Business

It wasn’t just an impressive variety of model aircrafts which were flying high over the Clarence Valley in recent days with the enthusiasm and enthralment of spectators at the Grafton Model Aircraft Club’s annual Fun Fly Weekend also soaring to new heights.

In a move which calls into question its positioning as the “better big bank”, Bendigo Bank has announced the closure of 10 branches - five in regional communities where they are the last remaining bank branch ... Only a full reversal of this move will protect the 32 full time equivalent roles and the essential service they undertake in their local communities ... including Queenstown in Tasmania, home to the West Coast Wilderness Railway.

Sarah Herrmann. Amid a state government review of regional public transport, a Stansbury resident has shared her travel challenges following two surgeries ... Cheryl Waldron, 68 ... made the trip using Care In Motion's health bus, a not-for-profit transport service ... "I caught it from Stansbury at 6.10 in the morning and got home at 6.30 at night."

Joanna Tucker. Residents in Yorketown and Minlaton have raised concerns about long wait times for blood tests. Stephanie Parsons, of Minlaton, said that, although she did not often need a blood test, she thought the delays others regularly faced were bizarre.

A new showroom displaying Holden heritage vehicles is revving up Gippsland, giving car enthusiasts another reason to visit the region. Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events Steve Dimopoulos was at the Trafalgar Holden Museum to announce that the new showroom, the Neil Joiner Holden Heritage Centre is now open. 

The illegal importation of 62 tonnes of pork and other animal protein from Thailand into Australia proves the urgent need for increased funding and resources for frontline biosecurity services ... a District Court judge sentencing her to a 24-month intensive corrections order and 150 hours of community service ... “The two cases demonstrate that food smugglers can get away with breaching our biosecurity laws too easily and for too long before being found out, and face too small a punishment”: CA Chief Executive, Dr Chris Parker.

Carla Wilshire. I visited Lord Howe Island as a child. I remember the quiet strength of it, the gentle precision of life shaped by tides and cargo, and the sense that everything here moved to its own rhythm ... In the years since, I have come to see Lord Howe not only as a national treasure, but as a case study in resilience under constraint.

The latest Sheep Producers Intentions Survey (SPIS), conducted by Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA) and Australian Wool Innovation (AWI), reveals a significant shift in producer sentiment and flock management strategies across the nation. This shift is being driven by volatile market conditions, extreme weather events, and regulatory changes, most notably the planned phase-out of live sheep exports.

Paul Beltz. The green pick available on swampy land or dried up billabongs and dams may seem a boon for producers during drought and difficult seasonal conditions. However, it’s important to check for toxic weeds and plants in swampy areas ... Toxic plants that might be found in these areas include dock, soursob, fat hen, lesser loosestrife and swamp grass.

Work has started in Stockinbingal on building an accommodation camp for workers on the Illabo to Stockinbingal (I2S) section of Inland Rail. The accommodation camp will provide a home away from home for 350 workers who will be helping build the 39km of new track over the next two years.

Landowners along the Tasmanian North West Transmission Development have overwhelmingly rejected a last-minute strategic benefit payment offer made by the Tasmanian Government. TasFarmers CEO Nathan Calman said the offer delivered at the eleventh hour through TasNetworks broke pre-election commitments made to negotiate in good faith.

After careful consideration of what the NSW Government Budget 2025/26 means for rural, regional and remote Councils, the Country Mayors Association of NSW (CMA) sees a reactionary budget that is fiscally responsible in a time when investment in the regions is needed ... “Overall, not a lot for the CMA in the 2025-26 NSW Budget to be excited about. However, we continue to advocate for equity for rural, regional and remote communities in the State.”

The NT Government is providing a $10m loan to an interstate company for a walk in the Uluru National Park while other publicly funded tourism related projects in The Centre are on hold or merely planned. The conditions of the loan are not readily available. We have asked for them and will report them when and if details are provided by the government.

Dorothy McQueen and Noelene Fuller were 17 year old nurses when they worked at the maternity hospital on Campbell Road, Kyogle in 1959. “I couldn’t count how many babies I’ve delivered,” Ms Fuller said ... Ms Fuller was speaking about the 100th birthday of Kyogle Hospital celebration...

The Minns Government has handed down the NSW State Budget. Here is what is on the cards for communities living in the Back Country... $12.0 million Broken Hill Hospital Emergency Department Upgrade ... Continuing $24.8 million for the Wilcannia Weir Refurbishment Project ...

With the announcement that Bendigo Bank is closing two* of its regional branches at Yarram and Korumburra this week, it’s time to again call bull#%*t on the claims this corporation makes about the size of its branch network ... in deciding to close two of its 75 corporate branches across regional Australia, Bendigo Bank has not selected sites in locations that are well serviced by banks, it is pulling out of towns that rely on it as the only bank left.

The prestigious 2025 Queensland Top Tourism Town Awards were recently held in Brisbane with Stanthorpe winning silver. The announcement, made by the Queensland Tourism Industry Council (QTIC), celebrates communities that offer outstanding visitor experiences and strong tourism leadership.

This is the 31st Annual Frost Bite Rally to be conducted by the Warwick Chapter of the Historical Motorcycle Club of Queensland. The first Rally started at Leslie Dam all those years ago. Riders from Northern New South Wales, Brisbane, Townsville and around South East Queensland arrive for Allora's frosty weather and they won't be disappointed.

RACV welcomes mandatory fuel price reporting but urges the Victorian Government to share pricing data to support more Victorian motorists. RACV this week announced its support for Victoria's proposed Fair Fuel Plan, subject to the data being freely available to all platforms so that fuel price data remains open and accessible through existing consumer platforms.

After the morning fog cleared away, the skies were clear on Saturday 21 June for the Maldon in Winter Bonfire which was even bigger and brighter than last year in every way. A packed train brought hundreds of visitors — many of them families with children — to excitedly walk across from the railway station and through to the back of the Machinery Museum.