Politics

“This is a heartbreaking announcement for 300 workers, their families, and the wider community. It’s also a clear signal that our food manufacturing industry on which our region relies, is under increasing strain — from rising input costs to workforce challenges and from uncertainty driven by the Murray-Darling Basin Plan”: Chair of the Murray River Group of Councils, Cr. Dan Straub.

Get ready to dive into the excitement – the Australian Giant Cuttlefish will arrive soon in the coastal waters near Stony Point, marking the start of Whyalla’s much-loved Cuttlefest 2025 celebrations! Running from June through July, the season features an exciting line-up of family-friendly, adventurous, and creative events taking place across the city.

"When the facts change, I change my mind. What do you do?" That famous line, attributed to John Maynard Keynes, ought to be stitched into the lapels of every politician wandering through Parliament House with a talking point in one hand and a Twitter poll in the other. For out here in the Wheatbelt, we know better than most that stubbornness is a vice when the wind shifts and the sheep are heading for the neighbour's crop.

Energy developers must fairly engage with the community and properly address the impacts of renewable projects on regions, NSW Farmers has told a state inquiry. On Tuesday the state’s peak farm body appeared at a NSW Government inquiry into renewable energy zones, saying its calls to improve community engagement around the renewable transition were still yet to be answered.

The Clarence Catchment Alliance CCA, local environmental groups and residents are calling for immediate action as mining exploration for antimony and tungsten escalates across the Wild Cattle Creek area near Dorrigo; a sensitive part of the drinking water catchment relied on by more than 80,000 people in the Clarence Valley and Coffs Harbour regions.

Telstra will be upgrading its mobile base station that services Kaniva to bring new 5G coverage to the area ... Telstra Regional General Manager for Northern and Western Victoria Steve Tinker said "We know how important mobile connectivity is for Australians, whether you're in the city or the country. Bringing 5G to the area is a major mobile milestone."

We put out the call, and you answered – hidden abuse is happening right now in our town. "The nice neighbour you have next door - and have known your whole life - isn't always who you think they are behind closed doors," one person told us. "It happens in 'good' families too," said another.

...Lots of SES boats, big trucks and volunteers in town ... Water is heading our way but many local people are commenting that the response is over the top ... The river is expected to peak at 9.6 metres in the next week or so.

Hugh Schuitemaker. A Riverlander says it is imperative the State Government is reminded about the need for a heavy vehicle bypass to be constructed at Truro, following the recent Federal Election result. Labor’s victory at the 2025 Federal Election earlier this month means the State Government will need to provide 50 per cent of funding for the proposed Greater Adelaide Freight Bypass...

More than 690,000L of drinking water can now be stored in newly-constructed tanks at Taplan, aiming to improve water supply and reliability for the Riverland town. SA Water has recently completed a $10m renovation on new water storage tanks located on Taplan Road, increasing storage capacity up to five-times compared to the previous structures, built more than 40 years ago.

Balranald grapples with persistent vandalism as latest incident hits senior citizen amenities. The Balranald Shire is once again dealing with the costly aftermath of vandalism, with the latest incident occurring on Saturday, May 10, targeting the Balranald Senior Citizen amenities.

Sarah Herrmann. Oyster farms in Stansbury have been forced to close while authorities investigate whether food safety is at risk from brevetoxins produced by the microalgae Karenia. At least six farms were closed from Monday, May 5, as a precaution under the Primary Produce (Food Safety Schemes) (Seafood) Regulations 2017.

Rural and remote patients face greater health challenges and often have less access to health services compared to those in the city ... The Remote and Isolated Pharmacist Association Australia (RIPAA) is a new organisation that has established to represent pharmacists practising outside major metropolitan and regional centres. RIPAA’s mission is to ensure that people living in these rural and remote communities have equitable access to quality pharmacy care as an essential part of primary healthcare.

Rachel Hagan. With high-cost-of-living pressures and increasingly demanding lifestyles, eating healthy on a budget can be hard to prioritise, but chef Jo Minks says that, once you know how to use ingredients effectively, anyone can do it ... the SYP Community Hub delivered three workshops on creating low-cost and healthy food ideas.

Excitement is in the air as the highly anticipated Bald Archy Art Prize returns to Brewarrina next month, offering residents and visitors alike the opportunity to engage with some of the most humorous, satirical and sometimes controversial, portraits in the art world.

The Coalition before the election planned to keep its nuclear power policy if it lost, but the huge election defeat may now put this intention under scrutiny. This comes as just days before the election, a nuclear expert reconfirmed that a nuclear station in the Latrobe Valley would cost $10 billion, and highlighted China's new status as the world's largest user of domestic nuclear energy.

Star of the South is confident of lodging the environmental approval applications this year for its proposed windfarm offshore from Gippsland. This follows the state government releasing the latest guidelines to implement the offshore wind projects.

A prominent Aboriginal spokesman gave an account of a chaotic and meaningless process deciding how Prime Minister Albanese’s $250m Alice Springs “rescue package” is being spent. The money, allocated two years ago, was “drastically needed” according to Graeme Smith, at the time the CEO of the local native title organisation Lhere Artepe.

A new sustainable food rescue program in Kyogle aims to bring together businesses, producers, and home gardeners to support people experiencing food insecurity. Foodbank’s 2024 Hunger Report reported that two million Australian households are experiencing severe food insecurity and do not have enough to feed their families.

The Australian beef industry can play a positive role in the climate solution provided policy settings recognise the science of the biogenic carbon cycle, according to a leading international air quality specialist. Professor Frank Mitloehner, of UC Davis in the US, told [Cattle Australia forum] ... that while livestock do have an impact on our climate, the contribution of animal agriculture is often exaggerated at the expense of farmers and viable solutions.