Toowoomba midwife recognised for improving care for Aboriginal women
Darling Downs Health midwife Natalie Hobbs has been recognised with a national award for her leadership and work in improving maternity care for Aboriginal women. A proud Kamilaroi woman, Ms Hobbs received the Partnering with First Nations leadership award from the Pre-term Birth Prevention Collaborative, a nation-wide organisation dedicated to lowering early births...
Historic MND breakthrough welcomed by family of the late Shag Gregory
Member for Murray, Helen Dalton's historic breakthrough to establish a MND notification and surveillance framework has been described by the Gregory family as a huge step in trying to find a cure or prevention for this horrible disease.
Scavenger animals are the missing link in Australia’s bird flu response. Three experts explain
Niraj Meisuria, Michael Ward, Thomas Newsome. We’re yet to see how this deadly highly pathogenic avian influenza virus will affect our country’s wildlife. But an urgent concern is the potential for scavenger animals to spread H5N1 further by eating infected carcasses.
A father saved leads to meaningful First Nations artwork: LifeFlight
When emerging contemporary Indigenous artist and Gomeroi woman Melinda Luscombe painted her latest vibrant creation she meditated on the fragility of life. The traditional painting, an Acknowledgment of Country made up of thousands of dots and dashes, tells the story of LifeFlight in the southwest and is now hanging in the charity's Toowoomba base.
Water from air, solar-generating windows and next-gen cancer therapies: The 23 Australian companies solving global challenges
Cicada Innovations, Australia’s leading deep tech incubator, has announced the 23 ventures that will feature at Cicada x Tech23 2026, a showcase of Australia’s next great innovations. Despite ongoing uncertainty around government support for commercialising and scaling innovation, the pipeline for Australian deep tech is bursting.
From power boards to portable heaters: How cost-of-living pressures are increasing house fire risk this winter: Brooks Australia
With winter officially here, Australians across the country are turning off air conditioners and relying on heaters to stay warm, but while temperatures may be dropping, the risk of house fires increases during the colder months. ARR.News asked Jackson Holt from Brooks Australia about particular risks faced and specific advice for people in rural and regional Australia.
Delivering for Queensland – Lower debt, no new or increased taxes, and relief you can rely on: Crisafulli, Janetzki, Bates
The 2026-27 Budget delivers lower debt, $73.5 billion lower than it would have been under Labor, based on MYFER 24-25, by 2029-30, and delivers a surplus in 2029-30.Â
Medicare hinders rural recruitment
Twelve months after Australia's rural health sector handed the Australian government a blueprint to embed Rural Generalist Medicine (RGM) into Medicare, rural doctors are still waiting for action. Despite providing advanced and specialist-level care to rural and remote communities, rural generalists remain unable to access many Medicare items that recognise the additional skills and services they deliver, leaving them restricted to standard GP consultation items.
Doctor expectations have changed
"Once upon a time, GPs moved to small rural communities and built their life around their committed vocation as a rural doctor. They were 'everything' to the community, the general surgeon, the obstetrician, the person who supported the raising of families and the passing of loved ones. In our contemporary world, doctors want what everyone else craves - work life balance."
NSW Budget 2026-27 – Regional measures and responses
The statement of the Minister for Regional NSW and responses from Regional Cities NSW and the Member for Oxley highlight the NSW Budget 2026-27 measures aimed at rural and regional NSW, and the strengths and shortcomings of those measures.
The APVMA decision on paraquat and diquat and responses to this
The Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) has delivered its long-awaited regulatory decision on the herbicides paraquat, and diquat. The APVMA announcement of the decision, together with the responses collected here, from Grain Producers Australia, Parkinson's Australia, Graingrowers and NSW Farmers, show that the decision has been neither universally approved nor condemned.
Feeling blue? The little blue motorbike that starts a convo
A small blue motorbike on a stand out the front of a cafe in Barker Street, Casino was getting a lot of attention today, Sunday, June 21. The Blue Motorcycle Project president Heck McGregor said it’s a conversation starter.
Aerodrome cleared for take-off
Patrick Tucker. After more than a decade of planning, lobbying and volunteer effort, Cohuna’s upgraded aerodrome will officially open on July 7. Driven by community volunteers and later overseen by the Cohuna Lions Club, the project has delivered a longer runway, new lighting, a terminal building and improved facilities for emergency services and visiting aircraft.
Darling Downs Health celebrates third international accolade for stroke services
Toowoomba Hospital’s Geriatric, Adult Rehabilitation and Stroke Service (GARSS) has celebrated a major achievement during a special reunion with a former stroke patient. GARSS was recently awarded its third World Stroke Organization (WSO) Angels Gold Award, after first achieving gold status in 2025.
Does paraquat cause Parkinson’s? Here’s what the evidence says about this common weed killer
Ian Musgrave. Paraquat is one of the world’s most widely used herbicides. It’s also highly toxic and some research points to a link with Parkinson’s disease ... Let’s see what the evidence says about paraquat’s toxicity and any link with Parkinson’s disease.
Fuel crisis forces Little Wings to cut flights for sick country kids
Soaring aviation fuel costs are forcing the children's charity flight service Little Wings to cut back, with consequences for some of the most vulnerable families in the far west. The organisation has had to reduce its number of flights, limiting access to vital developmental assessments and therapy for children in Broken Hill and other remote communities.
New licence supports SeaStock to scale up seaweed production: Jarvis
The Cook Labor Government has granted an aquaculture licence to Fremantle-based company SeaStock Pty Ltd for Western Australia's first commercial scale, land-based seaweed production facility, now under construction in Oakford. In recent years, algae aquaculture markets have developed significantly both locally and abroad for a type of red algae known as Asparagopsis.
Dogs to the rescue
Some of us, in the aftermath of the Covid crisis, were subjected to a deep dive into the music tastes of preteens, which included a song about the lockdown experience called 'I'm Good?' by the Hilltop Hoods ... It's a neat echo of the experience of many people whose canine family member joined them through an adoption program or from the pound, shelter or foster system.
Budget relief, big projects missing
The Limestone Coast is set to benefit from a range of cost-of-living, education, and health measures announced in the state government’s first budget since the March election - but member for MacKillop Jason Virgo says the region continues to miss out on the major investment it deserves.
Researchers explain the complexity of a plant enzyme at the atomic levels: Adelaide University
Adelaide University research into the complexity of plant exo-hydrolytic enzyme could have multiple benefits for medical, pharmaceutical, chemical and biotechnology industries. For more than a decade, Professor Maria Hrmova, School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, and a team of around 30 experts have been exploring the fundamental catalytic properties of plant exo-hydrolytic enzymes.
National Farmers Federation responds on paraquat
National Farmers Federation President, Hamish McIntyre, responds to questions from Australian Rural & Regional News asked in the light of the pending decision on paraquat by the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority and recent media drawing a connection between paraquat and Parkinson’s disease.
The use of paraquat use in Australian agriculture – industry responses
In light of the pending decision on paraquat by the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority and recent media drawing a connection between paraquat and Parkinson's disease, Australian Rural & Regional News has sought responses from industry bodies.
