Major win for manufacturing delivers Geelong jobs
Victorian Minister for Industry Support and Recovery, Martin Pakula congratulated Hanwha Defense Australia on its successful bid to deliver the Commonwealth’s LAND 8116 program in Victoria, strengthening the state’s defence capabilities and creating 300 highly skilled local jobs in design, engineering and manufacturing.
$1 billion defence contract, sovereign defence manufacturing facility in Geelong announced
The Morrison Government has announced a $1 billion defence contract for new Self-Propelled Howitzers for the Australian Army has been awarded to Hanwha Defense Australia. The contract signing was witnessed by Prime Minister Scott Morrison and President Moon Jae-in of the Republic of Korea. Based in Greater Geelong, the contract will procure Self-Propelled Howitzers and Armoured Ammunition Resupply Vehicles, under the LAND 8116 Phase 1 project.
A new and improved ‘big battery’ for the Darwin-Katherine electricity grid
The tender has been awarded for the 35MVA (megavolt amps) Darwin-Katherine Battery Energy Storage System (DK BESS) – a ‘big battery’ – for the Darwin-Katherine grid, which will deliver cost savings of around $9.8 million per year. The DK BESS is expected to pay for itself in approximately five years ... Hitachi Energy will deliver the major components of the $45 million DK BESS to be built and located at Territory Generation’s Channel Island Power Station.
Artists respond to regenerative farming
The Museum of the Riverina is showcasing the link between artists and regenerative farmers in a new exhibition at the Museum’s Historic Council Chambers site. Earth Canvas touring exhibition explores the creative experiences of both regenerative farmers and artists, their respective engagement with the land, and their vision for a healthier world.
AdBlue shortage not an issue for freight in Cape
A worldwide shortage of a diesel exhaust fluid will soon impact Cape York trucking companies, although freight is unlikely to be impacted ... Simon Tuxworth runs one of the biggest trucking companies in Far North Queensland and said the shortage of AdBlue was a concern for Tuxworth and Woods, but didn’t believe that services would be impacted.
Warilla officially opens new dining space
Warilla Bowls and Recreation Club have officially opened the Lagoon Street Bar + Dining Piazza, transforming the area into a modern and vibrant outdoor space. Fitted with two alfresco dining outlets, a cocktail bar and a children’s playground, Lagoon Street promises to offer a brand new dining experience for members and guests alike.
What’s happening to the jarrah forest?
Jack Bradshaw. Exposing the hypocrisy of the WA government in banning sustainable timber harvesting in native forest but supporting the strip mining of the same forest.
Carbon Count officially launches soil carbon measurement platform globally
Carbon Count has announced that its flagship soil carbon project management software has concluded its beta testing phase and is now available to soil carbon project managers across the globe ... the Australian owned and designed SaaS platform streamlines the entire process of running a soil carbon project into a clear and simple workflow; facilitating the trade of soil carbon credits for agricultural consultancies and their landholder clients.
Limestone Coast Food and Agribusiness Cluster launched
The Limestone Coast Food and Agribusiness was officially launched at Farmer’s Leap ... The Limestone Coast is SA's most diverse food and beverage producing region, the only region in SA that grows and processes meat (beef and lamb), dairy, horticulture and grapes within the region, generating $1,123m of agricultural output, 18% of the State’s agricultural production from 2% of SA’s geographic area.
Remaking the Maldon Town Lamp
Founded and forged in the Victorian Goldfields, the Maldon Town Lamp has been perfectly recreated from the Victorian Gold Rush era, a time where most small towns made their own lamps locally and did so with limited resources.
Shire gets creative to celebrate Christmas
A towering moving sculpture, light shows and late night trading in the heart of Castlemaine, lead Mount Alexander Shire Council’s invitation to residents to step out and celebrate the year’s end ... From Wednesday 8 December until Tuesday 4 January Taradale artist, Alex Sanson’s towering kinetic sculpture Spherophyte, will fold and unfold in hypnotic motion in Victory Park, Castlemaine.
Little bit of our heart and soul in Jericho winner
Russell Healy. What a race. What a concept. What a result, the Maher Eustace trained Wil John powered over the top of Budd Fox after the gruelling 4600m contest to claim the fourth running of the Jericho Cup. Here at the farm, we cheered harder than most, having bred and sold both his dam and grand dam.
Early Christmas gift for groups from your local IGA
Yesterday representatives of the local soccer club, Lions Club and the CWA were each presented with $800 cheques from the IGA Community Chest to assist them with their activities, and all recipients were very thankful for the gift.
Rail trail concerns process and outcome
Sheryl Lowe. “So, you can imagine our dismay upon receiving a letter from Mr. Munivenkata Krishna Sunkappa Reddappa advising us that the rail trail has been funded and contracts let, asking us if we had any concerns. Surely it was a bit late in coming after years of design, funding applications and tenders and contracts finalised. Any concerns the affected ratepayers may have had should have been addressed long before now.”
Rare, abundantly earthy elemental probe
Wayne Hawthorne. This region is about to participate in a strategic, independent, and sustainable resource of heavy rare earth elements that are essential for future economies. Probus members learnt of this developing potential when Rick Pobjoy of Australian Rare Earths spoke.
Farmers buy Western District net zero aggregation from US giant
US-backed agricultural investment firm Laguna Bay is selling the Woorndoo Aggregation broadacre cropping portfolio in Victoria’s Western District for about $70 million to two local farming families. It marks the next step in Laguna Bay’s selldown of its Australian assets, arriving one year after it offloaded Banongill Station, also in the Western District, for $80 million to a consortium of local farming families.
Forrest snaps up Australia’s best boutique hotel
Mining billionaire Andrew “Twiggy” Forrest and his wife Nicola have expanded their lifestyle portfolio, with the Margaret River’s Cape Lodge Hotel the latest acquisition for their investment firm Tattarang.
New book for rural, regional & remote women in business
A brand-new book is currently in the pipeline, featuring 16 amazing rural, regional and remote women in business. ‘Rural Business Women – Inspiration and advice to grow your business from regional Australia’, aims to inspire and offer advice to other rural women who are thinking of, or have already started, a business from a rural, regional or remote area of Australia.
Abalone season starts this Saturday for recreational fishers
Abalone season starts this Saturday for licensed recreational fishers in the West Coast zone extending from Moore River to the Busselton jetty ... Due to an increase in sea surface temperatures in recent years, the sustainable recreational catch target range of 25 tonnes to 29 tonnes has been set for the 2021-22 season.
Winemaker awarded ‘Riverina Legend’
Second-generation winemaker Bill Calabria AM has been recognised as the 2021 Riverina Legend at this year’s Riverina Wine Show following his namesake winery’s sweeping of the competition with a total of six trophies and the award for most successful exhibitor for the third consecutive year. Mr Calabria has been a notable figure in the Riverina since first working for the family’s winery at the age of 14.
Cancellation of popular events ‘disappointing’
Rockliffe Winery’s summer events, six in all, have been cancelled, a move which both the Shire of Denmark and winery owner Steve Hall call disappointing ... Via an email he received ... from the Shire, Mr Hall was informed that 30 days was necessary for an event application to be lodged because he did not have an event-approved venue ... Mr Hall has been running events at the winery for 18 years ...
Dog-friendly forest trail completed
The new dog-friendly loop trail of the Harewood State Forest on Scotsdale Road, Denmark is finished ... The project was awarded to Monkey Rock MTB Co, a new trail building company in Denmark. Monkey Rock has specialised in building mountain bike trails and this was their first walk trail project.
