Politics

Representatives from Bass Coast Shire Council met with members of VinFast’s management team at the Lang Lang Proving Ground complex recently. VinFast, a Vietnamese car manufacturer, purchased the site from GM Holden last year and will continue to operate the Proving Ground as a vehicle testing and development facility.

The Tackling Mosquitos Together campaign is a co-operative effort of seven councils located in the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales - Tweed Shire Council, Ballina Shire Council, Byron Shire Council, Kyogle Council, Clarence Valley Council, Richmond Valley Council, and Lismore City Council - supported by the Department of Local Government.

Emma Pritchard. After the unfortunate cancellation of the 2020 Grafton Show, only weeks prior to the event, Federal Member for Page, Kevin Hogan visited the iconic T. J. Ford Pavilion at the showground last week and announced a grant of just under $18,000 through the Supporting Agricultural Shows and Field Days Program to reimburse costs for the cancellation of the popular attraction last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

In its first meeting for 2021, Ballina Shire Council has voted to support further investigation into the Dunoon Dam in an effort to revive the proposal and secure the region’s future water supply.

WATER Northern Rivers Alliance calls on Rous County Council and state water planners to respect the wishes of Widjabul Wia-bal people who have voiced their opposition to the proposed Dunoon Dam. The dam would obliterate important cultural heritage ancient burial sites. Yesterday John Roberts, a senior Elder of the Widjabul Wia-bal stated that when he and other traditional custodians were consulted about the dam in 2011 they made it clear that no level of disturbance was acceptable.

Local acoustic musicians playing throughout the day and market stalls spread across the Jetty Headland. Other small activities like giant games, a Tanker Jetty History stall and first on the new Jetty competition are planned.

Today’s decision by the ANZ Ministerial Forum on Food Regulation to slash the rating for pure, fresh Australian fruit and vegetable juices has failed Australian growers. National Farmers’ Federation (NFF) Chief Executive Tony Mahar described the decision to apply lower Health Star Ratings to fresh juices than those given to chemical-laden diet soft-drinks as baffling.

Early in the new year, Southern Cross Care NSW & ACT announced its intention to close Harden's St Lawrence Residential Aged Care Facility. Following the expression of strong concerns and disappointment by the aged care residents, their families and the local Harden community, as well as extensive media coverage, a meeting was convened in Harden on Friday 5 February which included the Hon Michael McCormack MP, ...

All eyes are on Casino as the next region to become a job precinct. Called the Casino Industries Activation project, the aim is to establish a strong case for businesses to locate to the Richmond Valley and includes cutting red tape to lure manufacturing businesses to the area. Last Wednesday in Townsend near Maclean, Richmond Valley mayor Robert Mustow, council's general manager Vaughan Macdonald, Casino Food Co-op's Simon Stahl and State MP Chris Gulaptis were at an event where Deputy Premier John Barilaro announced Casino as the location for the next Regional Job Precinct.

Geoff Helisma. New South Wales Deputy Premier John Barilaro has relaunched the government’s 20-Year Economic Vision for Regional NSW at Sanctus Brewing Company, Townsend ... The updated vision, the government says, “identifies emerging sectors and future industries for government investment, includes 50 new priorities to drive long-term stimulus impact, underpins investment in the regions from now until 2038, sets out a plan for jobs and population growth in regional NSW and leverages remote and altered working patterns that have emerged as a result of COVID-19”.

... “Even foods you wouldn’t put in a home compost bin could go in because the processing of the waste occurs in a controlled environment. Cr Dickson said our region’s organic waste could be turned into high quality compost which could be put to good use in parks, gardens and farms, instead of rotting in a landfill and producing methane ...

Roper Gulf Regional Council would like to congratulate the Ngukurr community, for winning the 2020 Tidy Towns Sustainable Community Award for Water Conservation. The town’s water conservation success has been a result of Power and Water Corporation’s Ngukurr Leak Reduction Project, a joint project with the Department of Local Government, Housing and Community Development (DLGHCD) that located and repaired water leaks in Ngukurr. Through its not-for-profit subsidiary Indigenous Essential Services, this project enabled Power and Water to provide sustainable water supply to the Ngukurr community and support continual community growth.

There was no such thing as COVID-19 the last time our so-called Member for Cook Cynthia Lui visited Weipa. It’s been some 530 days since the MP last flew out of Weipa Airport after a whirlwind trip to Weipa and Napranum. That was on August 28, 2019.

A $32 million hydro-powered battery project to be located near Albury will be Australia’s first, following approval by the NSW Government. Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Rob Stokes said the hydro-powered battery will be charged by the nearby Hume Hydro Power Station that already provides power to 40,000 homes.

The scarcity of seasonal workers continues to impact growers as crop losses climb to over $45 million this week. The labour shortage is a result of Federal and state government decisions to restrict the movement of people through the Australian border in order to manage the human health impacts of COVID-19. Sixty-five separate crop losses from five states and territories have now reported on the National Crop Lost Crop Register.

Bike hire has returned to the Barossa Visitor Centre, with the exciting addition of electric bikes to make your journey safe, easy and fun. he Barossa Council’s Manager Tourism Services said electric bikes have become a popular way for visitors and locals to explore the region, because they cater for a wide range of ages and cycling abilities.

... Minister Kean was incredibly excited by the community-led progression towards renewable energy, and our efforts to provide energy security and insulation from fuel price shocks ... There was much discussion regarding the opportunities and the appetite for the Island to explore a transition to 100% renewable energy ...

The C.B. Newling building at Armidale, known locally as the Old Armidale Teachers’ College, will become one of four new Department of Regional NSW hubs and will house up to 100 new jobs in the New England region. Deputy Premier John Barilaro visited Armidale today and announced $2 million for initial works to establish the State Heritage-listed building as one of DRNSW’s four regional locations ... The Armidale hub will become one of four new DRNSW offices, alongside Queanbeyan, Dubbo and Coffs Harbour.

The Victorian Farmers Federation is calling for the Commonwealth Minister for Water Resources to keep his word and stop on-farm water acquisition to meet the 450GL up-water target in addition to the Murray Darling Basin Plan. VFF Water Council Chair Richard Anderson said he was disappointed the Commonwealth Department of Agriculture and Water is continuing to pursue on-farm water recovery despite the Federal Water Minister Keith Pitt’s promise not to do so.

Federal Member for Parkes and Minister for Regional Health, Regional Communications and Local Government Mark Coulton said the new truck wash was a great win for the local trucking and agricultural community. “This project is about supporting our stock carriers to improve their efficiency and truck cleanliness, which I know has been widely welcomed by the Warialda community,” Mr Coulton said ...