Community

It seems that compost is a subject that is exercising the minds of many across the shire, and Maldon resident Oliver Messenger is one of them. He has invented a composting system that has been granted an Australian patent with an international patent in the works.

A special confirmation service was held at St David’s Anglican Church on Sunday with Bishop Cam Venables attending. Fifteen people were confirmed with the Bishop believing this may be very close to a record in the Anglican Church Southern Queensland Diocese!

Colleen Krestensen. New estimates of brumby numbers in Kosciuszko National Park imply a dramatic and biologically impossible increase of up to 315 per cent over a 12 month period ... The concern for the community is the government is accepting this alleged increase without question as a basis to resume aerial culling of brumbies, commencing in the coming days.

Key government and private sector organisations have come together to test how they respond to crisis scenarios, such as natural disasters, health and biosecurity incidents, supply chain shortages and disruptions to critical infrastructure.

Blake Lee. Justin McNamara never thought he'd own a pub. On Saturday, he and his husband Jayden will reopen the Watchem Hotel after a three-year closure ... the venue will launch as the first-ever permanent Driver Reviver site.

Round 7 of the Central Coast Rugby Union season delivered one of the most memorable weekends in recent memory, with the inaugural Festival of Rugby taking centre stage at Tuggerah Sports Complex on May 30. Despite wet weather causing widespread sporting disruptions across the region, CCRU stood alone as the only major sporting competition on the Central Coast to complete its full schedule.

The Australian Reptile Park's crocodiles and alligators were the big winners as Central Coast Council's 2026 Carp to Croc fishing event wrapped up recently. The community came together to help tackle one of Australia's most damaging invasive species.

Patricia Gill. Denmark Arts' new general manager Annette Drenth has worked with the organisation for the past eight months in a ‘passion project' as a mentor ... "I have also engaged with Denmark Arts and its programs for more than two decades, as a visitor regularly holidaying in Denmark with my small family," Annette said.

Patricia Gill. Abbie Pedersen hands over the directorship of Denmark Arts to Annette Drenth confident in the future of the organisation.

The local festival, which has gained immense popularity over recent years, continues to celebrate creativity, community, and connection through the love of words. Shifting the event to June invites bibliophiles to indulge in the cosy winter pastime: stay indoors, keep warm with a cuppa, and be inspired by some of their favourite authors.

Sebastian Calderon. Riverland families are set to farewell one of the region's longest-serving doctors, who is retiring after almost 38 years of caring and supporting local patients ... Dr Kevin Stanton said being a true country GP meant far more than clinic consultations, with doctors heavily involved in hospital care, emergency treatment and palliative support throughout the region.

The Nhill and district community has raised $4,319 for the Cancer Council through four days of fundraising organised by the Nhill Cancer Group. The group thanked everyone who supported the effort, which included a raffle, donations and the sale of Cancer Council merchandise at Nhill IGA over three days.

Uncle Sunno, a proud Paakantji man, has been working tirelessly for 20 years, to support the learning of children and young people in Wilcannia ... His deep knowledge of Paakantji culture supports the school staff to develop the cultural competence required to be effective educators.

For decades, much of Nharangga warra Narungga language existed in fragments. Today, those fragments are being put back together. Across three generations of the Wanganeen family, the language is being recovered, taught and spoken once again, with a growing focus on returning it to everyday life.

It has been more than a labour of love – artist Sally Joyce has transformed an upright piano into a work of art … “I wanted this piano to be a gift of unexpected beauty and a work beyond what was expected of me,” Sally said.

To raise $20,000 is a great measure of the heart and soul of the community who helped to support the Cancer Council Biggest Morning Tea hosted by The Higgins Family on Sunday 17 May.

A vacant block of land in Armidale Street, South Grafton owned by respected community and aged care housing provider, Clarence Village Limited, will soon house the largest modular social housing project in the nation ... “It will deliver 32 new self-contained one-bedroom social housing units designed specifically for older residents, with vulnerable single older women prioritised for the new homes,” Mr Williamson said.

In the wake of National Volunteer Week, Volunteering Central Coast says proposed Commonwealth funding changes could dismantle the local volunteer support infrastructure that has enabled volunteering on the Central Coast for more than 40 years. Established in 1985, Volunteering Central Coast currently supports more than 60 local community organisations and promotes about 170 volunteer roles, many of which require multiple volunteers to meet community need.

Sean Cunningham. A push to breathe new life into the town's vacant main street shops was presented to Narrandera Shire Council, with a proposal to form a joint committee between the council and the Chamber of Commerce. Councillor Bob Manning submitted the Notice of Motion to last week's meeting...

The NSW Liberals and Nationals will oppose Labor’s rushed attempt to remove independent oversight, increase Ministerial powers and bypass effective community consultation on renewable energy projects in regional NSW, with the views of farmers and other stakeholders already being ignored by the Minns Labor Government ... The Energy Legislation Amendment (Prioritising Renewable Energy) Bill 2026 is a reckless concentration of unchecked Ministerial power...