News

Magic will be in the air at this year’s Big Sky Readers and Writers Festival featuring yet another stellar line-up of local and West Australian authors, illustrators, storytellers, poets and musicians.

With bumper crops on the horizon for much of the state, Minister for Agriculture Adam Marshall has today urged landholders to be on the lookout for locust activity this spring and report any sightings immediately.

Back for its highly anticipated second year,  Strings Attached: The West  Australian Guitar Festival  is bringing together players, makers and enthusiasts of the stringed-persuasion for a weekend of guitar-fuelled entertainment in Margaret River, WA.

The nominees for the prestigious 2020/21 Australian Racehorse of the Year awards have been announced by Racing NSW.

From Broken Hill to Inverell, Corrective Services NSW staff across the state have been whittling, welding and painting blue trees in the name of mental health awareness ... Staff and inmates have been involved in creating their distinctive blue trees – from murals and collages to welded sculptures and painted tree trunks.

Yesterday  Yanchep News Online  reported Opposition Transport spokesman Shane Love had called for the McGowan Government to answer legitimate questions about whether the Yanchep rail extension was on budget and on time. Today in his first Budget as Treasurer the Premier Mark McGowan said as well as the Yanchep rail extension being deferred one year the Joondalup Light Auto Workshop had also been deferred one year with completion now expected in mid‑2024.

Gingin trainer Sue Olive says her plan is for Mystical View to go the Black Hart Bart Stakes in a fortnight after tackling the Seacorp Handicap (1200m) at Belmont Park on Saturday 11 September.

Gabrielle Duykers. Wool processing factory MiniJumbuk is planning a $500,000 expansion for its Naracoorte retail shop in an effort to attract more tourists ... Marketing manager Darren Turner said the business wanted to create an “engaging” experience for visitors. “You’ll be able to walk out into a safe environment and see manufacturing happening. We want to be able to show how things are still made here in Australia.”

Nancy Schmidt, who was fondly known as Aunty Nancy because she was such a lovely mumma to everyone, leaves a legacy of kindness and compassion, and a trail of goodwill. Nancy’s story began in the Central Desert, west of Alice Springs where she lived with her Aboriginal family until she was taken away by authorities and sent to the Bungalow in Alice Springs. When the Government handed over care of all Aboriginal children to missionaries, Nancy was transferred to the Methodist Mission on Goulburn Island and then on to Croker Island along with other children who were members of what has become the Stolen Generation.

Karen Harlan. Picnic Day weekend was no picnic at Tennant Creek Speedway, it was fast-paced, action-packed racing. With two titles up for grabs competitors from Katherine and Darwin ventured into town to take on the local drivers. Tennant Creek was holding the Street Stock Annual 60-Lapper and their new title event of North vs South for the NT Sedans.

One of the Sunshine Coast’s most picturesque locations is in the spotlight with Sunshine Coast Council embarking on a study to understand how much we love the area and how we use it.

Three major new missions from CSIRO, Australia’s national science agency, will grow Australia’s agriculture and food sectors targeting $20 billion by 2030. The $150 million investment from CSIRO, government and industry will tackle drought, the food export market and growing the protein market.

Port Hedland Council has endorsed a proposal from Aviair to provide financial support to continue operating four return weekly inter-regional flights from Port Hedland, connecting the port city with Karratha, Newman and Broome over the next five years.

New artwork and informative signage has been revealed at Robert Dixon Park at Kingscliff to draw attention to the rare Glossy black-cockatoo. The Glossy black-cockatoo, also affectionately known as Glossies, is listed as vulnerable in NSW. The Tweed is lucky enough to be home to both the Glossy black-cockatoo and the Yellow-tailed black-cockatoo however, there isn’t enough reliable data to confirm Glossy black-cockatoo numbers.

On top of a typically fertile spring rural property market, all signs are pointing to an unprecedented season for the agribusiness sector, exemplified in the recent sale of a 11,254 hectare Queensland farm after 157-years in one family. According to CBRE’s latest market review of the sector, the spring of 2021 is set to outperform its predecessors with both market and environmental conditions shining in favour of farmers.

Macquarie has sold its 105,000 hectare Lawson Grains portfolio for more than half a billion dollars to Sydney-based New Forests and Canada’s Alberta Investment Management Corporation (AIMCo). The portfolio comprises more than 70 assets – or 10 aggregations – across Western Australia and New South Wales that Macquarie Agriculture had collected since the fund’s launch in 2012.