Politics

Ahead of next month’s Budget, the federal Labor government plans to double the amount of medicines Australians can purchase, by allowing 60-day dispensing. However, experts have warned the move, which is being described as one of the biggest shake-ups the PBS has faced, could create significant medicine shortages and delays.  

The countdown is on for the 2023 South Australian Wooden Boat Festival (SAWBF), which is set to take place this weekend (29-30 April). Thanks to major sponsors Coorong Quays, this year’s festival will be held at Hindmarsh Island’s – Alexandrina Cove, providing visitors with front-row seats to the action.

If the Northern Territory wants to  achieve a 50% renewable energy target by 2030  and  net zero emissions by 2050,  as it says it does, it seems we will need to make a choice between two types of mineral extraction: Good Mining and Bad Mining. “Good Mines” would get out of the ground the dozen-plus materials needed to make batteries and solar panels, known as  critical minerals, needed for clean energy technologies, including copper, nickel, manganese, cobalt, chromium, molybdenum and zinc.

A four-bedroom, two-bathroom house on a one-acre block for $500,000 is but one of the perks of life in Dalby, south-west Queensland, for passionate local government employee Dan Fletcher and his young family. Dan tells his regional-move story in the latest episode of You Moved Where?! podcast, hosted by TV and film producer Bec Bignell (herself a ‘returner’ to regional Western Australian).

Western Australia's resources industry achieved record sales of $246 billion in 2022 and delivered more jobs than ever before, underlining our State's role as the driving force behind the national economy. Resources sales for 2022 were up an impressive $15 billion from 2021 based on the latest annual data released by the Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety (DMIRS).

The Australian Electric Vehicle Association (AEVA) has criticised the inclusion of ‘hydrogen highways’ in the National Electric Vehicle Strategy as outdated and inefficient ... The President of AEVA, Dr Chris Jones, said that the recent emergence of rapid battery-swapping services, combined with the conversion of heavy trucks from diesel to electric power, have eliminated any potential benefit for hydrogen in the long-distance freight sector.

Flood recovery efforts are a key focus of Gannawarra Shire Council’s 2023/2024 Proposed Budget, with Council seeking community feedback regarding this key document up to 5pm Friday, 26 May. ... “Council’s 2023/2024 Proposed Budget outlines the Gannawarra’s recovery from our second major flood event this century, with $25 million from our capital works program dedicated to infrastructure repairs”: Mayor Charlie Gillingham.

Tickets are now available for the upcoming Lockyer Valley Koala Forum. The Forum, presented by Wildlife Watcher and an initiative of Social Marketing @ Griffith in partnership with the Lockyer Valley Regional Council, will be held on Thursday 18 May at the Lockyer Valley Cultural Centre, as well as online.

Janine Batters. Over 300 community members with placards - on foot, in trucks and tractors - put their message in simple terms for the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) at St. Arnaud on Monday, regarding their views on the VNI West Transmission Project.  The protest blocked Napier Street for over an hour to send the message home to AEMO, after feeling any previous attempts had landed on deaf ears. The protest took place before a planned community consultation meeting regarding the project.

NT Mining Minister Nicole Manison was addressing more than 300 industry people attending the  Annual Geoscience Exploration Seminar (AGES) in Alice Springs ... She said the NT has 15 of the critical minerals the world needs, “and we have lots of copper as well, and 13 prospective critical minerals” ... Minister Manison said the government will change the royalty system to  ad valorem, including petroleum.

Barkly Regional Council Mayor Jeffrey McLaughlin met with his Territory counterparts this week at the Local Government Association NT’s (LGANT) annual conference in Alice Springs. The two-day Sustainable Councils conference was held in Alice Springs and was attended by mayors, presidents, councillors, CEOs and delegates from all 17 local government areas in the Territory.

The Tennant Creek Watch House will undergo a $11.5 million redevelopment as part of the Territory Labor Government’s investment to improve police resources in Budget 2023. The Territory Government committed $3.4 million to redevelop the Watch House in 2019 as part of the Barkly Regional Deal, however it was subsequently deemed that a full replacement of the facility was required.

Patricia Gill. Denmark Shire chief executive David Schober will officially end his tenure on July 11 to return to a lifelong passion, coaching basketball. Former professional basketball coach David will take a ‘dream job’ at the Denmark Senior High School vacated by dual Olympian Paul Rogers.

The National Farmers’ Federation (NFF) welcomes the Net Zero Australia study report, which recognises the need for a fair transition to a carbon neutral future – and not at the expense of agriculture ... The report outlines exclusion areas to reduce the likelihood of solar and wind developments on productive farmland, while water reliant industries like hydrogen will use desalinised water rather than tapping into Australia’s limited fresh water supplies.

More than 250 people gathered like David taking on the might of Goliath ... Event organiser, Andrew Gibbs, gave a passionate speech to the crowd as he expressed the disgust and injustice of the decision by the Bendigo and Adelaide Bank to close 16 agencies, including Pyramid Hill, Cohuna and Barham.  

The Malinauskas Labor Government’s return of early childhood courses to TAFE has seen an almost doubling of uptake in just 12 months ... Enrolments in Semester 1 for 2023 for both courses are currently at 456 – almost double the same time last year with 276 enrolments.

The Clarence River Fishermen’s Co-Operative faces losing one third of its annual income due to the ban on commercial fishing in the Clarence River following the detection of the white spot virus at Palmers Island prawn farms ... On Monday April 17, Federal Member for Page, Kevin Hogan and State Member for Clarence, Richie Williamson called on the Federal and State Labor Governments to provide immediate financial assistance to the Clarence commercial fishing and aquaculture industry.

For months protesters have been fighting for logging to be halted in  Doubleduke  State Forest in Bungawalbin. NSW Environmental Authority announced the decision to stop logging on April 16 ... “The inspection identified that Forestry Corporation of NSW had not mapped two giant trees in accordance with the Coastal Integrated Forestry Operations Approval and Protocols,” EPA regulatory operations director Steve Orr said.