Politics

Sam Freeman. I wanted to personally share with you today’s news that the Australian Government announced an $80m financing facility to support the continued operations of the Rex network and their intention to extend the Federal Government Regional Flight Booking Guarantee. This is great news for Rex.  It provides resources for investment needed to improve the business and the operational performance of the regional network including increasing the size of the active regional Rex fleet.

Interested business are encouraged to submit an expression of interest to participate in any of five key trade exhibitions to be held in Asia and the Middle East in 2025. Food, beverage and hospitality events have proven to be a great avenue for WA businesses to showcase their products and establish trade relationships.

The latest agricultural lending statistics provided by the Australian Prudential Regulatory Authority (APRA) show an increase in lending to the farm sector of 6 per cent in 2022-23, reaching $120.5 billion. Executive Director of ABARES Dr Jared Greenville said that while the amount of debt had risen, the reasons point to ongoing investment in the sector.

Michelle Daw. The nurses’ union has called for an urgent review of patient admission criteria and security measures at Yorketown Hospital after a terrifying incident where a patient allegedly threatened two nurses with knives. Union representatives argue the hospital’s current security systems fail to protect staff, prompting calls for stronger safeguards to ensure the safety of healthcare workers and patients alike.

Local farmer Jim “Spud” Hepworth, a Litchfield, Watchem and Donald stalwart and fourth generation cereal and sheep, farmer has starred in a short film that has gone viral overnight. The video, released ... by a local group called Farms For Food, has had over 69,000 views in 24 hours. Mr Hepworth spoke about the community impact that changes such as mineral sand mining and new transmission lines have had in his region.

The Game Management Authority (GMA) will begin its annual survey of Victoria’s game duck population ... The survey will be conducted by wildlife biologists, who will record the presence, species and number of game ducks at more than 850 waterbodies across Victoria including wetlands, farm dams, sewerage treatment plants, streams and rivers.

Rachel Hagan. Close to 100 people attended the Remembrance Day service at the new Port Clinton veterans’ memorial ... After a lengthy battle to install the memorial, which divided the community, Port Clinton has had its first service at the new memorial near the corner of Yelta Street and Yoolamardy Terrace.

Gingin volunteer firefighter and councillor Nikki Wood’s photo "We Work Together as One" is a state winner in the Resilient Australia awards. Emergency Services Minister Stephen Dawson said the stirring image visually captured the joint response from firefighters, police, paramedics and the RAC rescue helicopter at a crash in Gingin.

Well, he’s back. This time, he’s not just set on “Making America Great Again,” but is doubling down with a pledge to “Make Our (American) Farmers Great Again.” But how, exactly, does he plan to pull this off? And should Aussie farmers brace for impact? A glance at Trump’s past as President, alongside his promises for the next four years, paints a picture that’s hard to ignore.

A single bus route in a small community might seem trivial to the Cook Labor government, but for the families who depend on it, it’s far more than just transport. It’s a lifeline that keeps communities viable, allowing families to live and work on the land while ensuring their kids can attend school without spending hours commuting each day ... This decision underscores the growing divide in our state ...

Honestly, I’m stumped, and I say this as someone who once worked for a Minister for Agriculture and “Food.” In all my years in government, I don’t recall anyone requesting a sit-down with the Minister for Food ... If a food giant like Kraft Heinz or Mars Wrigley came sniffing around WA, do you think they’d trawl through the yellow pages for the Minister for Food?

The National Farmers’ Federation has raised its eyebrows at today’s announcement the Federal Government has received 1000 responses to the southern Murray-Darling Basin open tender process. NFF Water Committee Chair Malcolm Holm said the announcement by Minister for Environment and Water Tanya Plibersek raised significant questions for farmers in Australia’s food bowl.

The Albanese Labor Government’s voluntary water purchase open tender has received more than 1,000 responses across the southern Murray-Darling Basin, far exceeding the volume of water required ... About 27.5 gigalitres, or 11,000 Olympic swimming pools of water, have already been recovered – up from just two gigalitres in May 2022.

An ever-popular drawcard for locals and visitors alike, the iconic Naracoorte Swimming Lake will open to the public for the summer season ... According to the council, staff have cleaned the floor of the lake, painted the walls and were on track to paint part of the lake floor and walkway/concourse around the lake prior to the opening.

The number of Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) workers in agriculture has fallen by more than 20 per cent, from 21,915 in July 2023 to 16,705 workers in September 2024 ... David Littleproud said the Senate Estimate figures revealed Labor’s changes to the PALM Scheme Deed and Guidelines in July 2023 made the scheme unworkable and had failed farmers.

The Victorian Goldfields Railway (VGR) has welcomed a new depot in Castlemaine for the historic trains that run between Castlemaine and Maldon … The many benefits of the new depot buildings include greater space and more comfortable indoor environs for VGR volunteer workers to maintain locomotives and prepare them for service.

David Jochinke. The National Farmers' Federation (NFF) acknowledges ... signing of the Australia-UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), marking a meaningful step forward for Australia’s trade partnerships in the Middle East. The agreement will eliminate tariffs on key Australian exports...

Australia’s investment in agricultural research and development has reached almost $3 billion in 2023-24, the latest ABARES release has shown ... The private sector accounts for the largest growth in investment in the sector, with a nearly 5 per cent annual growth rate from 2005-06.