Infrastructure

Northern NSW Local Health District’s Lynne Weir said the hospital system was challenged because of the “increased activity resulting from the pandemic and the additional pressure of some staff being furloughed because they need to isolate.” The district has sufficient intensive care beds across its three major hospitals in Grafton, Lismore and Tweed with plans in place to surge staffing and ICU capacity if needed, Ms Weir said.

Hepburn Shire Council is continuing to support recovery efforts in the community following a thunderstorm that damaged homes and property in and around Creswick and Clunes on 5 January. “The intensity of this storm caused widespread damage to homes, farms and public land in the west of our Shire. Our preliminary estimates are around $10m of damage to Council assets alone, and around $25m damage to crops” : Hepburn Shire Mayor, Cr Tim Drylie.

A Midwifery Group Practice is up and running at the Weipa Hospital in preparation for the new birthing service due to open later this year. Health Minister Yvette D’Ath said three new midwives were already in place at Weipa, with recruitment under way for a fourth.

Now electric vehicles can cross the Nullarbor Plain thanks to BiØfil, a world-first EV fast charging system that is fully off-grid, self-contained and powered by used chip (vegetable) oil from roadhouse deep fryers. On Sunday 16 January 2022, BiØfil was installed at the Caiguna Roadhouse, approximately 370 km east of Norseman and 370 km west of the South Australian border, making it one of the most remote EV fast charging stations on the planet.

With unpredictable weather being experienced due to ex-Tropical Cyclone Tiffany in the north, many might be wondering where Tennant Creek’s new $17 million radar is.

Cape York was rocked over the Christmas period when the first cases of COVID-19 were reported in the community. The chief executive of the Torres and Cape Hospital and Health Service Bev Hamerton gave half an hour of her time to Cape York Weekly editor Matt Nicholls to discuss the challenges.

BiØfil is a world-first fast charging system for Electric Vehicles (EVs) that is fully off-grid, self-contained and powered by used chip (vegetable) oil, a waste product ... “We’ve been isolated from the rest of Australia for too long, so once borders open up, BiØfil means all vehicles can travel across the Nullarbor, EVs included”: Jon Edwards, BiØfil inventor and retired engineer.

Recent feedback on the possible amalgamation of Maldon Hospital and Castlemaine Health found two contrasting perspectives. Those who saw opportunity and those who were concerned about the loss of independence ... There were eight key themes identified from the findings: management structure, improved services, greater specialisation, transparency, loss of existing services, improved access to a diverse range of GP’s, diversity and local identity.

New recruit Geoffrey Steven will work out of the Coraki Fire Station. He is among 214 accomplished men and women who have graduated as officers at the FRNSW Emergency Services Academy in Sydney. South Grafton Fire Station has Ryan Raymond as their new recruit.

John O'Donnell provides a number of points in response to CSIRO findings on fuel loads, prescribed burning, climate change and forest fire activity in Australia over the last three decades.

Water Corporation is reminding Perth and Peel residents not to rely on scheme water supply during a bushfire, as another challenging southern fire season is forecast for coastal WA. Power outage, heat-damaged infrastructure and high demand can all result in a rapid loss of water pressure or supply.

Victorian Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change Lily D’Ambrosio has officially launched the battery − developed by renewable energy specialist Neoen and located at the Moorabool Terminal Station near Geelong. The 300-megawatt Tesla system is the largest battery in the southern hemisphere and created more than 150 jobs during construction.

John McNamara and Sue Spence. Strolling across the grassy threshold of Pilot Hill towards the lighthouse you feel you are entering a timeless realm steeped in history and unspoilt natural beauty. The stark white tower is a spectacular sight up close, especially when you look up at it against a bright blue sky; it defies its humble beginning. When the Pilot Station was established in 1854 crossing the river bar was a major obstacle to navigation.

WA Health Minister Roger Cook has officially opened Carnarvon's $19.9 million Gnullingoo Mia residential aged and palliative care home. This new aged care home has been integrated with the existing hospital to ensure residents have access to skilled aged care assessment, older patient initiatives and subacute programs, education and telegeriatrician services, while feeling comfortable, supported and at home.

The Southern Tablelands community will benefit from a major upgrade of hospital services with the official opening of Goulburn Hospital’s clinical services building ... Minister Hazzard said the four-storey building brings state-of-the-art healthcare services together under one roof, providing seamless care in a modern health facility.

This year marks 100 years since the first subsidised air-mail service in Australia, and Geraldton holds a rich history in the momentous milestone. In 1921, Major Norman Brearley, a decorated pilot with the Royal Air Force, was awarded a Government tender to deliver the country’s first subsidised air-mail and passenger contract. Tragically, during the inaugural flight, one of the three planes flying from Geraldton to Carnarvon met with disaster near Murchison House Station. 100 years later, that milestone is being commemorated with an RAAF aerial acrobatics display and the launch of a historical booklet.

It rained all night. And continues today. BOM rain monitor Lyn Walters reported 95mm of rain fell in the last 24 hours to 9am this morning at Green Pigeon in Kyogle LGA. The Bureau of Meteorology has kept the minor flood warning in place for Richmond and Wilsons rivers. The constant rain is causing issues.