GreaseBoss innovation goes for gold in world cup series
GreaseBoss, an Australian start-up founded in 2020 on the Sunshine Coast, is going for gold in the global award program dubbed the Innovation World Cup Series ... Three mining industry engineers launched the company after developing a novel system to automate the lubrication of heavy equipment and avoid the costly hassle of breakdowns.
Newspaper digitisation project, a glimpse into Soldier Settlement era
People anywhere in the world can now take a step back in time to what was making the news during our region’s Soldier Settlement years thanks to Mildura Rural City Council Libraries’ newspaper digitisation project.
Cave trail unveiled
Gabrielle Duykers. Naracoorte leaders are hoping a newly completed trail linking the township to the Caves National Park will boost tourism in the district ... The 14.7-kilometre-long walking and biking trail begins at Naracoorte’s Memorial Parklands and winds its way to the UNESCO world heritage Naracoorte Caves site.
Skywalk to go ahead
A decision on a controversial subject which has split the community was finally resolved when Narrandera Shire Council voted to proceed with the skywalk project during its meeting on Tuesday ... Narrandera Mayor Neville Kschenka was pleased a decision had been reached to give the project the green light and implied that Narrandera could be the catalyst for other councils to build their own skywalk.
It’s back to the future for Yamba floodplain planning
Geoff Helisma. Environmental watchdog, Valley Watch, first began predicting flooding of Yamba, as a result of developing West Yamba, in about 1995; on Sunday May 21, the group will present a more than 1,000-signature petition to the mayor, Ian Tiley (or his proxy), calling for a moratorium on further filling and development approvals on the Yamba floodplain. “Basically, the petition is demanding a well-designed master plan for West Yamba,” Valley Watch spokesperson Helen Tyas Tunggal said.
Politics plagues housing funding
More than 50 new homes will be built in Cape York communities to address major overcrowding issues, but the state government has taken all the credit, despite using federal funding. Not for the first time, the health and wellbeing of Queensland’s most remote and vulnerable residents has been politicised.
Councils vote to keep road open
Cook Shire Council briefed leaders on a move by Australia Zoo and Terri Irwin to seek the closure of the gazetted Bertiehaugh Road which traverses through part of the Steve Irwin Wildlife Reserve ... The council representatives had a busy agenda in Cooktown. Mayor Peter Scott said the TCICA gatherings were a highlight on the calendar.
East Timor 20 years of independence celebration
The Australian Timor Leste Friendship Network was established in 2009, and in the same year, Mount Alexander Shire entered into a Friendship Relationship Agreement with the sub-district of Lolotoe, Timor Leste and Friends of Lolotoe Timor-Leste Incorporated. This friendship is based on mutual support and respect for each other’s culture. The Friendship group started work raising funds for school infrastructure, school resources, scholarships and gardening programs.
Smart and Vickery: No response re national expert
Chris Oldfield. For more than a month, CEO Trevor Smart and Mayor Erika Vickery have not responded to questions relating to Australian Roads Research Board (ARRB) Chief Technology Leader, Asset Performance Tyrone Toole's expertise. Mr Toole has spent a lifetime building and researching roads around the world.
Road seals need accurate calculations
Chris Oldfield. When crunching numbers about whether to seal a road, the cost should be spread over 60 years "or as long as possible". Australian Road Research Board Chief Technology Leader, Asset Performance Tyrone Toole said it would be pointless to only spread the cost over 10 years.
Bush poet keen to rekindle John O’Brien centre
A push is on to rekindle interest in establishing a centre to honour one of Narrandera's most prominent figures from the past - Monsignor Patrick Hartigan ...better known under the pen name of John O'Brien, the legendary, internationally recognised pioneer poet ... Australian champion bush poet Noel Stallard took on the role of John O'Brien for 22 years in the annual John O'Brien Festival.
Iconic cars roll into town
Narrandera has taken a step back in time this week as the town hosts about 80 vehicles featuring iconic names as Renault, De Dion Bouton, Maxwell, Triumph, Humber and more for the Veteran Car Club of NSW rally.
Home of my own: Eight people move in to new affordable housing units
There were 120 applicants for the eight new affordable housing units in Casino. Eight people now have a home to call their own. Momentum Collective with support from the State Government opened the $2 million affordable housing building in South Casino on May 6.
The devil is in the detail – still a lengthy wait for Lockhart River
Lockhart River won’t see a fix to their telecommunications for at least a year, although the wait could be even longer. Despite last week’s announcement that Telstra would be awarded $3.5 million to improve the mobile phone networks in Lockhart River, Seisia and Cooktown, there is no plan in place to make it happen.
Housing tops agenda at regional TCICA meeting
TCICA chair and Kowanyama mayor Robbie Sands said that at least $1 billion was needed over the next decade in the Cape and Torres Strait to address housing shortages. “Both major parties have been silent on new Indigenous housing in remote communities, ignoring the fact that our people are facing entirely preventable diseases like rheumatic heart disease because of severe overcrowding,” he said.
Councils warned: ‘Don’t lose access’
Chris Oldfield. Regardless of the number of cars using a road, if there is access “don’t lose it”, a leading Australian road expert, Tyrone Toole has warned councils. Even if a local government body thinks there is no other way than to delete a road, Mr Toole suggests the council “takes another look at it”. His comments followed questions by The News regarding the Shuard’s La debacle – a 600m stretch across a wet low-lying area enabling all-weather access to farms. Without community consultation, Naracoorte Lucindale Council deleted it and others from its road register.
Dream comes true for local sport
The new clubhouse and changerooms at the Narrandera Sportsground were officially opened on Saturday with the Member for Cootamundra Steph Cooke joining the Member for Farrer Sussan Ley, Narrandera Shire Council Mayor Neville Kschenka and members of the local community for the big event.
Concerns over end to alcohol protection in NT
Stephen Clarke, National Indigenous Radio Service. Central Australian Aboriginal Congress today added its voice to a growing chorus of concerns about the forthcoming end to Alcohol Protected Areas in the Northern Territory ... Central Australian Aboriginal Congress CEO, Donna Ah Chee, says the ending of protections will see a return to a “river of grog” flowing through communities.
‘There is no business as usual. This is still a crisis’: Stories and solutions at inquiry from those who survived the floods
Four minutes. That was the time people had to tell their story at the flood inquiry in Lismore on May 3. It was clear from the emotion in people’s voices that telling their story wasn’t easy ... For two hours, people used their four minutes on the microphone to tell the auditorium audience and the convenors who sat on stage what the flood meant to them.
CVC supports a better deal for Australian councils
Geoff Helisma. Clarence Valley Council (CVC) has signed up to the Australian Local Government Association’s campaign – Don’t Leave Local Communities Behind – to be conducted during the weeks leading up to the May 21 federal election. Councillors unanimously supported Cr Ian Tiley’s mayoral minute, to “support the national funding priorities of the ALGA, which would contribute an estimated $6.46 billion per year to Australia’s GDP and create 43,444 jobs” if successful.
The Hardanger Fiddle – Ballarat Heritage Festival
Local fiddlemaker Martin Scuffins is a creative artist who loves the natural world and finds joy in the expression of life through music and art. He has a passion for fiddle making and a special interest in Norwegian Hardanger fiddles which are fitted with ‘sympathetic’ strings that resonate in harmony with the played strings.
Emerald takes centre stage in upcoming Queensland Chamber Orchestra regional tour
Tickets are now available for Classical Reimagined, where The Queensland Chamber Orchestra (Camerata) will premiere Alexander Voltz’s composition inspired by Emerald ... Central Highlands Regional Council is proud to be partnering on bringing this family fun event to the region with a free show in the Emerald Botanical Gardens from 5.30 pm, Thursday 12 May.
