine Flat Mill
As you drive towards Bendigo, past Porcupine Village and the dredge, you will see a sign on the left hand side of the road; ‘Octagonal Gold Processing Plant’. This facility, referred to as “the Mill,” is still operational and currently processing ore from Kaiser Reef A1 Gold Mine, located 23 kilometres from Jamieson.
When it rains, it paws for CFA Oscar1 Brigade
A specialist CFA brigade has been called out to two incidents within a week, both involving the rescue of a dog from a mine shaft. Bendigo-based Oscar1 Brigade helped rescue Bruno the Bull-Arab on Sunday 5 December after he’d fallen down a mine shaft at Castlemaine Diggings National Park. Captain Daniel McMahon said it was quite unusual and surprising to receive another call less than six days later, this time to rescue Terry the Kelpie-cross from a mine shaft at Woodend.
Crops yield strong farmland returns
Australian farmland returns continued to outperform, coming in at 12.72% in the 12 months to the end of September, boosted by very strong annual crop farmland numbers. According to the latest quarterly Australian Farmland Index compiled by the Asian Association for Investors in Non-Listed Real Estate Vehicles, income contributed 6.06% and appreciation return 6.38% to the result.
History brought to life
It was an exciting day for Moulamein as officials and locals celebrated the opening of the Moulamein Heritage Village. Situated on the corner of Cedar Avenue and Paterson Street, the former vacant land is now home to some of the district’s historical gems. Locals pursued a vision to construct the historical village for visitors and locals to enjoy with the added benefit of doubling as a venue space for events, weddings and music concerts.
One of the town’s oldest pubs is sold to a local
With her brother John Bligh and Allan Michael, nine years ago Mary Bligh had her sights set on turning the Commercial into a true local pub with no pokies, “bloody good food” and live music featuring local talent. And she did.
Free breakfast serves plenty of community spirit
Emma Pritchard. The delicious smell of sizzling sausages, fried eggs and fresh bread attracted a long queue of people to the 2GF and The Independent free breakfast in Grafton’s Market Square last week. One of the most popular events on the Jacaranda Festival program, the free breakfast is traditionally held on Jacaranda Thursday and serves plenty of community spirit, as well as yummy food.
Building boom set to continue
Geoff Helisma. Last week, Clarence Valley Council (CVC) issued a media release stating that the Clarence Valley is amidst a building boom, based on development applications (DA) approved in the 2020/21 financial year. Clarence Valley Council’s director of environment and planning Adam Cameron said the upward trend had continued into the current financial year, with benefits being seen beyond the building industry.
