News

To demonstrate the magnitude of ignorance, look no further than the coffers of Australia’s largest irrigator, the taxpayer funded Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder (CEWH). For the 2021-22 season, the CEWH has a total of 2,365,000 megalitres – 1,640,000 in new allocation and 725,000 in carryover from the year previous – 1,030,400 of that in the Murray system. As of March 31, 2022, the CEWH had used 492,200 megalitres in the Murray system for the 2021-22 season.

Kendall Jennings. The inaugural ‘Girls Footy Festival’ made its stop at Kerang on Sunday, May 15. Three games of Under 14s girls football kicked off the action in the morning, supported by a match from the Bendigo Junior Football League Under 18 girls scheduled to play at Woorinen, which was moved to Kerang, followed by a Central Victorian Women's League match in the afternoon.

John O'Donnell discusses the significance of a graph showing areas burnt by bushfire and by prescribed burning across Australia since 1960.

A Charles Sturt University early childhood education expert asks where in the 2022 election campaign is the commitment to big investment and to big policy ideas that ensure free and accessible early childhood education for the long-term? Dr Leanne Gibbs tells ARR.News how the challenges in workforce supply and retention in the ECE sector are even greater in rural, regional and remote areas within Australia.

West Australian energy company Geogen is seeking a geothermal energy extraction site in the area around Casino, Kyogle, Bonalbo and Mallanganee. Geogen chief executive Adam refused to let me publish his surname. He claimed geothermal was the “greenest energy source we can use”.

Houses in Woodburn are selling for 30% less since the floods. Flood damaged homes are on the market but most listings don’t show the asking price ... It is a sensitive time with some residents deciding to sell and leave the area. Some simply can’t face another flood.

Emma Pritchard. Despite moderate flooding preventing the Clarence River from being illuminated by floating lanterns, community enthusiasm for the inaugural Riverlight Ulmarra Festival shone brightly on the weekend. More than 600 people gathered in the historic village to celebrate the event on May 15, with many expressing their wishes to see it become an annual attraction.

Geoff Helisma. Environmental watchdog, Valley Watch, first began predicting flooding of Yamba, as a result of developing West Yamba, in about 1995; on Sunday May 21, the group will present a more than 1,000-signature petition to the mayor, Ian Tiley (or his proxy), calling for a moratorium on further filling and development approvals on the Yamba floodplain. “Basically, the petition is demanding a well-designed master plan for West Yamba,” Valley Watch spokesperson Helen Tyas Tunggal said.

Emma Pritchard. Flicking through the pages of The Lonely Jacaranda, Manager of The Book Warehouse in Grafton Jess Wood is delighted by what she sees and reads. Written, illustrated and self-published by Grafton author Russell Irving, The Lonely Jacaranda tells the tale of a little jacaranda tree, the first one to arrive in Australia from South America as a seed.

The Australian Rural & Regional News webinar held on 21 April 2022 is now available for public viewing.

More than 50 new homes will be built in Cape York communities to address major overcrowding issues, but the state government has taken all the credit, despite using federal funding. Not for the first time, the health and wellbeing of Queensland’s most remote and vulnerable residents has been politicised.

Cook Shire Council briefed leaders on a move by Australia Zoo and Terri Irwin to seek the closure of the gazetted Bertiehaugh Road which traverses through part of the Steve Irwin Wildlife Reserve ... The council representatives had a busy agenda in Cooktown. Mayor Peter Scott said the TCICA gatherings were a highlight on the calendar.

Fewer than 50 people have made it all the way from Cooktown to Healesville since the Bicentennial National Trail opened in 1988. Rob Wylie managed to make it from Cooktown to Tamworth when he attempted it 25 years ago, but daughter Libby is aiming to make it all the way to Victoria – likely sometime next year.

The outlook shows 2022/23 may be the first year since 2012/13 in which the world has to consume less grain than the previous year – due to high prices and low supply, says Rabobank senior commodities analyst Cheryl Kalisch Gordon.   “This is forecast to be a drop of only 0.1%, but that compares to average annual growth of 2.1% over the past decade,” she said.

In an election campaign of hits and misses for farmers and regional Australia, the National Farmers’ Federation has revealed how the major parties stack up against its election priorities, rating them in a Policy Voting Guide.

Gates open at 9.00am.     $15 per adult, 16 and under free.     No dogs permitted. Free Parking.

“With the new Board of Directors, and myself as Chair of BRADAGG commencing in March this year, we are keen to start moving ahead with a clean slate on this sorely needed alcohol and other drug (AOD) therapeutic treatment facility. The NT Government first committed funding towards a new facility in 2018" : Barkly Regional Alcohol and Drug Abuse Advisory Group Chair, Elliot McAdam.