Business

Following the cancellation of Shenhua’s plans to mine on the Liverpool Plains, work is underway to regenerate the land for the benefit of the community and the environment ... While some land has been sold to farmers, a 6,300ha parcel of land has been kept in public hands and is being managed by Local Land Services under a biodiversity project known as The Waratah Project.

Shitbox Rally Spring 2023 – Port Douglas, Qld to Adelaide, SA via Birdsville. 500 people in teams of two will leave Port Douglas on Saturday 14th October 2023 in the morning. Then after 7 days of driving over 3,000kms on dusty, mostly unsealed roads they will cross the finish line in Adelaide, SA on Friday 20th October…..however, some cars simply won’t make it.

Solutions to the nation’s growing energy crisis, which has seen Australian electricity bills rise by up to 20 per cent over the past 12 months, were debated by energy experts, industry leaders and rural and regional representatives in a first-of-its-kind outback energy forum in Mount Isa ... Katter’s Australian Party (KAP) Leader and Traeger MP Robbie Katter’s Mount Isa Nuclear Power Forum saw dozens converge in the industrial city that is surrounded by “legally un-mineable” uranium deposits. 

Australia’s hay market is exceeding expectations with suppliers being urged to make hay now to meet demand. Feed Central predicts strong demand for hay and straw throughout the 2024 financial year as buyers cope with dry El Nino conditions. The export market has opened with high prices and these are expected to remain strong across the season.

Patrick Goldsmith. They came in their thousands to celebrate 150 years of the Edithburgh jetty across Saturday and Sunday ... Those who had wandered down the street, or driven from further away, to join the celebrations were met with a hive of activity, including shearing and diving demonstrations, museum open days and market stalls offering an array of food and drink options.

Excitement is building for this year’s Dunolly Gold Rush Festival to be held on Saturday 21 and Sunday 22 October. The weekend will kick off on Saturday 21 October with the Dunolly Gold Rush Music Festival ... There will be a variety of stalls, prizes, great music in the Rotunda, the favourite “Hold the Gold” competition, Festival merchandise sales, displays of classic cars ...

Six men stand on chunky logs; axes poised in the air. It is the woodchop final at the Kyogle Show on Saturday, October 7 ... The winner is James Livingstone from Fairy Hill. James puts his win down to the “exceptionally good wood” which was flooded gum.

Filling up the car is more expensive than ever. Unleaded fuel prices across the country have risen with most seeing a litre of petrol going over $2. In NSW today, Fuel Check listed the most expensive unleaded fuel was at Coles Express in Tweed Heads.

The Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) (Queensland Section) is marking the momentous 80-year anniversary of its Charleville Base this October. Established in 1943, the Charleville Base services a waiting room of more than 622,000 square kilometres, connecting the residents of this significant South-West Queensland region to leading, and often lifesaving, health services ... As part of the 80-year anniversary, the RFDS (Qld) will also celebrate the individual 20-year anniversary of two of its nurses, Joanne Mahony and Diane Dowrick.

The Sunshine Coast faces one of its most threatening fire seasons but now has a world-leading tool to help safeguard people, properties, and our natural assets. Developed by local company exci (formerly Fireball International), this AI-assisted program analyses satellite images and on-ground cameras to swiftly spot heat and smoke.

Spotlight on Byron – a long-standing highlight of the Byron Bay Film Festival – hails the work of Northern Rivers filmmakers in a showcase of nine films to be screened at the iconic Brunswick Picture House. The diverse talent on display never fails to amaze BBFF’s audiences, and Spotlight on Byron provides an opportunity for filmmakers to have their work shown on the big screen for friends, family, and the whole community.

The Wallaby Creek Festival 2023, held from September 22 to 24 at Shipton’s Flat Road in Rossville, Tropical North Queensland, proved to be an overwhelming success, marking its 21st anniversary in grand style. Festival Director Jen Midgely expressed her delight, saying, “This year’s Wallaby Creek Festival has been a phenomenal celebration of music, art, and community.

Alyssa Walker. An empty throne; a kingless crown; a floating title. It’s been a long 35-years for Jim Russell and Sue Hart atop the rocky seat of Mount Wycheproof, but, last Saturday, that reign came to an end. Word spread quickly about the ruler usurped, and, with the crown up for grabs, people flooded into the home of the Demons, sights hungrily set on claiming the title of the next King and Queen of the Mountain.

The year is 1979. How’s business? ... “It was like a corner store, a general store. Sold everything food wise, from ice cream to groceries, veggies ... And I bought the shop on condition I got the recipe for the ice blocks" ... Final question, Roger - where is the recipe for these ice blocks?

Over the first weekend in August, Maldon played host to the second Goldfields Gothic Festival of Dark Ideas. The events were well attended and brought hundreds of visitors into town, many of whom had never visited Maldon before ... "Just like our friends at Dark Mofo, we’ve found the existing business model for Goldfields Gothic doesn’t work in the present environment": Festival Director Valentina Tansley.

The Barkly Business Hub has officially opened after an almost $4 million refurbishment of the old Government building on Peko Road, which was a key initiative of the Barkly Regional Deal. The Department of Industry, Tourism and Trade (DITT) and the Department of Chief Minister and Cabinet have already moved in and begun operations.

Transmission Company Victoria (TCV) has ... released the draft corridor for the Victorian component of the VNI West transmission line project. TCV has narrowed the area of interest for the proposed transmission line to width of about 2km.

Robert Onfray. I am not sure many people are fully aware of the massive engineering changes currently underway in our rural landscape. The changes are on a scale never attempted in this country before, and it is swallowing obscene amounts of money for minimal benefit and, indeed, no proof it will improve the climate ... Australian Rural & Regional News will open a page for discussion on this comprehensive and provocative article on the renewable energy transition.

It's been a few seasons since Australian Rural & Regional News found out all about the innovative farm to plate online marketplace, Farmer to Fridge (formerly Half A Cow) from founder James Gilbert. Especially with prices the way they are, it's timely to find out how this young business is travelling, and what it has to offer meat producers and meat eaters too.

The Queensland Farmers’ Federation (QFF) are pleased to announce the expansion of their free energy saving program, Energy Southern Queensland (EnergySQ), to the Toowoomba and Western Downs regional council areas ... The expansion of the program will now give access to farms in all four regional councils areas supported to develop an Energy and Carbon Action Plan specific to their operation.