Politics

NSW Farmers supports a decision to lift the moratorium on Genetically Modified (GM) crops, provided farmers have a choice and that any genetically modified organism has been approved by an independent, science-based Australian regulator. The NSW Government will lift the ban on the use of GM crops by allowing an 18-year moratorium to lapse when the Gene Technology (GM Crop Moratorium) Act 2003 is due to expire on 1 July 2021.

There are two ideas on how to use the rail corridor between Casino and Bentley. The newly formed Northern Rivers Rail Ltd wants to see trains on the track with a bike path alongside.

New South Wales Government Minister Kean, Minister for the Environment, constantly says he "follows the science". A noble ideal, but only if what he is sprouting is science.

Geoff Helisma. Federal Member for Page Kevin Hogan says he believes that the Clarence Valley Regional and Lismore airports are “still commercially viable”. The Independent emailed an enquiry to Mr Hogan’s office, asking for comment about Rex withdrawing from its Grafton and Lismore routes.

Geoff Helisma. Clarence Valley Council is hoping that Page MP Kevin Hogan can help fill the hole left by Rex regional airline’s announcement that it will cease operating its Sydney to Grafton and Lismore routes as of Friday March 26.

The ABARES Outlook 2021 Conference, the annual conference held by the Australian Bureau of Agricultural Economics, being held virtually for the first time this year, is taking place between March 2nd and 4th.

National Farmers' Federation. Today, Infrastructure Australia released its 2021 Infrastructure Priority List, and regional Australia is once again the poor cousin. Of the identified ‘High Priority Projects’, not a single one is in a regional area – with only Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane rating a mention.

Today’s sod turning at regional South Australia’s Monarto Zoo officially marks the start of construction on a new state-of-the-art Safari Gateway Visitors Centre. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development Michael McCormack said the $16.7 million project would provide enormous economic benefits to Monarto and neighbouring regions.

Speak Up Campaign chair Lachlan Marshall said removing policy makers out of regional centres and locating them in city offices has resulted in isolated decision making, where local knowledge is disregarded. He described the Snowy Hydro Scheme as “a great example of the disconnect between the southern food bowl and the city decision-makers”, and is concerned that under the latest water strategy the NSW Murray would “miss out again”.

The Casino Food Co-op is expanding its operations with a new $5 million retail facility on the Summerland Way that has been approved by Richmond Valley Council. The development application for a building to replace a smaller facility means the co-op can increase its output of meat products for Coles, Woolworths and Aldi.

About 100 people were stranded for five days last week at Green Pigeon by the floodwaters of Fawcetts Creek. The usual wooden bridge access was gone. Matthews Bridge, known as Burgess Bridge by locals, was pulled down because Kyogle Council was building a new one in its place.

Regional Australia has a one in 100-year opportunity to set the agenda for what is needed to achieve a brighter and more prosperous future for the bush. This is the call to action in the National Farmers' Federation-led Regionalisation Agenda paper launched today.

Geoff Helisma. It was a particularly sad day for Brooms Head resident Steve Otton when he discovered an emu he had been following and photographing had been killed crossing Brooms Head Road at about 6pm on February 19 near Tailem Drive ... "On top of this, not one but three NPWS Emu warning signs have been yet again ripped from their stakes overnight ... After finding the signs down late Saturday I then spotted, with delight and horror, a pair of emus about to cross the road. I waved down this red car as to the action ahead as the pair of emus tip-toed across the road at the 'Emu Crossing' half way along the horror 100km overtaking straight."

The Scenic Rim region is reaping the rewards of Queenslanders exploring their own backyard according to the most recent Tourism Research Australia data. Mayor Greg Christensen said that after a year of international and state border closures, the September 2020 year-end data shows that, while visitor numbers were down in the Scenic Rim, we fared much better than in other parts of South East Queensland.

Federal government of both sides have presided over a plan to save the Murray Darling Basin. It is the biggest water reform since Federation, based on political deception, ignorance, scientific perjury, greed, corruption and the raping of our countryside. And all this is from the information publicly available. The Darling, the Murray, the Murrumbidgee, all a mess, but for very different reasons ...

Ahead of an event to encourage women to become councillors, we ask three current councillors about their experiences. Four of the nine Kyogle councillors are female. Richmond Valley Council has two out of seven.

The Civic Hall was once the pride and joy of Casino, and a major landmark built at an important time in the town's history, Richmond Valley mayor Robert Mustow said. Now the interior of the hall has been repainted and restored to its glory. Next the drab exterior of the 84-year-old Art Deco hall is to get a lift.

The impending cut to Jobseeker isn’t only about the hardship those on $40 a day will endure. More than a million dollars a week will be pulled out of our local economy if Jobseeker returns to pre-covid levels.

Coal miners, farmers, and steel and iron workers hold the majority of the 653,600 jobs which could be destroyed by the adoption of a net zero emissions target in Australia, according to new research released by free market think tank the Institute of Public Affairs.

Emergency services, the Central Coast Aero Club and other users will be able to fly more freely now that the NSW Upper House has voted overnight to repeal the Warnervale Airport (Restrictions) Act 1996.