Politics

The provision of these services has been an important part of the Buloke Shire Council’s operations for nearing 40 years; however, with the comprehensive changes to be introduced as the Commonwealth Government progressively reforms the national aged care system, Buloke, like many other Councils, has reviewed its position and decided to exit service.

The Barmah Choke water trade balance to start the 2023–24 water year will deliver a solid trade opportunity for irrigators. MDBA Executive Director of River Management Andrew Reynolds, said the water available to trade downstream of the Barmah Choke on 1 July 2023 would be about 60.6 gigalitres (GL).

This newspaper [The Buloke Times], in the past, has queried the government’s decision to take away the single desk for export from the Australian Wheat Board, an organisation which evened out the returns to growers, and was generally respected by the industry. Now there are claims that the good seasonal conditions have not been reflected in the returns to growers in recent years, and some companies with a larger share of the export trade have acted in “monopolistic” ways.

Which projects will benefit communities outside Tennant Creek? A number of initiatives are designed to benefit communities outside of Tennant Creek including the Student Boarding Facility which will see a 40-bed boarding school built next to the Tennant Creek High School ... The Alliance has positions on the Governance Table and contributes to decision-making about the implementation of the Deal initiatives.

Northern Grampians Shire Council has called on governments and energy agencies to respond directly to the concerns of farmers and local landowners before it develops new power transmission infrastructure ... "At the forum most of these questions were left unanswered. Rather than decide and defend, the government needs to ensure that meaningful consultation and direct negotiation is offered": Cr Kevin Erwin.

Community members across Murray River and Gannawarra local government areas continue to express their dismay at the Bendigo Bank’s decision to close the Barham, Cohuna and Pyramid Hill agencies. The bank claims the closures, along with 13 others, are due to the number and value of over-the-counter transactions falling as more customers choose to do their banking online ... This week, a meeting was held between Bendigo Bank executives, Member for Murray Plains Peter Walsh and a representative of the Gannawarra Shire Council.

More needs to be done to incentivize the aged care industry in the Limestone Coast region and make it more appealing, says Shadow Minister for Ageing Penny Pratt. Ms Pratt says as the population in the regional towns continues to grow, with that must come an expansion of services, including aged care ... “More and more people want to age well at home or be assured that their quality of life will be enhanced in aged care facilities”: Shadow Minister for Ageing Penny Pratt.

The federal, state, and local governments have a role to play in curbing the housing crisis in Naracoorte and its surrounding towns. That’s the word from Shadow Minister for Regional South Australia, Nicola Centofanti, who revealed a state migration strategy was being developed to tackle the housing crisis in the regional towns. Ms Centofanti told The News that the strategy would be made public once it was ready.