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Local legend in national awards spotlight
Marnie Sutton received the Remote Worker for Communities award in the female category of the 2021 National Indigenous and Alcohol Conference recently. The award recognises the unique challenges facing workers in remote locations and making an important commitment to contributing to reducing the harmful effects of drug and alcohol use among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people over at least five years.
Kerang racing
Kendall Jennings. I have never been so close to racing before, a privilege for owners, trainers and the media. Oh my, I was in for a treat, feeling like a kid at the lolly shop, eyes wide and smiles everywhere. I was treated to an all-area pass, and I made the most of it. I spoke to jockeys, trainers, owners and volunteers, absorbing as much as I could to learn more about horse racing—everything from horse earmuffs to shoes.
Another bank bites the dust
Kirstin Nicholson. Cohuna has lost another of its bank branches with the closure of the ANZ Bank on March 19. It is the third bank branch to close its doors in recent years, following in the footsteps of the Commonwealth Bank and Bendigo Bank. The NAB is the only bank branch still operating in the district. Staff from the branch have been relocated to neighbouring towns or have taken packages.
ACCC trading review released
Under the government lead water reforms, water trading is mostly unregulated, not even requiring an ABN to trade water. “There is no law against market manipulation in the Murray-Darling Basin water markets,” ACCC deputy chair, Mr Keogh said. “So, it’s not illegal, even if it is occurring.” In Australia we now have multinational corporates, foreign buyers and the big end of town able to buy, trade and, in some instances, remain capital gains tax free as they bid for water against Aussie food and fibre producers.
Burnout series on track at Brobena
Motorsport fans had their popular Easter Brobenah Burnout Championships canned for the second time due to COVID. But the not-for-profit organisation, Brobenah Burnouts, is aiming to stage a three round championship series, kicking off next month, and are also concentrating on raising funds for a new burnout pad.
Rod Run hailed a spectacular event
Nicholas Rupolo. Narrandera’s first major COVID-Safe event has passed with flying colours and organisers deeming the 2021 Easter Rod Run as a spectacular weekend. Organiser Steve Alldrick has applauded visitors and rodders for supporting the 36th annual Narrandera Rod Run and helping the local community and its businesses thrive. The event was boosted by the State Government’s announcement that outdoor restrictions had been lifted.
NRLX sells $10m in a record week
In an inspiring turnaround since the devastating drought and bushfires, the Northern Rivers Livestock Exchange has celebrated its biggest ever week with a combined revenue from three days of sales exceeding $10 million ... NRLX operations manager Brad Willis said the sale results proved the strength of the region’s market. “Many buyers commented it was the strongest sale they had ever seen, including several who came from as far afield as the Victorian border,” Mr Willis said. “Demand for high quality cattle remains exceptionally strong, and it’s fair to say the selection of cattle on sale last week was some of the best quality stock in the country." Mr Willis said people had said the Casino market was so strong and the prices were unbelievable. “Many of the local producers who sell their stock through the NRLX were hand feeding their herds at the peak of the drought in mid-2019. Then many were hit by the fires,” he said.
Laments at loss of stores
Target Country store in Casino has closed. John Hamilton photographed workers taking down the sign at the Coles Plaza last Wednesday. Next month Price Busters will move into the shop vacated by Target. Not everyone is happy about the lack of a clothing store in Casino, especially one that sells affordable children’s clothing.
Planes were chocka and eyes were on world champion event
Chocolate eggs rained from the skies at Casino Airport on the weekend. Tyson and Kevin Dodd, who have a property at Dyraaba and live in Sydney, organised the event with NSW Aeromodellers. There were 120 aircraft and owners travelled from Queensland and Victoria to be at the Richmond Valley Casino Airport Fly In ... NSW Aeromodellers saw the fly in as a test run for a much bigger event in 2023.
Let’s talk about women’s rights
Geoff Helisma. Prue Leggoe was awarded her Order of Australia Medal on January 26, 2019, for her work in the advancement of women’s rights, support and empowerment, and her service to community job-readiness initiatives. Now residing in Maclean, Ms Leggoe (formerly Sibree) was the Liberal member for Kew in Victoria from 1981 to 1986.
Crowds gather at 116th Maclean Highland Gathering
Emma Pritchard. The unmistakable sounds of the bagpipes and drums which filled the air above Maclean during the Easter long weekend, signalled the triumphant return of one of the Clarence Valley’s most characteristic, culturally significant and popular local events. After being cancelled in 2020 due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic and faced with the possibility of history repeating itself this year, the 116th Maclean Highland Gathering went ahead as planned on April 2 and 3.
Bundaberg trending as top travel destination on Wotif
“Many of our tourism industry work hard to ensure they have their product listed across online travel agency platforms like Wotif, showcasing the region and all of the wonderful experiences we have in our backyard, like our easy access to the Southern Great Barrier Reef, our food and drink heroes, our parks and gardens. This increases visibility for the Bundaberg Region and supports all of the other businesses in the region that benefit indirectly from the visitor dollar," says Bundaberg Tourism CEO Katherine Reid.
Metro Mining to pick up where it left off
Cape York bauxite company Metro Mining will recommence operations this month after shutting down early in 2020 due to COVID-19. Operations are planned to resume on April 19, with the company aiming to mine and ship four million wet metric tonnes of bauxite between April and December.
Weipa-bound shipping crew left to starve aboard vessel
Twenty-one men on board a vessel tasked to pick up bauxite from Weipa were left to starve by the Qatari shipping company that owns the vessel, angering officials in Australia. The Panama-flagged bulk carrier Movers 3 has been anchored off Weipa for a month and food had to be purchased and delivered to the ship after the crew ran out of provisions. The Australian Maritime Safety Authority, which placed the ship in detention on March 4, has slammed operator Aswan Shipping for its negligent practices. Rio Tinto has responsibility to avoid bad operators, say unions.
Crews work to re-open Waterfall Way
Crews will continue to work around the clock over the Easter long weekend to clean up landslips caused by wild weather on Waterfall Way between Dorrigo and Bellingen and restore access for communities.

