Council

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.

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.