Crime control authorities: Answers, please
When it comes to dealing with social and crime problems in Alice Springs, what are the legal obligations of government departments and publicly funded NGOs? How well are they following their mission statements? How much taxpayers’ money do they get and how are they spending it?
Not prepared for savage bushfire threat
A savage bushfire season is imminent after huge La Niña rains, but "arrangements for the mitigation, management and suppression of bushfires" are inadequate. "There is a loss of fire management knowledge, networks and depth of experience which underpin the success of fire programs," says the NT Government’s Alice Springs Regional Bushfire Management Plan 2022/23.
Board ends support for tourism
The Lord Howe Island Board has formally notified the LHITA that it is no longer in a financial position to support the LHITA and is terminating all funding support for the Association. Tourism is the economic life blood of the Island, delivering incomes to businesses, residents and their families and of course revenue to the Board ... If alternative funding cannot be secured rapidly from the NSW government, the LHITA will have to consider restructuring options involving dramatic reductions in services and closure.
TDT Editor has to get a second job at Council
Well the ABC came a-knocking yesterday, asking Yours Truly about my new role at Barkly Regional Council ... yes I am indeed the new Media and Communications Officer at Barkly Regional Council.
Barkly Sky Muster customers set to receive unmetered data allowance in new trial
Barkly residents on the NBN Sky Muster Plus plan will soon receive unmetered monthly data allowances and faster speeds as part of a new trial to boost internet quality in the bush ... Member for Lingiari Marion Scrymgour said the trial is great news for Lingiari residents in the Sky Muster footprint.
New policing measures
Following a visit to Toowoomba last week by Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk, a raft of measures has been introduced that aim to combat crime. The community safety reforms, introduced to state Parliament last week, include extreme high-visibility police patrols becoming a permanent feature of policing in the Toowoomba region and the State Flying Squad being expanded and given a youth justice focus to tackle youth crime hot spots whenever and wherever they emerge.
Kurrajong Centre officially opened
The long awaited Kurrajong Facility in East Street Narrandera officially opened its doors at a ceremony led by Kurrajong Executive Officer Ray Carroll from Wagga last Thursday ... This new building provides a modern environment to support Kurrajong’s lifestyle choices services and includes a spacious kitchen designed for group cooking programs and specific spaces for living skill training and activities.
McGuire in waiting
Naracoorte’s Craig McGuire and 44 other elected members are likely to be reinstated to each of their 36 councils following new laws being rushed through State Parliament ... SA Attorney-General Kyam Maher said the Bill introduced to Parliament last week sought to protect ratepayers from possible costly by-elections, “while still ensuring that councillors file their campaign donation returns”.
Power options lessen climate effects
Community water and sewer systems across north-east Victoria are now more resilient to the growing impacts of climate change and natural disasters ... John Day, General Manager Environment, Systems and Operations, said ‘behind the meter’ power systems will help keep water and sewer infrastructure operating in emergency situations.
Landini pushes for new state
“Politics can be summarised in one short statement; politics is a numbers game,” said NSW Murray candidate David Landini ... Mr Landini is running in the NSW electoral seat of Murray in a bid to end the strangle hold of metropolitan populations’ control of policies across rural NSW and Victoria. Mr Landini sees the formation of a new state as the only way rural communities will take control of their prosperity and natural environment.
Water wars continue
It’s said “when you’re a hammer, everything is a nail,” and the blunt political instrument of the Murray-Darling Basin Plan is a jumbo hammer that swings with the force of the political party who wields it at the time ... Neglecting private environment and ecosystem function holds a certain irony as the plan has been for the environment with no consideration for the social and economic aspects of Australians who live and work within the basin.
UK space companies touch down in South Australia to fuel trade opportunities: Close, Champion
Space companies from the United Kingdom have landed in Adelaide on a mission to explore why more global companies are investing in South Australia’s cutting-edge space sector ... The contingent follows recent announcements that global companies Airbus, SSTL and Equatorial Launch Australia will all establish bases in South Australia.
Council not liable if West Yamba rezoned
Legal advice received by Clarence Valley Council indicates it would not be liable to pay compensation to landowners at West Yamba if their properties were rezoned preventing development. At the December 13 CVC meeting, Deputy Mayor Greg Clancy put forward a motion to investigate whether council would be liable when and if the NSW Planning Minister was to rezone vacant lands that have not had DA approval for development on the Yamba floodplain (WYURA) from R1 General Residential to RU2 Rural landscape and C2 Environmental Conservation zonings at Council’s request.
Largest ever acquisition for NSW national park estate: Perrottet, Griffin
Premier Dominic Perrottet said the 437,394 hectare site between Tibooburra and Bourke will become the third largest national park in NSW and a major new tourism drawcard for the region. “This is the largest ever single parcel of land to be acquired for the national park estate in NSW,” Mr Perrottet said.
Cost cutting increases bushfire threat: NSW Farmers
NSW Farmers Energy Transition Working Group chair Reg Kidd said the Government had to explain why it was allowing Transgrid to build more overhead power lines when there was compelling evidence they increased the risk of bushfires.
Council honours classical singer Siobhan Stagg with Key to the City
Mildura Rural City Council has bestowed one of its highest honours upon a locally-born and trained performing artist who is now one of the most sought after classical singers on the international stage. Councillor Stefano de Pieri announced Siobhan Stagg as Mildura’s latest Key to the City recipient in Melbourne on Saturday afternoon after her latest appearance with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra.
Payment for power lines
Farmers for Climate Action has welcomed the Victorian Government’s move to pay landholders $8,000 a year for each kilometre of high voltage power line on their land, for 25 years. Farmers for Climate Action, an organisation representing 7,500 farmers Australia-wide, had been calling for such a policy, and it was a key plank of its Victorian election campaign.
Plans for rural water supply gather momentum
A crowd of 94 people attended a public information session at the Natte Yallock Recreation Reserve on Wednesday 22 February to learn more about the Southern Wimmera and Northeast Pyrenees Rural Water Supply Project. The proposed pipeline is designed to provide a fit for purpose sustainable rural water supply across almost 354,000 hectares spanning parts of the Central Goldfields, Northern Grampians and Pyrenees Shires.
Durack MHR says detail on the Voice to Parliament necessary
Melissa Price. Support for an enshrined Voice in the Constitution is not a left or right-wing political issue. Although the Liberal Party is often painted by the left, unfairly so, as a party which doesn’t care about Indigenous issues, the record of history tells a different story.
More choice and health services for soon-to-be mums in the Snowy Monaro: Taylor
Families from across the Snowy Monaro will benefit from enhanced maternity facilities with the Minister for Regional Health and Women Bronnie Taylor and Member for Monaro Nichole Overall joining local health workers to officially open the new Maternity Department at Cooma Hospital ... “The new maternity unit boasts high-quality, modern facilities in well-equipped rooms, filled with natural light. One of the two new birthing rooms includes a new birthing bath which will provide women with more choice during the delivery of their baby”: Mrs Taylor.
Koala conservation in Queensland – interview with Australian Wildlife Conservancy
Australia Rural & Regional News asks some questions about AWC's koala conservation projects and koala monitoring, and land and fire management of Andrew Howe, Australian Wildlife Conservancy Senior Field Ecologist and Peter Stanton, Australian Wildlife Conservancy Senior Ecologist.
Federal grant to fund koala conservation in Queensland: AWC
Australian Wildlife Conservancy (AWC) has secured $179,211 in new federal funding to assist in a three-part Koala conservation project at Curramore and Mount Zero-Taravale Wildlife Sanctuaries in Queensland ... Tim White, AWC Chief Operations Officer, welcomed the grant, saying it will help improve habitat, data and knowledge on Koala populations at both sanctuaries.
