Media Release

‘Protect Our Opals Australia’ is supported by Walgett Shire Council and key opal and gemstone industry organisations, including the Australian Opal Centre, Glengarry Grawin Sheepyard Miners Association, International Coloured Gemstone Association, Lightning Ridge Miners’ Association, Lightning Ridge Area Opal Reserve, Opal Association of Australia, and White Cliffs Miners’ Association.

More than halfway into the current dairy season, Australian milk production is firing on all cylinders, Rabobank says, with widespread growth in milk supply across all dairying regions due to favourable seasonal conditions and good farmgate margins. In its recently-released Q1 Global Dairy Quarterly report … Australian milk production reached 5.35 billion litres from the period July 2023 to January 2024…

More music lovers from across Victoria are on track to experience local music gigs like no other, with the epic live music and tourism extravaganza SOUND TRACKS set to transform Shepparton, Rochester and Echuca next month ... The event, presented by OK Motels, brings together live music and regional hospitality – boosting local jobs, businesses and attracting more visitors to regional Victoria.

Keep your little ones entertained with  First 5 Forever Storytime online sessions. Central Highlands Regional Council’s libraries have you covered with programs designed to keep kids engaged and occupied.

From this month, Denmark’s McLean Oval will be kept green thanks to a new recycled wastewater irrigation system that will see up to 30 million litres of water diverted from a nearby treatment plant. The project, delivered in partnership with Water Corporation, represents another goal achieved under the Shire’s Sustainability Strategy in line with community expectations.  

Team members from Aboriginal History Western Australia (AHWA) and the State Library of Western Australia's Storylines will be hitting the road this March to jointly hold free family history sessions in the Great Southern and Wheatbelt. Usually located in Perth, the teams will be visiting Narrogin, Katanning, Kojonup, Gnowangerup and Albany...

Have you heard fungi talk? Have you felt the forest hum? Understory  is a magical, interactive theatre adventure created for children by Roundabout Theatre, springing to life in the Lismore Rainforest Botanic Gardens this April school holidays...

Thirty-four public art experiences have been recognised as the best in the country for art-loving visitors at the Australian Street Art Awards. Designed by lead artist Peter Ryan and brought to life at night with the aid of Illuminart, the silo art was announced as the Best of the Best after taking out the Gold Award in the Mega Mural category and also the Best Street Art Experience in NSW gong.

Forty-one tourism experiences have been named as the best in Australia for mature-age visitors, with Queensland dominating ... The Grey Nomad Awards is a niche national tourism program that shines a light on the best places for older travellers to stay and play around the country. The Award announcements reflect achievements throughout 2023.

Bendigo Art Gallery’s latest blockbuster exhibition, Paris: Impressions of Life 1880-1925, will open this Saturday ... Journey through the streets of historic Paris, brought to life in more than 170 works of art and artisanal objects from the renowned collection of the Musée Carnavalet – History of Paris.

Restoring our Rivers Bill debated at Agribusiness Australia event. The profound implications of the Commonwealth’s Restoring Our Rivers Bill was unpacked in a wide-ranging discussion about the Murray Darling Basin Plan at an Agribusiness Australia event in Melbourne last week in front of nearly 150 guests.

As Scenic Rim residents continue to repair and rebuild following the devastating Christmas-New Year storms, native animals are re-establishing their homes as green shoots of recovery appear in bushland areas … a survey over three nights of a Council natural area at Tamborine aimed to assess the damage to habitat and its impacts on koalas and greater gliders to assist Scenic Rim Regional Council's efforts in protecting these endangered species.

One of the most topical but arguably most misunderstood developments in sustainable agriculture, carbon baseline setting will be a focus in two weeks at the largest cotton field-day to be staged in Southeast Queensland this year. The 2023 Bayer Cotton Growers of the year, Johannes and Scarlett Roellgen from Tyunga Farms … are hosting the Bayer Cotton Grower of the Year Field Day...

Leader of the Opposition and Leader of the Nationals WA Shane Love ... noted Bankwest’s announcement of a transition to a wholly online servicing model and closure of their branch network across the State. Bankwest, which is owned by CBA (Commonwealth Bank of Australia), has stated 15 regional branches of Bankwest will be converted to CBA branches.

The gross value of Australian fisheries and aquaculture production is forecast to grow by 0.5 per cent in 2023−24 to $3.56 billion according to new data from the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences (ABARES). ABARES Executive Director Dr Jared Greenville said that growth in 2023−24 is predominantly driven by higher prices of wild-caught rock lobster...

The NSW Government’s pharmacy trial has this month surpassed 12,000 total consultations, relieving pressure on GPs and making it easier for people to access basic medications. The trial allows trained community pharmacists to manage urinary tract infections (UTI) and provide treatment medicines if needed, as well as resupply the oral contraceptive pill (the pill).

The 4th Annual Vineyard of the Year Awards list of Australia’s top winegrowers has just landed. The Vineyard of the Year Awards were created in 2020 to advance the regional identity of Australian wine and promote leading edge sustainability and innovation in winegrowing.

Campaspe Shire Council and Heritage Victoria have been working on the new Rail Trail project in Rushworth. After detailed historical and site investigations, Heritage Victoria have placed the former Rushworth Railway Station on the Victorian Heritage Inventory (number H7924-0100).

Australia’s farm, fisheries and forestry sectors are set to rebound in 2024-25. The most recent Agricultural Commodities and Australian Crop reports are predicting that the gross value of production in 2024–25 will again increase after poor seasonal conditions affected outcomes in 2023-24.