Infrastructure

Barkly residents on the NBN Sky Muster Plus plan will soon receive unmetered monthly data allowances and faster speeds as part of a new trial to boost internet quality in the bush ... Member for Lingiari Marion Scrymgour said the trial is great news for Lingiari residents in the Sky Muster footprint.

Community water and sewer systems across north-east Victoria are now more resilient to the growing impacts of climate change and natural disasters ... John Day, General Manager Environment, Systems and Operations, said ‘behind the meter’ power systems will help keep water and sewer infrastructure operating in emergency situations.

The loss of power in the Upper Murray region during and after the 2019/2020 bushfires placed an additional strain on communities and emergency services but the shortfall has now been addressed by boosting systems on critical sites. Under the Upper Murray Place Based Power Plan - Energy Resilience and Reliability Project, a combination of solar, battery and generator systems have been supplied and installed across 23 sites in the region.

NSW Farmers Energy Transition Working Group chair Reg Kidd said the Government had to explain why it was allowing Transgrid to build more overhead power lines when there was compelling evidence they increased the risk of bushfires.

The NSW Liberal and Nationals Government has declared the fifth Renewable Energy Zone (REZ) in the Illawarra ... The Illawarra REZ runs down the coastline from Wollongong to Shellharbour and around to Dapto capturing existing infrastructure such as Port Kembla, Dapto Substation and the Tallawarra Power Station.

Campaspe Shire Mayor Cr Rob Amos has applauded Minister for Water Harriet Shing’s announcement that the Victorian Government will conduct an assessment of operating and infrastructure arrangements at Lake Eppalock to find opportunities to reduce the impact of flooding ... “The spilling of Lake Eppalock in 2011 and 2022 caused catastrophic damage to the Campaspe Valley, particularly Rochester”: Cr Amos.

The New England Highway at Cambooya was the scene for a non-fatal two truck collision at 5.38am on Friday as a south-bound vehicle collided with a north-bound vehicle on the sweeping bend where the highway joins with the Greenmount Etonvale road.

The newly-formed Rural Road Alliance is calling for an emergency funding package totalling nearly $5.5 billion in the upcoming Federal Budget. The alliance ... been formed in response to the critical challenges facing Australia’s rural road network in the wake of recent flooding and high rainfall.

The 22 kilometres of unsealed road that joins the two largest centres in the Murray River Council footprint will receive some much-needed maintenance through a recent $5.5 million investment in the Murray electorate from the NSW Government’s Fixing Local Roads program. The Perricoota Road will receive $1,398,477 for gravel resheeting.

Councillor Danielle Mulholland’s report on her meeting with Deputy Premier Paul Toole was followed by a stir among some councillors at the Kyogle Council meeting ... She listed the issues discussed at the meeting with Mr Toole. The most contentious one was the raising of the Toonumbar Dam wall.

A re-elected Liberal and Nationals Government will invest $1 billion in the regions to upgrade the roads communities use every day, fast-track freight and rebuild transport infrastructure after disaster ... “We want a road and rail network built for the long-term with the capacity and strength to survive fire and floods, to meet the growing freight task and to get product to market cheaper and more efficiently": Deputy Premier and Minister for Regional NSW Paul Toole.

“Landowners are suffering an avalanche of new projects championed by the State Government owned corporation Powerlink Queensland. Powerlink has over 20 active connection projects attached to renewable energy developments spread from Cairns, Central Queensland right through to the Gold Coast,” Chair of Property Rights Australia (PRA) Rob Atkinson said.

Private banks are abandoning rural Australians at an alarming rate and are relying on public-owned infrastructure – namely the Australia Post network – to plug the local service deficits left in their wake, Katter’s Australian Party Leader and Traeger MP Robbie Katter has said. Speaking following news that Westpac would close its branches in Cloncurry, Tully and Ingham while NAB would depart Longreach in the coming months, Mr Katter said there was a growing onus on governments to intervene in the growing failure of banks to service the regions.

Teachers and students headed back to school on Tuesday after the six-week break to start the new school year. Plenty of nerves and excitement as students look forward to seeing friends and getting to know new teachers ... One big change this year that has been welcomed by staff and parents, is the introduction of the mobile phone ban.

Moyne Shire Council has launched a new roads portal to give the community quick access to information about council’s road network and planned upgrade works across the shire. The portal includes a map pinpointing road renewal and resealing works, before and after photos, expected timeframes and information about how the works are funded.