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Australia's leading rural charity Rural Aid has finished up a week in Walgett as part of its award-winning Our Towns program. Walgett has been awarded $100,000 to boost the town’s growth and sustainability over the next five years. In addition to the financial boon, 36 volunteers have spent a week giving the region a physical makeover.

Industry, Science and Technology Minister Christian Porter today tabled a report into the accessibility and operation of Australia’s patent system for small and medium enterprises (SMEs). The Patents Accessibility Review was conducted by Emeritus Professor Raoul Mortley who consulted widely with the small business community, universities, researchers and lawyers on a broad range of topics, including costs, processing times and the level of government support available to SMEs to help them understand and navigate the patent system.

From Cape York to Kangaroo Island, to Wilcannia to Alice Springs, the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) is in the air delivering safe and effective vaccines to remote Australian communities. The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development Michael McCormack joined Regional Health Minister and Parkes MP, Mark Coulton to visit the RFDS base in Dubbo to announce a significant national partnership.

Sloping banks make it difficult to access the Richmond River at Casino. The sound of the river water echoes up the slopes to a winding path where Casino High School students are planting 800 native trees behind Queen Elizabeth Park. Teacher Rod McFarlane said they wanted to revitalise the whole area to make it accessible for elders.

Norco Primex has welcomed back bumper crowds after the event was put on hold last year because of covid restrictions. “We have beaten the odds,” Primex director Bruce Wright said.

An independent inquiry has stated that Field and Game Australia should rightly be concerned that serious efforts by Victoria’s Game Management Authority (GMA) are underway to restrict duck hunting in the state, regardless of scientific evidence. The veiled threat about whether duck hunting may no longer continue in Victoria should be taken seriously.

Narrandera's Volunteer Rescue Association squad was handed the keys to their new $380,000 rescue truck on Thursday by NSW Minister for Police and Emergency Services David Elliott.

With recreational freshwater fishing worth $300 million to the economy, a local author has launched a complete fishing guide to the Murrumbidgee for anglers. Martin Asmus, NSW Department of primary Industries, and Dr Jamin Forbes have published the Fishing Atlas for Murrumbidgee river- Gundagai to Balranald.

Geoff Helisma. The Lions Club of Clarence – Environmental is a rare breed of Lions club and, just like the threatened coastal emus it is campaigning to protect, its vital numbers are growing. The nature-focussed group, the first of its kind in Australia, has gathered 1,318 signatures on its petition to reduce the speed limit on Brooms Head Road from 100kph to 80kph, particularly where emus regularly cross.

Geoff Helisma. NSW Teachers Federation members stopped work at several schools across the state last week, including two in the Clarence Valley, in protest over staff shortages, and to express their concerns of being unable to find replacement teachers to fill casual and temporary positions. In two separate media releases, NSW Teachers Federation Deputy President Henry Rajendra said teachers are angry the NSW Government has failed to properly staff local education centers. He said the impact at Grafton High School has resulted in a large number of classes being left without a teacher for many months this year, and during the past six weeks, 160 teaching periods have been left uncovered at the school.

Since 1971, Australia’s national science agency, CSIRO has been partnering with Cotton Seed Distributors (CSD) in plant breeding and agronomy to put globally competitive cotton varieties that are pest and disease tolerant into the hands of Australian farmers.

Shire of Ashburton are thrilled that the Neil and Judy Baker Shell Museum opens this week in Onslow ... “Council has supported and worked hard to be able to showcase the impressive shell collection from residents Neil and Judy Baker so that it can be enjoyed by tourists and the community for decades to come”, said Councillor White. “Accumulated for over 60 years, most of the shells have been collected from the waters and islands surrounding Onslow, with others coming from Europe as collector items.

Council’s push for an improved planning approach to renewable energy developments has received a boost after gaining support from the Municipal Association of Victoria (MAV). In a motion put to Friday’s MAV State Council, Moyne Shire Council called on the MAV to advocate to the Planning Minister and Energy and Environment Minister for a strategic approach to be taken on renewable energy projects and transmission lines.