Infrastructure

The Victorian Government has approved the proposal put forward by the Maldon Hospital and Castlemaine Health boards to come together as one organisation ... The new health service will officially commence on 1 March 2022. The integration follows more than 42 years of strong collaboration and partnership between the two health services.

The City of Wanneroo is calling on the McGowan Government to build a new desalination plant in Alkimos by 2028 saying the Water Corporation’s reliance on the Gnangara Mound to supply water for Perth and Peel is unsustainable. The city’s call, which also includes a request for a wastewater recycling plant, is in response to the government’s release of the draft Gnangara groundwater allocation plan (GGAP).

Geoff Helisma. The cost of vital repairs to the rock gabion dam at the foot of the Shannon Creek Dam spillway has blown out from the awarded $1.145 million (ex GST) contract to a “foreshadowed variation” budget of “between $3.16 million and $4.13 million”.

Tracy Jones, Desert Knowledge Australia. A group of local organisations and independent parties have joined forces in Alice Springs, NT, with the support of the Northern Territory Government, to address the town’s water future. The Talking Water Collective delivered a short, intense campaign during October-November 2021 to prompt awareness and build stewardship around the town’s water security, sharing key facts about water resources and consumption, and contributing to the NT's Strategic Water Plan.

Sean Cunningham. Barellan Post Office, which is also the town’s financial centre, is under new ownership. The new owners Fiona Kibble and Cameron Rouse believe that investing in the post office has been the "best decision" they've made in a long time.

The inequalities faced by regional Australians with mobile signal and internet connection need to be fixed. The National Farmers Federation telecommunications committee member and farmer Peter Thompson said far from being a luxury, mobile phone coverage and internet connectivity were essentials in the bush, much like power and water.

Chris Oldfield. Lucindale CFS group officer Patrick Ross last week pointed to black markings on a map in the incident control room of the town’s fire-fighting base. He turned to visiting SA emergency services minister Vincent Tarzia and said: “This is where the fatality happened.”

The most ferocious fires seen in WA, four of them ranked level four bushfires, wiped out 60,000ha across WA with Denmark recording the heaviest losses with four houses.

Responding to the oil spill at the Port of Devonport has been a mammoth task, but years of planning and preparation meant multiple agencies were able to act quickly to contain the spill. The Environment Protection Authority, TasPorts, BridgePro, Tasmanian Divers Group, Marine and Safety Tasmania, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority and the Australian Transport Safety Bureau have all have worked in unison since a commercial vessel collided with two tugboats on January 28, causing fuel and oil to spill into the Mersey River.

Narrandera Shire Council Mayor Neville Kschenka was left "frustrated and heartbroken" as he witnessed the damage Narrandera sustained during the weekend storms. On the edge of Narrandera as the storm broke, Cr Kschenka reached the centre of town as the weather event gathered momentum with lashing rain and strong gusts of wind.

"During COVID, supply chains almost ground to a complete halt and exposed Australia’s reliance on the import of key inputs including urea. Many Australians would be shocked to learn the nation imports 90% of its urea, the most commonly used fertiliser in agriculture. Without urea, crop production would fall 30-40%" : National Farmers Federation Chief Executive, Tony Mahar.

The Australian Government’s Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility (NAIF) has committed $255 million for critical infrastructure supporting the Perdaman Urea Project in Western Australia. The $4.3 billion project located 20 kilometres north-west of Karratha will convert Australian gas into approximately two million tonnes of urea per year.

Strike Energy Limited has been granted Major Project Status for Project Haber, its $3 billion urea manufacturing facility in the Narngulu Industrial Area, near Geraldton, Western Australia. The project will produce up to 1.4 million tonnes per annum of urea from clean hydrogen and natural gas.

The WA State Government has endorsed a revised Port of Port Hedland development plan to support proponents' throughput aspirations and maximise exports from Australia's busiest bulk export port.

If elected, Labor’s Power to the People community battery plan will invest $200 million to install 400 community batteries across the country, which will cut power bills, reduce emissions, create jobs by boosting renewable energy and will cut power bills for families and businesses by $275 a year by 2025.

Kendall Jennings. Koondrook Fire Brigade rolled out the red carpet for potential recruits on Wednesday, January 19. A slideshow presentation showing what volunteer members can do in the CFA was shown, as well as a display of the unit capabilities.

A proposal for the health services to formally come together to create a new health service, supported by a comprehensive business case, has been endorsed by Maldon Hospital and Castlemaine Health Boards. In accordance with the Health Services Act, the proposal has been sent to the Secretary of the Department of Health and Minister for Health for consideration and for approval.

Townsville is a step closer to welcoming ships up to 300 metres long with the arrival of Australia’s largest backhoe dredge, Woomera, at the Port of Townsville. The $232 million Channel Upgrade is the largest infrastructure project in the Port’s 158-year history and is vital to ensuring trade, defence and cruise opportunities no longer bypass Townsville.

Myall Lakes residents have been given their first look at the $100 million Stage 2 redevelopment of Manning Base Hospital with the master plan unveiled today. Minister for Regional Health Bronnie Taylor said Stage 2 builds on the $40 million upgrade completed as part of Stage 1 in mid-2020.

Earlier this month, the Victorian Government cancelled elective surgery for tens of thousands of Victorians needing care. This happened because they have failed to organise the public health system in Victoria.  It is now in an aptly named Code Brown, burdened by excessive isolation rules.