Business

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.

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 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.

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.

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 ...

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.

Perched on the Banks of the Cygnet River, the Kangaroo Island Racing Club is a proud country racing club, with one of the largest membership bases of any country racing club in South Australia.

Country racing always has a story to tell, but none like King Islands. Situated in the middle of the Western Entrance to Bass Strait. The King Island Racing Club Incorporated should logistically not have survived over 125 years of racing.

This years event will be a little different! We will be hosting a range of new entertainment including, jumping castles, water slides, petting zoo, mechanical bull and so much more! Join us on Friday the 17 of December from 5:00 pm for the festivities!

A shortage of hospitality workers has driven Business NSW to call on the government to change the rules about how much pensioners can earn without it affecting their pension. A Business NSW 2021 Skills Survey data highlighted the deepening staffing crisis across the state with particular concern for regional hospitality businesses.

A flower farm by the Richmond River sounds ideal. Planting and picking daisies, gladioli and sunflowers on a sunny day as the goats and Belted Galloway cows munch grass and a chatty duck wanders the 30 garden beds. It sounds idealistic but it’s a lot of hard work. Suellen Thompson and Gray Pritchett moved from Brisbane in March to the 70ha old dairy farm on the Coraki Woodburn Rd and set up Field and Flower.

John McNamara and Sue Spence. Strolling across the grassy threshold of Pilot Hill towards the lighthouse you feel you are entering a timeless realm steeped in history and unspoilt natural beauty. The stark white tower is a spectacular sight up close, especially when you look up at it against a bright blue sky; it defies its humble beginning. When the Pilot Station was established in 1854 crossing the river bar was a major obstacle to navigation.

Emma Pritchard. Grafton has officially welcomed the newest members of its royal family ... two beautiful ladies and two gorgeous young girls, proudly walked up to the stage in Market Square after their names were read out to formally assume their new roles and begin another chapter in the long and proud history of the Jacaranda Festival.

The NSW Sugar crushing season for 2021 officially finished last week with Harwood Mill taking the final delivery of cane on Monday 29th  November. The crop for the Harwood area totalled around 575,000 tonnes which was down on the original forecast.

The federal government has released draft legislation on the reinsurance pool for cyclones and related flood damage which could bring down costs for Cape York residents ...Member for Leichardt Warren Entsch said it was anticipated more than 500,000 residential, strata and small business property insurance policies in northern Australia were expected to be eligible to be covered by the reinsurance pool.

Despite recent flood and rain damage in the eastern states, the ABARES Agricultural Commodities: December Quarter is forecasting a history-making agricultural gross production value of $78  billion – $5.4  billion more than predicted just a few months ago. The value of agricultural exports is forecast to hit a record $61 billion.

After a year of lockdowns the Moooving Art herd have broken loose to explore the region and the Greater Shepparton Visitor Centre needs your help rounding them up! Wandering away from their usual sites, the cheeky cattle have left behind a list of clues to solve before they return home. The treasure hunt consists of several cow locations around the region including Shepparton, Mooroopna, Merrigum, Murchison, Tatura and Dookie.

The Regional Venue Collective is a co-operative approach to venue management between three venues, the Byron Theatre, The Regent in Murwillumbah and Star Court Theatre in Lismore in the adjoining LGAs of Lismore Shire, Tweed Shire and Byron Shire. The venues have come together to host nominated shows and tours and to incubate the creation of original works to tour the region and further afield.

Earlier this year, Rockhampton Regional Council and Queensland Police Service Rockhampton stood united in support of women’s safety by endorsing a locally run initiative – the OzAngel program. Designed to provide businesses with support and resources, OzAngel offers patrons a discreet way to raise the alarm when they feel unsafe in bars, clubs and hotels.

Motherland Australia has announced enrolments are open for its nation-wide rural mothers group service which will return in 2022. Motherland Village is a six-week personalised program delivered entirely online that matches rural mums to their own small support group. The initiative mobilises mothers from across the country and enables them to form meaningful connections and friendships.

Tasmania’s economy continues to surge as the latest ABS export statistics reveal a record export figure of $4.225 for the 12-months to October 2021. This is 18.6 per cent higher than the previous year and marks a run of three consecutive months when the annual export figures have exceeded the $4 billion mark.