Life

In the early hours of Friday May 16, Labor and members of the Animal Justice Party, The Greens and Legalise Cannabis Party, colluded with the Allan Labor Government to pass their latest tax, the Emergency Services and ‘Volunteers’ Fund ... The Nationals Member for Murray Plains, Peter Walsh, has labelled the new Emergency Services Levy as a land tax by stealth – targeting the farming community in particular – and as “socialism gone mad in Victoria”.

Lockyer Valley Regional Council has made changes to its local laws to assist those struggling to secure housing by allowing short-term residential use of caravans … Council resolved last month to amend its Subordinate Local Law No. 1.3 to allow temporary residential use of caravans, subject to conditions that manage public safety and amenity.

Christine Webster. Swan Reach, west of Morgan, plus Truro and Mannum, have been suggested as having the most potential for accommodating development in a draft Growth Management and Housing Strategy for the Mid Murray ... The draft strategy said the River Murray Dark Sky Reserve presented significant economic development opportunities across several industries...

Newly appointed Leader of the Opposition, Sussan Ley has vowed she would continue to put the people of Farrer first. The Member for Farrer since 2001 was elected Opposition Leader of the Liberal Party last week and is one of the longest-serving female MPs in Canberra.

Hay's local superstar and running aficionado, Daniel Green, was overjoyed recently to run with William Goodge from the UK, a man who is running to break a record ... "He is so cool, he has run across Japan, America, and has completed many desert runs."

Nhill Fire Brigade raised an incredible amount of funds for two vital appliances: a new light tanker and the replacement forward command vehicle were officially handed over to Nhill Fire Brigade in Nhill by D17 ACFO Chris Eagle on Sunday 18th May 2025.

The silent heroes of a town are the ones who put their hands up to volunteer. "If you want something done, ask a busy person," as the old cliché says. So, as we celebrate National Volunteer Week, let's look into the many undertakings of our Mayor, Carol Oataway.

The community has spoken and Whyalla City Council has listened – last night endorsing the introduction of a city-wide dry zone, following majority public support for the idea. Council received almost 2,500 responses to its survey over a six-week period, asking residents if they wanted to retain the existing dry zone, or move to a city-wide dry zone.

The Yaegl Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation is collaborating with Forestry Corporation to integrate cultural burning with government bushfire management. This partnership aims to enhance the community's resilience to major bushfires and improve land management practices on Yaegl Country.

“It’s a call to connection, to courage, and to conversation.” That’s how Councillor Cristie Yager described the second Notice of Motion she put forward ... “We must be strong enough together to admit when we get it wrong, and to keep trying until we get it right, because the only time things truly fail is when we stop trying.”

It was over within two hours. There were no adjournments, minimal disruptions, and a quiet sense amongst several members of the public seated in the gallery that the first progressive steps towards restoring trust and transparency between Clarence Valley Council (CVC) and the local community following weeks of tense backlash were taken during the monthly Ordinary Meeting of CVC in Maclean on May 15.

Following completion of the Campaspe Shire section of the Waranga Rail Trail in late March, the entire trail was officially opened on 17 May in Rushworth by Campaspe Shire Mayor Cr Daniel Mackrell.

Joanna Tucker. Kernewek Lowender Copper Coast Cornish Festival was once again a major success, with visitors travelling to the region from far and wide. The 2025 edition of the biennial event was held last week ... An estimated 30,000 people attended the seven-day festival...

Jeni Kendell. Each May, the Nimbin Aquarius Foundation is planning to put on an event to celebrate the original Aquarius Festival in 1973 which helped reawaken and renew our wonderful town of Nimbin and ripple out in so many ways to far corners of this country. This annual event will resemble the ‘Festival of Dangerous Ideas’ that has become a landmark for people thinking outside the square.

A beloved Lismore institution is set to come back to life, as the town’s cinema has officially been purchased and will re-open as Lismore Cinemas. Under new private ownership, the cinema will undergo a multimillion dollar refurbishment and return as a state-of-the-art venue celebrating shared experiences, local pride and the power of storytelling.

Aerial shark patrols along the state’s coastline will be extended until the June long weekend, following unseasonably warm weather and an increase in shark sightings at popular beaches. This patrol season – which was brought forward to early November and will run until Monday 9 June – is the longest recorded in South Australia.

Jenny Dwyer. Broaden your understanding of Cultural Burns to reduce exotic weed, promote native ground cover and increase drought tolerance.

We are thrilled to launch National Volunteer Week, Australia’s largest celebration of volunteering, highlighting the power of volunteering to bring people together with the theme Connecting Communities.

How can the Kyogle Visitor Information Centre be improved? At the May 12 Kyogle Council meeting, mayor Danielle Mulholland put forward a motion about the VIC as it is called. “The VIC has been under-utilised for years,” Ms Mulholland said.

Wati Mai brings starving people food, feeds homeless people, gives them magic water. Spider Girl Kungka helps kids stay safe. Comes out at night. Throws webs. Scares kids to go home and makes them go to sleep ready for school ... "The ultimate power of the Superheroes is the voice of the children who created them."

When you first see Merylin Briggs’ artworks it's easy to presume that it’s been created using paintbrush and paint. Lean in closer and you’ll discover that things are not what they seem because Merylin is a fabric artist and her works are made from small snippets of coloured fabric stitched into place to form a picture. 

Jacki Baker. The 51st Naracoorte Horse Trials will be held this weekend ... Sylvia Williams-Roberts will design the course, helped by her right-hand man, husband Roger as builder ... She gained FEI level 3 course design accreditation in 2013 and is one of only two women in the world to attain this level.