Councils join forces in fight against Fireweed
Two South-East Queensland councils are joining forces in their fight against Fireweed, as the invasive pest carpets their regions. Adding to the regular treatments to the councils’ roads and reserves, Somerset Regional Council and Lockyer Valley Regional Council are banding together, actively encouraging landholders to identify and treat Fireweed on their property to reduce its spread.
West-packs up and leaves Tennant Creek country
The Chief Executive Officer of an Aboriginal corporation in Tennant Creek has labelled Westpac’s sudden closure of its branch as an abandonment of the Barkly’s Indigenous community. Papulu Apparr-Kari Aboriginal Corporation (PAK) has been a long-time customer of Westpac, also helping out its Indigenous customers without identification to use its bank services.
Welcome to Country has its limits
The topic I want to raise is one that in the last few decades has grown to become an Australian norm, performed at major and minor cultural, political, and sporting events. Unfortunately, this new norm is at risk of being overused by zealot government bureaucrats, attempting to force reconciliation through repetition, instead of accepting slow community adoption.
Bank petition a chance to be heard
Regional Australians angry over continued bank closures have a chance to have their voice heard in federal parliament. The Regional’s Australian parliamentary petition calling for an immediate moratorium on closures and a new banking inquiry has been approved and can be signed online until 12.29am on October 6. It comes as the number of regional ‘big four’ banks looks set to slip below 1000 by the end of the year, a reduction of nearly two thirds of their network since 1975.
The rise of rates and outrage: Bev McArthur
Glenelg Shire residents are right to be alarmed at an effective 20 per cent increase in their rates. Farm rates will go up 22 per cent ... This comes at a time when a 2 per cent rate cap is in place across the state. The council argues that it is technically still within a 1.75 per cent rate cap. “But in reality – the Glenelg Councillors have enabled a rate rise in excess of eight times the rate cap,” Mrs McArthur said.
McLean queries if house values are down in Naracoorte?
Chris Oldfield. Malcolm McLean wants to know why his council rates have gone down on his house in Naracoorte, but his son’s rates on a Hynam farm “have gone up considerably”. He queried if house values had dropped in Naracoorte as it “just looks as if the rural ratepayers are subsiding the town ratepayers”.
Local link with Royalty
Chris Oldfield. Richard Downward remembers the magical glamour, pomp and pageantry of the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953 because he was there. Just 14 years old at the time, he and fellow Naracoorte High School student Geoffrey Arthur (deceased) were selected to join The Advertiser Sun Youth Travel Coronation contingent.
Mayor takes leave in face of drug-related charges
The gossip in Tennant Creek and the Barkly has been in overdrive this week after news broke our Mayor had been charged with drug-related offences. The town’s flamboyant Mayor Jeff McLaughlin (42) was arrested by police around 10.15am Monday morning after a roadside test.
Cannabis expert says saliva tests not reliable
While we await the outcome of the Mayor’s charges in October, it might be pertinent to have a look at just how serious these charges are, and maybe just how reliable marijuana saliva tests are ... “The saliva tests are only checking for a per se zero presence of cannabis”: Andrew Kavasilas.
Rates hikes and falls
David Lee. Number of Narrandera Shire Council residential and business ratepayers are set to get a rate rise, while others will see their rates fall for the 2023-24 rate levy, in a move by the council that it hopes will make rate distribution fairer through changing the Narrandera Residential and Business rate sub-category boundaries. The current boundaries were introduced about 25 years ago following the update of the Local Government Act in 1993, with minimal change since its inception.
Vale View State School prepares for STEM future
Seven schools in the Darling Downs South West region, including Vale View State School, are taking part in the Additive Manufacturing and STEM 3D Printing Primary Schools Project ... “Finding creative ways to teach STEM to children will ensure we capture the next generation of problem solvers and will prevent a skills shortage that could affect important industries such as manufacturing”: Queensland Minister for Manufacturing Glenn Butcher.
Governments risk repeated ‘preventable’ flooding: NSW Farmers
Farmers in the state’s south say water authorities are failing to prepare for severe flood risks in the Murray Valley as La Nina conditions threaten to fill major dams and rivers. NSW Farmers Conservation and Resource Management Committee chair Louise Burge said while authorities may not be able to prevent all risks of flooding this year, they should “absolutely” avoid making flooding conditions even more extreme.
Early treatment
The measures put in place to treat Covid-19 are now coming under scrutiny as many fear the removal of generic medicines may have led to the unnecessary deaths of hundreds of thousands of people globally ... “Had this medication (Hydroxychloroquine) been used at the outset of this pandemic, it would have saved hundreds of thousands of lives needlessly lost because this was suppressed”: Dr Harvey Risch, Professor Emeritus of Epidemiology at Yale School of Public Health and Yale School of Medicine.
Thirty koalas hit on roads, attacked by dogs in recent weeks: Tweed Shire Council
Motorists are urged to take care on the roads, particularly at dawn and dusk, following a horror spate of koala deaths and injuries so far this active season. Since mid-July, at least 30 koalas have been reported to have been hit by cars or attacked by dogs across the Northern Rivers.
Securing position in global electric vehicle battery sector: Fyles, Uibo
The Northern Territory Government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Taiwanese company, Aleees and Perth-based Avenira Ltd, to develop and operate the Territory’s first battery cathode manufacturing plant in Darwin. A significant economic and strategic opportunity for the Northern Territory, the plant will manufacture lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery cathode material.
Safer outback journeys thanks to QR code technology: Brock
Outback road condition information will be even easier to access for travellers on SA unsealed tracks thanks to new QR code signage being installed at key locations across northern South Australia. The large QR codes are being installed on existing road condition signs, within mobile phone range, across the state’s unsealed road network to provide direct access to the Outback Roads Warnings webpage.
Dartmouth Dam to spill for the first time in 26 years: MDBA
After hovering around 99% capacity for 4 weeks, the largest water storage in the Murray–Darling Basin is expected to be flowing over the spillway tomorrow thanks to inflows from last weekend's rain. MDBA Senior Director of River Management, Joe Davis said water would begin flowing over the Dartmouth Dam spillway at low rates and contribute minor flows to the Mitta Mitta River downstream, with water also still being released through the valves at the base of the dam.
Have you had your say? Ag landholder survey on transmission infrastructure open: The Energy Charter
As Australia moves towards a renewable energy future, a growing number of agricultural landholders are being approached to host electricity transmission infrastructure on their land. The Energy Charter is collaborating with the ag sector and transmission businesses to co-design practical guidelines for co-existence between transmission infrastructure and agriculture.
A burning issue for council
What is the council’s intention on waste and incinerators? Liz Stops asked this question in the public access time at last month’s Richmond Valley Council meeting ... The State Government has identified four sites suitable for Energy from Waste (EfW) facilities and the Richmond Valley Jobs Precinct (RJP) in Casino is one of them.
Dung beetles delivering healthier waterways: Shing
Victorian citizen scientists are helping to keep our waterways clean and healthy with an innovative new program using insects to stop nutrient run-off from farms ... The breeding program was established 12 months ago and includes a network of 16 dung beetle ‘nurseries’ on Landcare and farming properties in the Macedon Ranges, Nillumbik Shire, Western Port and the Mornington Peninsula.
First NSW blue plaque installed: Griffin
A Blue Plaque has been installed for the first time ever in NSW as part of the popular NSW Blue Plaques program, which recognises extraordinary people and events from our State’s history. Minister for Heritage James Griffin said the Caroline Chisholm Blue Plaque in the suburb of East Maitland was the first of 21 Blue Plaques so far to be installed.
Biosecurity blunder – Coen facility faces the chop from state govt
Growers and graziers are angry their livelihoods could be placed at risk after the state government said it was reviewing the future of the Cape York Biosecurity Centre. “They should be looking at opening it 24 hours, not shutting it down”: Merluna Station’s Cameron MacLean ... “It’s absolute insanity if they close it. It would be madness”: Warren Entsch, Member for Leichhardt.
