Media Release

With renewed bucket list charm, the Great Northern Brewing Co. Cairns Amateurs Carnival gets the fun back on track in 2024 with three days of fashion, horse racing, social events, and pure springtime revelry from Thursday, 12 to Saturday, 14 September. Injecting more than $3 million into the region’s coffers each year, all eyes will once again be on Tropical North Queensland in September when Cairns’ iconic and time-honoured event puts on a show, drawing up to 10,000 city and country folk together in a colourful spectacle dating back to 1959.

For four decades, Urban Camp Melbourne has been bridging the gap between urban and rural life by providing a unique camping experience within the heart of the city. Nestled in Royal Park, Urban Camp offers an unparalleled experience for regional, remote and indigenous students to connect with the city and each other.

Shaped by the highest volume of feedback since its inception in 2018, the 2023-24 annual GenCost report has been released ... GenCost is a leading economic report by CSIRO ... in collaboration with AEMO on the cost of building future electricity generation, storage and hydrogen production in Australia. The latest report introduces a range of changes in response to stakeholder feedback, most significantly, the inclusion of large-scale nuclear for the first time.

Barham & District Medical Centre, our community owned facility, will transition to a new management team in the coming weeks. The Executive Committee of Local Health Medical Trust (LHMT) met with the Kingston Village Super Clinic team on Friday morning to discuss details and assist with their smooth transition into the Barham-Koondrook community.

The Allan Labor Government’s Forestry Transition Fund has helped an East Gippsland timber worker to successfully transition from working in a mill to running his own small business ... Riverview Installations installs flatpack kitchens, including those from Bunnings and Ikea, in Bairnsdale and the surrounding area. The business also helps homeowners to measure and design their own kitchen.

Seven airstrips in Queensland are set to receive funding under Round 10 of the Remote Airstrip Upgrade Program ... The seven Queensland projects are sharing in $13.4m in new grants awarded under Round 10 to improve the safety and accessibility of airstrips across remote Australia. This includes the Lockhart River and Injune airstrips ... Kowanyama Airport ... Aurukun Aerodrome ... Woorabinda Airstrip ...

Greater Shepparton City Council, through its destination brand Shepparton & Goulburn Valley, is excited to announce a new addition to the Moooving Art herd.

The Adelaide River Off-Stream Water Storage (AROWS) project is continuing to take shape with an Airborne Electromagnetic (AEM) Survey taking place to help streamline infrastructure design investigations for AROWS. AROWS is a sustainable approach to water security.

Tickets are officially on sale for The Power Shift: Transitioning Farm Communities to Renewables ... Supported by Western Power and Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, AgZero 2030 is bringing together a range of quality speakers to cover all topics of the energy transition and how it impacts farms, agriculture and our communities.

The electricity generator being built as part of the Hydrogen Jobs Plan is critical  to energy supply in South Australia, a new Australian Energy Market Operator report on energy reliability reveals. The State Government-owned generator being built in Whyalla must connect to the grid as soon as possible to counterbalance the impacts of early closures of privately operated gas-fired generators...

South Australians face increased risk of power blackouts over the next decade despite paying some of the highest electricity prices in the world, according to a new report. The Australian Energy Market Operator report shows increased power grid reliability risks across the country over the coming years due to delays in major energy projects such as the SA-NSW interconnector...

AEMO has today published an update to the 2023 Electricity Statement of Opportunities (ESOO) report, the 10-year reliability outlook for the National Electricity Market (NEM). The update was triggered due to material changes impacting reliability risks since the 2023 ESOO was published last August, including new commissioning dates for Project EnergyConnect, and mothballed gas and diesel generators in South Australia.

The 2024 Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour is a celebration of the mountain and adventure sport world.  Sharing over 2 1/2 hours of the most exhilarating short films from  explorers, runners, mountain bikers, skiers, paddlers and climbers  from around the globe.

Growers could soon have tailored local weather forecasts directly at their fingertips through a ground-breaking program that leverages the cutting-edge capabilities of artificial intelligence and machine learning combined with traditional weather forecasting techniques … the $1.3M initiative … is tailored to meet the specific needs of individual growers, considering their farming block, unique terrain and operational requirements.

The Miles Government has released the findings of a review of the government’s koala habitat protection regulations. The regulations were introduced in 2020 to better protect South East Queensland’s iconic koala population and the habitat they call home ... The consultation confirmed the regulations had been effective, however some elements have not worked as intended.  

“This is a monumental milestone for Australians, with this Standard to pave the way for Australians to access and benefit from the most advanced car, SUV and ute technology offered in other countries – which are cheaper to run and better for the environment. At every step of the way, we have listened to the views of Australians on how we can deliver a Standard that works uniquely for our country, which is what we have delivered today”: Catherine King.

Seeding is underway for most Australian grain producers with many in parts  of western and southern Australia reducing their canola plantings as they continue to wait for a proper season break  in the absence of any rain. The longer growing season required by canola had  many growers pinning their hopes on an April break according to Grain Producers Australia Chair Barry Large.  

Michelago, Bredbo, Adaminaby and Jindabyne residents impacted by bushfires highlighted the importance of bushfire maps showing users their location in relation to a fire risk, while clearly communicating critical information such as direction of fire spread to ensure emergency information is easily understood and followed by communities under threat.

GrainGrowers is closely monitoring the impending sale of Incitec Pivot Fertiliser (IPF) to Indonesian government-backed fertiliser company PT Pupuk Kalimantan Timur (PKT) to ensure growers have access to a consistent supply of critical inputs. GrainGrowers’ Chair Rhys Turton said the sales process had been underway for some time, with members expressing concerns over access to an uninterrupted supply of products.

Representatives from Australia’s peak farming bodies have backed the adoption of the Farm Access Code of Conduct this week, marking a significant step forward in ensuring the respectful treatment of farmers across the nation ... "Farmer groups who met … will play a crucial role in working closely with the Australian Government and infrastructure developers to ensure widespread adoption and adherence to the Code”: Ian Sauer President of TasFarmers.

The National Farmers’ Federation’s Members Council, comprising Australia’s state and commodity agricultural organisations, has today carried three motions: 1. That the NFF no longer has confidence in the Albanese Government to act in the interests of Australian agriculture ... “Farmers, fishers and foresters feel they are being treated with contempt as this Government pursues its single-minded policy agenda": David Jochinke.