‘Battle of the Councils’
The ‘Council Cup Clash’ was held on Saturday 26 August at the Katherine Showgrounds between the Beswick Bears, representing Roper Gulf Regional Council and the Timber Creek Lions, representing Victoria Daly Regional Council in a showdown game of AFL. This initiative aimed to foster collaboration, unity, and sportsmanship within the vibrant communities represented.
Standing up against wall
Patrick Goldsmith. Coobowie residents have raised concerns over Yorke Peninsula Council’s preliminary discussions to install a coastal protection structure along the town’s beach ... Community members questioned the need for a wall which they believe will stretch 12 metres from the front of foreshore properties onto the beach ... "We don’t agree with the one wall fits all policy which they seem to be applying": Peter Hooper.
Supercharging Barcaldine’s clean energy future: Miles
Work towards establishing a renewable energy industrial precinct in Barcaldine is powering ahead, with discussions under way with several interested companies ... Acting Premier Steven Miles met with leading economist, Professor Ross Garnaut to discuss the BREZ ahead of today’s Economic Thought Leadership Forum on decarbonising supply chains and growing new industries in Queensland.
Green transmission is “just a fairytale”
Once upon a time, not that long ago, in places not that far away, the Australian Energy Market Operator, AEMO, thought it could devise a “renewable” energy and transmission scheme to outsmart the locals ... Locals along the lines have fought against the plans ...
Guidelines allow for coastal land uses until risk becomes unacceptable
Planning for possible future erosion and flooding risks is a hot topic in the Shire of Gingin following public information sessions in Lancelin and Seabird. The shire’s coastal hazard risk management and adaptation plan (CHRMAP) and coastal management strategy (CMS) and the WA state government’s coastal hazard risk management and adaptation planning guidelines...
Trouble in paradise with goldminer and landholders in dispute
For more than 40 years they have run the Clarence River Wilderness Lodge where guests come to escape into the nature and unspoilt beauty of the Clarence Valley. The rocky dirt track off Paddys Flat Rd is a 20-minute steep drive to the lodge and camping grounds on the 460 hectare property.
Knife crime reduction strategy released: Paech
The Territory Labor Government has released a Knife Crime Reduction Strategy that builds upon initiatives already underway to stamp out knife crime in the Territory. The strategy informs a whole of government approach to building partnerships with the community, Aboriginal community-controlled organisations...
Partnering with the West Coast Council and industry for a prosperous future: Rockliff
The Tasmanian Liberal Government signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the West Coast Council and key industry leaders. Premier Jeremy Rockliff said the MoU was an important next step in progressing the Government’s commitment to develop a Strategic Regional Partnership with the Western Region of Tasmania.
Labor makes more cuts to the national soil strategy: Littleproud
The Federal Labor Government has scrapped the National Soils Advocate and cut funding to programs that previously had bipartisan support … “Labor also redirected $11.7 million from the National Soils Strategy to ‘other priorities’. They continue to make cuts instead of investing in this much-needed strategy”: David Littleproud.
Firewood panic – Jarvis’s order leads to double standards: Gavin Butcher
Gavin Butcher. The WA Government’s new forestry policy is unravelling. The responsible Minister, Jackie Jarvis, has started to panic, reportedly ordering 120,000 tonnes of firewood to be produced, and in the process is sacrificing supplies to sawmills. The result is that high quality sawlogs are being set aside for firewood instead of being manufactured for furniture and flooring.
Up, up and away – new Qantas flights
A new Qantas flight schedule and the addition of one extra return flight per week to the Bendigo to Sydney route starts from Monday October 30. Following feedback provided to the airline, the new schedule allows passengers to travel Bendigo to Sydney return in a day, Monday to Friday.
Council adopts The Bluff Master Plan
A plan that sets out to protect, conserve and enhance The Bluff has been adopted by the City of Victor Harbor. The Bluff Master Plan was developed in collaboration with community over the past 18 months.
Rochester flood recovery community update event
More than 120 members of the Rochester community attended Campaspe Shire Council’s flood recovery community information session held at the Rochester Shire Hall ... Campaspe Shire Mayor Cr Rob Amos opened the event which brought together major stakeholders involved in the flood recovery process ... This is the first large-scale community information session organised by Campaspe Shire Council’s new Flood Recovery Team ...
Tiny homes make big impact in Gympie: Scanlon
Tenants have moved in to eight new tiny homes in Gympie, delivered to help ease housing pressures in the region. The factory-built homes were installed at GRAP, which was a joint project between the Queensland Government and Gympie Regional Council after floods devastated the town.
Charleville hosting Darling Downs South West Queensland Regional Community Forum: Grace, Furner
Housing, health, education, training and employment pathways, infrastructure, economic diversification, and the Q2032 Procurement Strategy will be part of the conversation for the members of the Darling Downs South West Queensland Regional Community Forum who meet at Charleville ...
Proposed changes to Grain Harvest Code will have huge ramifications for our grain industry: Pederick, Centofanti
Shadow Minister for Emergency Services and Member for Hammond, Adrian Pederick, together with Shadow Minister for Primary Industries, Nicola Centofanti, are standing with local farmers and Grain Producers SA in opposing the proposed changes to the Grain Harvesting Code of Practice. The changes put forward by the CFS seek to reduce the Grassland Fire Danger Index (GFDI) cease harvest number to 40 at 10 metres...
Innovative ‘staying at home’ program launched
Resthaven has launched a new government-funded program which aims to support older South Australians living with dementia to stay at home for as long as possible. The ‘Staying at Home in Regional South Australia’ ... aims to provide vital education and support to carers whilst their loved one is cared for in the same location by experienced staff.
$9.75m injection for Keith hospital
The Keith and District Hospital has officially joined SA Health with a $9.75 million boost from the SA State Government. After so many decades of uncertainty, it was a moment the Upper SE community had been waiting for. Sporting a new public healthcare model – the facility will be known as Keith and District Healthcare.
$4.3m on hold pending study
A regional health bureaucracy has been blocked from spending $4.3 million on hospital upgrades rather than radiation treatment services in the Limestone Coast. But only until a feasibility study for radiation therapy has been completed. Then SA Health Minister Chris Picton will make a decision.
Police are needed in country towns: McArthur
Victoria Police wants to take officers from one-person police stations in 98 small towns and roster them into regional centres and cities to fill police shortages. The rostering change is due to more than 800 police vacancies across the state ... Member for Western Victoria, Bev McArthur, said the move is alarming.
Buloke Times editorial: Shearers 2
This is a follow-up to the previous piece about the shortage of shearers. The numbers of Australian-based shearers have diminished by 30 per cent in the last decade, partly due to the drought, the pull of the mining sector, and Covid 19 restricting arrivals. New Zealand shearers also had a pay rise in 2018. In May 2023, at the end of the earlier editorial, the hope was expressed that the shortage would be relieved by progress with the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility scheme (PALM). Provision had been made for a pilot round of a small number to be trained as shearers in southern NSW. That plan will not now go ahead.
Soldiers don’t start wars
The Vietnam war was Australia's longest war of the 20th century. More than 60,000 Australians served, 3,000 were wounded, and 523 died. In the early 1970s, more than 200,000 people marched in the streets of Australia’s major cities in protest of the war.
