Politics

In August last year the new managers, Belgravia Leisure, said major upgrades would transform the Guilderton General Store into a clean, fresh and modern beachside café and general store offering essential grocery and travel supplies for Guilderton residents and tourists visiting the region.

Barkly Regional Council has appointed its new CEO after a lengthy recruitment process by Councillors and the Mayor. Emma Bradbury joins the Council from the Murray Darling Association as the outgoing CEO.

If elected, Labor’s Power to the People community battery plan will invest $200 million to install 400 community batteries across the country, which will cut power bills, reduce emissions, create jobs by boosting renewable energy and will cut power bills for families and businesses by $275 a year by 2025.

Regional Victorians have been ignored in new moves to update the state’s hunting regulations. A meeting with non-hunting stakeholders last week flagged several overdue reforms but did nothing to address longstanding concerns: too many hunting grounds, too close to homes and businesses, and the three-month duck shooting season is excessive.

Sean Cunningham. “Our future really does start today, we can all help make it a better place in the future.We can all live as equals because we are all equal and our visions can help Australia to become a better nation” : Warren Potent, five-time Olympian and Olympic medallist for prone rifle shooting and 2022 Australia Day Ambassador.

Kirstin Nicholson. “With so many pools closing across the regions, kids will be using creeks, rivers, lakes and dams as their local swimming holes. If we don’t teach them how to be safe in these situations, it is highly likely that we see drowning rates increase in the future”: Mikayla Gibson, Cohuna teacher in charge.

If you think the water tastes good in Casino, you’d be spot on. Known more for its beef, Casino is officially home to Australia’s best tap water. Richmond Valley Council has won top honours in the Ixom 2021 Best Tasting Tap Water in Australia competition.

Trevor Whittington. Last week the Minister asked in the Farm Weekly, what more could they have done to consult with industry on the outbreak of BJD. For WAFarmers and the Minister to end up exchanging letters in the Farm Weekly it is a clear sign of a breakdown in communications between industry and the Department.

Chris Jordan AO is the Commissioner of Taxation. He was previously Chair of KPMG and partner in Charge of the New South Wales Tax and Legal Division of KPMG. Commissioner Jordan has expressed a desire for ATO officers to carry guns.

John O'Donnell analyses recent positive US policy developments and land management commitments aimed at confronting the US wildfire/ bushfire crisis and finds that there is much Australia might learn from the US strategy.

Western Australia’s hard border will stay in place for now with Premier Mark McGowan saying it would be irresponsible and reckless to ignore the problems the omicron wave was causing in the eastern states. But Mr McGowan said some changes to the border settings to start on February 5 would allow for more safe compassionate travel and the return of Western Australians.

Native plants and a safe, usable site will eventually replace the abandoned Collingwood Tin mine site near Cooktown with a partnership between Traditional Owners and the state government.

Forest & Wood Communities Australia is calling on the Andrews Government to close the loophole in the Sustainable Forests (Timber) Act 2004 (Vic) which has enabled activist vigilantes to devastate the livelihoods of regional Victorians. FWCA answers some further questions from ARR.News.

As I have consistently said, science, facts and non-emotive debate are what is needed when it comes to making the big decisions about the future of our primary industries – or indeed any public policy decision. Unfortunately the same view is clearly not held by anti-forestry ideologues, including those Labor governments in both Victoria and Western Australia who have decided to shut down their sustainable forest industries without any discernible evidence to do so.

“This is the beginning of a new era for farmers and the wider community on the Liverpool Plains, ending years of uncertainty. From today, this land will be actively managed by the Local Land Services on behalf of the government to safeguard the areas with environmental and cultural significance”: Paul Toole, NSW Deputy Premier. ARR.News has questions for the Deputy Premier and Minister Saunders.

Alice Springs born Sally Balfour is well known around the Tennant Creek music circuit, playing at local venues and working with schools, just finishing an artist in residence with Tennant Creek Primary School ... Her debut album will be recorded in April with Dave Crowe from Sing Hum Studio and will feature a variety of songs.

COVID made life difficult for our local butchers last week with all the staff, save one, having to isolate at home due to being close contacts. Butcher, Brad Addlem, told the Tarrangower Times that fortunately people came in to help serve, otherwise they wouldn’t have been able to stay open at all.

Townsville is a step closer to welcoming ships up to 300 metres long with the arrival of Australia’s largest backhoe dredge, Woomera, at the Port of Townsville. The $232 million Channel Upgrade is the largest infrastructure project in the Port’s 158-year history and is vital to ensuring trade, defence and cruise opportunities no longer bypass Townsville.

The wreck of a Japanese submarine destroyed during a dramatic battle with a Royal Australian Navy corvette 80 years ago today, can now be explored through a virtual reality dive into deep sea.

Labor is calling for a common sense approach to current COVID-19 birthing restrictions in hospitals so the father, partner or a designated support person who tests negative on a RAT can be present for the entire labour and for the mother and baby’s stay in hospital.