Cotton truck fires keep emergency service busy
Emergency services have been kept on alert, responding to cotton truck fires in the region. On Thursday local crews attended a fire on the Cobb Highway, adjacent to Hay Airport, where a truck carrying cotton modules caught alight.
Katter calls for State to back piston-engine helicopters in disaster response: Katter
Katter’s Australian Party (KAP) Leader and Member for Traeger, Robbie Katter, is calling for urgent reform to Queensland’s disaster management policy to formally recognise and financially support the vital role of piston-engine helicopters—particularly during major fire and flood emergencies in rural and remote communities.
Precious artifacts returning to Leyburn Sprints
Precious historical artifacts of the 1949 Australian Grand Prix – the winner's trophy and three competing cars from that race – will return to the place of their past glory at the 29th Historic Leyburn Sprints on the weekend of 23-24 August.
Proposed Yanchep development transport impact assessment
The April 2025 Yanchep Central – commercial development transport impact assessment prepared for FRP Capital says the proposed development on the western side of Kakadu Rd and north of Morwell St will include a fastfood outlet, showrooms and a gym along with two medical centres and an automotive unit.
Twelve hours for one appointment
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."
Museum expansion to drive visitors to Gippsland: Dimopoulos
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.Â
Structural vulnerabilities in an era of economic friction
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.
Stockinbingal workers accommodation site starts to take shape: Inland Rail
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.
Support for Victoria’s proposed fair fuel plan
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.
Nhill’s winged wedding
John Williams. In 1952, two members of the Wimmera Aero Club were off to a flying start to their marriage when an aerial wedding was staged over Nhill, followed by a reception in the hanger at the aerodrome. The wedding was a club gift to Jeparit's Norm Crittenden and his fiancée Barbara Mackenzie.
Trucking big mess: causes community concerns
Close to 50 names are inscribed on the Truck Driver’s Memorial Wall in South Grafton, a local monument situated alongside the Big River Way ... many expressing their horror via social media at the shocking volumes of rubbish including discarded shopping trolleys, dirty clothing, and general household waste, littering the site.
Whyalla Airport cleared for take-off after vital upgrade completion: Malinauskas, King, Stone
An investment of more than $30 million to upgrade one of South Australia’s most important airports has been completed, allowing vital services to the Whyalla region to continue.
Hynam Woolshed Black Tie Ball raises $41k for RFDS
Emily Clark. On March 29 this year, the inaugural Hynam Woolshed Black Tie Ball was held at the iconic Hynam Woolshed, generously provided by the Schultz family, to raise funds for the local branch of the RFDS and to provide a special occasion to bring our community together.
A very different career track – Ivanna Hearn, train driver
Ivanna Hearn had been working in England as a nurse when she decided to give it all away and return home to Australia. Bureaucracy and disillusionment with nursing had gotten the better of her and once back in Australia she saw an ad for an unusual job in a country newspaper that made her feel optimistic about what sort of work she could do.
Drones trialled to enhance NSW Ambulance aeromedical and special operations: Park
NSW Ambulance has trialled the use of drones to enhance its aeromedical and special operations capabilities during search and rescue missions. The two-month Remotely Piloted Aeromedical Clinical Systems (RPACS) trial, utilised cutting-edge technology to enhance patient care, operational safety and efficiency ... This initiative was made possible through the NSW Ambulance partnership with Toll Aviation ...
Northern Rivers Rail almost a reality
Lydia Kindred. Bringing low-emission, passenger train services back to the Northern Rivers railway line is the closest it will ever be, right now. The required reports have been lodged with UGL Regional Linx and Transport for NSW and we now must raise sufficient funds for a licence to be granted. Northern Rivers Rail Ltd, local community-based railway company ...
Fire ants intercepted in Toowoomba
A Cotswold Hills resident has helped prevent the potential spread of fire ants by reporting fire ants found on second-hand machinery purchased from within a fire ant biosecurity zone. On Friday, 29 May the resident spotted suspect fire ants in organic material inside the loader bucket and on the machine's frame.
Who owned this Morris Mini Panel Van?
Despite contacting the usual suspects who may have owned this panel van in the local area, no-one seems to know ... Back in 2002 this Morris Mini Panel Van was discovered by RACQ in Allora and was purchased from a private owner.
Australian Hay Mini Nationals continue to grow in numbers and popularity
For more than 50 years, Mini enthusiasts have been flocking to Hay over the June long weekend for three days of fun, bonding and testing their driving skills. Rally director, Declan Dwyer from Adelaide is pictured leading the parade on Saturday morning, which also included Vanguard and BnS vehicles.
Need for speed at Clifton State High
The only Queensland high school that will have a team compete at the Australian Human Powered Vehicle Super Series is Clifton State High School - and it has not one, but two. Clifton State High School (CSHS) has had human powered vehicle (HPV) teams for several years and so far 2025 is shaping up to be easily the best year yet, even after the girls' team became state champions last year.
Kids call out public transport fail: “Where’s the tram?”
While the state unveiled a new Emergency Services Levy, it also tried to sweeten the blow with a headline-grabbing promise: free public transport for all Victorian children under 18, starting January 1. But for rural communities like Donald, that promise rings hollow. "We have no trains, the tram is decommissioned ..."
The last QantasLink flight to Lord Howe – Truly the end of an era!
Chris Murray. On Friday, 16th May, the last QantasLink flight rolled into Lord Howe at around 2.45pm piloted by senior QantasLink captains, Mark Nesbitt and Jarrod Seen. This flight marked the end of an era that began on the 1st of June, 1991, when VH-TQP – an aircraft owned by Eastern Australia Airlines - arrived at Lord Howe bearing passengers, freight and mail from Sydney.
