Arts About – Shroud at the EDGE
Nancy Whittaker. As the Maldon in Winter 2022 Festival becomes ever colder, another intriguing exhibition will open at the EDGE Galleries on Saturday, 9 July, from 5pm -7pm. The exhibition entitled Shroud is more than fascinating in itself. However, the opening will be further enhanced by performance artist and EDGE Galleries Director Simon Dow presenting a provocation, which is called ‘the conditioning’.
New FMD biosecurity messages for travellers from Indonesia: Watt
Biosecurity officers are boarding planes on arrival and playing a new biosecurity message on all inbound flights from Indonesia, reinforcing Australia’s strict biosecurity measures and providing FMD-specific advice to travellers. Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Murray Watt said the Albanese Government is very serious about keeping this devastating disease out of Australia.
Stop making excuses on biosecurity: NSW Farmers
NSW Farmers President James Jackson has slammed government officials for being wishy-washy on biosecurity controls such as foot baths ... “The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry says they can’t have antiseptic foot baths at airports because a child might fall in them,” Mr Jackson said.
Opposition slams national airline for failing its regional customers
Shadow Transport Minister, Shane Love, has called on Australia’s major airline to apologise to their WA customers after flights were cancelled across the state ... "this airline, which is borne of regional communities and the tyranny of distance, has shown little concern for the impact its mismanagement had on the regional families and businesses who rely on air travel to function,” he said.
Listening to regional voices: Barkly Regional Deal Governance Table goes to Elliott
The Elliott basketball court was the setting for the Barkly Regional Deal Governance Table meeting recently. This was the first time a Governance Table meeting was held outside of Tennant Creek, following a commitment from the Governance Table to speak with people across the Barkly to hear their priorities for their community and region.
NAIDOC Lifetime Achievement Award for local man
Narrandera's Dr Stanley Grant Senior AM has won the NAIDOC Lifetime Achievement Award for 2022. Dr Grant is an elder and a warrior of the Wiradjuri people who grew up in Griffith and spent time with his grandfather Wilfred Johnson (known as Budyaan) who spoke seven languages and taught Dr Grant the Wiradjuri language.
Population going backwards
The Census results for Narrandera have been released, showing a slight decrease of 155 in population. Conducted in August last year, the Census recorded 5698 people in Narrandera, down from 5853 residents recorded in the 2016 Census. The results revealed that Narrandera was home to 12.7 per cent of people who identified as Indigenous. This figure came in at four times higher than the national average of 3.2 per cent ... “This accurate and valuable data reveals who we are as a nation and how we have changed.”
The Grainger connection
Joan de Bondt. Percy Grainger was a composer and pianist born in 1882 whose legacy is generally associated with his piano arrangement of the folk dance tune ‘Country Gardens’ ... Percy Grainger was a cousin to Bruce’s great grandfather. A wedding photo of Bruce’s grandfather, Stewart Hamilton Grainger, is attached to a photo of Percy at about the same age and the resemblance is unmistakable.
Flooded hobby farmers need feed too
Sarah Booth is heartbroken about the small hobby farmers who don’t have enough feed for their animals since the floods. “I don’t have cattle but all I could see was heartbreak,” the Wyrallah woman said. Ms Booth has 60 families waiting for animal feed for cows, horses, pigs, goats and sheep.
Farmers share traveller tips to help keep Foot and Mouth out of Australia: Vic Farmers
Victorian farmers are encouraging international travellers to enact simple preventative measures to help keep the potentially devastating Foot and Mouth (FMD) livestock disease out of Australia. Victorian Farmers Federation President Emma Germano said that news of the disease reaching the popular holiday island of Bali in neighbouring Indonesia is very concerning for farmers.
Races rescheduled at Grafton
Emma Pritchard. The Clarence River Jockey Club (CRJC) postponed Races 4-9 on the opening day of the 2022 XXXX July Winter Racing Carnival, the Westlawn Finance Prelude Day on July 3, following a shocking incident in the concluding stages of Race 3, the Westlawn Business Loans 2YO Maiden Plate over 1015m. Apprentice jockey Leah Kilner, 24, was dislodged from her mount, the Owen Glue trained Stella’s Turn inside the final 100m when the filly tragically went amiss and crashed to the turf.
Region growth steady
Weipa is the boom town of Cape York as census figures revealed it is the highest earning community in the region and also one of the fastest growing. Overall, Cape York showed steady growth in both population and household income, although there were some exceptions, with Weipa standing out.
New release – Rachel
Rachel Kennedy stood out on a wild frontier dominated by men ... her extraordinary and unputdownable pioneering story is told for the first time ... Rachel Kennedy was a colonial folk hero. Born in the wild and remote Warrumbungle mountains of western New South Wales in 1845, she was described by Duke Tritton of The Bulletin as Australia's greatest pioneer woman of them all.
New release – My Father and Other Animals
A moving and hilarious fish-out-of-water memoir of a millennial leaving his inner-city life to take over the family farm. Sam Vincent is a twenty-something writer in the inner suburbs, scrabbling to make ends meet, when he gets a call from his mother: his father has stuck his hand in a woodchipper, but ‘not to worry – it wasn’t like that scene in Fargo or anything’.
New release – Growing Up in Country Australia
Growing Up in Country Australia is a fresh, modern look at country Australia. There are stories of joy, adventure, nostalgia, connection to nature and freedom, but also more grim tales – of drought, fires, mouse plagues and isolation.
New release – Of Marsupials and Men
Of Marsupials and Men recounts the fascinating and often hilarious history of the men and women who dedicated their lives to understanding Australia’s native animals.
Learning from Leeton: how a rural town has rolled out the welcome mat and helped refugees find their feet
The NSW country town of Leeton is about as far removed as possible from Afghanistan – geographically, culturally, politically and religiously – but it has set the gold standard for how Australia can successfully integrate refugees into local communities.
Festival of light coming to Kerang
The stories of Kerang’s fauna, flora and people will be celebrated during four nights of activities this July. Using digital projection technology, many of Kerang’s landmarks will be lit up by works created by residents during the Kerang’s Living World light festival, occurring on 4-5 July and 15-16 July.
Foot and Mouth Disease – a risk for all rural areas: Mark Allison, Agribusiness Australia
The risk of an FMD outbreak in Australia has been given a probability of 9% (1%/19%). The advent of FMD in Indonesia increases the likelihood of an incursion into Australia. We should not have waited until FMD or any disease was close to bring attention to the risk of exotic diseases ... In the event of an outbreak of FMD, we would immediately lose a large number of our premium livestock markets. The longer an outbreak takes to be controlled, the longer we are shut out of premium markets.
More affordable airfares have landed for Shire of Ashburton residents
Shire of Ashburton residents can now take advantage of capped airfares travelling to and from Perth from July 1, 2022. The first scheme of its kind to be implemented in Australia, the WA State Government has committed $19.8 million to deliver the capped airfare scheme over the next three years.
Go for gold and make tracks at special Sunshine Coast Olympics event
From children to seniors, beginners to pros, everyone is invited to join the fun and #HaveaGo at a free council community event in Caloundra on July 23 – a celebration to acknowledge exactly 10 years to go until the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games open. Get on your bikes at Sugar Bag Road Mountain Bike Trails from 10am-3pm for an action packed day of demos, trails, #HaveAGo sessions and rubbing shoulders with world class champions.
New kitchen for Moreton Bay
Chris Oldfield. Meals of “mashed mush” and “baby food”, people left on toilets, others often feeling cold and rooms not cleaned properly are some of the sad tales from residents and their families of Moreton Bay House ... The News has now spoken to several people - residents and their families and friends - about a raft of problems which saw the aged care facility fall into disrepute, failing 19 of 42 requirements listed under eight Commonwealth standards.
