Life

Tracy Jones, Desert Knowledge Australia. A group of local organisations and independent parties have joined forces in Alice Springs, NT, with the support of the Northern Territory Government, to address the town’s water future. The Talking Water Collective delivered a short, intense campaign during October-November 2021 to prompt awareness and build stewardship around the town’s water security, sharing key facts about water resources and consumption, and contributing to the NT's Strategic Water Plan.

Sean Cunningham. Barellan Post Office, which is also the town’s financial centre, is under new ownership. The new owners Fiona Kibble and Cameron Rouse believe that investing in the post office has been the "best decision" they've made in a long time.

Delicious lamb straight from the source is what Big Paddock Farm is all about. Fifth generation farmer, Tom McConnell, and partner, Leona Chan, are bridging the gap between the dinner table and the paddock.

A tiny house charity has had one of  its disaster relief trailers stolen. The Container of Dreams charity builds homes for bushfire impacted people and runs workshops on turning containers into homes.

Geoff Helisma. Volunteer environmental organisation, Clarence Valley Environment Centre (CEC – established 1989), has released the results of a survey it commissioned, “to undertake koala scat detection [using a specifically trained] dog … in the Shannondale area, [in order] to assess koala presence/absence after the droughts, fires and floods”.

A member of the Woodridge Horse and Pony Club, Two Rocks teenager Chenin Hislop has been nominated by president and chief coach Morag Gemmell in the 7NEWS Young Achiever Awards WA in the regional service award category.

There have been increased reports of stable flies in the Shire of Gingin and other areas due to unseasonably wet conditions over winter and spring that enabled larval developmental sites to stay active for longer. Stable fly is primarily a pest of livestock, especially cattle and horses but it also affects humans, dogs and other animal pets.

Weipa will get its own general manager again after the sudden resignation of Michelle Elvy paved the way for Rio Tinto to shuffle the deckchairs on its bauxite business ... Shona Markham will take the reins at Weipa, moving from Rio Tinto’s Bell Bay Aluminium operations in Tasmania.

A large male croc has been removed from the Endeavour River at Cooktown after it developed a taste for local dogs ... Due to its large size, the crocodile must be dealt with as an ‘iconic crocodile’ under Queensland’s conservation laws.

Condobolin Picnic Race Club

Tumut Show Society

Gabrielle Duykers. In the latest addition to her many accolades, Cath Kidman of Wynns Coonawarra Estate has been crowned Viticulturist of the Year at the recent 2021 Women in Wine and Spirits Awards. Ms Kidman was one of 50 finalists to win one of the 18 award categories, with recipients spanning across 12 countries and regions around the globe.

Make sure to visit the Newstead Arts Hub this February to see a collection of portraits taken by local Anglican Church Reverend Darcy Vaughan. The exhibition, open during the weekends, tackles issues of social isolation and how our communities function when faced with anxiety and uncertainty.

The most ferocious fires seen in WA, four of them ranked level four bushfires, wiped out 60,000ha across WA with Denmark recording the heaviest losses with four houses.

Patricia Gill. Osborne Road residents Denise and William Legge stayed put on Saturday believing their farm was ‘in a reasonably defensible position’. This did not stop the couple from experiencing fire raging on all sides of their property that day but with the help of five heavy-duty fire brigade appliances their home and sheds were saved.

Happy Valley Road resident Anala Linckens described returning to the home she shares with partner Artha Holmes on Saturday as like entering Mordor ... Denmark-born and raised Ian Osborne thought he was in trouble on Saturday afternoon when the fire loomed above his property on Osborne Road.

A female shearer is encouraging young people to consider taking up the profession as the country continues to face a shortage spurred on by the pandemic ... While Ms Doll had never expected to spend her working life in a shearing shed, the 29-year-old now couldn’t imagine her life being any different.

Jeff Hanson. Josh Hanlon was once earmarked to play football at the highest level. The former Ganmain and Tullibigeal player, who at the time was playing with North Wagga in the Farrer League, had been recruited by the GWS Giants and was playing under 19s representative football, and surely looked on his way to a career in the AFL.

After 14 years as a rural journalist, Sophie Baldwin is aiming to transform her passion for rural communities to a potent political voice for the federal seat of Mallee. Ms Baldwin believes it is time for Mallee to have an independent voice.

Kirstin Nicholson. Two local cricket stalwarts have been honoured with a new annual shield. Bruce Milthorpe from Cohuna and George Keath from Leitchville have been recognised for the many years of dedication and work they have put into their local cricket clubs.

It’s time to turn that trash into treasure! NetWaste, Coonamble Shire Council and Outback Arts are collaborating once again to host the annual Waste 2 Art Competition and Exhibition.