CATEGORY

NSW

Council reported to ICAC over ‘wrecking ball’ email

The fallout from the controversial ‘wrecking ball’ email continues weeks after it was leaked to the media, as Clarence Valley Council has been reported to the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) and Clarence Valley Semi-Permanent Van Group Inc. spokesperson Simon Chase says he has commenced proceedings for alleged defamation against General Manager Laura Black.

A meeting with the General Manager

The Clarence Valley Independent’s Grafton Journalist Emma Pritchard had an informal meeting with Clarence Valley Council (CVC) General Manager Laura Black last week on October 7 in relation to leaked internal emails which have been linked to the termination of more than 100 semi-permanent holiday caravans from four Council managed caravan parks and the subsequent community criticism Council is currently facing after many labelled the contents as inappropriate and insensitive.

Bright horizons – Council embarks on literacy initiative for young readers at Hay Library

Hay Shire Council is ending its participation in the Dolly Parton Imagination Library Funding and Investment in Community-driven Literacy Programs for children, due to rising costs. Council resolved at a recent meeting to transition from the Imagination Library program to a suite of locally delivered early-literacy initiatives.

Indigenous Culture and Intellectual Property

Back in the August 19th edition, we talked about Intellectual Property rights (IP) in relation to quandongs and ensuring that if anyone wants to start a business using quandongs, any benefits are shared with the Indigenous people of the area from which the quandongs come from. This week Create NSW has announced they are sending out a roadshow to tour the state to talk about Indigenous Culture and Intellectual Property (ICIP). This information is focused on the Arts however, the facts are the same.

NSW Government launches historic Aboriginal Water Strategy: Jackson, Harris

A landmark plan to address inequities in water ownership will see the NSW Government put water back in Aboriginal peoples’ hands, strengthen their role in water management, and create new opportunities for self-determination.

Kyogle News INKY, 15 October 2025

Out now! Available here!

Wilcannia News, 14 October 2025

Out now!

Farmland values plateau – After 12 years of uninterrupted growth, prices cool, transactions fall to record low: Bendigo Bank 

Australian farmland values continued to plateau across the first half of 2025 according to the latest report from Bendigo Bank Agribusiness. The national median price of farmland fell to $9,885/ha, representing a minor dip of 3.1 per cent year-on-year.

Government sees sense on super tax: NSW Farmers Association

News the Federal Government will overhaul its proposed superannuation tax has come as a win for farming families in NSW. On Monday Federal Treasurer Jim Chalmers announced his plans to introduce a new super tax would no longer include a tax on unrealised gains.

Beekeepers – 390+ hours on Varroa protection per year. Is this true for you?: AgriFutures Australia

Australian beekeepers are being urged to share their experiences in the 2025 COLOSS Survey, as the industry faces rising costs and labour demands from Varroa destructor (Varroa) management. The 2024 Australian Colony Loss (COLOSS) Survey revealed that Varroa is costing the honey bee industry more than just dollars, with labour impacts also increasing.

It’s magnificent. It’s like a loch in Scotland. It’s a state asset

The minister was impressed by the view of Toonumbar Dam at Bells Bay Campground. When Minister for Local Government Ron Hoenig visited Kyogle on Thursday, October 9, Kyogle Council staff took Mr Hoenig to Bells Bay Campground. “It’s magnificent,” he said. “It’s like a loch in Scotland” ... “It’s a state asset,” he said. Unfortunately Mr Hoenig’s department does not deal with WaterNSW and its drive to dispose of the assets around Toonumbar Dam.

A purple reign in an Australian spring

As October arrives, so too does the first flush of mauve from Australia’s beloved jacaranda trees. I trace the jacaranda’s journey from the dry slopes of the Andes to its spectacular springtime display in towns like Grafton, where more than 1,700 trees transform the streets into rivers of purple. With the bloom set to reach its dazzling peak in just a fortnight, it’s the perfect moment to celebrate this fleeting spring spectacle.

Labor’s own department shows GKNP has put politics above the environment: Kemp

An independent, NSW Government-commissioned study released in September 2025 has confirmed there is no evidence that selective timber harvesting harms koala populations in NSW’s North Coast forests. 

Farmers fear price hikes following merger: NSW Farmers Association

NSW Farmers warns the impacts of a new merger between two major farm supply companies must be closely monitored to ensure prices for essential inputs do not skyrocket ... NSW Farmers Vice President Rebecca Reardon said many farmers feared the new merger would reduce competition and drive prices up within the agricultural supplies market.

Elders’ acquisition of Delta not opposed: Elders

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has announced that it would not oppose the acquisition by Elders Limited (ASX:ELD, Elders) of all of the shares in Delta Agribusiness Pty Limited (Delta) subject to an undertaking given pursuant to section 87B of the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (Cth) (Undertaking). Pursuant to the terms of the Undertaking, six Delta branches in Western Australia will be divested. These branches are located in Dalwallinu, Kalannie, Albany, Manypeaks, Wellstead and Hyden.

The Rock Show, 18 October 2025

The Rock Show Society

Claude Monet’s Meules, milieu du jour (Haystacks, midday) to depart Tweed Regional Gallery  

After nearly 2 years on public display in Murwillumbah, Claude Monet’s landmark painting Meules, milieu du jour [Haystacks, midday], 1890 will leave the Tweed Regional Gallery & Margaret Olley Art Centre with its final day on display being Sunday 26 October 2025. 

Belvedere Boys set to strike in Port Cup on Friday

With recent placings in metropolitan feature races under his belt, the stage is set for Belvedere Boys to claim the major prize in the $200,000 Carlton Dry 3.5 per cent Port Macquarie Cup on an outstanding day of racing action at Port on Friday.

Heavy horses set world record at Barellan Good Old Days Festival

A team of 62 heavy horses was harnessed to pull an antique wagon in a record-breaking event at the Barellan Good Old Days Festival at the weekend. It outnumbered the previous Australian record of 50, set in Queensland in the 1980s and a 50-horse hitch in Canada in 1995.

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