Transport

Kendall Jennings. It has been nearly a month since public transport was available from the Kerang Railway Station, halted by the floods. The Swan Hill line was reactivated on Saturday, November 12, running trains for the entire service after the line was inspected and passed last week.

There’s more financial support for Northern Rivers residents who have to travel a long way for specialist medical treatment. The state government recently added $150 million to the Isolated Patients Travel Accommodation Assistance Scheme (IPTAAS) that is for regional patients.

The NSW Government and NRMA charging network has enabled more than 13 million zero emission kilometres – or the distance to the moon and back more than 30 times – of electric vehicle (EV) travel across the state. The impressive milestone was reached as the network continues to expand, with new chargers along the Mitchell Highway at Nyngan and Bourke and out to Brewarrina along the Kamilaroi Highway.

Regional Development Minister Alannah MacTiernan has launched Dive Ningaloo's new dive charter vessel at an official naming ceremony in Exmouth. The newly restored Lady Ningaloo will provide tourists with access to the underwater wonderland of the World Heritage-listed Ningaloo Reef and Muiron Islands.

Patricia Gill. Denmark's first St Ayles Skiff headed through the channel at the Rivermouth on Saturday marking the end of the 10-month community project to build the boat. Organiser David Cliff reflected on the project, quoting Ratty telling Mole in Kenneth Grahame’s classic children’s novel, Wind in the Willows: “Believe me my young friend there is nothing, absolutely nothing, half so much fun as simply messing about in boats”.

Like a scene from yesteryear, a number of timber-built boats recently descended on Lake Talbot. The Classic Australian Wooden Powerboat Association members are fond of Narrandera and have had their “annual gathering” at Lake Talbot since 2002.

Livingstone Shire Council and leading e-scooter operator, Neuron Mobility, have announced the city’s first e-scooter programme is due to start on Thursday, 10 November. The 12 month trial will see the gradual roll-out of up to 150 of Neuron’s distinctive orange e-scooters throughout the city, including central Yeppoon, Farnborough Beach and Rosslyn Bay Harbour.

Australian engineers from global company RingIR will visit the US Department of Agriculture in Boston next month, to test whether their revolutionary technology can be used to ‘sniff out’ pests that attach themselves to containers or other cargo (known as hitchhiker pests).

The Tasmanian horse community has been given a one-month reprieve after being cut off from the mainland following a decision by the operators of the only sea link to the island state, the Spirit of Tasmania, to ban livestock transport ... The decision by TT-Line to ban livestock on the Spirit of Tasmania threw the horse community into chaos and led to some horses missing racing in Melbourne on Cup Day.

Rex announced its regional pilots have overwhelmingly endorsed a new industrial agreement with the airline, the third key workforce group to have done so in the last two months. A staggering 86% of the pilots, who operate Rex’s fleet of 61 Saab 340 turboprop aircraft to 58 regional destinations Australia-wide, voted in favour of the new four-year agreement.

The Hartley District Progress Association (HDPA) and the community of Hartley welcome the Federal Government’s decision to pause funding on the NSW State Government’s proposed Great Western Highway “upgrade” from Katoomba to Lithgow. Stopping the “upgrade” provides a critical opportunity to reconsider how best to improve travel times across the Blue Mountains and how best to direct infrastructure funding.

The Ivanhoe Dry Times 2022 Truck, Tractor, Car and Bike show attracted not only Wilcannia residents but a truck which started its working life in Wilcannia ... As well as trucks, the show attracted a good number of veteran, vintage and modern cars.

The Australian Government has announced the appointment of Dr Kerry Schott AO to lead an independent review into the Inland Rail project ... The review will consider the process for selecting the Inland Rail route, including stakeholder consultation, and assess the project’s scope, schedule and cost.  

The Alexandrina Council owned Paddle Steamer, PS Oscar W, is a major drawcard for locals and tourists to our region and will soon feature in its very own short film series following the amazing slipping and maintenance journey of our Friends of the Oscar W volunteer group. The PS Oscar W has just undergone its biennial slipping and maintenance to inspect and restore the historic paddle steamer and is a fantastic example of regenerative heritage in action.

You may have seen a bunch of military-style vehicles tooling around Maldon on the weekend. The cars in question are Austin Champs, a British army jeep-like vehicle that was manufactured in the 1950s.

Lockyer Valley Regional Council says recent quotes attributed to the Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC) regarding the proposed Inland Rail route through the Lockyer Valley region are both incomplete and misleading. Lockyer Valley Mayor, Cr Tanya Milligan is calling for transparency from the ARTC, saying it is vital they tell the full story so impacted communities have a realistic understanding of the impacts.

If you think Australian farmers are worried about the availability of spare parts, then spare a thought for Russian farmers who are suffering under the impact of ever tightening sanctions as a direct result of Putin’s invasion of Ukraine ... Open the door to Russian ag mechanics ... Is China a parts risk?

Samuel Davis. Skytrans will take off to new destinations across Cape York and beyond as the airline aims to increase its share in the lucrative tourism and charter markets. Fuelled by optimism within the aviation industry, the company will add two 50-seater Dash 8-300s to its fleet in the coming months with more planes en route in 2023.

Rex said it had bold plans to grow and transform its latest acquisition into Australia’s premier Fly-In-Fly-Out (FIFO) operator and signalled a major expansion into Queensland and the Northern Territory. This follows the completion of the purchase of National Jet Express (NJE), the Regional Services arm of Cobham Aviation Services Australia, focusing on FIFO activities.

Farmers and landholders in the Riverina are having their say on Inland Rail, according to NSW Farmers. NSW Farmers Treasurer and Inland Rail Taskforce chair Peter Wilson said there must be benefit for landowners and the broader farming community if railway lines were to cut properties in half.