Rules changed in bid to boost accommodation
Ancillary dwellings or granny flats and detached habitable rooms in the Denmark shire will be limited to 70sqm and 30sqm of outdoor living space ... The Shire wanted to streamline granny flat development in a effort to combat the growing rental crisis in the town.
Curtains for Wellcamp COVID facility
The Queensland Government will not renew the lease of the Wellcamp quarantine facility when it expires next month. The 1000-bed facility opened early last year to house those with COVID-19 who needed to quarantine. It cost the State Government more than $220 million to set up, but only housed 730 people.
MRSG ‘disappointed’ that solutions are ignored
The organisation representing community and farming interests across the NSW Murray region has expressed ‘disappointment’ at the Albanese Government’s push to reintroduce water buybacks. The Murray Regional Strategy Group (MRSG) has worked tirelessly on solutions that would help deliver environmental water without sacrificing food production.
Locked out!
Community members, farmers, industry representatives and journalists have been locked out of the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW) Bridging the Gap water buyback consultation meetings in Deniliquin ... The Federal Government and their bureaucracy’s contempt for southern NSW and northern Victoria communities has no sign of slowing down, even a meeting over a community good, like water, is essentially invite only.
Nhill Visitors Information Centre volunteers
HM Woodhouse-Herrick. The first day of Autumn was a beautiful cool day for our day out for the Volunteers who man the Visitors Information Centre Nhill one day a month. With thanks to the Hindmarsh Shire, we filled the bus with those who were able to come along and familiarised ourselves with places such as the grand old Church at Pella out of Rainbow, the painted Silo at Albacutya ...
Allora residents want more from their Council
A Connecting with Council meeting hosted by Southern Downs Regional Council (SDRC) in Allora last Wednesday provided an opportunity for residents to speak their minds about issues important to them. Seven of the eight councillors, Mayor Vic Pennisi and a few SDRC officers were in attendance to speak about and listen to issues affecting the town.
Council vote to demolish Treelands Drive Community Precinct
Clarence Valley councillors voted to demolish the existing 22-year-old Yamba Treelands Drive Community Precinct TDCP at their February meeting despite backlash from Deputy Mayor Greg Clancy, who argued the motion was illegal and moved a dissent motion. In an extraordinary turn of events that pre-empted council’s vote, people who had made submissions about the TDCP were advised by email more than three hours before the CVC meeting that the Northern Regional Planning Panel will meet on March 14, at 2pm, to determine the development application’s fate.
Kadina native garden is the bees’ knees: SA Water
Three years after being established, a thriving native garden at SA Water’s Kadina Depot is demonstrating the success of growing water efficient, locally-sourced plants, with the idea easily able to be replicated in Yorke Peninsula backyards ... SA Water’s Vegetation Services Specialist Shaun Kennedy said he’s thrilled to see the garden continuing to flourish and attract an interesting array of birds and insects, including native bees, which are taking advantage of newly-installed ‘bee hotels’.
Spread the word: Stop the weeds!
Our region is a hotspot for weeds. Our weather supports the growth and spread of all types of weeds, but some weeds are a biosecurity concern ... Rous County Council is the local weed biosecurity control authority.
Farm incomes to ease as prices drop, inputs rise: ABARES
Farm cash income for all broadacre farms is projected to decrease nationally by around 7 per cent to average $327,000 per farm in 2022–23 but remain 46% above the 10-year average ... “However, farm incomes are projected to fall slightly in 2022–23 because of lower prices for most commodities and input costs remaining high after significant increases in 2021–22": Head of Farm Performance at ABARES, Peter Gooday.
One of the southern Basin’s wettest years delivers strong water availability: MDBA
The southern Murray–Darling Basin tracked some of its highest rainfall and inflow totals on record in the tail end of 2022, according to the MDBA's update to the 2022-23 Annual Operating Outlook. The update details how the Murray–Darling Basin Authority may run the River Murray under a range of possible climate and rainfall scenarios, to help water users and river managers with future planning.
Jobs and Skills Summit fails to ease Australia’s cost-of-living crisis: Littleproud
Six months after the Jobs and Skills Summit, Labor has only delivered a fraction of the 172,000 workers that farmers need to keep food prices down, fuelling a cost-of-living crisis. Leader of The Nationals David Littleproud said Agriculture Minister Murray Watt hadn’t delivered any tangible results on the Summit’s Agricultural Workforce Working Group, placing further pressure on food production and the cost of groceries at the check-out.
A tale of real animal lovers and riding Betsy to school: Bev McArthur
With no thanks to the Animal Justice Party, all Victorian racetracks, race meetings, trial meetings and racing precincts just got safer. The recent passing in the Victorian Parliament of the Racing Amendment Bill 2022 prohibits the unauthorised access to these places and events and any acts that make them unsafe ... Member for Western Victoria, Bev McArthur, said the legislation targeting the radical, animal rights activists, was overdue.
Bago State Forest Masterplan reveals tourism, art, health and environmental goals: FCNSW
After years of careful planning, interrupted by bushfire, floods and a global pandemic, the Bago State Forest Nature-Based Tourism Enhancement program was launched with reveal of its long-awaited Masterplan ... the Masterplan aims to deliver growth in the local and regional tourism economy through improved forest-based visitor experiences incorporating art, health and wellness, and environmental projects.
Visitor numbers to some of South Australia’s most iconic national parks have skyrocketed: Close
More and more people are rediscovering South Australia’s natural beauty with visits to some national parks skyrocketing 35 per cent over the past year. Naracoorte Caves saw a 35 per cent increase in visitors in the past 12 months while Seal Bay had a 33 per cent increase over the same period as tourists and locals head back out to explore our unique national parks.
Concern over lack of consultation on superannuation tax increase: TFGA
The Tasmanian Farmers and Graziers (TFGA) oppose Treasurer Jim Chalmers proposed increase on the superannuation tax rate to collect an additional $2 billion annually from hardworking Australians and farmers ... CEO of the TFGA, Hugh Christie, said this policy decision to effectively double the tax rate for every hardworking Australian from 15 per cent to 30 per cent would be devastating for future investments into farming.
Statement on Independent Panel on live sheep export: NFF
The National Farmers’ Federation notes the Minster’s announcement that an Independent Panel will be established to advise on the proposed phase out of live sheep export. The NFF stands with 24 other peak agricultural bodies and farmers across Australia in opposing the ban on live sheep export, and does not support any process which aims to phase out the trade.
More Central Australian remote health centres set to transition to Aboriginal community control: Fyles, Paech
Local service delivery for primary health care in Imanpa and Yulara will be transferred to an Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Service (ACCHS). Central Australian Aboriginal Congress (Congress) has this month assumed operations of the primary health care clinics in Imanpa and Yulara.
Support for Maryvale mill workers: Tierney
While these are robust negotiations, as any commercial negotiation should be, we are firm in our commitment to supporting workers and their families who are being directly impacted during this challenging time and to those who will continue to be employed at the mill. A redeployment and redundancy process is currently underway, subject to relevant law and the company’s enterprise agreement: Gayle Tierney.
Job losses rippling through Victorian communities: Timber Towns Victoria
Victorian regional communities are being delt the brunt of brutal job and skills losses since the timber supply issues stemming from a Supreme Court order in November 2022 locking up Victoria’s native forests causing mills to close down. It was announced in 2019 by the State Government that the native timber industry would be phased out by 2030 and since then activists have been relentless in attempting to speed up the process by taking out court injunctions stopping timber harvesting operations leading to short supply.
Lord Howe Island graced by a vice-regal visit
Suzie Christensen. In time for Discovery Day celebrations, Lord Howe Island received a warm visit from the Governor of New South Wales, Her Excellency the Honourable Margaret Beazley AC KC ... At Stevens Reserve, the group chatted about the booming environmental responses that have been seen since the project, as well as the critical role that biosecurity officers and detection dogs play in monitoring for pests.
Letter from the LHI Signal Editor
February is always a busy month, and even more so this year with the Lord Howe Island Festival happening - including Discovery Day, which was held on the 16th of February ... The tourist incentive to visit Lord Howe continues to be high with many visitors struggling to find seats on QantasLink and Eastern flights or accommodation on the Island.
