Council

Get ready to join Australia’s biggest pre-loved treasure hunt—the annual Garage Sale Trail is next month! Happening over two weekends, November 8-9 and 15-16, the trail is returning to Whyalla, and we already have sales registered, offering an incredible range of items to browse.

Have you heard of the Koala Karaoke program? ... Koalas were heard at 23 per cent of sites in 2020, 32 per cent of sites in 2021, 17 per cent of sites in 2022 and 47 per cent of sites in 2023.

Regional Cities New South Wales says regional communities that host renewable energy projects should be able to access locally-generated power during a blackout. Regional Cities New South Wales (RCNSW) Chair Cr Steve Krieg has written to Energy Minister Penny Sharpe to ask the State Government to remove rules that prevent local generators supplying electricity in times of need.

An invasive weed not seen in the Lockyer Valley for more than half a century has been detected at Forest Hill, prompting Council to issue an alert. A Lockyer Valley Regional Council contractor recently raised the alarm after stumbling upon an infestation of rubber vine in the rail reserve at Forest Hill.

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.

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.

Balranald Shire Mayor Louie Zaffina is actively balancing regional advocacy with local infrastructure progress. The Mayor recently toured the regional meeting circuit to tackle challenging policy issues while simultaneously overseeing significant developments across the Shire. ... The Bidgee Haven Retirement Hostel received a new wheelchair-enabled van ....

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 member of the Central Desert Regional Council, Clifford Tilmouth has confirmed he is one of three men issued notices to appear in relation to an alleged cattle theft from Alcoota, a property north of Alice Springs, on August 5.

The new library is part of the greater Allora Community Precinct project, which has seen the Allora Library move into the old Allora Senior Citizens Centre and the Allora Regional Sports Museum moved into the building where the library used to be ... Member for Southern Downs James Lister said the Allora Precinct would become a hub for the local community and improve the town’s liveability.

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. 

Eight community representatives have been appointed to sit on the newly formed Community Consultation Committee (CCC) for Australian Rare Earths’ (AR3) controversial Koppamurra Project, a move the company says will strengthen local input. According to AR3, this is the beginning of formal consultation on the proposed rare earths mine as the exploration company moves towards a mining licence application.

A Country Universities Centre for Hay is now one step closer, with local Jessie Armstrong appointed as the Centre Manager of the eagerly anticipated Rural University Study Hub (RUSH). Jessie comes from a rural background with a passion for agriculture extension and advisory services, and experience in project management, communications and community education.

Mildura Rural City Council CEO Martin Hawson. We’ve received fresh assurances ... from Qantas, Mildura Airport Chief Executive Officer Andrew Elliott and Chair Marcus Guthrie that the airline remains committed to Mildura for the long term ... So to be clear, Qantas have confirmed with me there will be no impact to flights to and from Mildura as a result of the decision, which is reassuring for our community.

This week's unseasonably hot weather and fast-moving fires in neighbouring council areas are a timely reminder to Scenic Rim residents to prepare their properties and develop a Bushfire Survival Plan. 

As part of efforts to prepare the Gannawarra for the fire season, Gannawarra Shire Council’s annual fire hazard property inspections have started. Council’s Local Laws team are travelling throughout the municipality, identifying properties which need to be cleared of fire risks and issuing Fire Prevention Notices to landowners, instructing them to carry out works to reduce fire risks.

Ahead of its complete restoration, an event will be held on Saturday, 11 October to acknowledge the move of the Nobby Gaol to its new site in the centre of town ... Over the past six years, Rudd’s Pub owners Evan and Gayle Jones with the help of the community have been on a mission to move and restore the gaol.

A two-and-a-half-year battle to secure a chef through the Skills in Demand Visa program for popular dining spot, The Riverina Hotel, has finally come to an end for hoteliers, Dave and Kelly Sloan. It has been a hard slog while Hay is not included on the eligible postcode list for hospitality workers to gain a Working Holiday visa.

Rodney Stevens and Emma Pritchard. A leaked internal Clarence Valley Council email concerning the award-winning Jacaranda Festival and the eviction of 136 semi-permanent caravans from Council managed caravan parks has been labelled ‘inappropriate’ and ‘insensitive’ by both the Mayor and a Jacaranda Festival Committee member.

Chairman of the NSW Country Mayors Association (CMA), Mayor Rick Firman OAM, has cautiously welcomed the planning reforms announced by the Minns’ Government. Mayor Firman, however, raised concerns about how centralised planning, standardised assessments and processes would improve outcomes for remote, rural and regional communities.