Pony Club trials and combined training day
Midland Zone Pony Club held a trials and combined training day at the Charlton Pony Club grounds on Sunday, March 30. With low rider numbers at the Charlton Pony Club, it was excellent to see the grounds and wonderful facilities being used by roughly sixty entrants from within the Midland catchment zone.
Vintage cars at Wooroonook
On Sunday, March 30, a number of the North Central Vintage Car Club could be found on the banks of Lake Wooroonook, enjoying a meeting, lunch and celebrating an 80th birthday anniversary of one of its founding members.
Another cruel hoax
The Federal Government’s callous disregard for rural, regional and remote Australians is on full display in the final business hours before a potential federal election is called, Member for Mallee Dr Anne Webster said, after the Aged Care Minister announced an impossible timeline to save regional aged care home care services.
ZNE-Ag CRC launches project to focus on low-cost methane measurement from livestock
Australian farmers are set to benefit from groundbreaking technologies that will enable cost effective methane measurement in livestock. Zero Net Emissions Agriculture Cooperative Research Centre (ZNE-Ag CRC) ... launched the first project in its research portfolio.
Tragic death highlights health flaws
Michelle Daw. The harrowing story of an elderly man with a traumatic head injury who died after being sent home from hospital brought the problems plaguing local health into sharp relief at the health inquiry hearing in Wallaroo.
Research outputs – Talk about logging but don’t talk about national parks: SETA
Peter Rutherford, SETA. It is difficult to know how to respond to Professor Lindenmayer’s most recent comments, when he continues to focus on areas subject to timber harvesting and appears to ignore the fact that 855,310 hectares of the iconic Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area was burnt by bushfires in 2019-20. This is over 16 per cent of the total area burnt in NSW in 2019-20.
David Lindenmayer fails to engage with real-world fire dynamics: Robert Onfray
Rather than engaging with the complexities of fire dynamics, Professor Lindenmayer relies on statistical modelling that confuses correlation with causation, ignores field-based studies that contradict his claims, and overgeneralises the impact of logging without considering key variables such as fuel management and fire suppression efforts.
Health inquiry visits
Michelle Daw, Rachel Hagan. About 130 people attended the meeting held at Yorketown Town Hall ... and around 60 went to the Wallaroo Town Hall meeting ... with many individuals and representatives from organisations making passionate and sometimes heartbreaking presentations.
Speaking words of wisdom – Glenn Capelli
Glenn Capelli is a globetrotting professional speaker with a long career that’s seen him travel to 33 countries to do presentations ... our conversation was long and full of learning and included Glenn’s observation that today’s world places too much emphasis on “big dreams and end goals”.
India’s economic awakening: The game-changer for WA’s sheep industry
Omika Upadhayay. India, the world’s most overlooked economic success story, is on the cusp of a transformation that could have profound implications for Western Australia’s sheep industry.
Making macadamias tasty at Nuts End (Highland cows not included)
You’d be nuts not to get excited about the Highland cows at Peta Maloney’s property Nuts End at Hogarth Range ... Peta has the cattle as an addition to her main farm business of macadamias.
Hard Talk: Top election issues
Healthcare, infrastructure, the rising cost of living and government waste are among the key concerns impacting voters in regional towns like Naracoorte in the South East ... In this edition of Hard Talk, The [Naracoorte] News spoke with several political leaders to gain insight into the major election topics that could determine the outcome.
SA’s first full rural medical degree launched
For the first time in South Australia’s history, aspiring doctors can complete their entire medical degree in regional communities, thanks to Flinders University’s new South Australia Rural Medical Program. Sixty students – including 30 in Mount Gambier – have begun their studies in the landmark program, which is designed to address the critical shortage of doctors in regional, rural, and remote areas.
Road to research: Two dads – same mission
When positive change is needed in the world, it takes the most determined of characters and the most passionate of hearts to think big, then think bigger again, and then dig deep to make a difference. The two local Allora Dads have set one such bold challenge for themselves - in September this year, Max Mason and James Turner plan to cycle from Lourdes in France...
The nature of art
Visiting an art gallery might seem like something that only tourists do, but there’s nothing stopping locals from enjoying art in their own town. Indeed, the current exhibition at Cascade Art Gallery, featuring etchings and paintings by John Wolseley, suggests that art and local galleries are part of an ecosystem to which we all belong.
Rugby heavyweights ruck n’ roll into Coffs Harbour
NSW Rugby reps have started rolling into the area ahead of the inaugural Coffs Coast Festival of Rugby that is set to light up the City of Coffs Harbour ... Some 2,000 tickets to the extravaganza at the C.ex Coffs International Stadium on Saturday 5 April have already been snapped up.
National rally moves to FarmFest site
The 19th National Heritage Machinery Rally, to be held from 23 to 25 August 2025, has been moved from the Jondaryan Woolshed to Kingsthorpe Park, the home of FarmFest. This year's Steaming Under the Southern Cross event, taking place from 25 to 31 August, will incorporate the National Historical Machinery Association's rally.
Haines gives tax cuts and health funding a tick
Independent Federal Member for Indi, Helen Haines, has welcomed tax cuts and funding to deliver more training places for doctors in regional Australia under key announcements in Tuesday’s federal Budget. Dr Haines’ advocacy for a Commonwealth injection of funding into the regional healthcare workforce was substantially reflected in the 2025-2026 budget.
Sizzle to return to beef prices as market is set to reach a “new norm”
There are golden times ahead for the nation's cattle producers with a "new norm" of 630c/kg liveweight for feeder steers next year as the markets enter a seven-year period of stability. Market analyst Simon Quilty ... forecast 2026 average prices to reach 630c/kg liveweight for feeder steers...
Wakool Sheep Races bleating successful
Crowds flocked to Wakool for the Annual Sheep Races on Saturday night. Frocks, fleeces and fine attire all made their way onto the ground to watch the sold-out races. Track conditions were favourable, the firm but forgiving ground boded well for competitive racing action.
Bolitho pushes for fair deal in renewable red-carpet walkover
Last week, the Gannawarra Shire Council meeting birthed the first real progress in moving forward with a vision of true community benefit to the transmission lines driving the industrial energy developments within Gannawarra. It’s not the first time a Councillor has asked tough questions on the validity of the community benefit of the projects and sought cheap power.
Failure to transmit the truth in Australia energy future
Affordable, reliable and efficient energy production is a cornerstone of a prosperous nation, but Speakers at a free community energy forum in Moulamein last Wednesday believe that short-term energy politics is leading to a long-term disaster. Aidan Morrison from the Centre for Independent Studies has a background in physics, data science and software development, and believes that Australia’s renewable energy transition, underpinned by the Integrated System Plan (ISP) and CSIRO’s Gen Cost Report, is doomed to fail ...
