Electorate win for MacKillop, Party loss
Sheryl Lowe. From sheep farmer to Parliament House, first term Member for MacKillop Nick McBride MP gained ground in the March State Election with a convincing win over his opponents, but the Liberal Party was defeated in a landslide swing towards the Labor Government. He was also defeated in his bid for Leader of the Opposition but told The News he will continue to advocate for his constituents in MacKillop during his second term in office.
Human resources and equipment important for good roads
Chris Oldfield. Council amalgamations, redundancies and retirements have resulted in the loss of experienced staff when it comes to managing road networks. And often council managers are trained in different fields, not civil engineering. “They are busy doing everything else they have to do,” national road chief Tyrone Toole said. So, road networks deteriorate and costs increase.
Proposed bridge closure causes panic
Helen Dalton held a community meeting at the Tooleybuc Sporting Club on Thursday, April 14 to address concerns with residents that the Tooleybuc Bridge would be hard closed for six weeks to complete repair works. With the bridge being a lifeline for the border community and the major transport route for trucks travelling to and from Adelaide to Sydney, locals feared that the closure would be the final nail in the coffin for local businesses.
Councils urged to seek expert help
Chris Oldfield. When it comes to roads, 'a stitch in time saves nine’ and it is a lot cheaper for councils to look after them, says one of Australia’s leading road research experts, Tyrone Toole. Only in very poor countries has Mr Toole seen bitumen roads ripped up and replaced with gravel ones ... for councils to do such things in Australia, Mr Toole said it would be a sign of “desperation” and “a backwards measure”.
