NSW

Construction work on the Northern Rivers Rail Trail is ramping up with work starting this week on the final gravel surface for the Tweed section of the trail. After an extended run of dry weather, work to lay down the new compacted gravel surface is starting at several points along the trail including at Burringbar, Stokers Siding and South Murwillumbah.

Blockade Australia activities which stopped Sydney peak hour traffic on 27 June 2022 is an experience which timber harvesting contractors have been confronting for years. In the week ended August 5, 2022, on five successive days, protestors entered timber harvesting sites in Northern NSW and placed their personal safety in danger to such an extent that work ceased.

Patricia Gill. The Shire of Denmark is reviewing local laws concerning the keeping of cats with a limit of two animals older-than-six months per household being considered in an effort to curb the feral population. The Shire will also have more power to restrict the movement of cats and those that cause a nuisance ... consultation is underway on the proposed rules which the Denmark Shire Council will likely consider in September.

The Narrandera Shire Council will formally object to the closure of the National Bank branch at Narrandera and will review its banking arrangements following the procurement of a new enterprise management system later this financial year. The bank advised that the decision to close in October was predicated on a decline in physical transactions conducted in the branch...

Jeff Hanson. It was a day of firsts for Teighan Wornsop at Narrandera on Saturday, with the young jockey riding her first winning double. Teaming up with Cowra trainer Maree Hopkins - who was coincidently celebrating her birthday - the 22-year-old booted home a double, winning the 1200m Benchmark 50 Handicap aboard Mystic Flame ($2.90) and the 1400m Benchmark 50 Handicap aboard Gloraya ($17).

A Wagga MP is calling on the government to limit levels at Blowering and Burrinjuck Dams to 80 per cent, amid the threat of ongoing flooding for communities. Member for Wagga Dr Joe McGirr said farmers and landowners had spent long and frustrating hours of work moving stock and preparing their properties for floods and face the prospect of the situation repeating in coming months.

On Friday 5 August, a SETA member raised the alarm on a motion to be voted on by Eurobodalla Shire councillors. The motion was titled “Eurobodalla Shire Council supports an end to native forest logging in Eurobodalla Shire.” ... In the lead up to and on Tuesday, 9 August 2022, the Eurobodalla Shire Councillors have spent significant time dealing with the Greens party deputy mayor, Alison Worthington’s motion to end native forest harvesting in the shire.

Over 200 rice growers, industry representatives and stakeholders attended the Rice Growers Australia (RGA) annual conference in Yarrawonga last week ... Neville and Brooke Hollins from Woorak Ag at Burraboi were announced SunRice Grower of the Year.

Kirstin Nicholson. The whirring of planes could be heard from town on the weekend as the Cohuna Model Flying Club held its first event at the airfield since the pandemic began. Fifteen competitors took part in the Victorian Miniature Pylon Racing Association’s pylon racing competition over two days.

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Clarence Valley Council's Tourism team ... presented Clarence Distillery co-owner Adam Freeman with the 2022 North Coast Local Tourism Hero Award for the Clarence Valley. The many ways  this Yamba business epitomises 'local' - which led to their nomination - include ... great collaborators who often work with other local businesses to showcase products from the region ...

The 50km yellow Varroa mite notification zones, located outside the emergency surveillance and eradication zones, have been officially lifted, allowing beekeepers to move their honeybees and hives in more parts of the State. Minister for Agriculture Dugald Saunders said the decision shows the Department of Primary Industries (DPI) is confident about tracking where Varroa mite has travelled.  

Developer wants seniors to take root on land that used to be farmed. A 2.5ha property at Geneva on the edge of Kyogle may be rezoned to allow six units for seniors to live in ... The proposal includes keeping the existing house as a hub and creating six residential lots targeted towards seniors.

Being cancer-free is something to shout about. Or in 11 year old Millie Trustum’s case, something to inspire you to draw a rainbow ... Millie’s awareness rainbows were selected by the Kids Cancer Project to be included on a whale tail statue as part of the Waterfront Whale Tales sculpture exhibition in Sydney.

Emma Pritchard. A project team has been appointed to oversee the $263.8 million redevelopment of Grafton Base Hospital (GBH), after the Minister for Regional Health Bronnie Taylor, and NSW Deputy Premier Paul Toole met with Member for Clarence Chris Gulaptis and members of the Grafton Base Hospital Community Committee (GBHCC) earlier this month. Mr Gulaptis said the NSW Government’s investment in the major redevelopment of GBH will provide new facilities and upgraded clinical services to transform health outcomes and experiences for patients, their families, and staff into the future.

Ron Bell. Working as a broadcaster in the radio and television industries over a period of more than 45 years, I had the wonderful fortune and privilege of meeting, talking and interviewing all sorts of people doing all sorts of things in life ... Arriving at the stage and greeting Irene, I was introduced to the other people who just happened to be Judith Durham and her late husband, English actor, pianist and composer Ron Edgeworth.

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Critically endangered smoky mice have been released back into the wild in South East Forest National Park, in a world first for the species ... “To the untrained eye, these tiny mice might look quite common, but there are fewer than 100 smoky mice left in the South East Forest, which is one of only two known populations in NSW,”: Minister for Environment James Griffin

The state’s peak farming body says there are 100,000 fewer backpackers in the country than before Covid, putting real pressure on looming harvests. NSW Farmers Workplace Relations spokesman Chris Stillard said there was a shortage of labour across agriculture, and it was having a real impact on productivity.