Life

... this month’s topic is Amazing People ... The book fair itself is nestled between the CWA pop-up shop and Lowana, two long-established organisations run entirely by volunteers ... There are also people who make a career of volunteering and I recently met one such remarkable bloke. In his words he was heading out bush to earn a few dollars to support his real work – delivering books to people in the bush.

As Australia marks DonateLife Week, and local neighbourhood houses in Buloke encourage everyone over the age of 16 to sign up, the Hogan family from Birchip have shared their life-changing moment and the gift of a kidney from father to son.

A “deceased” auction, August 10, has considerable personal interest to families living in the wider Wimmera region. The auction features some exceptionally rare passenger vehicles, circa late 1930s to the mid-1960s.

In an incredible statewide result, the Donald Show has been officially crowned the Third Most Popular Agricultural Show in Victoria in the 2025 VAS Ltd People’s Choice Awards – and what a moment it is for Donald’s proud community!

Chris Byrne from Legacy Minerals was at the Lunatic Hotel to answer questions from the community about mining exploration in the Drake area. It was a casual meet and greet ... IndyNR.com wanted to ask Mr Byrne some questions about his company’s exploration of mineral licences.

The Australian Alpaca Association (AAA) is thrilled to announce the return of its most anticipated event, the Australian Alpaca National Show, proudly celebrating 35 years of alpaca excellence. Running from 8 to 10 August 2025 at the Prince of Wales Showgrounds in Bendigo, this iconic event is free and open to all.

Bendigo and Adelaide Bank has continued its assault on its community bank network, forcing the closure of 28 agencies run by community franchises. All the agencies are in regional Australia and 17 of the affected towns will be left with no banking services after the closures. Bendigo Bank made no mention that the agencies were all operated by the owners of community banks when making the announcement last week that it was “retiring” its agency network.

So, after more than a year without a resident police officer, Katamatite's single-member station is about to spring back to life. Detective Senior Constable Charles Ryall is trading his role with Cobram's Crime Investigation Unit for something entirely different – becoming Katamatite's first live-in police officer in about 12 months.

Maari Ma Health Aboriginal Corporation has renewed calls as a matter of urgency for a new government approach to address high lead levels in Aboriginal children in far west New South Wales. The call comes after the Far West Local Health District released the latest report into lead levels in Broken Hill children.

The Victorian Farmers Federation (VFF) has reacted with concern following recent comments from Victorian Energy Minister Lily D’Ambrosio, warning that the State Government’s energy transition risks alienating the very communities it needs most.

The Barkly Regional Council today issued a strong call to action, urging the Northern Territory Government, Infrastructure Australia, and all stakeholders to reinstate Tennant Creek as a core component of the Territory Energy Link (TEL) corridor. The Council asserts that bypassing Tennant Creek risks squandering decades of strategic planning and undermining critical regional development.

Launch of ground-breaking new first aid app, the All Hands Lifesaver app. “We wanted to put access to immediate help in every parents' pocket across Australia, removing some of the barriers rural and regional people face when it comes to both first aid education and access to emergency healthcare”:  Grace Larson, co-founder of charity The Sisterhood Project and paediatric intensive care nurse.

Mount Alexander Shire Council (MASC) has been keeping play a priority; it has featured as a key agenda item at its recent council meeting and in the recently released budget. It comes as school starts back again, after a holiday period that saw local children and visitors looking for wintry activities in regional small towns.

The final days of the Maldon in Winter Festival and the school holidays resulted in some interesting sights around Maldon ... On Thursday 17 July, the mythical Knight in Shining Armour became a reality for participants in a drawing session with Greg Nash, who is a professional jouster from Kryall Castle (one of only two in Australia, guess where the other one works?).

The comments today from the North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency (NAAJA) Acting CEO, Anthony Beven, are not only irresponsible, they are utterly absurd. To suggest that the Commonwealth should pull funding from the NT Police Force until a meeting takes place is reckless and inflammatory. These kinds of outbursts do nothing but create confusion and fear in remote communities who rely on police for safety and protection.

Towong Council workers have launched historic industrial action over what they consider an "unfair" pay offer and rising charges for residents. For the first time in the council's history, its workers have commenced are taking protected industrial action in response to a wage proposal that workers say fails both staff and the local community.

Corryong's 150th anniversary celebrations began on Sunday with a well attended Proclamation High Tea with many guests decked out in period dress. Corryong & District Memorial Hall committee member, Sheril Wilson, reports on the event...

Families in Barham now have greater access to quality care for their school-aged children, with the launch of a new Out of School Hours (OOSH) service at Barham Public School. Driven by strong community feedback about the lack of childcare options in the region, the service has been established by Intereach in partnership with Barham Public School and its Parents & Citizens Association.

Territory Mangoes, NT beef, local barramundi and Kakadu plums are among the Northern Territory’s major exports – but once they’re on the plate, how many people ponder the origin of these products? A new PhD project at Charles Darwin University (CDU) will help the Northern Territory become synonymous with its food produce, providing much needed marketing support for food NT producers and manufacturers. 

Narrandera District Community Radio Spirit FM 91.1 prides itself on prioritising community needs and strong connections ensuring listeners are well-entertained and are up-to-date and informed about district and community events. Spirit FM volunteers, for nearly 21 years, have enjoyed working hard to deliver quality uninterrupted radio listening. 91.1 is on-air 24-hours and can be streamed from anywhere in the world playing tunes from an over 80,000 song library.