Life

Australia’s peak animal welfare body, Animal Care Australia, has published a score card of how each Victorian Political Party performed in supporting or opposing sound Animal Welfare initiatives for companion animals in this last term. Animal Care Australia painstakingly trawled through the last 3 years of Hansard (the official record of the Minutes of Victoria’s Parliament) to find how often each party spoke in favour of improving animal welfare and supporting companion animals, and those who blocked, or spoke against, those motions.

Notice of community meetings, flood information, SES status, advice and links provided by Alexandrina Shire in South Australia, where the River Murray meets the sea and flooding is predicted.

Sarah Martin. A group of Indigenous women rangers, led by Cape York environmental warrior Larissa Hale, has been named as the first Australian finalist for Prince William’s prestigious Earthshot Prize ... “To be showcasing these amazing projects right across the world is a powerful way for First Nations women to see and imagine their futures in conservation management": Larissa Hale.

With the support of the Cape community, Ukrainian refugees Tatiana and Victor Malysha have returned to their home in war-ravaged Zaporizhzhia. Coordinated by Cooktown couple Eric and Jola George, the community has fundraised to give Tatiana and her son Victor, who has special needs, a monthly allowance while they were forced to live apart from her husband to escape fighting in Zaporizhzhia.

After Katy Brown notched up her fourth broken bone at the tender age of 10, her mum decided that if she couldn’t buy her daughter a safe pony she had better breed one ... it was the choice of the Highland that set in motion an association that would become a life’s work for the young animal lover – saving livestock breeds facing extinction.

Nic Duncan’s photography work is not the glamorous kind. Far from it. Nic travels to the back of beyond to capture her subjects within their natural habitat. There’s no fictitious backdrops, no wardrobe assistant and certainly no makeup artist. It’s all about reflecting a person’s natural state. Raw and real, regional and rural she seeks the opposite of city and suburban.

The Tennant Creek Lions Club celebrated its 55th anniversary with a stunning sunset dinner on Saturday evening. The first ever Australian Lions Club was formed in Lismore in 1947, with the Tennant Creek branch forming two decades later.

2022 has been a busy year for the staff and volunteers of the Victorian Goldfields Railway.  In addition to operating trains every Wednesday and Sunday throughout the year, 2022 has seen a very popular program of special trains operated, including Murder on the Orient Express Driver Experiences and the ever-popular Ales on Rails trains.

Stephen Cranby. What is Roo Fest? Both Donna [Publican] and Mandy Connell [Organiser] agree. Roo Fest is about bringing artists together from around this region of Victoria to provide a venue for musicians who haven’t necessarily been heard or been up this way before.  

Lee Mead. Most of our local properties, roadsides and Maldon Historic Reserve are now free of large Wheel Cactus infestations.  This is thanks to many volunteers, landowners and contractors who have all been helping to destroy this noxious weed.

There has been a positive trend of increasing Regional Express passenger numbers at Narrandera-Leeton Airport since the beginning of 2022. Narrandera Shire Council’s General Manager George Cowan advised that positive comments continue to be received from Regional Express that the Sydney – Narrandera/Leeton – Griffith route was one of their most profitable routes flown.

Jeff Hanson. The word prodigious can get thrown around a lot these days, but it’s really the only way to describe 21-year-old athlete and rugby league star, Tristan Eldridge ... After choosing rugby league as his sport of choice, the talented outside back was nurtured in the Canberra Raiders system, playing Harold Matthews Cup, SG Ball Cup and Jersey Flegg Cup for the Green Machine.

The latest two additions to the Koondrook Barham Red Gum Statue Walk were publicly revealed on Sunday, November 13. The Roy Higgins and Sidney Reid statues brings the Red Gum Statue Walk to a total of 20 features capturing the twin towns’ history, ecology and pioneering spirit ... “This walk is a very unique feature of our towns and highlights the versatility and magnificence of sustainable red gum timber": Tom Chick, KDC chairman.

Whilst those who are located regionally ... are well versed in the gaps in healthcare availability, there is a lack of practical solutions to meet the demand and support these communities deserve ... Open Support offers a 100 per cent free of charge transport program which aims to help bridge the gap in access to healthcare for those who live in regional NSW by providing transport services across Sydney.

There’s more financial support for Northern Rivers residents who have to travel a long way for specialist medical treatment. The state government recently added $150 million to the Isolated Patients Travel Accommodation Assistance Scheme (IPTAAS) that is for regional patients.

They’re the creepy crawlies with a voracious appetite, so when it comes to food waste, black soldier fly larvae are nature’s number one composters. Now, these wriggly grubs are helping South Australia’s food bowl stay clean and green as part of a sustainable food initiative from Mobius Farms.

Rodney Stevens. When you hit the Clarence Valley beaches this summer you can rest assured you are being watched by the best, after Recce Dobbin was awarded DHL Lifeguard of the Year at the Surf Life Saving Australia National Awards of Excellence ... Having saved the lives of more than 20 people during his life-saving career, Mr Dobbin said this wasn’t the first award he had received.

Sam’s memoir tells the story of his journey from farmhand to farmer. Along the way, it also explores the changing nature of farming, the complications of farm succession, and less traditional approaches to agriculture ... I had tears well up at some points, and laughed out loud at others.

Aurukun is no stranger to unrest but locals fear that issues in the community are at breaking point after a year of violence and sorry business ... Attendance at the school has dwindled as a result of violence in the street and sleepless nights, while the council struggles to find staff for essential roles, meaning services such as the post office and community bank have been closed intermittently.