Business Information Paper – mobile phone tower
Suzie Christensen. Lord Howe Island is not currently serviced by a mobile phone network due to its remoteness. In recognition, Telstra has identified a need to provide coverage to the Island and granted funding as part of the Federal Government’s Mobile Blackspot program round 5 ... While the granting of owner’s consent for this development does not require a Development Application, nor public notification, the Board is aware that there is a diverse range of views regarding the proposal, and is therefore putting the paper on public exhibition and inviting feedback over a 4-week period.
A vision splendid for the Central West and Western Tablelands: from a Bells Expressway
From a Concerned Citizen: Messers Toole and Farraway are vocal proponents of the so-called “upgrade” of the Great Western Highway from Katoomba to Lithgow. ... The project does not deliver an expressway to Sydney - it leaves the Central West and Western Tablelands the only region in NSW without an expressway to Sydney ... The vision that should be adopted and made a reality is a standalone expressway between Western Sydney and Lithgow: the Bells Expressway.
Floods – The road to recovery
In our immediate area, we are lucky: the floods have been and gone while others across the State and beyond are still living with the uncertainty and dangers of rising river levels. For our region, it’s on to the recovery stage. The Times visited the Baringhup Caravan Park last weekend to view the damage following a massive release of water from Cairn Curran reservoir.
Protecting our natural heritage
Sometimes, the good things happening in our region have the smallest of beginnings. In this case, it was a letter that Maldon resident Lee Mead sent to her local State Member Maree Edwards. “It started during the first year of the pandemic when I did a lot more walking around the Maldon Historic Reserve,” Lee said.
Gondwana Link sends letter of warning
A Letter from Gondwana Link to Premier Mark McGowan warns of the impact of mountain bike trails on the connectivity and integrity of the bush. It also warns of the increasing fragmentation of ecologically valuable habitat. Mountain bike trails (and other high intensity trail networks) are described as fundamentally incompatible with the aims and goals of conservation.
Lifeline for trails
Patricia Gill. The Denmark Mountain Bike Club intends to negotiate a bigger presence in the long term on Mt Hallowell in keeping with a plan to develop a trails network on 68ha of the reserve ... Denmark Mountain Bike Club president Brad Drummond said it was unfortunate that there was a view in the community that mountain bikers were ‘environmental animals’.
Big wet causes chaos
More than three times the average October rainfall has already fallen in Narrandera this month with more than 100mm drenching Narrandera in the first three weeks of October. The deluge has caused chaos with many roads being closed.
Calls to raise dams walls
Recent rainfall and flooding has resulted in further calls to raise the Wyangala and Burrinjuck Dams walls. Federal Member for Riverina Michael McCormack has reaffirmed his support for raising the Wyangala Dam wall after the Prime Minister and NSW Premier visited Forbes last week.
Albanese and King – throwing rural communities down the drain – literally
For rural and regional communities, especially those crying out for dams for flood and drought mitigation for decades, Budget Paper Number 2 from the Commonwealth 2022-2023 Budget makes depressing reading.
Regional Budget Statement: King
I am very pleased to the deliver the Regional Budget Statement on behalf of the Government ... This Budget delivers on our election commitments and provides funds for the Government’s purposeful and targeted approach to investing in regional Australia. It contains more than 760 initiatives which the Government is delivering to boost regional communities and industries.
Highway upgrades achieving flood immunity objectives
Rodney Stevens. A hydrological mitigation report on the Glenugie to Devlis Pulpit section of the Pacific Highway published by Transport for NSW shows the upgraded road is achieving its objectives of improving flood immunity. The report describes flood behaviour in the region, Transport for NSW’s flood management objectives, flood model outcomes, design and mitigation, and future planning.
Shovelling cash into potholes: Funding for road repair
No one needs the government to tell them the roads are bad. Especially after the floods earlier this year and the continuing wet weather. The good news is the State Government is offering $50 million specifically for fixing potholes.
Undera – the community left to take responsibility
As at 26 October, the flooding continues at Undera and, with no authority prepared to take responsibility for the levees, it's left to the community - somehow, sometime - to repair the multiple levee breaks.
Australia’s first benefit sharing scheme for landowners hosting new transmission lines: Toole, Kean
NSW landowners who host electricity transmission lines are set to benefit from a new Strategic Benefit Payments Scheme designed by the NSW Government to support the rollout of a modern electricity grid. Under the scheme, private landowners in NSW will receive $200,000 per kilometre of new transmission infrastructure hosted on their land, paid out in annual instalments over 20 years, indexed to CPI.
Bigger regional towns can help ease pressure: Scott
Samuel Davis. A growing regional centre can double in population, easing Cape York’s housing burden while creating new business opportunities, Cook Shire mayor Peter Scott says ... Among the suggestions raised at the event, Cr Scott proposed changes to zoning laws that would allow for more medium density developments to be built in places like Cooktown.
The tractors are ready to roll: TFGA
“It is the fight of the fundamental industries – food and power. We should never plan for one to miss out over another. If the past few years have taught us anything - pandemics, geopolitical unrest and floods, it is we don’t know what is around the corner. Uncertain times call for brave infrastructure investment decisions": Tasmanian Farmers and Graziers CEO Hugh Christie.
Real time traffic info arrives in the regions: Farraway
Real time traffic information is now available to motorists using local roads across 22 Local Government Areas (LGAs) in regional NSW. Minister for Regional Transport and Roads Sam Farraway welcomed the launch of the first expansion to the Live Traffic NSW website, which will see the addition of local road information alongside any impacts on the state-managed road network.
New Dungowan Dam EIS on display: Anderson
Tamworth and Peel Valley residents will soon be able to have their say on the New Dungowan Dam and Pipeline Environmental Impact Statement which will go on display by the end of October. Minister for Lands and Water and Member for Tamworth Kevin Anderson said this signifies the NSW Government is getting on with the job of building the New Dungowan Dam and called on the Commonwealth to reaffirm its funding in next week’s budget.
Dam or be damned!: Bev McArthur
The East coast of the island is swollen with water – the bulging rivers purging to sea, or finding relief beyond their banks, the waters spewing and sprawling across paddocks and swirling down streets. The anxiety of sandbagging in the race to beat mother nature is real. The threat of the unknown is immense. The realisation of the brutal damage done: heartbreaking. If only we’d built more dams. Damn.
State Government called to investigate medical hub secrecy
Trixi Oldfield. An angered group of Tatiara residents has called on the State Government to investigate Tatiara District Council’s “veil of secrecy” surrounding Bordertown’s proposed new medical hub. Des Murray, Peter Grosser, Bryan Paech and John O’Brien, have written to Local Government Minister, Geoff Brock, asking him to “look into” council’s lack of consultation particularly about “the use of community land purchased to develop medical amenities”.
Undera – left to its own devices during the flood
The small community of Undera in northern Victoria is pulling together during the floods. It has been reported to Australian Rural & Regional News that, as at 18 October 2022, it had had no assistance from council, the ADF or any authorities with sandbags, levees or with fighting the flood ... It is concerning that this dire situation may be being repeated across a wide area of rural and regional Victoria.
Echuca prepares – and waits
Updated flood news from Echuca. As at 25 October 2022, the Murray River at Echuca is up slightly. Those that can enjoyed some sun at the coffee shops and restaurants that are opening in the town.
