Politics

Tweed-based Wiradjuri artist  Hannah Lange has been awarded the top prize in the 2024 Wollumbin Art Award (WAA) with a stunning painting paying tribute to traditional First Nations weaving entitled Weaving by the River. The artist also wins a two-week residency at the Gallery’s Nancy Fairfax Artist in Residence Studio.

Construction of a flood protection levee along Gunbower Parade at Koondrook will occur after Gannawarra Shire Council successfully received Federal Government funding. The National Emergency Management Agency announced in late August that the Federal Government would invest $851,774 in the project, which is the first in a series of planned stages to construct a levee network to mitigate the risk of riverine flooding in the Koondrook township.

Greater Shepparton City Council, in partnership with the Victorian State Government and FReezA, is excited to announce a BMX, skate, and scoot competition and art workshop as part of Greater Shepparton Youth Fest 2024. These events will take place on Sunday 29 September 2024 at the Shepparton Skate Park.

Lismore City Council is excited to announce that hundreds of cycling enthusiasts will converge on Lismore next month for the first-ever Lismore Cycling Festival. The bumper two-day event, held in partnership with the Byron Bay Cycle Club ... promises a mix of competitive racing, participation rides and ‘Come-and-try’ sessions for children and adults.

Joanna Tucker. After years of hard work, the Moonta Mines Cornish mining sites have been added to Australia’s UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List, along with mine sites at Burra. This listing was announced on September 6 and is a significant step towards achieving World Heritage protection for the two historic areas.

A drop in session was held at Baker Park last Thursday to inform the community of the progress of the proposed new bore to supplement the town water supply. Interestingly, the presenters, Maddy, Chris and Shaun, were able to explain a few details that probably have not been conveyed properly to the community.

Kyogle chef Shelly Snadden cooked her heart out at the Sample Food Festival in Bangalow ... Kyogle councillor Danielle Mulholland was by her side in the My Mayor Rules cook-off. Kyogle mayor Kylie Webster was unable to attend so former mayor Danielle stepped up.

Lara Leahy. There is a sign on Bruxner Highway between Lismore and Casino that says five koalas died in August … A koala fence is about to be installed at that spot to help prevent further koalas deaths. Lismore City Council has hired contractors Ecoteam to install 1.5km of fencing along both sides of the Bruxner Highway, starting at Pelican Creek Bridge…

The Victorian Public Service Enterprise Agreement includes $300m one-off cost-of-living payments for public servants while Victorian families and businesses struggle with increased taxes and no sign of relief from cost-of-living pressures ... Member for Western Victoria, Bev McArthur said, "the $5600 cost-of-living bonus for all public servants is more than 7 per cent this year for an average employee!"

Just when it seemed ANZ’s attempts to justify the closure of a regional NSW branch in defiance of a condition of the Suncorp acquisition deal not to close any regional sites for three years could not get any more farcical, the bank has upped the ante. In a letter to a customer complaining about the planned closure of the Katoomba branch next month, ANZ claimed that although it had triggered regional branch closure protocols (established as a direct result of two federal government inquiries into regional bank closures), the protocol was not about regional branches.

The more than half a billion dollars which the just launched Aboriginal Investment NT will be extracting from Canberra bureaucrats over five years should be spent mostly on infrastructure “on the ground, in communities,” says Lingiari MP Marion Scrymgour ... “The AINT will ensure the money is spent in the right areas and in line with Aboriginal aspirations,” says Ms Scrymgour. And it may well be time for the Aboriginal land councils “to let go”.

We had a whopping 96 entries for the Wild About Shellharbour photography competition and received some truly incredible images. We’re very excited to announce the winners of the Over 18, Under 18 and People’s Choice categories.

Luz Restrepo. Our small towns are brimming with untapped potential and as business owners, we are the driving force behind our local economies ... In these challenging times, when the economy is under pressure, it is crucial to think creatively and seize new opportunities. The Village Business Expo is one such opportunity.

Get ready for a paw-some day at the inaugural 2024 Pet Expo this weekend. The expo features 35 pet-related stalls, free kids’ activities, plus plenty of fun for dogs, and is held at the Robert Schwarten Outdoor Pavilion from 9am to 3pm...

A program designed to reduce the risk and impact of flood events across towns in inland NSW has been extended thanks to a $3 million Australian Government grant ... NSW DCCEEW has identified 14 Local Government Areas across inland NSW where flood works pose known risks, and have received strong support for the program.

"Cost shifting is when state or federal governments transfer, or ‘shift’ responsibility for providing a certain service, concession, asset or regulatory function to councils ... a report prepared for Local Government NSW by consulting firm Morrison Low ... provides information on how local government ratepayers are funding more than a billion dollars of state government obligations.

The [Naracoorte Community] News is introducing a new series called Hard Talk, focusing on in-depth interviews with hard-hitting questions on issues relating to communities like ours ... In our first issue, we questioned Premier Peter Malinauskas and newly appointed Opposition Leader Vincent Tarzia.

Chris Oldfield and Nasik Swami. Naracoorte Lucindale Council CEO Trevor Smart has resigned after six years in the top job and is looking forward to spending more time with his family. Mr Smart has spent 41 years in local government and six years with Naracoorte Lucindale Council.