Council

Joanna Tucker. A study by Victoria University’s Mitchell Institute has found childcare accessibility in the federal electorate of Grey to be the worst in Australia ... Kadina Child Care Centre director Caren Hammerstein said the centre has 105 children on its waiting list.

West Wimmera Shire Council is pleased to announce the official opening of three significant community projects, marked by a visit from Member for Western Victoria Jacinta Ermacora. The openings were celebrated over two days, highlighting the completion of new recreation- al facilities that were all jointly funded by the State Government, Council and community groups.

Stephanie Thompson. Telstra is “sincerely sorry” for the impact of a cloud service crash last week that continues to “cripple” all three local councils. The outage is continuing to impact Loxton Waikerie, Berri Barmera and Renmark Paringa councils, rendering them unable to complete almost all core functions.

The Lockyer Valley and Somerset Regional Councils continue to work together to garner positive outcomes for not only both communities, but the state and nation too. Recently, both Councils met with members of the Lockyer Valley and Somerset Water Collaborative and representatives of the Queensland Government for an update on the Lockyer Valley and Somerset Water Security Scheme (LVSWSS).

South Burnett Regional Council is pleased to announce the latest upgrades to the Coolabunia Saleyards. Funded by Council’s capital works program, ten new catwalks have been renewed, with the replacement of some original catwalks that were built back in 1982.

A proposed planning permit application for a 16-block subdivision on land in Maldon that is bordered by Lowther, Polsue and Reef Streets is once again in the spotlight ... The [Tarrangower] Times met with two of the objectors last week, who said that their primary objection to the application is the fact that the block is subject to periodic flooding.

Sitting high above the town, Wyreema’s elevated reservoir will soon be removed from its perch as it is no longer needed. The Toowoomba Regional Council (TRC) reservoir, located at the Council compound on Newman Road, will be demolished beginning in July.

An average residential rate increase of 5.68 per cent – or $82 – is likely across the Berri Barmera district for 2024/25, after the local council cut its rate in the dollar to combat skyrocketing valuations ... Residential valuations alone –made by the Adelaide-based Valuer General – across Berri Barmera will rise by a whopping 15.28 per cent, or almost $186 million, in 2024/25. “With the State Government’s capital valuation growth so high, council has resolved to reduce the rate in the dollar across all property types,” Berri Barmera chief executive officer Tim Pfeiffer told The Murray Pioneer.

In July last year the construction of much-needed new water treatment plants for Ivanhoe and Wilcannia was put in doubt because of a funding shortfall. Today NSW Senator Deb O'Neill visited Wilcannia to announce $10 million in additional funding for water treatment plants at White Cliffs, Wilcannia and Ivanhoe and new potable water rearticulation scheme at White Cliffs.

There will be no further band-aid remedies for Hay’s 60-year-old John Houston Memorial Pool. Hay is to get a new swimming pool after Council made the difficult decision last week to borrow up to $4million.

Members of NSW Parliament’s Portfolio Committee No. 7, who are undertaking a parliamentary inquiry into the planning system and the impacts of climate change on the environment and communities, saw and heard about issues concerning proposed and approved developments sites in the Lower Clarence first-hand when they visited Yamba and Maclean last Friday.

For 20 years publican Daniel Simpson has wanted to brew his own beer at the Rod n Reel Hotel in Woodburn. That dream is close to becoming a reality. After the floods, Daniel bought the pub building and has put in a Development Application for a microbrewery.

If only these walls could talk… organisers of the official reopening of the Cawongla Community Centre were thrilled with the turnout ... No one quite knows the age of the timber cottage next to Cawongla Preschool in the heart of the village ... For years the community centre sat empty ...

Barkly Regional Council has announced the appointment of its new CEO on a social media post late yesterday afternoon. Official Manager Peter Holt announced that Chris Kelly will commence the helm role of the organisation on 1 July, with Jeff MacLeod continuing as Acting CEO until then.

With a friendly community and picture postcard appeal, Maldon may be one of the most liveable towns in Australia. Nothing’s perfect, however, and in Maldon’s case one of the irritants is the constant stream of trucks through the town centre.

It’s scary and a superspreader. That’s how a Keith farmer and elected councillor of the Tatiara District Council has described the situation involving the spread of African lovegrass in the Upper South East ... Lovegrass (Eragrostis curvula) is a long-lived tussock-forming grass usually growing 30 to 120cm tall.

Last week, Toowoomba Regional Council hosted a major joint Local Government and Police disaster management exercise testing the capability of various Local Disaster Management Groups (LDMGs) from across southern Queensland ... The exercise used a major flood event scenario to practice the various Local Disaster Management Group’s capabilities to respond to a request to provide evacuation centre support for a mass evacuation scenario.

Narrandera Adult Riding Club (NARC) recently hosted the BetaVet and Bendigo Bank HRCAV Top Teams Trophy (TTT) Horse Trials - the equivalent of the adult riding club State Championships ... One hundred riders travelled from all over Victoria and southern NSW to compete individually and also made up 23 teams of four riders. The riders competed in three phases over the two days - dressage, show jumping and cross country.

Clarence Valley residents who enjoy visiting the beach or popular waterholes now have the peace of mind of increased safety after rescue tubes were installed in eight locations to help save lives. The rollout of the rescue tubes over the past few months now sees the lifesaving devices available to the public 24 hours a day in case anyone needs to be saved from the water.

The minimum lot size is to be removed in Hay township (both North and South Hay) and some primary production land will be rezoned to low density residential in a bid by Council to address the housing shortage … Council recently received funding under the regional Housing Strategic Planning Fund to undertake a planning proposal to change the Hay Local Environment Plan (LEP) which governs the land uses and zoning of properties.