Innovative Australian food and agri startups invited to apply for international Rabobank FoodBytes! 2021 pitch competition
Innovative Australian food and agri startups have the opportunity to showcase their businesses on the world stage by applying for a spot on this year’s international FoodBytes! Pitch program. FoodBytes! is global agribusiness bank Rabobank’s food and agriculture innovation platform – designed to drive collaboration between startups, corporate leaders, investors and farmers as part of a major international program to help address food system challenges.
Digital Innovation and Smart Agriculture (DISA) Festival 2021 – tickets now on sale!
The digital potential of regional economies, communities and industry will be the key focus of a trailblazing festival being held in Greater Hamilton. Tickets are now on sale for next month’s Digital Innovation and Smart Agriculture (DISA) 2021 Festival, with participants encouraged to take advantage of the earlybird 10% discount which ends May 11.
Toodyay achieves ‘wildflower – friendly’ town status
The Shire of Toodyay is one of the two WA towns to have achieved ‘wildflower-friendly’ status as a result of the 2020-21 Wildflower Friendliness Award Scheme. The scheme encourages local governments to protect WA’s valuable wildflowers and native vegetation along roads and in nature reserves for visitors and locals to enjoy. WA has one of the largest display of wildflowers with more than 12,000 species – which is a unique selling point for the State.
Joint venture puts waste collection in local hands
Jai-Mec Rural Contracting has joined forces with Remondis to create new company Red Earth Industrial Services ... Sandra Kirk, who runs Jai-Mec with husband Jai Christie, said Indigenous employment was one of the priorities under the Red Earth Industrial Services structure. The longer-term goal is that Red Earth Industrial Services will flourish into a diversified industrial business, offering a variety of additional services which may include sand blasting, painting and electrical work.
Bring them ashore: Weipa Town Authority chair concerned for welfare of crew
Weipa Town Authority chairman Michael Rowland says officials must move quickly to bring the 20 men stranded on a cargo vessel to Weipa and take care of them here. Another crew member left the ship last week, taking the number to 20 on board, from 22 originally. Movers 3 has been anchored off the Port of Weipa for seven weeks and needs major repairs for it to be seaworthy. Mr Rowland said it was now a humanitarian issue and urged the relevant authorities to intervene.
Letter to Tennant & District Times Editor from NT Water Controller
Jo Townsend. On 8 April 2021, I as the Northern Territory Controller of Water Resources, granted a water extraction licence to Fortune Agribusiness Pty Ltd to develop an intensive 3,500 hectare horticultural project on Singleton Station, in the Western Davenport Water Allocation Plan area. The licence provides up to 12,788 mega litres per year at commencement and increases to 40,000 megalitres per year at full development. The licence is the largest groundwater allocation granted in the Northern Territory and has been issued for a 30-year term.
The Winemaker – Many obstacles face the new producer
Many wine enthusiasts have dreamed of producing their own wine. They dream of walking among the vines, of family weekends at the vineyard, of the pride of serving one’s own label wine to friends, of winning show medals and accolades from the press. Tell them they’re dreaming.
Time to stop the Great Panic
Bad decisions are made when people are in a panic and a lot of bad decisions have been made since the advent of Covid-19. Indeed, the responses to Covid-19 seem to have been driven by a desire to 'look tough and organised', as exemplified by the myriad of often 'extreme' lockdowns and the closure of our international borders. Generally unknown-about public health regulations lurking in obscure Acts of the Parliaments around Australia have armed politicians and health bureaucrats with previously unheard of amounts of power over our daily lives.
Alliance Airlines eyes Rockhampton as new home
Rockhampton Airport has today welcomed one of Alliance Airlines new commercial aircraft with a special water cannon salute to mark its arrival. The Embraer E190 is one of 30 newly acquired aircraft Alliance is adding to its regional fleet with an exciting proposal on the cards to build a hangar and maintenance facility at Rockhampton Airport to help service the airlines entire fleet of over 70 aircraft.
Opinion – Native forests of NSW north coast
Steve Dobbyns. The native forests of the north coast of NSW are not just the backdrop for an idyllic seaside lifestyle for its 1.7 million residents, they also sustain a hardwood timber industry that has been in existence for more than 150 years ... The 2019/20 Black Summer bushfires have emerged as a tipping point for the hardwood timber industry on the NSW north coast.
Music for the soul
Can you quantify the impact music has had on your life? Don Hearn from Caldwell near Barham believes music is intrinsic to our DNA and is enjoyed in every culture, and in every country around the world and he is looking to share the unity that music brings to us all ... Noteworthy’s aim is to repurpose pre-loved guitars or the like and provide them to people around the globe.
Primed for the biggest ag show in the region
Norco Primex director Bruce Wright is ready for the event to roll next month. With all necessary covid measures in place, he is confident this will be the best Primex yet ... Norco Primex calls itself “Australia’s sustainable farm and primary industries exhibition” and says it offers a complete paddock to plate experience where farmers & foodies meet.
Market by the sea
Every Friday afternoon stalls selling honey, fruit, vegetables and cinnamon doughnuts are set up close to the beach in the surf club car park. This is Evans Head and the market here is like no other.
Food for Thought waste campaign
A new campaign is set to make a big difference in helping to reduce waste and provide more food security for our region. NE Waste in collaboration with Councils, Northern Rivers Food, Northern Rivers Area Health Service, NSW Environment Protection Authority and the Love Food Hate Waste Program, have been working to address issues around food waste, nutrition, food security and sustainability.
Councils combine to look at broad tourism strategy
A tourism strategy revolving around events in Cape York will be rolled out this year as part of a joint initiative from councils in the region. The Cape York and Torres Strait Regional Events Strategy is an initiative of the Torres and Cape Indigenous Councils Alliance (TCICA). The strategy aims to increase tourism on the Cape and in the Torres Strait by developing frameworks for regional event coordination and event growth.
New business a coup for tourism
Tourists wanting a unique Cape York experience are in for a treat this year following the launch of Heartland Helicopters in Weipa. Local pilot Bevan Duke has added a four-seater Robinson R44 to the fleet, which will allow him to offer scenic heli-fishing tours and scenic flights.
Another bank bites the dust
Kirstin Nicholson. Cohuna has lost another of its bank branches with the closure of the ANZ Bank on March 19. It is the third bank branch to close its doors in recent years, following in the footsteps of the Commonwealth Bank and Bendigo Bank. The NAB is the only bank branch still operating in the district. Staff from the branch have been relocated to neighbouring towns or have taken packages.
Burnout series on track at Brobena
Motorsport fans had their popular Easter Brobenah Burnout Championships canned for the second time due to COVID. But the not-for-profit organisation, Brobenah Burnouts, is aiming to stage a three round championship series, kicking off next month, and are also concentrating on raising funds for a new burnout pad.
Rod Run hailed a spectacular event
Nicholas Rupolo. Narrandera’s first major COVID-Safe event has passed with flying colours and organisers deeming the 2021 Easter Rod Run as a spectacular weekend. Organiser Steve Alldrick has applauded visitors and rodders for supporting the 36th annual Narrandera Rod Run and helping the local community and its businesses thrive. The event was boosted by the State Government’s announcement that outdoor restrictions had been lifted.
Laments at loss of stores
Target Country store in Casino has closed. John Hamilton photographed workers taking down the sign at the Coles Plaza last Wednesday. Next month Price Busters will move into the shop vacated by Target. Not everyone is happy about the lack of a clothing store in Casino, especially one that sells affordable children’s clothing.
Planes were chocka and eyes were on world champion event
Chocolate eggs rained from the skies at Casino Airport on the weekend. Tyson and Kevin Dodd, who have a property at Dyraaba and live in Sydney, organised the event with NSW Aeromodellers. There were 120 aircraft and owners travelled from Queensland and Victoria to be at the Richmond Valley Casino Airport Fly In ... NSW Aeromodellers saw the fly in as a test run for a much bigger event in 2023.
Buzzing with excitement to educate their community
Emma Pritchard. Let it bee known, Grafton couple Ken and Carol Faulkner are extremely passionate about the Clarence Valley’s native bees, and they are dedicated to educating their community, particularly children, about the important roles these humble flying insects play in the environment and how we can all help to keep their population buzzing.
