Reconnecting River Country Program – Cater & Blumer Solicitors to hold Easement Negotiation Information Session
From 29 August 2025, the NSW Government will commence negotiations with landowners to secure flood easements along the Murrumbidgee River, between Darlington Point and Balranald, under its Reconnecting River Country Program ... “If landowners fail to negotiate an easement interest, their land could be compulsorily acquired": Bobbie Pannowitz.
Personal information of 3000 people shared to AI in flood authority data breach
More than 3000 people may have had their personal information comprised in a data breach of applications made to the Northern Rivers Resilient Homes Program. The breach happened when a former contractor of the NSW Reconstruction Authority uploaded data containing personal information to an unsecured AI tool which was not authorised by the department.
Gas: Suppliers rip-off or government incompetence?
Don Fuller. Has the NT Government been taken to the cleaners by the gas industry or is the government simply incompetent? It seems clear that it has bought far too much gas at far too high a price.
Heatwave sparks bushfire preparedness warning
This week's unseasonably hot weather and fast-moving fires in neighbouring council areas are a timely reminder to Scenic Rim residents to prepare their properties and develop a Bushfire Survival Plan.
Fire hazard property inspections begin
As part of efforts to prepare the Gannawarra for the fire season, Gannawarra Shire Council’s annual fire hazard property inspections have started. Council’s Local Laws team are travelling throughout the municipality, identifying properties which need to be cleared of fire risks and issuing Fire Prevention Notices to landowners, instructing them to carry out works to reduce fire risks.
Assisting WA farmers with phase out of live sheep exports by sea: Collins
...The $30 million Farm Business Transition Program will provide grants of up to $75,000 per applicant to help eligible sheep producers prepare for the phase out, with funding to support new business plans or the adoption of alternative farming practices. The program will be delivered over two rounds, with $20 million available in round one opening next week, and $10 million to be made available in 2026.
Lismore buyback homes auction ramps up: Saffin
The Minns Labor Government aims to release a further 42 homes for sale across the Northern Rivers by Christmas, following an overwhelming community response to the first four home relocation auctions. To date, 83 flood-affected properties, bought by the Government through the $880 million Resilient Homes Program, have been offered for sale to be relocated to flood-free land by the new owner.
NSW timber workers shafted with support five times worse than Victoria: TFTU
TFTU says the Labor Government is short-changing its own people and not being accountable to workers. The Timber, Furnishing & Textiles Union (TFTU) has condemned the NSW Government’s handling of the Great Koala National Park decision, saying workers are being offered redundancy support packages five times worse than their Victorian counterparts.
Hon Tanya Plibersek visit to the island
"Thank you for making my recent visit to your very special island such a pleasurable and memorable experience. Beginning with Rachael who greeted us on the tarmac to take us to our accommodation, it was like returning to see old friends, catching up on Island life in the three years since I last visited. After dropping off our luggage, we walked down to Campbell’s bike hire then cycled on to the school ..."
Important milestone for Nobby Gaol
Ahead of its complete restoration, an event will be held on Saturday, 11 October to acknowledge the move of the Nobby Gaol to its new site in the centre of town ... Over the past six years, Rudd’s Pub owners Evan and Gayle Jones with the help of the community have been on a mission to move and restore the gaol.
Making Queensland safer – New youth criminal rehabilitation program in FNQ to help restore safety: Crisafulli, Gerber
... Staying on Track offering up to 12 months of rehabilitation for youths exiting detention, including at least six months’ intensive support to reintegrate them into the community and prevent them falling back into a cycle of crime ... These programs use a network of mentors, family support, and community engagement to help youth strengthen life skills, build positive relationships, and reduce reoffending, laying the foundation for long term change ...
VFF statement: In response to reports of some farmers receiving access notices from Transmission Company Victoria for their land as part of the VNI...
"We’ve consistently told TCV they must take a people-first approach and genuinely engage in a meaningful manner.” “Handing landholders a letter saying they will compulsory access their property to do land surveys flanked by a lawyer is completely tone-deaf and will only further add to mounting opposition to this project.”
Consumers pay more while farmers are crushed by cheap imports: TasFarmers
Tasmanian potato growers are turning the spotlight on multinational food giants as anger builds over price cuts being forced on farmers and the dumping of foreign produce into the Australian market. Farmers are set to rally today in Deloraine to draw the public’s attention and that of the broader commercial community to the way food processors, supermarkets, and fast-food chains are impacting Tasmania’s farming industry.
Postcode exclusion is killing hospitality in Hay
A two-and-a-half-year battle to secure a chef through the Skills in Demand Visa program for popular dining spot, The Riverina Hotel, has finally come to an end for hoteliers, Dave and Kelly Sloan. It has been a hard slog while Hay is not included on the eligible postcode list for hospitality workers to gain a Working Holiday visa.
20 new space missions to touch down in SA: Malinauskas, Szakacs
South Australia has further cemented its reputation as a global leader in the space economy with the announcement that the Koonibba Test Range will facilitate another 20 spacecraft returns by 2028.
$250,000 health plan endorsed
The South East is set for its most ambitious health overhaul in a generation, with the Limestone Coast Local Health Network endorsing a 10-year, $250 million clinical services plan designed to transform care across the region. The 65-page Draft Clinical Services Plan 2025 2035 charts a course for hospitals and community health across eight locations ...
“Inappropriate and insensitive”
Rodney Stevens and Emma Pritchard. A leaked internal Clarence Valley Council email concerning the award-winning Jacaranda Festival and the eviction of 136 semi-permanent caravans from Council managed caravan parks has been labelled ‘inappropriate’ and ‘insensitive’ by both the Mayor and a Jacaranda Festival Committee member.
Crime wave worsening under Labor as regional communities left exposed: Cleeland
The Nationals’ Member for Euroa, Annabelle Cleeland, has slammed the Allan Labor Government for failing to address the worsening crime wave across regional Victoria ... Fresh figures ... reveal substantial increases in criminal incidents, offender rates, and family violence ...
NSW country mayors raise concerns about centralised planning for rural NSW: CMA
Chairman of the NSW Country Mayors Association (CMA), Mayor Rick Firman OAM, has cautiously welcomed the planning reforms announced by the Minns’ Government. Mayor Firman, however, raised concerns about how centralised planning, standardised assessments and processes would improve outcomes for remote, rural and regional communities.
Crowds flock to YP Field Days
Michelle Daw. Thousands of people began pouring through the gates at the Yorke Peninsula Field Days site near Paskeville ... not only one of the region's largest events but also Australia's oldest field days, dating back to trials held near Bute in 1895. This year's event is expected to inject between $5 million and $8 million into the local economy ...
Creative Streets takes flight with aerial acts
The Creative Streets Festival will take Armidale' creative scene to new heights with a spectacular lineup of entertainment that will ignite your imagination and celebrate our region’s vibrant spirit ... This isn’t just a festival, it’s a creative collision of art, music, ideas, and community.
Major road safety boost – Transforming hundreds of kilometres of regional roads and extending their life by decades: Aitchison
...Forming part of the government’s focus to improve the safety, resilience and reliability of NSW roads, Transport for NSW is now undertaking a 10-month spray sealing program. The initiative is targeting more than 20 state road corridors from Broken Hill to Byron Bay and as far south as Eden.
