Politics

Have you heard of the Koala Karaoke program? ... Koalas were heard at 23 per cent of sites in 2020, 32 per cent of sites in 2021, 17 per cent of sites in 2022 and 47 per cent of sites in 2023.

Guulabaa – Place of Koala, the world’s first purpose-built wild koala breeding and visitor centre, has been recognised with the Australian Good Design Award Winner accolade in the Built Environment category at the 2025 Australian Good Design Awards.

Regional Cities New South Wales says regional communities that host renewable energy projects should be able to access locally-generated power during a blackout. Regional Cities New South Wales (RCNSW) Chair Cr Steve Krieg has written to Energy Minister Penny Sharpe to ask the State Government to remove rules that prevent local generators supplying electricity in times of need.

An invasive weed not seen in the Lockyer Valley for more than half a century has been detected at Forest Hill, prompting Council to issue an alert. A Lockyer Valley Regional Council contractor recently raised the alarm after stumbling upon an infestation of rubber vine in the rail reserve at Forest Hill.

Northern Rivers Preschools join Day of Action, calling on the Minns government to fix preschool funding. The state government has announced a plan for community preschools to extend operating hours, open more days, and cater for children from birth through to school age, however declined to provide any funding for wages or staff costs.

Whether the risks posed by imports from Australia's trading partners are being sufficiently assessed and addressed, whether we really need to or should import certain products at all, and whether Australia is becoming complacent, resigned, or courting disaster for political Brownie points - such questions are being asked more often. ... This last week, Australia's biosecurity around beef and banana imports was called into question by David Littleproud, Leader of The Nationals and Shadow Agriculture Minister. ARR.News sought a response from Julie Collins, the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry ...

The Clarence Valley Independent’s Grafton Journalist Emma Pritchard had an informal meeting with Clarence Valley Council (CVC) General Manager Laura Black last week on October 7 in relation to leaked internal emails which have been linked to the termination of more than 100 semi-permanent holiday caravans from four Council managed caravan parks and the subsequent community criticism Council is currently facing after many labelled the contents as inappropriate and insensitive.

Hay Shire Council is ending its participation in the Dolly Parton Imagination Library Funding and Investment in Community-driven Literacy Programs for children, due to rising costs. Council resolved at a recent meeting to transition from the Imagination Library program to a suite of locally delivered early-literacy initiatives.

A new Cancer Care Centre under construction at Mount Gambier Hospital has been inspected by the region’s radiotherapy working group ... Although still many weeks from completion, and it lacked radiotherapy, Naracoorte's Lachlan Haynes was pleased that improved cancer care would soon be available for South Easterners.

Madison Eastmond. The region was in full bloom last weekend as the Riverland Rose and Garden Festival celebrations began for 2025. The 2025 program kicked off the weekend with a number of popular returning components, including the Renmark Institute floral display, Gala Dinner, and the Festival Fair.

A landmark plan to address inequities in water ownership will see the NSW Government put water back in Aboriginal peoples’ hands, strengthen their role in water management, and create new opportunities for self-determination.

Businesses and families financially impacted by the harmful algal bloom have been left wanting by the State Government’s most recent announcement on how it plans to keep our beaches open during summer ... “While our lifesavers do an outstanding job keeping our beaches safe, algae doesn’t swim between the flags,” Mr Tarzia said.

A record number of beaches along the metropolitan and southern coast will have seven-day Surf Life Saving patrols this summer, giving South Australians confidence they can safely swim between the flags amid the algal bloom. The ‘Between the Flags’ patrols will be funded through a partnership with Surf Life Saving SA and the State and Federal governments, as part of the Algal Bloom Summer Plan.

News the Federal Government will overhaul its proposed superannuation tax has come as a win for farming families in NSW. On Monday Federal Treasurer Jim Chalmers announced his plans to introduce a new super tax would no longer include a tax on unrealised gains.

Australian farmers have claimed a monumental win ... with the Federal Government set to revise its proposed ‘Super Tax’ following strong and united advocacy from the National Farmers’ Federation (NFF) and its members. NFF President David Jochinke said the Government’s decision to revisit the tax was the right one.

Balranald Shire Mayor Louie Zaffina is actively balancing regional advocacy with local infrastructure progress. The Mayor recently toured the regional meeting circuit to tackle challenging policy issues while simultaneously overseeing significant developments across the Shire. ... The Bidgee Haven Retirement Hostel received a new wheelchair-enabled van ....

Artificial Intelligence is part of the fourth industrial revolution. The previous three industrial revolutions turned rural life upside down and the fourth revolution will be no exception. The only difference will be in the scale and speed of change ... To make sure this is not a useless test, rural voters will have to actively work with politicians.

The Victorian Farmers Federation (VFF) has welcomed the Federal Government's significant amendments to its proposed superannuation tax, describing the changes as a substantial improvement that will protect thousands of farming families from the worst impacts of the original policy.

...We are boosting the low-income superannuation tax offset (LISTO) and making a number of important changes to better target superannuation concessions for large balances ... We are also making a number of practical changes to the design and implementation of our policy to better target superannuation concessions ...