News

Mateo managed to knock off the competition and win the ribbon for Australian champion at Beef Australia in Rockhampton last week. Now the 20-month-old Mateo Little Valley Braford bull is headed to Primex and Beef Week.

Geoff Helisma. “The new Surveillance Device for Compliance and Law Enforcement Activity Policy … supports the use of surveillance devices (for example body-cameras) for compliance and law enforcement activities,” the report to Clarence Valley council states. “…There have been a number of recent incidents where regulatory services staff have been subjected to significant verbal and physical abuse from members of the community. “A policy that supports the use of surveillance devices like body cameras is expected to improve workplace health and safety outcomes for impacted staff.”

Emma Pritchard. Earlier this year, the Clarence River Historical Society was contacted by the curator of a Newcastle museum, citing a topic which may be of interest to them. An old brass bell had appeared in a Hunter Valley op shop, and it was suspected it had a strong link to Grafton, and the Clarence River. The evidence was boldly engraved across the front of the brass bell. It read, SS Induna, 1891, Aberdeen.

Emma Pritchard. Since the early 1900’s it has stood on the hill, welcoming parishioners and offering them a safe and sacred place of worship. But now, the 106-year-old Church of the Holy Apostles in Copmanhurst is being permanently closed and sold as part of a wider restructuring plan for Anglican mission and ministry on the North Coast ... There have been no services at the Church of the Holy Apostles in Copmanhurst since March 2020, due to restrictions enforced by the Covid-19 pandemic ... "prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, an average of three or four people were attending Sunday services there."

Designed to support local councils and their communities in delivering live music micro-festivals, the Live and Local Strategic Initiative will bring together musicians from across the Toowoomba Region for a series of workshops and performances from May until the end of 2021.

“With the nation watching as we countdown to the Cooktown & Cape York Expo, our new Youth Councillors will get to see and experience the very best of, what Cook Shire has to offer. It will set a benchmark for them and inspire them to continue to work together to share, celebrate and grow our community,” said Mayor Peter Scott. “This really is a very special time for them and for our community and we are delighted to have them on board.”

The racing industry came together in Adelaide on Friday, 14 May 2021 to witness the induction of some of the great names in racing into the Australian Racing Hall of Fame.

Agribusiness Elders, reporting a strong lift in sales and profit for the half year to March, is upbeat on the rest of the year with improved winter cropping conditions and good cattle prices. Sales at Elders were up 22% to $1.1 billion and statutory profit was 31% higher at $68.2 million.

Timber Towns Victoria is calling on the State Government to reconsider its plan to shut down the state’s native timber industry by 2030. Timber Towns President and Deputy Mayor of Glenelg Shire, Cr Karen Stephens said, “This is not the time for the Victorian Government to be taking steps that will cost more jobs, further damage regional communities and economies, and sacrifice a viable resource industry.

Despite 43% of organisations experiencing an increase in demand for services, further data from the ABS reveals that in the last 12 months, only 3.6% Australians started to take part in unpaid voluntary work, while just under one in five (17%) volunteers have continued donating their time. “This National Volunteer Week, we will celebrate the significant contribution made by almost six million Australians. This includes community sport coaches and managers, volunteer programs across hospitals and aged care, and volunteers supporting disaster response and recovery. We encourage everyone to reconnect with what is important by giving our time to help others and ourselves.” says Mark Pearce, CEO of Volunteering Australia.

Cape York residents are being encouraged to help clean up the Peninsula’s beaches this year as Tangaroa Blue celebrates 10 years working in the region. Since 2011, the Tangaroa Blue Foundation has run annual beach clean-ups, with the first ever held at Chilli Beach, north of Lockhart River.

Troy Cassar-Daley says he’ll have “a whole lot of fun” when he tours remote Cape York communities early next month. The country music star was booked to perform at the Cooktown Expo and has been able to add shows at Aurukun, Coen, Mapoon and Pormpuraaw while in the Far North. He’ll perform with The Black Image Band, made up of the Harrigan brothers from Wujal Wujal.

Weipa's air force base will play host to soldiers from Australia and the United States in a couple of months as Defence prepares for a major training exercise ... RAAF Base Scherger has been locked in to play a role and Weipa residents should expect to see some aerial activity around the site in July ... Last year’s Defence strategic update said Australia might now have fewer than 10 years to prepare for a major conflict.

Minister for Resources, Water and Northern Australia, Keith Pitt, said the Bill means the Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility (NAIF) will now be extended for a further five years to 2026. “The NAIF has already committed $2.9 billion to projects across the north that will support around 9,000 jobs. Our changes will increase its ability to back even more projects."

GrainCorp, releasing its half year results, sees high global demand for Australian grain and oilseeds. In the six months to the end of March, underlying EBITDA from continuing operations was $140 million, up from $105 million.