Infrastructure

A new community health service for Yanchep and the surrounding areas has been announced by federal Health and Aged Care Minister Mark Butler. The ECU Health Centre Yanchep will include two co-located, integrated, multidisciplinary health facilities, providing services designed to meet the current and future health needs of the rapidly growing Yanchep area, while improving health and wellbeing outcomes.

A suite of new planning rules designed to protect River Murray regions from future flood events and assist with a strong recovery and rebuild are coming into effect this week. To fast-track the region’s recovery the interim changes will come into immediate effect from Thursday, providing a quicker building approval process for the influx of applications expected.

Of the two budding NT government art galleries, one is making news: The one in Darwin, because construction is under way. At the opposite end of the Territory, and of government attention, there is no news about the Alice Springs “national” Aboriginal gallery because its senior director, Tracy Puklowski, is not able, not willing, not permitted, not whatever to answer media questions.

The 2023-24 Queensland State Budget, delivered last week, has been harshly condemned by Member for Condamine Pat Weir, who says the people of his electorate have again missed out on significant investment.

Premier Peter Malinauskas and his Cabinet Ministers will visit Kangaroo Island today [22 June 2023] and tomorrow as part of the State Government’s Country Cabinet. Demonstrating the Government’s commitment to regional South Australia, this is the fourth in a series of Country Cabinets – which has already taken the Premier and Ministers to Port Pirie & Port Augusta, Mount Gambier and Yorke Peninsula.

NSW Farmers has welcomed a Parliamentary Inquiry into undergrounding powerlines, calling it a win for common sense and community safety. Multiple renewable energy projects proposed or under construction in regional areas would require new power lines to connect them to the grid, Energy Transition Working Group chair Reg Kidd said, but too often landholders were being ignored by the big developers.

Patrick Goldsmith. The state government’s announcement of a $20 million funding allocation across four years for deteriorating jetties has been labelled as inadequate by Yorke Peninsula stakeholders. Almost 40 jetties across the state, owned by the government but leased to councils on 50-year terms, must vie for the new funding announced in the state budget ...

Patrick Goldsmith. Just four months after focusing its efforts entirely on Yorke Peninsula for Country Cabinet, the state government has left the region without much to celebrate ... "It makes for two budgets in a row where we’ve seen little investment in our area. In the glossy budget overview there was precious little for a number of regions and we suffered the absolute embarrassment of not even being listed": Member for Narungga Fraser Ellis.

The Local Government Association of South Australia has acknowledged State Budget which aims to deliver cost of living relief and address the state's housing and health crisis but has warned the government has missed an opportunity to engage closely with councils on meaningful funding to support local communities. LGA President Dean Johnson said while the State Government’s spending on measures to address housing affordability and availability were a step in the right direction, greater investments were needed to improve long-term liveability, regional health and local economic growth.

Victoria’s roads will continue to worsen after the State Government confirmed this week there is no additional funding for repairs after floods last year. Roads Minister Melissa Horne was lost for answers on Wednesday as a Public Accounts and Estimates hearing heard that the Government’s road asset management budget has been cut 25 per cent in this year’s budget.

The farmers invited by Member for Mallee, Dr. Anne Webster, met with the Nationals leader David Littleproud, shadow ministers and senators, with Dr. Webster saying Mallee communities were being railroaded into accepting the $3.3 billion VNI West project. "I am deeply concerned for the region and fear Labor is railroading the community over thousands of kilometres of prime farmland and irrigation districts for a project that will have an enormous cost blow-out and detrimental consequences," Dr. Webster said.

Haystacks Solar Garden members who purchased a solar garden plot have now voted an overwhelimg ‘yes’ to loaning $730,800 to Grong Grong Solar Farm - hosts of the Haystacks Solar Garden - to help construct the much anticipated 1.5MW solar array. The project has been three years in the making to get to this point navigating a pandemic, two energy price crises and innovating every step of the way in the Australian energy system to create something that has never been done before in our nation.

Leader of the Opposition and Shadow Minister for Transport Shane Love MLA has strongly condemned the State Labor Government for its continued unlawful use of traffic monitoring devices throughout WA. An Auditor General Report has exposed Main Roads WA for utilising 180 vehicle monitoring devices on local roads, despite being fully aware since 2016 that such usage is strictly limited to highways and main roads under the Surveillance Devices Regulations 1999.

Dozens of concerned farmers have descended on Canberra, urging Federal Labor to rethink its plan to build hundreds of kilometres of poles and wires through regional Victoria. The farmers met with The Nationals leader David Littleproud and Federal Member for Mallee Dr Anne Webster, who echoed the group’s concerns.

Not even one month after an uncontrolled fire on Government land triggered Traeger MP Robbie Katter to request an inquiry into the State Government’s aggressive take-up of land without properly resourcing it, several more blazes have broken out. Katter’s Australian Party Leader and Member for Traeger Robbie Katter received complaints that constituents were left to battle two grass fires in about two weeks 30 kilometres east of Hughenden that were likely caused by cattle train activity and nearby high fuel loads.

Australian farmer confidence has improved marginally thanks to easing concerns about commodity prices and input costs, however it remains in negative territory overall. The latest quarterly Rabobank Rural Confidence Survey, released on 13 June 2023, saw confidence lift nationally from -25 per cent in the first quarter of 2023 (the lowest level since late 2018) to now sit at -22 per cent.

When the Mitchell Fwy extension to Romeo Rd opens next month motorists using Wanneroo Rd will be able to access the freeway via Romeo Rd while the duplication of Wanneroo Rd continues.

“For the last four years, the VFF has consistently called for a coordinated approach to transmission infrastructure planning. The government has heeded our call and taken some action in formulating the Victorian Transmission Investment Framework. Disappointingly however, the framework continues to neglect farmer concerns. It does not speak about agricultural land use and the impact on food and fibre production”: VFF President Emma Germano.

Minister for Energy and Resources Lily D’Ambrosio has launched the Victorian Transmission Investment Framework (VTIF) ... The Victorian Government body, VicGrid, will lead transmission project planning and development, and ensure local communities, landholders, Traditional Owners and other key stakeholders are consulted on these major projects from start to finish.

Local train enthusiasts couldn’t believe their eyes or good fortune on Tuesday morning, when an enormously long train, estimated to be up to a kilometre-and-a-half in length, passed through Donald, heading north, towards Mildura ... There was no official word on what was the purpose of the train might be, but one theory was that is was a test run to check the suitability of the Mildura to Melbourne line to transfer freight.