News

Michelle Freeman. Victorians are living through another black summer, with fires burning through more than 400,000 hectares of forest and farmland and leaving communities from Natimuk to Walwa confronting loss. The scale of the damage underscores the need to continue evolving how we manage our landscapes to better prepare for fire.

Facing aggravated assault charges he has denied, member for MacKillop Nick McBride says he is "chafing at the bit, desperate," and "can't wait to get to the court" to tell his side of the story. In an exclusive, wide-ranging interview with The [Naracoorte] News, Mr McBride asked voters for a "leap of faith," urging the electorate to uphold the Australian Constitution and the presumption of innocence until proven guilty.

In the dusty yards of a local feedlot, on a horse twice her size, Mikaela Hurst effortlessly moves cattle under the unrelenting Australian summer sun. But beneath the wide-brimmed hat and even wider smile lies a specialised skill set that is rare.

Jackie Jarvis was appointed Minister for Agriculture and Food in December 2022. She picked up responsibility for Fisheries in March 2025, giving her three budgets and one election to get her head around the DPIRD budget papers ... Once again, I’ve gone back to the state budget to point out a glaring problem: the rhetoric simply does not match the money.

“WAFarmers are reaping what they sow,” Ben Wyatt declared recently, reflecting on the looming Maddox case and claims by WAFarmers that the current laws are being selectively targeted by the department ... There is a curious habit among former ministers once they leave office: they rediscover principle. Mr Wyatt’s recent commentary on Aboriginal cultural heritage laws is a textbook example.

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Oberon Show Society Inc. Get ready! The 126th Annual Oberon Show is just around the corner. Step right up and experience a local show like...

Bundarra P & A & Rodeo Society

The Victorian Farmers Federation has slammed the State Government's continued underfunding of the Country Fire Authority, with today's release of the CFA's 2024-25 Annual Report confirming a funding crisis that is placing regional communities at unacceptable risk. VFF President, Brett Hosking said the numbers tell a damning story that can no longer be ignored.

Austinn Lane. It was a big week on the water in Wallaroo, with the 51st Tasar national championships held at the local sailing club from January 12 to 17. The event attracted 37 teams of two sailors each, who travelled with their craft from around Australia.

Brisbane-based, national produce rescue business Funky Food is calling on farmers across Queensland and northern NSW to let the Funky team save more fresh fruit and vegetables from going to waste, by partnering to redirect surplus and cosmetically imperfect produce directly to Australian households.

Satellite imagery and artificial intelligence can detect with high accuracy two invasive weed species in Australia, posing a new opportunity for defense against these pervasive plants. Research conducted by Charles Darwin University (CDU) and Charles Sturt University (CSU) explored the potential for SkySat satellite imagery and AI algorithms to detect and map African lovegrass (Eragrostis curvula) and bitou bush (Chrysanthemoides monilifera ssp. rotundata).

Kaali King. Few of us know that tin is one of the fastest growing rare-earth mineral commodities in 2025, outstripping lithium, cobalt, silver and graphite. Demand for electronics and EVs, all of which use tin solder (48 per cent of the global tin market) is fuelling the boom.

In 1990, Graham and Margaret Ryan bought a 1939 Austin 10 at an auction in Woodburn. They paid $2400 for it ... As part of the Australia Day celebrations at Bonalbo this year, the vintage car will be auctioned at noon at the Bowlo – and there is no reserve price on it.

Roger Underwood. A Bold Endeavour – a history of our work in the Western Australian rangelands is a terrific book. I read it from cover to cover and then went back and read some parts again ... if the political will for action ever arises, best-practice land management systems for the WA rangelands are now known and understood, and could be implemented across the rangelands tomorrow.  This situation can be attributed to the work of that small band of tough, dedicated scientists of the Rangeland Management Branch during its short, but dramatic history. 

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Queensland’s Sunshine Coast remains the perennial favourite, but cooler climates are proving popular, with Tasmania and regional Victoria appealing to more Australians looking for a change ... “We are seeing interesting moves in the southern states with Victoria’s Wodonga seeing the strongest annual net migration growth, while three Tassie spots Latrobe, Devonport and Huon Valley – ranked second to fourth.