Politics

The ‘Bird in Hand’ gold deposit area at Woodside in the Adelaide Hills has been proclaimed by the Governor at the request of the State Labor Government, protecting it from future mining applications. The land protected under the proclamation is the same area that was subject to a previous development application by Terramin Australia, with the move effectively prohibiting any future applications over the known Bird in Hand gold deposit.

As part of the Australia Government Remote Airstrip Upgrade Program, council has engaged a contractor to undertake the design and construction of pavement rehabilitation works on the Rolleston Aerodrome Landing Area runway. The design phase is expected to commence in early June and conclude in mid-June 2023 with the construction phase to commence between July and September 2023.

The region is set to enjoy a boost to economic, cultural and educational opportunities as The Barossa Council gears up to enter into a formalised sister-city agreement with the City of Grapevine, Texas which is the fifth largest wine producing state in the United States. Barossa Mayor Bim Lange said as major wine and food destinations, the two regions share many similarities and a global reputation for premium wine, food and events.

Powerlink is seeking community feedback on two recommended corridors for proposed new transmission line connections in the Gympie, Somerset and South Burnett regions. Powerlink’s Draft Corridor Selection Report (CSR) has been released publicly and provides detailed analysis of a number of corridor options against social, environmental and economic criteria.

There are currently 64 people known to be homeless on any given night in the Mount Alexander Shire, and more than 200 families are seeking assistance for the housing crisis ... At a community housing forum presented by My Home Network held last Sunday at the Town Hall in Castlemaine, three tiers of government came together to discuss ways that they are committed to addressing the crisis...

How is Aboriginal cultural heritage defined in the Guidelines? ... Are there any records we can search to identify heritage sites? ... What is an exempt activity? ... If I need a permit or plan what are the timelines? ... Isn’t there a better way?

Reports have surfaced that Victorian Water Minister, Harriet Shing, has halted work on several of the nine Victorian Murray floodplain restoration projects, due to fears the federal government will not reimburse it for the work ... Irrigators now fear that Federal Minister Plibersek will now push on with further buybacks, adding to the current round of buybacks, all bringing with them perverse social, economic and environmental impacts.

As our immediate community comes to terms with the Bendigo and Adelaide Banks’ decision to rip bank services from Barham, Cohuna and Pyramid Hill, three of 16 agency closures the Better Big Bank is implementing, the Finance Sector Union (FSU) is calling on the major banks to stop closing bank branches in metropolitan and regional areas while a Senate Inquiry into Regional Branch Closures is underway ... The FSU stated NAB refuses to acknowledge community concerns and has announced branches at Jeparit and Inverloch in Victoria will close. Branches at Boonah, Qld and Queanbeyan, NSW will also be shut down.

The Murray–Darling Basin Authority is creating airspace at Hume Dam as irrigation demands decrease and the wetter months approach ... "Hume Dam is currently at 91% capacity and Dartmouth is at 96%. Airspace management releases will continue at Dartmouth Dam at low rates": MDBA Executive Director of River Management Andrew Reynolds.

Michelle Daw. Bute's post office has the potential to become a thriving, privately run, business in the future, thanks to strong results achieved in the past decade under the management of Barunga West Council. That was the assessment included in a report by CEO Maree Wauchope, tabled at council’s April meeting. 

Fin Hanson. SA Masters Games is set to return to the Copper Coast in 2024. It will be the third time the Copper Coast has hosted the event in four years and the first time in SA Masters Games history a region has hosted in back-to-back years.

A motion to rezone land at West Yamba not already subject to development applications from residential to conservation and rural status has been defeated, with many Clarence Valley Councillors indicating they want to wait for the latest flood modelling to be released before deciding on the issue ... Prior to the CVC meeting, councillors heard deputations supporting the rezoning from Greens MLC and Environmental Lawyer Sue Higginson, Lynne Cairns from Yamba CAN, Engineer Peter Maslen and Yamba Local Craigh McNeill.

As Australia looks towards exploring new export markets, the MENA region presents a wealth of trading and investment potential for Australian regional businesses ... This inaugural event on 4 May 2023 will be co-hosted by the Australia Arab Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and Regional Development Australia in Central Coast, with a guest speaker and participants joining from the MENA region and Australia.