Infrastructure

This month, the Gordon Dam, nestled in Tasmania's untamed south-west, reaches a significant milestone - it celebrates its 50th year. It is a marvel of Australian engineering and ambition. This monumental project, completed in 1974, transformed a remote wilderness into a powerhouse of renewable energy, supplying around 25 per cent  of Tasmania's electricity today. Standing 140 meters tall, the 50-year-old dam holds the title of Australia's highest arch dam, constructed using a double-curvature design that maximised strength while minimising costs.

Kerry Cain. For rural communities across Australia, local post offices play an invaluable role, providing essential services that go beyond just sending mail ... Newstead’s post office shares its space with a local pharmacy and support for the pharmacy directly benefits the post office. Revenue from the pharmacy helps offset operational costs, ensuring both services remain available to the community.

Little movement at the station Local Member for Groom Garth Hamilton is deeply concerned with the progress of the Toowoomba to Brisbane Passenger Rail business case project … "It is damning that after nearly two and a half years, we still cannot confirm whether the Minister has been briefed on such an important report and that the full report has not been released."

The storage imperative: Powering Australia’s clean energy transition is authored by Associate Professor Guillaume Roger from Monash University’s Faculty of Business and Economics. His analysis shows that how we trade electricity today, and the financial instruments that support such trade, are inadequate to deal with intermittent energy and storage.

Narrandera Shire Council has secured a renewable electricity supply agreement with Iberdrola Australia through to the end of 2030 as part of a buyer’s group facilitating a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) for 13 regional councils in New South Wales. The agreement secures the supply of over 390-gigawatt hours of electricity to 163 large council sites and streetlighting across regional NSW...

The morning ... was a special occasion for Nhill Lutheran School, with the official opening of the new school building. Mr Colin Minke, Executive Director of LEVNT, had the honour of cutting the ribbon and unveiling the plaque which now adorns the front entrance area of the school.

Local farmer Jim “Spud” Hepworth, a Litchfield, Watchem and Donald stalwart and fourth generation cereal and sheep, farmer has starred in a short film that has gone viral overnight. The video, released ... by a local group called Farms For Food, has had over 69,000 views in 24 hours. Mr Hepworth spoke about the community impact that changes such as mineral sand mining and new transmission lines have had in his region.

A simple device for measuring the depth of a farm dam was introduced to landholders at a series of workshops in south west Victoria recently. Agriculture Victoria Land Management Extension Officer, and creator of the measuring tool, Greg Bekker said the DAMDEEP device consists of a hand reel, float, beads and a sinker.

Essential Energy sent text alerts to more than 4400 customers who are affected by an unplanned power outage ... Areas impacted by the outage include Codrington, Bagotville, Bora Ridge, Coraki, Swan Bay, parts of Bungawalbin, Broadwater, Kilgin, Woodburn and Evans Head.

It’s a time of major events: Donald Trump has again been elected President of the USA and its biggest foreign spy base Pine Gap features in the movie Twilight Time to be screened in Alice Springs ... For decades “the base” has been described as a prime nuclear target. Does that worry the town? Apparently not.

An ever-popular drawcard for locals and visitors alike, the iconic Naracoorte Swimming Lake will open to the public for the summer season ... According to the council, staff have cleaned the floor of the lake, painted the walls and were on track to paint part of the lake floor and walkway/concourse around the lake prior to the opening.

The Victorian Goldfields Railway (VGR) has welcomed a new depot in Castlemaine for the historic trains that run between Castlemaine and Maldon … The many benefits of the new depot buildings include greater space and more comfortable indoor environs for VGR volunteer workers to maintain locomotives and prepare them for service.

The Snowy 2.0 pumped hydro megaproject has marked a significant milestone, with one of three tunnel boring machines (TBM), Lady Eileen Hudson, now two-thirds of the way through its second tunnel excavation. The TBM is approximately four kilometres into the six kilometre ‘tailraceʼ tunnel, which will link the lower Talbingo Reservoir…

Sean Cunningham. The Lake Mejum/Coolah water storage proposal is back in the spotlight, following an announcement from Narrandera Shire Council Mayor Neville Kschenka. Council is seeking funds to conduct a feasibility study into Lake Mejum/Coolah as an off Murrumbidgee River water storage location. A former Narrandera Mayor and Murrumbidgee Valley Water Users group member, Warwick Heckendorf, was an advocate for the project decades ago, but his opinion has since changed.

After arriving via the Rural Fire Service helicopter, Premier of NSW Chris Minns and Member for Barwon Roy Butler entered the Golf Club with no fanfare and immediately began to introduce themselves to the 60 Wilcannia, White Cliffs and rural residents present ... Following the Premiers visit, Minister for Energy, Penny Sharpe hosted another, smaller gathering on Sunday the 27th October. Adopting the same approach as the Premier, the Minister spoke to local business owners, before answering questions from the floor.

Hugh Schuitemaker. Upgrade works taking place at infrastructure along a major local creek is set to benefit native fish species and Riverland outdoor enthusiasts. The Department of Environment and Water (DEW) recently commenced upgrade works on Bookmark Creek infrastructure.

Community anger is simmering, as Wilcannia locals say support efforts don't go far enough. Residents of Wilcannia have taken to social media to vent their frustrations at what they say is an inadequate response to the ongoing power outages and loss of food for many households.

Member for Barwon Roy Butler MP and NSW Minister for Climate Change, Energy Environment & Heritage Penny Sharpe recently met with concerned community members in the Far West village of Silverton ... Mr Butler said Transgrid has now erected its seventh and final replacement transmission tower ...

Two years ago, on 14 November 2022, a wall of water virtually swept the town away, nearly wiping Eugowra from the map. The residents were all but forgotten in the build-up to the event through rushed and late warnings. Immediately after the flood, the emergency response didn’t meet the expectations politicians kept promising after every emergency disaster.