Olympics dream comes true
When Greenmount resident and Clifton State High School's Year 11 student Ellie Stenzel stepped up to the microphone to make the opening address to the Equestrian Australia Board and the Olympic Committee in support of Toowoomba's bid to stage the Equestrian events she may not have realised the full importance of her speech to the future of equestrian events on the Downs.
Trauma for hospital upgrade
Despite the $263.8 million investment to redevelop Grafton Base Hospital, major trauma patients will still be triaged to Lismore or Tweed Heads for treatment. At a recent community meeting concerning the paramedic roster changes at Yamba Ambulance station and the impacts they could have, Australian Paramedics Association members revealed that the upgraded Grafton Base Hospital will not be classed as a major trauma hospital.
Riverland councils left high and dry as federal funding falls short – What about us?
“We’re paying more for everything we do, whether it’s fixing roads, managing waste, or maintaining community facilities. But unlike households, local government has to contend with the cost shifting of services from other levels of government, with no extra funding to support them": Renmark Paringa Mayor Peter Hunter ... Mid Murray Council also strongly advocating for more federal support ... The South Australian Local Government Association has also called on the Federal Government to provide appropriate funding for local governments.
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.
Sporting group blows whistle on showgrounds consultation failure
Who would have thought ping pong could get the Victorian Government into so much trouble. Amid developing controversy over plans to redevelop the Prince of Wales Showgrounds at Bendigo, damning testimony has come to light from a 2023 Federal Senate inquiry into the cancellation of the 2026 Commonwealth Games that was to be hosted by regional Victoria.
Skatepark is a community achievement
Towong Shire Council and community members came together to celebrate the official opening of the Corryong Skatepark on Saturday. The event saw a tremendous turnout from residents and skatepark users with families, young skaters and community members enjoying the day.
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 ...
Clarence Regional Aquatic Centre officially opens
It was a highly anticipated occasion for the Clarence Valley community who have waited more than two years to access the $29.1 million state-of-the-art facility.
Budget is vanilla ice cream for the bush: GrainGrowers
The budget delivered ... is like a single, small scoop of vanilla ice cream for the bush – predictable and lacking the flavour to truly satisfy regional Australia, industry body GrainGrowers said ... it had missed the opportunity to deliver on a range of regional investment opportunities that would strengthen grain-growing regions and bridge the gap between urban centres and the bush.
Seven years for nuclear: Parker
A 1000 megawatt nuclear power station using South Korean expertise could be built in the Latrobe Valley in seven years, with a fleet possibly in 11 years, at an estimated cost of $10 billion each, according to an Australian nuclear expert, Robert Parker.
Businesses seek compensation
Sarah Herrmann. A fight for justice has begun after revelations that neither ElectraNet nor SA Power Networks are required to compensate customers for the up to 20-hour power and telecommunications outages that hit Yorke Peninsula on Friday, March 14. Energy Minister Tom Koutsantonis told the South Australian Parliament on Tuesday, March 18 there is no regulated compensation scheme for transmission network failures...
Govt pressures energy companies to waive daily charge on outages during ex-cyclone Alfred, offers personal hardship payment
More than 84,000 homes and businesses in the Northern Rivers experienced power outages during ex-cyclone Alfred. Some lost power multiple times. The State Government has written to energy companies asking them to defer electricity bills...
$25 million to drive the next stage of Barton Highway: King, McBain
The Barton Highway has undergone significant upgrades over the past few years. The first stage of works opened in early 2024, and duplicated the highway from the NSW side of the ACT Border to Kaveneys Road in NSW ... Detailed planning work to deliver Stage 2 of the Barton Highway upgrade is currently being finalised.
Horse groups have grounds for complaint over planning schemozzle
The Bendigo Showgrounds – home of the Victorian Agricultural Shows Saddle Horse Championships and many other state and national equestrian events – is to have the size of its arena cut significantly under a Victorian Government redevelopment of the site.
3G switch off “should have been handled better”
The senate's Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport References Committee inquiry into the shutdown of the 3G mobile network has found that the shutdown should have been handled better ... The evidence given by many rural Australians through this committee inquiry speaks to the loss of mobile phone access despite those promises,” Mr Pasin said.
Wagga Wagga businesses to get on track for Inland Rail work
Representatives of Inland Rail and Illabo to Stockinbingal contractor John ... be at the session at The Rules Club, 188 Fernleigh Road, Wagga Wagga, between 9am and 11am on Tuesday 18 March ... The Meet the Contractor events are intended to provide local and First Nations businesses and communities with a greater understanding of the opportunities available with the project.
A seat with a story: honouring history
A breathtaking 360-degree view now comes with a deeper connection to history at Gorman's Gap in Preston/Upper Flagstone, thanks to a newly installed seat that pays tribute to one of Queensland's most significant early transport routes.
Equine excellence
If it takes a village to raise a child then it also takes a massive team effort from the Cambooya Campdraft Association, Cambooya Pony Club, other local pony clubs, local businesses and politicians to successfully redevelop the Cambooya Recreation Ground into a first class equine facility.
Fresh start for Queensland – Community consultation for additional wind farm proposals: Bleijie
The Crisafulli Government is ensuring local communities are consulted on two new wind farm developments, in line with the LNP’s election commitment. Wind farm development applications for the Marmadua Energy Park and the Middle Creek Energy Hub, 23km east of Tara, and 15km south of Wandoan respectively, have been issued with proposed ‘call in’ notices.
Our lack of early emergency information
At the time of the Clarence Valley election last year, I wrote a column urgently imploring all pertinent authorities to provide ratepayers and tourists with written details on how to combat states of emergency ... only a few months after my written appeal, yet I and other local residents and visitors feel we have once again been left somewhat high and dry.
Improving flood immunity
Yamba Road will see $20 million in improvements in the next few years to improve flood immunity and redirect a potentially dangerous section of the only direct thoroughfare from the M1 motorway into town. As the Clarence River levels rose … the only artery servicing deliveries to, and disposals from, Yamba, was first cut, as it is traditionally, west of Palmers Channel at the Southbank Road intersection.
