News

Chris Oldfield. After raising almost $9000 for the community, Lucindale’s Op Shop has grown out of its store, and relocated. Affectionately known as “Harrod’s of Lucindale”, several women have been working around the clock setting up the Lucy Loves Again second-hand community store in the former ANZ Bank building.

A free community stargazing event at Cunderdin on 29 October 2021.

Mulloon Institute. Duncan and Kym McMaster, managers of The Scots College’s Bannockburn Campus have been observing improvements yielded by a contour recommended in a farm plan designed by Mulloon Consulting ... When questioned about his thoughts on the contour, Duncan quickly exclaimed “it works!”. Duncan is pleased to see the principles of landscape rehydration implemented on the property.

Minister for Resources and Water, Keith Pitt, has announced that Renascor Resources Ltd has been granted Major Project Status for its $209 million Siviour project, which includes a graphite mine and concentrator located in the Eyre Peninsula and a downstream purified spherical graphite (PSG) manufacturing facility located in Port Adelaide. The Project is now on track to become the first in-country integrated graphite mine and battery anode material operation outside of China, positioning Australia as an important participant in the global battery industry and electric vehicle markets.

The NSW Government has launched the NSW Water Strategy, a 20-year blueprint to deliver resilient and sustainable water resources to communities across the state ... The strategy coincides with the launch of the Water Project Map, a new tool for people to access information about all water infrastructure projects across NSW.

The Western Downs is rolling out the red carpet and welcoming the best of Australian short films as part of an exciting partnership between Western Downs Regional Council and Flickerfest Short Film Festival.

Minister for Agriculture Adam Marshall will lead a statewide forum bringing together key farming, research and industry players to help farmers manage a spring surge in mouse numbers across NSW.

150 new species have been named in the past year by Australia’s national science agency, CSIRO, and its partners. They include tributes to RuPaul and Pokemon to help Australians understand, protect and benefit from our nation’s biodiversity.

Australia's agricultural production is anticipated to reach a record gross value of $73.0 billion in 2021-22, breaking the $70 billion mark for the first time in history ... Herron Todd White’s latest Month in Review report further highlighted the gains being made across Australian agribusiness and the regions which are leading the industry in innovation.

Australian cattle property investment firm Packhorse Pastoral Company has opened its second fundraising as part of plans to buy $1.5 billion worth of rural agricultural land and build mass-scale land regeneration with carbon upside.

According to the latest ANZ Agri InFocus report, rural land value growth has been outperforming national residential property value growth by a 3% average for the last five years. While the ABS has found that rural land has increased in value by more than 30% in the three years to June 2020.

“For over a century, CSIRO has been working with farmers and governments to improve life on this great land – but today we’re bringing all of our newest science and technology, from Artificial Intelligence to genetics and smart materials, to bear on overcoming our oldest national challenge – drought,” CSIRO chief executive Dr Larry Marshall said.

Mice have been a reoccurring theme for Darcy Hare in this year’s canola crop. “This will be our fifth treatment, four from the ground and a fifth from the air,” said Mr Hare. The Hare family have 290 hectares of canola planted and the mice have damaged 60% of their crops reducing yield by an estimated 15-25%.

Kirstin Nicholson. Regardless of the weather, runners and walkers can be seen pounding the paths of Garden and Gilrule Parks in Cohuna every Saturday morning. They are part of a global organisation called parkrun. parkrun is a free, timed 5km event held every Saturday morning, not just in Cohuna, but all over the world, originating in England in 2004. Runners and walkers of all ages and fitness levels are welcome and it doesn’t matter how fast or slow you are.

Patricia Gill. Psychologist Jackie Ormsby has been elected unopposed for the Kent/Nornalup Ward while eight candidates will vie for five vacant seats on the Denmark Shire Council. Five people have nominated for three vacant seats in the Scotsdale/Shadforth Ward including deputy shire president Mark Allen and sitting councillor, Jan Lewis. Businessman Nathan Devenport, WA College of Agriculture Denmark residential manager Kelli Gillies – a former deputy shire president – and wildlife conservation organisation director Clare Campbell have also nominated. ... A former ministerial policy adviser, Ms Ormsby was surprised to be elected unopposed.

Serena Kirby. The WA College of Agriculture Denmark showcased a wide range of activities this month at its annual open day ... From machinery maintenance and aquaculture to forestry and calf rearing, students and staff demonstrated the farm-based programs run by the school.