Media Release

The Sunshine Coast’s newest community water park is set to attract even more visitors to the region’s hinterland heart - offering more than 580 square metres of healthy and active water play for people of all ages and abilities.

The installation of a series of colourful storyboards in parks at Boonah and Beaudesert has marked  a new chapter for Scenic Rim libraries ... the Story Walks at Springleigh Park, Boonah, and Jubilee Park, Beaudesert, aim to encourage children’s early literacy through play while strengthening family connections and the Scenic Rim’s links to its Indigenous heritage.

This exhibition celebrates Margaret Olley’s favourite subject – the beauty and joy of flowers. Olley dedicated her career to exploring the endless possibilities of humble, domestic objects combined with colourful, textural and sculptural arrangements of cornflowers, delphiniums, calendulas, hydrangeas, poppies, marigolds, flannel flowers, hippeastrums and more.

Former Mildura resident and award-winning intuitive, mixed media abstract artist Jacklyn Foster has chosen Mildura Arts Centre (MAC) to host her very first solo exhibition, which opens this month. Vibrant  is a collection of contemporary acrylic abstract paintings that draw inspiration from finding the joy and humour in life.

Exceptional growing conditions and high global prices are continuing to benefit Australian agricultural production and exports. The ABARES September quarter Agricultural Commodities Report is forecasting agricultural export earnings to climb to a record $70.3 billion for 2022-23 – almost 50% more than what it was 10 years ago after accounting for inflation.

Regional Capitals Australia (RCA) has welcomed the announcement by the Albanese Government that Australia’s permanent migration cap will be increased, saying it is a welcome step for businesses currently struggling with crippling labour shortages. RCA Chair and Mayor of Ballarat Cr Daniel Moloney said “We congratulate the Government on today’s commitment to increase permanent migration, and thank them for listening to the collective voices of regional Australia.”

Minister for Environment and Climate Action Lily D’Ambrosio visited a business in Werribee South which is turning surplus vegetables into powders ready for supermarket shelves ... The powders – on shelves soon under the label Nutri V - can be added to smoothies, sauces, soups and used in muffins, cakes, breads and other baked goods to boost vegetable intake.

Marine ecosystems and coastal communities will benefit from increased investment and restoration projects as a result of the new NSW Blue Carbon Strategy ... “The simplest way to understand blue carbon is to liken it to underwater forests – just as trees store carbon, marine and coastal plants and ecosystems do too, except even more efficiently” : Minister for Environment, James Griffin.

The state’s peak farming group says there is a clear opportunity for the federal government to help businesses transition to cleaner vehicles. NSW Farmers Business, Economics and Trade Committee chair John Lowe said targeted extension of the instant asset write off could be used to encourage farmers and other rural business owners to purchase more modern, energy efficient equipment.

The resistance of  green peach aphid (Myzus persicae,  GPA)  to numerous chemical mode of action groups makes it an ongoing management challenge. In Australia, GPA has evolved resistance to synthetic pyrethroids, carbamates, organophosphates, neonicotinoids, and quite recently, to sulfoxaflor. And now, Australian researchers have found populations of GPA with resistance to spirotetramat, the active ingredient in Movento ® 240 SC Insecticide, as well as several generic products containing the same active ingredient.

Ten Territory nurses will spend the next 12 months building their skills and providing services to remote communities under the Transition to Remote Practice Program. This year is the first time the program recruited a second cohort of participants. They will join the 12 nurses who commenced the program at the beginning of 2022.

The duplication of the Barton Highway is forging ahead with the focus now turning to construction of several intersections along a seven-kilometre stretch as part of Stage 1 ... ARR.News asked some questions for the Ministers and Members and received a response from a spokesperson for Minister King.

Day 1 of the iconic Birdsville Races, originally scheduled to kick-off on September 2 has been postponed following unseasonal inclement weather that has made track conditions temporarily unsuitable for racing. The Saturday race program on September 3, which will include the headline TAB Birdsville Cup will proceed as scheduled.

Rex has taken delivery of another Boeing 737-800NG, further bolstering the airline's jet fleet deployed on its domestic network. The aircraft, registered VH-MFM, arrived in Brisbane ... from Montpellier in France, adorned in the distinctive Rex livery.

World leading augmented reality (AR) technology developed in South Australia is being used to assist producers to recognise emergency animal diseases, such as foot and mouth disease in sheep ... The tool generates a flock of augmented reality sheep, providing an opportunity for the user to identify the sick animal by looking for signs and symptoms of exotic EAD diseases.

The forestry sector in Tasmania supports more than 5,700 direct and indirect jobs, many of which are in our rural and regional communities. Our forestry industry delivers a wide range of renewable products which are essential to the community.

Global demand for cheaper cuts of beef is expected to increase in the year ahead as rampant inflation and slowing economic growth see consumers trade down, Rabobank says in a newly-released report. And Australia - as one of the largest exporters of beef "trimmings" (the cheaper meat cuts which remain after prime cuts are removed) - is expected to be among the best-positioned countries to benefit from this increased international demand, particularly from the US, the agribusiness bank says in its Q3 Global Beef Quarterly.