Council seeks community feedback on future of waste
... “Even foods you wouldn’t put in a home compost bin could go in because the processing of the waste occurs in a controlled environment. Cr Dickson said our region’s organic waste could be turned into high quality compost which could be put to good use in parks, gardens and farms, instead of rotting in a landfill and producing methane ...
Swimmers not deterred by croc attack at Vyce’s Crossing
... Mr Adidi said he was thankful that his partner Shawntaye Manantan and cousin were with him when the attack happened. “We literally couldn’t do anything but watch what was happening and it happened so fast,” Ms Manantan said. “We ran and dragged him up (the bank) and the croc was coming with its mouth open.” ...
Sanitarium and UNSW breaking new ground in plant-based product segments
The Future Food Systems Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) has welcomed Australia’s longest-established plant-based health-food manufacturer, Sanitarium Health Food Companyâ„¢, into its consortium. Australia’s iconic health-food brand is set to work with UNSW food-technology specialists in CRC projects to improve the functional properties of innovative plant-based protein products, starting with its Barista dairy-free milk range.
Lost crops costing farmers’ mental health
The scarcity of seasonal workers continues to impact growers as crop losses climb to over $45 million this week. The labour shortage is a result of Federal and state government decisions to restrict the movement of people through the Australian border in order to manage the human health impacts of COVID-19. Sixty-five separate crop losses from five states and territories have now reported on the National Crop Lost Crop Register.
Border Ranges beauty is right in your backyard
Explore close to home and be blown away. I am close to the sky. The breeze in the thick canopy that covers the hillsides makes the mountains look like they're moving. The landscape is more ocean than forest – even though I stand 110km from the sea. This is Pinnacle Lookout in the Border Ranges where the peak of Wollumbin-Mt Warning shouts its presence by protruding from the waves of green.
Moved for some country practice
Kyogle's newest vet Simon Wake lives in an idyllic setting. He shares his 80ha property near the Border Ranges with his schoolteacher wife Sally, daughter Lucy, dogs Arthur and Millie, 10 chickens and 18 Speckled Park cattle. Sitting by a huge dam where koalas hide in the trees, Simon's Land Rover is parked under the gums nearby, ready for the next callout.
Dog owners beware – Ehrlichiosis tick detected in South Australia for the first time
Ticks carrying the disease Ehrlichiosis have been detected in northern South Australia for the first time. Ehrlichiosis is a disease of dogs that causes fever, lethargy, loss of appetite, abnormal bleeding, pain and weight loss. If not treated properly, it can result in death.
Road travel out of the question in Cape
... Crossings at the Wenlock, Archer and Laura rivers are impassable, while the Myall Creek near Weipa is also in full flood. Sections of the PDR have also been damaged, with sections of bitumen near the Hann River Roadhouse ripped to shreds by floodwater ...
Phone outage and barge delay cap a tough week in Cape
Imagine if we actually copped a cyclone? The weather was wet and a little wild on the Western Cape last week but not even close to cyclonic. Yet phones dropped out for a 10-hour period and the barge was late on arrival (twice) into Weipa. Shoppers hoping to procure fruit and vegetables on Saturday morning left disappointed as not only did the Sea Swift barge turn up late into port, but couldn’t offload due to a mechanical breakdown.
No vacancy – rental, child care shortage hurting Weipa
A lack of rental properties and adequate child care is the biggest issue facing Weipa in 2021. The town is capable of growth and there are a number of vacant job positions, but nowhere to accommodate new arrivals.
Rental reality is grim for region’s families
The Hayman family must leave their Colches St home in Casino because the landlord is moving his brother in. They have rented the property for three years. With four children living at home and two elderly dogs, finding a new rental is proving difficult.
Tributes flow for ‘Greenie’
Lynne Mowbray. Lawrence cane and cattle farmer, Bruce Green, was a skilled horseman and was deeply entrenched in both the Grafton and Maclean Show Societies, campdrafts and the Lawrence Rodeo which has donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to community groups within the Clarence Valley, since its inception ...
Nine new citizens to take the pledge on Australia Day
Renu Ayyappan will proudly take the pledge of allegiance and become an Australian citizen tomorrow She will be one of nine new Australians to be granted citizenship at Weipa Town Authority's Australia Day festivities. Renu moved to Australia from India in 2015 with husband Saravanan Asaithambi and has lived in Weipa for more than two years. "I love it here. This is home for me," she said ahead of her pending citizenship ceremony. "I want to be part of the Australian culture and want our kids to grow up here."
Cape York could be first in line for vaccinations
Cape York's Indigenous communities are likely to be at the top of the priority list for the first batch of COVID-19 vaccinations in Australia ... Leichhardt MP Warren Entsch said it made sense to target vulnerable communities. "We need to protect those communities in the Cape and Torres Strait and it should also help prevent another biosecurity bubble, which was devastating for the Cape economy," he said ...
New interns welcomed to Coffs Harbour
Coffs Harbour Health Campus has welcomed 10 new doctors who are among a record 1,041 interns starting work in NSW public hospitals this year. Member for Coffs Harbour Gurmesh Singh said the junior medical officers had joined NSW Health at a remarkable time. “Starting your career as a doctor amid a global health pandemic provides a unique opportunity to play a vital role in our extraordinary health system,” Mr Singh said. “These new interns will be a fantastic asset to our local frontline health staff.
Kyogle sailor’s medals head to Australian War Memorial
The Finch family are thrilled the Australian War Memorial has accepted their father's medals for display.
The medals of Kyogle's Frederick Bradley Finch OAM, known...
The Healing Art
by Geoff Helisma
Jim Hourigan loves to paint; however, he plays down whatever artistic ability he might possess, preferring to focus on what his works...
Snap, send and map your rural location pics
It was a trip to Tassie that inspired Obelia McCormack to create a photography app with a difference. PicTrax is a free app where users upload photos of places they’ve visited which are pinned on a map to make it easier for others to visit and photograph the same location. “It is a global interactive travel journal,” Obelia said.
Dunoon RFS news and advice
On Wednesday 18 November, members of Dunoon RFS were presented with the NSW Premier's Bushfire Emergency Citation for their contribution and service to the 2019-2020 Bushfire emergency response by Zone Manager Superintendent Michael Brett. Mr Brett commended the members of the brigade for their ongoing commitment to the RFS and the protection of the community.
Fires … a year on
The last year has been an enormous learning curve for us here at Friends of the Koala. While we have had single fire events which have affected our koalas in the past, this was the first time where essentially the whole region was on fire.
Dam is full but algae is a problem
Toonumber Dam is at 100% capacity after recent rain and Water NSW said it is a marked difference from the 10% levels two years ago. "Water hasn't spilled in the last couple of years," a spokesman said. Despite the water level, Water NSW confirmed the Red Alert warning for blue-green algae remains ...
$50,000 union donation for Rappville bus project
"It is something I want to be part of," Electrical Trades Union national secretary Allen Hicks said at the Rappville Pub on Thursday. Allen flew from Sydney to announce a $50,000 donation towards a community bus for Rappville. The Rappville Social committee has been fundraising for a bus to pick up school children to increase student numbers at Rappville Public School and to take older people on shopping trips to Casino. The 22-seater bus they plan to buy will have disability access and will cost $156,000.
