Business

For the month of February, if you have an interest in hairdressing and are between the ages of 11 and 17, you have the chance to participate in a program provided by the Deadly Hair Dude in collaboration with Julalikari, who managed to win a grant from the Department of Health to bring the program to Tennant Creek as a part of the Alcohol and Other Drugs initiative.

Maldon will once again host an event where classic steel bicycles are displayed and ridden. Whether it is an early piece of cycling history from the 1800s, or a more recent steel frame from those artisans still producing steel bikes, it is hoped there will be a solid representation across the eras.

Chinchilla will be home to the region’s first micro-brewery tourist experience following Western Downs Regional Council’s approval of an expansion of a popular tourist park in the area, Clover Hill Accommodation and Camping.

Jeff Hanson. A sense of deja vu must have swept over the Narrandera Rodeo Club committee on Friday night, with organisers reluctantly deciding to cancel their 2022 rodeo ... the hard-working committee was expecting a bumper crowd for a big night of thrills and spills but for the second year in a row, the Covid-19 pandemic has reared its ugly head.

"During COVID, supply chains almost ground to a complete halt and exposed Australia’s reliance on the import of key inputs including urea. Many Australians would be shocked to learn the nation imports 90% of its urea, the most commonly used fertiliser in agriculture. Without urea, crop production would fall 30-40%" : National Farmers Federation Chief Executive, Tony Mahar.

The Australian Government’s Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility (NAIF) has committed $255 million for critical infrastructure supporting the Perdaman Urea Project in Western Australia. The $4.3 billion project located 20 kilometres north-west of Karratha will convert Australian gas into approximately two million tonnes of urea per year.

Strike Energy Limited has been granted Major Project Status for Project Haber, its $3 billion urea manufacturing facility in the Narngulu Industrial Area, near Geraldton, Western Australia. The project will produce up to 1.4 million tonnes per annum of urea from clean hydrogen and natural gas.

The popular Eat the Street Festival will return to Lismore’s CBD on Sunday, 29 May after it was cancelled last year due to COVID-19 ... Since its inception in 2016, Eat the Street has quickly become an iconic Northern Rivers festival, showcasing the regions’ finest food vendors and entertaining tens of thousands of people.

Fortescue Future Industries is acquiring an interest in Sparc Hydrogen Pty Ltd, a company which has an exclusive licence to develop and commercialise next-generation green hydrogen technology created by the University of Adelaide and Flinders University. Sparc Hydrogen is researching technology which would see green hydrogen produced by only sunlight and water (photocatalytic water splitting coupled with solar radiation), instead of renewable energy and electrolysis.

The WA State Government has endorsed a revised Port of Port Hedland development plan to support proponents' throughput aspirations and maximise exports from Australia's busiest bulk export port.

Bentley came to the Richmond Valley Council office in Casino on February 1. Holding their placards, the Bentley Our Sustainable Future group came on the final day of submissions for the development application of Bentley Quarry.

After an oversubscribed capital raise, Australia’s leading-edge envirotech company, Patriot Hydrogen, is working full steam towards installing the first-ever Patriot unit in mid-2022 at Kimberley Clean Energy’s Kilto Station project near Broome, Western Australia. The modular hydrogen production unit will form part of Kimberley Clean Energy’s fossil fuel substitution strategy, with plans to add a hydrogen system in the next stage.

International ships arriving in Australian waters will see a change in how they manage biofouling in 2022. DAWE Deputy Secretary Andrew Tongue said a change in biofouling policy would have flow-on effects for international shipping.

The top 20 hottest beaches for 2022 have been announced. “The 2022 list covers every state and territory, with a selection of our most spectacular beaches that will inspire and excite holiday makers all over Australia and the world" Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment Dan Tehan.

The countdown to the 2022 barramundi season is well and truly on with keen anglers across the Rockhampton region and country ready to wet a line and chase their New Year barra personal bests (PB’s) from the 1st of February. Rockhampton Region Mayor Tony Williams said the number of trophy Barra over the magic metre in length continues to grow each season.

Western Australia's clear skies are ideal for high-quality astronomical observation and have long been a destination for both scientific and recreational stargazers. The policy sets out to preserve and protect the night sky through limiting light and dust pollution, while signalling support for astrotourism - an emerging niche within the local tourism market - with countless opportunities across the State.

New penalties will be in place in the coming weeks for non-electric vehicle owners who illegally park in an electric vehicle (EV) charging bay in Queensland. Transport and Main Roads Minister (Qld) Mark Bailey said the issue had been a pain point for the rapidly increasing number of Queensland EV drivers.

In August last year the new managers, Belgravia Leisure, said major upgrades would transform the Guilderton General Store into a clean, fresh and modern beachside café and general store offering essential grocery and travel supplies for Guilderton residents and tourists visiting the region.

The Museum has had a number of donations recently ... The most recently donated item, in January 2022, is an original 1795 lithograph of Admiral,   Lord Howe – from whom, of course, the island gets its name.

Gabrielle Duykers. A 180-year-old homestead in the heart of Naracoorte will undergo repairs and a revamp before it begins its new life as a bed and breakfast. Dartmoor Homestead was built in four stages between 1842 and 1890. The three-acre property is home to Naracoorte’s first dwelling – a small cottage nestled behind the homestead – built by George Ormerod in 1840.

If elected, Labor’s Power to the People community battery plan will invest $200 million to install 400 community batteries across the country, which will cut power bills, reduce emissions, create jobs by boosting renewable energy and will cut power bills for families and businesses by $275 a year by 2025.