Business

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has advised the Armidale Regional Council (ARC) that the $5.4m grant received to build the first stage of the New England Rail Trail has been withdrawn. NEMA is the Federal Labour Government body tasked with administering the Black Summer Bushfire Recovery Program (BSBR).

Lockyer Valley Fruit & Vegetable Processing Company Limited (‘Lockyer Valley Foods’), the circular economy fruit and vegetable processing facility, has launched a $50M Series A funding round to begin construction ... Founder and CEO Colin Dorber said the Lockyer Valley – known as ‘Australia’s salad bowl’ – is vital to Australia’s food security ... ARR.News interviewed Chair Murray Chatfield to find out more about the facility, the only one of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere.

Bovaer is getting a lot of attention – and not the good kind. Bovaer is a feed additive for cattle – including some used to supply milk and beef sold at Coles supermarkets. Why? Because Bovaer reduces cattle methane emissions (in burps) significantly. Bovaer is made using silicon dioxide, propylene glycol and the organic compound 3-nitroxypropanol (known as 3-NOP).

Keith Castle, now aged 93, was one of the most influential figures in The Centre’s budding tourism industry. Editor Erwin Chlanda picked some gems from his 164 page memoir about the people who devoted their lives to developing the region’s visitor industry. They are only a handful of men and women but they all had skin in the game ... Governments barely get a mention.

Australian Rural & Regional News believe that the standard of some media releases now is such that an added notice is called for on each to remind our readers that the release is the statement of the author given and that media releases vary in reliability and may contain a combination of fact, aspirational statements, opinion, political commentary and even error.

Southern Downs Regional Council is inviting community feedback on a proposal to increase the maximum short-term camping stay at the Washpool Reserve, Leslie Dam from three nights to seven. Popular with campers and day visitors, the 24-acre reserve is a haven for nature enthusiasts and outdoor adventurers, offering access to a range of recreational activities and breathtaking scenery.

Alex Morrison. The Prime Minister has begun an anti-bullying campaign. It’s welcome. He could start right at home with his own government who are allowing TCV to bully farmers in this district into accepting the power lines that come with wind turbines. Their treatment of affected landholders along VNI West power line route is a disgrace, the so-called negotiations and compensation offers are a farce.

A captivating chapter of Tasmania's industrial heritage - a story of history, engineering, and environmental stewardship that celebrates innovation and resilience in Tasmania's wild west ...The story culminates  with the  remarkable Lake Margaret Hydroelectric Power Scheme - a testament to ingenuity and the enduring legacy of wooden pipelines.

Together with family members, hundreds of friends and admirers packed the Donald Anglican Church and surrounds ... for the service celebrating the remarkable life of legendary sports therapist, the late Pat Allen. The service was conducted by the Rev. Judi Bird, who spoke feelingly of the difference made by Pat to the lives of people from near and far.

Birchip is aglow with holiday cheer as the town sparkles under dazzling Christmas lights and festive decorations ... There is another exciting reason to keep it local this festive season, with over $3000 worth of Big Bucks and prizes up for grabs in the annual Birchip Big Bucks Promotion.

Ian Riley. Once again, I have been trying the patience of the friendly helpers at the museum … this time I’m in the printing exhibit. Assuming that you’ve picked up a hard copy of the TT [Tarrangower Times], just have a look at what is in front of you, a newspaper Duh! Ok, where is this heading?  

Maldon Bakery was selected winner of a 2024 Golden Plate Award in the Unlicensed Café or Bakery section at a gala dinner on Monday 2 December. Maldon Bakery always rises to the occasion with its magnificent baked goods, served with a smile in a lovely environment: everyone in the local area knows it!

A smart irrigation system powered by artificial intelligence will tell sugarcane farmers when and where to water their crops in an advance that could one day revolutionise agriculture – and help preserve the health of the Great Barrier Reef.

This Christmas, the spotlight is on the 17,390 local businesses across the Toowoomba region, as Groom’s Gifts, spearheaded by Groom MP Garth Hamilton, returns for 2024. Groom’s Gifts supports small businesses and rewards shoppers in the lead-up to Christmas.

NSW Crown Lands has employed the NSW Department of Works to create a Cloud Point Survey via Photogrammetry using drones, GPS Satellite terrestrial laser scanning within five millimetres of accuracy in preparation for major restoration works at the historic Dome Pavilion at the Narrandera Showground.

Communities from across the Riverina region are being urged to get behind their local volunteer finalists for the 2024 NSW Volunteer of the Year Awards to be held in Sydney on Tuesday December 10. They include the Riverina Volunteer Team of the Year the Barellan Working Clydesdales Committee.

Electricity distributor AusNet has spent almost $60 million on vegetation management and maintenance programs in the last 12 months, to prepare the network ready for summer. AusNet Executive General Manager Distribution, Andrew Linnie, said it’s important that the network is ready for severe weather events.

Tangible progress has been made with the Local Development Strategy (LDS) ‘Innovation Upper Murray’, with several opportunities now at Stage 3 of the process - developing projects, with community members and experts, through Innovation Working Groups (IWG).

“Customer-owned banks offer a powerful counterpoint to the investor-owned banking model, but it's important that regulators understand this difference when they create rules for the banking industry. We believe this dominance has led to a view of ‘investor owned’ by default in policy and decision-making, and we are hoping this review will result in a more balanced and nuanced approach to regulation”: Customer Owned Banking Association CEO Michael Lawrence.

Herd contraction in the world’s four largest beef-producing nations – the US, Brazil, China and Europe – is expected to lead to the first reduction in global beef supply since the Covid-19 pandemic, altering trade flows in the year ahead, Rabobank says in a recently-released research report. In its latest (Q4) Global Beef Quarterly, titled Navigating declining global production, uncertainty in 2025 … Brazil and the US are likely to lead declines in beef production next year.

Greyhound Australia reveals its top ten locations for travellers in 2024. Brisbane has retained its crown as the most-visited destination in Australia for coach travellers in 2024, highlighting the River City's appeal and popularity among tourists from around the world.

Anne Longworth bowed out as the final president of Bishop’s Lodge Management Committee last Wednesday when the final meeting took place after the last of Hay Shire Council’s Section 355 museum committees was dissolved. This reluctant step was taken at the request of the committee due to the chronic volunteer fatigue experienced in Hay over the last few years.