Open letter to the Prime Minister
Michael Balderstone, Legalise Cannabis Party President. Firstly, congratulations Albo and thank you for Labor preferences on the Senate tickets ... Fair to say we were disappointed by our result, even though we got more than half a million first preference votes. The Legalise Cannabis Party grew out of the Nimbin HEMP Embassy, which in truth grew out of the Nimbin community.
Murray Local Health District: To split or not to split? Community needs to decide
Independent Member for Murray, Helen Dalton, has called on everyone in her electorate to write to NSW Parliament in support of creating a new local health district for the region, called the Western Riverina Local Health District ... "Parliament is calling for submissions about this new health district, and I want thousands of submissions to be sent in."
Legacy in bloom: Dahlenburg Estate plants the seeds for Iona’s new gardens
West Wimmera Health Service is proud to announce the completion of a major redevelopment project at Iona Gardens, bringing new life, colour, and purpose to the facility's outdoor spaces. What was once a plain and impractical environment has been reimagined into a welcoming, accessible, and engaging area designed to enhance the wellbeing and quality of life for all residents.
Study reveals farmer mental health burden amidst land grab rush: VFF
A new Federation University study has revealed farmers and communities are buckling under the mental health strain posed by energy and mining developments in the Wimmera and Southern Mallee regions ... “Tragically an Australian farmer dies by suicide every 10 days. That’s more than twice the rate of other working Australians.”
2025-26 interim Budget supports services, economy and the Tasmanian community: Rockliff, Abetz
The Tasmanian Government’s significant investment in health, education, housing, and law and order has been outlined in today’s 2025-26 interim Budget. This is a fiscally responsible budget that will continue to deliver the services that Tasmanians expect and deserve.
Hospital strike out
Madison Eastmond. Riverland medical staff will join hundreds of nurses as they reject the State Government's most recent pay offer, which they claim still "leaves SA nurses and midwifes as the lowest paid in Australia".
The wrong ratio headcount issue
Madison Eastmond. Riverland medical staff are claiming new ratio laws that have been recently passed by the State Government to improve medical care and safety are failing to alleviate the "high pressure working conditions" of rural and regional healthcare. Alongside an offer of a 13 per cent pay rise over four years, with bonus payments totalling $4500 … the State Government also announced the passing of new patient ratio laws, which are said to ensure "safer nursing".
Rallying for respect
Michelle Daw. Wallaroo nurses, midwives and their supporters were among hundreds who rallied across South Australia last week in support of a union pay claim. The rallies, held on Wednesday, October 30, were organised by the South Australian branch of the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation as part of its RESPECT campaign.
The man who ran 1,132km on a fractured hip: Mitch McKinney’s extraordinary marathon for angel kids
Mitch McKinney isn't a professional runner ... by his own admission, he's not particularly a runner at all. Yet this 38-y/o ordinary Australian achieved something extraordinary; running 1,132 km from the red dust of Broken Hill to the sea breeze of Newcastle, completing a marathon every single day for 29 days straight.
When a crazy idea becomes a reality and a ‘38 Dodge ambulance returns to town
Never has a ‘38 Dodge had such applause on its arrival. When Mark and Sue Butler pulled into town with the 1938 Dodge Kyogle ambulance on the back of their tilt tray truck, everyone wanted to see it ... The Kyogle ambulance has been returned for three months to be part of the Kyogle Memorial Hospital centenary celebrations on November 15.
Puppies in purple for Jacaranda Festival
This year, for the first time, Assistance Dogs Australia pups will be featuring in the Grafton Jacaranda Festival Parade on Saturday 1 November, resplendent in purple crowns and accompanied by the ADA team, their community carers and Serco staff.
Answers wanted on Jane’s death
A Riverland man is searching for answers after his wife died on the Renmark airport tarmac, while waiting hours for a critical air ambulance last month. After suffering a heart attack on the evening of September 20, on the family's Renmark fruit block, 76-year-old Jane Logos was taken to the Berri-based Riverland General Hospital and waited until nearly 4am for an attempt to transfer her to Flinders Medical Centre (FMC), before tragically passing on the tarmac.
Kyneton the Rational(E) choice for skincare powerhouse: Symes
The Allan Labor Government is supporting an Australian luxury skincare brand working to in-house 100 per cent of its manufacturing by the end of the year, after relocating to Kyneton ... RATIONALE, a Victorian-owned skincare product manufacturer, invested $7.8 million to relocate its headquarters from Melbourne to Kyneton in 2022...
Radiotherapy group tours new cancer care centre
A new Cancer Care Centre under construction at Mount Gambier Hospital has been inspected by the region’s radiotherapy working group ... Although still many weeks from completion, and it lacked radiotherapy, Naracoorte's Lachlan Haynes was pleased that improved cancer care would soon be available for South Easterners.
Algae doesn’t swim between the flags: Tarzia, Basham
Businesses and families financially impacted by the harmful algal bloom have been left wanting by the State Government’s most recent announcement on how it plans to keep our beaches open during summer ... “While our lifesavers do an outstanding job keeping our beaches safe, algae doesn’t swim between the flags,” Mr Tarzia said.
Grow Local, Eat Local serves up a winner!
On Saturday, the health promotion team at West Wimmera Health Service hosted the fourth Grow Local, Eat Local cooking competition. Three home cooks from across the Wimmera—Warracknabeal, Horsham and Natimuk—each prepared a plant-based dish for the crowd, with television cook Tim Bone judging the entries and choosing the winner.
$250,000 health plan endorsed
The South East is set for its most ambitious health overhaul in a generation, with the Limestone Coast Local Health Network endorsing a 10-year, $250 million clinical services plan designed to transform care across the region. The 65-page Draft Clinical Services Plan 2025 2035 charts a course for hospitals and community health across eight locations ...
LifeFlight airlifts boy after ATV crash
The Roma-based LifeFlight Surat Gas Aeromedical Service (SGAS) aeromedical crew yesterday airlifted a boy after an ATV crash in the Western Downs region. The LifeFlight helicopter was tasked by Retrieval Services Queensland at 3.40pm to a private property and landed near the scene.
Industrial renewables laid bare
The Pyramid Hill was a hive of activity on Sunday as community members from Loddon and Gannawarra Shires gathered to discuss industrial renewable developments openly. The meeting hosted by Loddon Valley Renewables Awareness Group provided an open community forum, something that is avoided at all costs for transmission line and renewable developments, as one speaker framed it, "divide and conquer" is the standard modus operandi.
Turning a cup of tea into a life changing conversation: BCNA
Every day in Australia, 58 people are diagnosed with breast cancer ... conversations about breast cancer are often avoided, leaving many women to face their fears in silence. A new national campaign from tea brand Tetley in support of Breast Cancer Network Australia (BCNA) aims to change that, by transforming something as simple as a chat over a cup of tea into what could be a life changing conversation.
Haydays’ plight goes to Federal Health Minister
"I will be writing personally to the Federal Health Minister." That was the promise made by Member for Farrer and leader of the Liberal Party, Sussan Ley when she visited Haydays last week. Ms Ley toured the aged care facility with chair Lisa Bowen and staff members Martyn Quinn and Julie Weymouth, to see for herself the upgrades needed for Haydays to retain its accreditation.
Dialysis in draft: State plan flags mid-term service priority for Naracoorte
The long-awaited prospect of renal dialysis services at Naracoorte Hospital has been formally recognised in the state government’s Draft Clinical Services Plan for the Limestone Coast ... Mr McBride emphasised that renal dialysis for Naracoorte had been a long-standing request from constituents who faced the burden of travelling to Mount Gambier or Adelaide for treatment.
