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Forest Fire Management Victoria (FFMVic) crews are currently focused on cutting grass on public land in the Murray Goldfields District to reduce the risk of grassfires this summer.  FFMVic Murray Goldfields Acting District Manager, Aaron Gay, said crews will be slashing a total of 2,000 hectares across 700 locations in the coming weeks.

The latest agricultural lending statistics provided by the Australian Prudential Regulatory Authority (APRA) show an increase in lending to the farm sector of 6 per cent in 2022-23, reaching $120.5 billion. Executive Director of ABARES Dr Jared Greenville said that while the amount of debt had risen, the reasons point to ongoing investment in the sector.

Michelle Daw. The nurses’ union has called for an urgent review of patient admission criteria and security measures at Yorketown Hospital after a terrifying incident where a patient allegedly threatened two nurses with knives. Union representatives argue the hospital’s current security systems fail to protect staff, prompting calls for stronger safeguards to ensure the safety of healthcare workers and patients alike.

Wilson McShane. Kadina’s Tate Cowie will join an elite cohort of drivers ... when he races in front of a crowd of close to 10,000 people at the VAILO Adelaide 500. Cowie will compete in his wingless sprint car ... “Because we’re more of a budget sort of class, your average joe could sort of look at it and go ‘oh yeah I can afford to race one of these’ and hopefully grow the class from there.”

Local farmer Jim “Spud” Hepworth, a Litchfield, Watchem and Donald stalwart and fourth generation cereal and sheep, farmer has starred in a short film that has gone viral overnight. The video, released ... by a local group called Farms For Food, has had over 69,000 views in 24 hours. Mr Hepworth spoke about the community impact that changes such as mineral sand mining and new transmission lines have had in his region.

The Game Management Authority (GMA) will begin its annual survey of Victoria’s game duck population ... The survey will be conducted by wildlife biologists, who will record the presence, species and number of game ducks at more than 850 waterbodies across Victoria including wetlands, farm dams, sewerage treatment plants, streams and rivers.

At the annual Remembrance Day service held at Yanchep National Park ... Yanchep Two Rocks RSL president Bill Jones said November 11 marked the end of fighting in the most horrific war of the modern era ... "may all of those who have fallen in past conflict, never be forgotten…freedom is not free.’’

One 11 year-old Jack Russell female named Elizabeth, for scaring her parents and causing trouble. Worming day...dogs line up for treats...

Rachel Hagan. Close to 100 people attended the Remembrance Day service at the new Port Clinton veterans’ memorial ... After a lengthy battle to install the memorial, which divided the community, Port Clinton has had its first service at the new memorial near the corner of Yelta Street and Yoolamardy Terrace.

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A simple device for measuring the depth of a farm dam was introduced to landholders at a series of workshops in south west Victoria recently. Agriculture Victoria Land Management Extension Officer, and creator of the measuring tool, Greg Bekker said the DAMDEEP device consists of a hand reel, float, beads and a sinker.

Gingin volunteer firefighter and councillor Nikki Wood’s photo "We Work Together as One" is a state winner in the Resilient Australia awards. Emergency Services Minister Stephen Dawson said the stirring image visually captured the joint response from firefighters, police, paramedics and the RAC rescue helicopter at a crash in Gingin.

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What do a pair of rugged hands inspecting barley, the symmetry of harvesting and the uncomplicated mateship of farmers and their dogs all have in common? The three subjects were covered by the winners in the GrainGrowers annual Calendar Competition announced today.   

Well, he’s back. This time, he’s not just set on “Making America Great Again,” but is doubling down with a pledge to “Make Our (American) Farmers Great Again.” But how, exactly, does he plan to pull this off? And should Aussie farmers brace for impact? A glance at Trump’s past as President, alongside his promises for the next four years, paints a picture that’s hard to ignore.

A single bus route in a small community might seem trivial to the Cook Labor government, but for the families who depend on it, it’s far more than just transport. It’s a lifeline that keeps communities viable, allowing families to live and work on the land while ensuring their kids can attend school without spending hours commuting each day ... This decision underscores the growing divide in our state ...

Weather forecasters are predicting widespread rainfall for November, across NSW and Queensland. Falls of between 20 and 60 mm are being touted for the Back Country. The Bureau of Meteorology says rainfall is likely to be above average across much of eastern Australia and parts of the interior until January.

Honestly, I’m stumped, and I say this as someone who once worked for a Minister for Agriculture and “Food.” In all my years in government, I don’t recall anyone requesting a sit-down with the Minister for Food ... If a food giant like Kraft Heinz or Mars Wrigley came sniffing around WA, do you think they’d trawl through the yellow pages for the Minister for Food?

The Moulamein Men’s Shed is helping to keep the small village alive. The oldest town in the Riverina, members of the shed work hard to do whatever they can to keep various aspects of the town afloat ... Moulamein’s main drawcard is to fishermen and bird watchers.

Anna Mabin likes to make people happy. And she does that by helping people find clothes they feel confident wearing making them feel good about who they are. Through her business AM Styling she shops and styles for individuals who want to look better and wear clothes that suit their lifestyle.

Essential Energy sent text alerts to more than 4400 customers who are affected by an unplanned power outage ... Areas impacted by the outage include Codrington, Bagotville, Bora Ridge, Coraki, Swan Bay, parts of Bungawalbin, Broadwater, Kilgin, Woodburn and Evans Head.