News

The Crisafulli Government is delivering $300,000 to support two local agronomy projects, helping shore up the future of agriculture in Far North Queensland after the local collapse of sugar cane when the Mossman Mill closed in 2024.   

The creativity of local and regional artists will once again be celebrated as the 2026 Cuttlefest Art Prize Exhibition opens at the Middleback Arts Centre on Tuesday, 2 June at 6pm, featuring the exhibition launch, awards presentation and panel session.

Adair Dunsford. Country Arts SA is bringing Adelaide artist Dan Withey and his exhibition to Naracoorte this Friday, featuring bold colours, a strong graphic aesthetic, and subtle humour. Called “Finite Bounty”, the touring exhibition dives into the concept of animism the belief that all things in the universe, not just humans possess a spiritual essence.

Christine Webster. The recommissioning of the PS Canally will be celebrated with the return of the Morgan Living River Festival, on Saturday and Sunday, at the town's riverfront reserve. A team of dedicated and enthusiastic volunteers spent 16 years restoring the 119-year-old paddle steamer.

The peak body for Tasmanian farmers has released its Rushy Lagoon Land Use North-East Community Impact Survey. TasFarmers said it had received concerns from numerous members regarding the proposed sale of Rushy Lagoon, and federal government support allowing a foreign-owned entity to purchase the property and convert it to a pine plantation.

The Albanese Labor Government continues to secure essential fuel and fertiliser to keep Australian agriculture moving, with around 80,250 tonnes of additional urea now locked in through the Government’s $7.5 billion Fuel and Fertiliser Security Facility. Through Export Finance Australia, the Government has partnered with Incitec Pivot to support the purchase of two shipments of urea from Indonesia.

John Williams. At the Nhill Plastic Factory, staff once found themselves unable to unclasp their own fingers no matter how hard they tried, while another employee slept upright in a chair for half an hour - wide awake inside her head but unable to move a muscle. No, it wasn’t a typical Monday morning. Hypnotist Bud Flanagan Junior was in town, using the factory workers to promote his 1949 show.

Balranald Art Gallery welcomed art lovers through its doors on Friday night for the opening of Miniatures in May, with the exhibition's second year already surpassing its debut in both the number of entries and participating artists.

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Council has now lodged its submission with the Department of Planning on the State Significant Development application for a proposed residential flat building development at Sanderling Avenue, Hawks Nest. The proposal involves the construction of three residential flat buildings up to four storeys, strata subdivision, and upgrades to the golf club parking area ... Council’s submission does not support the proposal in its current form.

Boxthorn Blitz workshops are returning this year with a new addition aimed at strengthening the fight against the invasive African boxthorn. Following a recent partnership between the City of Greater Geraldton and the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), the first Boxthorn Blitz workshop will include a demonstration of the new African boxthorn biocontrol program.

The NSW Liberals and Nationals will oppose Labor’s rushed attempt to remove independent oversight, increase Ministerial powers and bypass effective community consultation on renewable energy projects in regional NSW, with the views of farmers and other stakeholders already being ignored by the Minns Labor Government ... The Energy Legislation Amendment (Prioritising Renewable Energy) Bill 2026 is a reckless concentration of unchecked Ministerial power...

More renewable energy flowing into the system is helping place downward pressure on electricity prices, with the Default Market Offer in NSW set to fall from July. The Australian Energy Regulator (AER) has determined the cap on default electricity prices for NSW households will drop by between 3.4 and 7.7 per cent from July, reflecting lower wholesale electricity costs as more renewable generation and storage enters the market.

The mayors of two neighbouring Victorian municipalities are calling on the Murray Darling Basin Authority to recognise the efforts of improved irrigation systems across the region when conducting its 2026 Basin Plan review.

Australia is set to plant a reduced winter crop this year, as the nation’s grain growers contend with mixed weather conditions and the impacts of significantly-higher farm input costs, Rabobank says in its 2026/27 Australian Winter Crop Forecast. The specialist agribusiness bank estimates Australia’s winter cropping area will come in at 23.1 million hectares for the season – down eight per cent on last year and 4.3 per cent below the five-year average.

Geoff Reid is in his 70s and he’s walking from Ballina to Myall Creek to visit massacre sites along the way. It’s a long walk – 474km with a lot to think about on the way. Geoff started at East Ballina Cemetery and then went on to Goanna Headland at Evans Head.

Michelle Daw. Moonta Mines heritage volunteers say about $100,000 has been lost since National Trust of South Australia shut local sites in February, as they continue to fight the closure on multiple fronts.