Council

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.

Michelle Daw. Thousands of people began pouring through the gates at the Yorke Peninsula Field Days site near Paskeville ... not only one of the region's largest events but also Australia's oldest field days, dating back to trials held near Bute in 1895. This year's event is expected to inject between $5 million and $8 million into the local economy ...

The Creative Streets Festival will take Armidale' creative scene to new heights with a spectacular lineup of entertainment that will ignite your imagination and celebrate our region’s vibrant spirit ... This isn’t just a festival, it’s a creative collision of art, music, ideas, and community.

When does the cost of human life and injury tip the scales and become the first priority? John Hanckel used to start his mornings with a jog, breathing in the fresh country air around Hay ... All of that changed on one terrible day in October 2008...

Flinders Shire marked a milestone in local education yesterday (24 September) with the official opening of the Country Universities Centre (CUC) Hughenden, which already has 17 students enrolled and studying locally.

The people of Wycheproof are deeply concerned by the recent announcement that Bendigo Bank will fully close its agency in the town. This decision, made without broad community consultation, has significant implications for residents, local businesses, and the liveability of the rural community.

The Cootamundra electorate's cutest residents have been the centre of celebrations in Narrandera, with the town's annual Koala Festival last weekend proving to be an ongoing success ... "This event is great for the local tourism economy, and it's an opportunity for us to celebrate one of the region's greatest environmental achievements," said Member for Cootamundra, Steph Cooke.

The Pyramid Hill was a hive of activity on Sunday as community members from Loddon and Gannawarra Shires gathered to discuss industrial renewable developments openly. The meeting hosted by Loddon Valley Renewables Awareness Group provided an open community forum, something that is avoided at all costs for transmission line and renewable developments, as one speaker framed it, "divide and conquer" is the standard modus operandi.

"I will be writing personally to the Federal Health Minister." That was the promise made by Member for Farrer and leader of the Liberal Party, Sussan Ley when she visited Haydays last week. Ms Ley toured the aged care facility with chair Lisa Bowen and staff members Martyn Quinn and Julie Weymouth, to see for herself the upgrades needed for Haydays to retain its accreditation.

The future of travel for Central Highlands residents is in focus, with the Draft Emerald Airport Master Plan 2025 now open for public consultation. As the region’s key gateway, Emerald Airport doesn’t just connect people to destinations; it connects families, businesses, and opportunities across Queensland and beyond. 

Ancient Roots in the New World is a new exhibition celebrating the beauty, history and symbolism of the olive tree (Olea europaea). Curated by Ceilidh Meo, the exhibition brings together a diverse group of emerging and established Bendigo region artists and craftspeople...

A deputation presented by Bruce Carle to Clarence Valley Councillors and Council staff last week prior to the commencement of the Ordinary Monthly Meeting of Clarence Valley Council (CVC) on September 18 received plenty of admiration after it highlighted the potential to utilise a vacant premises and secure the long-term future of two wellknown community groups.

"This funding initiative is an exciting new opportunity for the forestry sector," according to Cr Karen Stephens, president of Timber Towns Victoria and Mayor of Glenelg Shire Council, "ultimately using the whole of the tree and turning what would have been wasted wood fibre into a valuable low-carbon resource for use in other industries."

Michelle Daw. After months of anticipation, the long-awaited Yorke Peninsula health services inquiry report has been released. Its 16 recommendations include upgrading services at Wallaroo Hospital and developing emergency departments at Yorketown and Maitland Hospitals ... Narungga MP Fraser Ellis said he was disappointed by the "underwhelming" language used in the report.

Kyogle mayor Danielle Mulholland is undergoing radiation and chemo treatment in John Flynn Hospital ... Writing about her treatment helps, she said. Her wit and blunt truth shines through in her writing ... "Not the glamorous cavalry with trumpets and banners — my cavalry comes armed with clean undies, compression socks, and the kind of determination only love or madness explains."

Dozens of fire trucks and hundreds of people gathered at Weeroona Oval in Bendigo on Sunday 14 September to protest against the State Government’s recently introduced Emergency Services Volunteer Fund (ESVF). Organised by the CFA Volunteers Group, the protest attracted people from across the region...

After being awarded a 3 year contract by Southern Downs Regional Council to operate the Allora Swimming Pool, PCYC Queensland is ready to take on the management when it reopens on 1 October - just in time for the summer season. This marks a major milestone for PCYC Queensland, one of the state’s largest providers of sport and recreation programs.