Community

A 30-strong platoon of volunteers recently completed a significant planting project at Playles Hill Park in Corryong. In seven days, the industrious group amassed more than 280 hours of work ... One hundred locally extinct and critically endangered Banksia canei have also been included in the plantings.

We see them every year; the friendly, happy, patient people who bring with them the adorable menagerie of cute and cuddly animals. Year after year, they travel over to the Hay Show, so the community's children can enjoy animals they might not always get to see and pat up close.

Chels Hood Withey. A week-long homeless camp outside Minister for Recovery, Small Business and the North Coast, Janelle Saffin’s Lismore office ended after the MP refused meeting with housing advocates, and called police on constituents seeking help with the homelessness crisis. The camp was established by community members made homeless by recent NSW Reconstruction Authority evictions, skyhigh rents, and unaffordable homes.

The Limestone Coast is facing a worsening homelessness crisis, with Naracoorte among the towns where families, young people, and older residents are being pushed to the brink by rising housing costs and limited rental availability ... The [Naracoorte] News caught up with ac.care’s Homelessness and Community Services senior manager, Trish Spark, to discuss the issue...

Renowned Australian comedian and actor, Damian Callinan returns to the Gannawarra next month as part of his tour celebrating the iconic community icon – the town hall. As part of his Hall Stories tour, the creator of the hit Netflix movie, The Merger will celebrate the importance of the Lake Charm and Murrabit halls with each community during two shows supported by Gannawarra Shire Council.

Phillip Island is revving up for an action-packed month of October, packed with marquee events across Bass Coast, including the Rip Curl GromSearch Phillip Island, the Australian SUP Titles, and the headlining MotoGP™ from 17 October to 19 October 2025 at the iconic Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit.

Mildura has been selected as one of just 19 towns across Australia to receive a community piano through the ABC’s Pop-Up Piano initiative. To mark the Year of the Piano, and the launch of ABC iView series The Piano, the ABC put a call out for communities to apply for the gift of a pre-loved instrument.

They love being Australians – and they loved being at Donald’s Foletti Caravan Park for a five-day break, despite the early Spring weather. Pictured are members of the “Humpy Club”, whose caravans, “Aussie by Design”, are the product of “Humpback Caravans”, of Wallaroo, South Australia.

There was a full house at the launch of Mount Alexander Wildlife Watch incorporated Sunday 31 August. Local Councillors Rosalie Hastwell, Lucas Maddock and Deputy Mayor Toby Heydon turned up in support of the group's inaugural event – a key note talk by Prof. Darryl Jones of Griffith University on the subject of wildlife crossings.

The 19th NHMA National Machinery Rally, Australia’s largest display of working heritage equipment, and the Steaming Under the Southern Cross event took place at Kingsthorpe last week.

It wouldn’t be a 20 year celebration of the Big Sky Readers and Writers Festival without a stellar line-up of special guests and an exciting programme to match! With this year’s theme “A Celebration of Stories”, special guests include multi-award winning actress, author and former Geraldton local Tasma Walton, novelists Catherine Greer and Stefanie Koens, musician and crime author Dave Warner, and so many more.

Murrumbidgee Council Mayor Ruth McRae OAM has expressed deep disappointment at the closure of Coprice's Coleambally facility from 1 September 2025. Cr McRae described the news as devastating for the community and said it was disappointing to see the withdrawal of a business, particularly one that has helped drive the region's agricultural sector.

Gunbower Racing Club is taking a big punt on itself – and the payoff would be huge. But more for Gunbower Lions Club and Echuca Regional Health’s Wellbeing Centre, because there’s $50,000 up for grabs as part of the 2025 Lexus Melbourne Cup Tour National Sweep.

The next Nhill Book Fair will be held on September 7, from 10-2 at 44 Victoria St (next to Lowana), in conjunction with the second birthday celebrations at LOL next door. At this book fair there will be a large selection of Walkabout magazines available.

Hugh Schuitemaker. Struggling Riverland grape growers would have a better chance of staying in the industry – and sustaining the region's economy – if an indicative pricing Bill being introduced to State Parliament today becomes law, an SA MP says. The Bill would force processors to release indicative prices by September 30 each year, giving growers the choice of opting out of loss-making vintages months in advance, rather than plunging further into debt ... MLC Sarah Game will introduce the Bill to the upper house ...

Join us at Australia’s largest commercial-scale regenerative trial farm on Wednesday 10th September, as it opens its gates to invite farmers, agronomists, agtech leaders and data specialists to the highly anticipated Boolah Trial Farm Field Day in Pallamallawa, NSW.  

The Black Shadows at Mundi Mundi ... Line up of cars and campervans returning from Mundi Mundi ...

As the push for a cashless society continues, so does the exodus of financial institutions from the Yamba CBD, with BCU the latest to announce it will close its doors early next year. The Yamba CBD was once home to six different financial institutions, ANZ, BCU, Commonwealth Bank, NAB, St George, and Westpac.

As local government rates notices hit letterboxes across the state, farmers are highlighting the madness of the Emergency Services and Volunteers Fund Tax (ESVF) now hitting the pockets of Victorian homeowners. Victorian Farmers Federation (VFF) President Brett Hosking said the mounting outrage is adding more weight to calls to scrap massive increases in the tax. 

On Monday, 8 September at 11.30am, a special ceremony will be held at the Port Lincoln War Memorial in Eyre Park to plant a Fig Tree of Tobruk—a living symbol of remembrance and resilience that not only honours the legacy of Australian soldiers who served in the Siege of Tobruk during World War II, but also commemorates the enduring significance of the tree itself, which once offered shelter and solace to troops in the harsh desert conditions of Libya.

Bendigo Bank closed its last remaining banking service in an Aboriginal community 27 days before celebrating the launch of its Aboriginal Reconciliation Action Plan. The Aurukun agency in far north Queensland was one of 27 to be closed in 2022-2023 under the eye of the bank’s now chief executive Richard Fennell when he was in charge of the consumer banking division.

Country race meetings are the heartbeat of regional Australia. Unlike city races where only a small percentage of people attend, country race days see entire towns turn out to support their local event.