News

Paint Main Beach pink with Evans Head Malibu Club’s first one-day women-only longboarding competition. Organiser Emma Perrier said the Saturday, June 19 event will be the Breast Comp Ever and will raise funds for the local Breast Care Nurse Service in Lismore.

South Burnett Regional Council Mayor Brett Otto has welcomed the State Budget announcement regarding funding availability for local water infrastructure, saying it is the first step in protecting the community from an impending water crisis ... “We are seeking meetings with Minister Keith Pitt to highlight the importance of water infrastructure for our region. I think when it comes to water infrastructure and protecting and growing our communities, we need a holistic approach which involves all levels and all sides of government,” he said.

Australian farmgate production is on track for a record-breaking $66.3 billion year. ABARES’ June quarter 2021 Agriculture Commodities report shows how the sector has navigated the uncertainties and challenges posed by COVID-19 and changes in the international trade landscape.

A total of 25 civil and $7.2 million in residential and commercial projects in the Narrandera Shire have given employment and service providers a massive boost. The civil projects undertaken with government and Council funds include: the Narrandera sportsground, the Narrandera sports stadium, Narrandera Destination and Discovery Hub and the realignment of Kamarah Road.

The 2021 racing season kicks off in Narrandera on Saturday with the $72,000 L W Peacock Memorial Meeting ... It will be the first time the public have been allowed back on course for 22 months ... Saturday’s meeting will see the first use of the barriers donated to the club by the Murrumbidgee Turf Club. Narrandera’s old barriers were in turn donated to the Jerilderie Race Club.

Last week, Griffith hosted the first annual Murray-Darling Basin Authority (MDBA) River Reflections conference. It was with much reluctance that I headed up to the event, but I am glad I did because the gospel, according to the MDBA, appears to be more rooted in propaganda than guiding the whole basin to a prosperous future ... The high ranking officials included MDBA Chair, Sir Angus Houston; Federal Environment Minister and Member for Farrer, Sussan Ley; Minister for Water, Keith Pitt; MDBA Chief Executive, Phillip Glyde; MDBA River Operations, Andrew Reynolds; and Acting Head of the Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder, Hilton Taylor.

Kendall Jennings. Before the tragedy struck at the 2021 Tatts Finke Desert Race, Barham local Riley Duncan piloted his motorcycle, a KTM500, to the 40th fastest time in Class Two of the Prologue with a six-minute 17.4 second time ... The first leg of the desert race from Alice Springs to Finke followed the old rail route near the most centre point of Australia – 226 kilometres of brutal Australian terrain, on the edge of the Simpson Desert, surrounded by mountain ranges and rock formations.

Australia's alpaca producers are well positioned to develop new export markets following the opening of trade in alpacas with Chile ... "Health certification requirements are the foundation for trade in animals and this agreement means we can continue to build on trade opportunities as we work to revitalise our primary industries."

Geoff Helisma. The decision to cease producing hot and/or locally prepared meals at the Iluka Meals on Wheels (IMoW) kitchen has drawn pleas from volunteers to “reverse this decision”. In a letter to Page MP Kevin Hogan, a volunteer writes, “I would like to make you aware, if you're not already, of the above devastating decision which will affect many residents of the Lower Clarence community.”

Geoff Helisma. Multi award-winning, Yamba fine food manufacturer Peter Nicholson hasn’t entered his creations in shows around Australia for about four years – but that changed recently when his Spiced Beetroot Finishing Vinegar took out the champion trophy at the recent Royal Tasmanian Fine Food Awards ... "What food would I put it on?" "Vanilla bean ice cream, and I implore you to try it."

Water extraction from the Nymboida River is on track to see Shannon Creek Dam reach its maximum storage capacity ... “Frequent heavy rainfall events in the Nymboida catchment throughout the summer continued to cause issues with river water quality and delayed the refilling of Shannon Creek Dam. We also experienced issues with extraction infrastructure which further limited the amount of clean water which could be taken from the Nymboida River to replenish water levels in the dam,” says Greg Mashiah, Manager for Water Cycle at Clarence Valley Council.

Yamaha Motor Australia Director Tom Okamoto today announced the Yamaha Motor group has entered into a joint development agreement with Australian smart agriculture technology company The Yield. The development partnership will see Yamaha and The Yield working towards a goal of improved global agricultural productivity through the utilisation of digital technology and robotics.

In an effort to boost numbers of the Western Ground Parrot, a critically endangered bird now only found in areas near Esperance, scientists and volunteers have taken the bold step in translocating a number of birds with the hopes of establishing a new mainland population ... The delicate operation involved locating and capturing the birds, with a vet and zoologist from Perth Zoo on-site to assess the birds in preparation for travel.

The Queensland Minister for Main Roads and Transport, Mark Bailey, says he is blown away with the progress of the Lockhart River community every time he visits the place. “What they are doing there is absolutely trailblazing,” he said on Friday after his visit. “They are the leading community in the Cape in what they are doing in terms of having a vision and getting it done.”

A turtle that was found trapped in a crab pot in the Torres Strait has been rehabilitated and released back into the wild. After four long years, a group of wildlife carers were overwhelmed with emotion as they finally released a turtle which had been found as a juvenile.

The first of its kind in Australia, a new online and interactive wine tourism guide called The Wine Adventurer has been published designed to inspire and inform international and domestic visitors to help them plan their trips into WA’s wine regions. Eight wine regions are featured in the e-brochure that includes each region’s unique wine tourism experiences and hero wine varieties.