Five councils form alliance
Councillors and CEOs from Buloke, Gannawarra, Loddon, Northern Grampians and Yarriambiack Shire Councils, along with representatives from the Municipal Association of Victoria and Rural Councils Victoria, met in Charlton last week to discuss the ongoing impact of transmission lines, renewable energy developments and mining.
Report praises outdoor staff
An independent roadworks report, which found the Naracoorte Lucindale Council only met four of 15 key performance indicators, also found the ire of outgoing CEO Trevor Smart. After winning a $68,000 tender from five other applicants with higher and lower quotes, Wheaton Enterprises—a highly qualified construction and civil engineering firm—praised the participation of the council’s outdoor field and administration staff in its 89-page report.
Naracoorte’s Chris Mailley is SA’s Citizen of the Year
Naracoorte's very own community champion Senior Constable Chris Mailley has been honoured as South Australia's 2025 Citizen of the Year. Chris received the honour at the South Australian 2025 Citizen of the Year Awards ceremony held at Government House last week.
Labor’s kangaroo court on incorrect population count: McArthur
The Labor Government’s kangaroo harvesting quotas have been significantly reduced for 2025, exacerbating the escalating overpopulation crisis in Western Victoria. Peter Riddle, a professional kangaroo harvester with 10 years of experience, was allocated just 50 tags for the first quarter of 2025 ... Bev McArthur remarked that it is “barely enough to cover one and a half nights of work.
Statement on the United States tariffs on Australia: NFF
David Jochinke. The National Farmers' Federation notes reports that Australian steel and aluminium exports to the United States will be subject to a 25 per cent tariff. The NFF supports a considered and measured approach being taken as officials work through this and any future developments.
Australian and PNG twinning to boost forest sustainability: DAFF
The Australian Government is providing development funding for technical assistance and capacity building support which will further strengthen Papua New Guinea’s (PNG) sustainable forest management. Deputy Secretary of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Policy, Matt Lowe, said the PNG Forestry Twinning Program aims to collaborate in support of the forestry and forest industries of both countries.
Kerang Lunar Festival
It has been nine months in the making and all the hard work put in by the Kerang Progress Association has well and truly paid off as the town’s first Lunar New Year Festival took place on Saturday afternoon at Atkinson Park in Kerang.
Councils vow to fight on
Despite the Victorian Minister for Health, Mary-Anne Thomas, turning a deaf ear to their pleas, regional councils and medical workers will continue their campaign for a greenfield site for a new Albury Wodonga hospital, which would service outlying areas including the Upper Murray.
Varroa mite detected in Lockyer Valley
Biosecurity Queensland is advising of the preliminary identification of varroa mite (Varroa destructor) for the first time in Queensland, in the Lockyer Valley. Initial samples from a recreational apiary in the Lockyer Valley have returned a positive diagnostic result for Varroa destructor.
Darlington Point’s new residential subdivision named ‘River Red Gum Estate’
Murrumbidgee Council is pleased to announce the new residential subdivision in Darlington Point will be called 'River Red Gum Estate'. The name was chosen to honour the iconic river red gum, a tree species that is deeply intertwined with the region's natural landscape, environment, and cultural heritage.
Universities: The last woke holdout
Somewhere between Trump’s second term, the corporate world rediscovering common sense, and the general public finally tiring of being lectured by the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) zealots, Australia’s universities seem to have missed the memo: going woke is so yesterday.
Lifesavers on alert as heatwave and tropical cyclone create perfect storm: Surf Life Saving NSW
As flood relief efforts in the aftermath of Tropical Cyclone Alfred remain ongoing, volunteer surf lifesavers and lifeguards are imploring the public to take safety seriously, with the use of rescue water craft likely to be significantly hampered ahead of the weekend.
Campers everywhere – except at festival site
They came from all Australian states, and even from overseas. Their destination was the annual Esoteric Music Festival site, north of the Donald township. Sadly, though the weather was ideal, their journey was cut short by several kilometres, when the popular event was cancelled early on its first day, Thursday last.
Decision flattens festival-goers
It’s an event which, annually, has drawn lovers of the Great Outdoors to a location in Victoria’s Buloke Shire. From within the State, and from far beyond, they have travelled to enjoy the music and mateship of Donald’s Esoteric Festival ... Instead, they were walking the streets of the town, prior to leaving to return home without having as much as set foot on their Victorian countryside destination.
Facing up to world differences
With major changes now facing us throughout the world, it is becoming more important than ever to get to grips with the growing need to stem the creeping invasion of Chinese Socialism and Russian Communism across the old Cold War boundaries with the East. We Australians in the hard-pressed Democratic world now have the responsibility to take a stand against forces both without and within our country…
Goroke unseals 25-year time capsule
The Goroke community came together on Sunday at the Goroke Hall to open a 25-year sealed perpetual time capsule, revealing a treasure trove of memories from the past ... The honour of opening the time capsule was given to Goroke's oldest resident, Max Carter, who, at 94, was surprised to witness the moment.
Water debate continues to flow
Hugh Schuitemaker. The Federal Government says it is reaching new milestones in recovering environmental water, however senior Riverland politicians claim a focus on fulfilling the Murray-Darling Basin Plan is harming local growers and irrigators. Statistics released last week by the Federal Government show 286GL of water for the environment has been recovered under the Murray-Darling Basin Plan.
Regions unite to tackle childcare desert
Michelle Daw. Families, employers, and representatives from 23 council areas gathered in Port Broughton last week to launch a project advocating for fairer access to childcare across the vast federal electorate of Grey.
Manufacturing expansion fuels push for national rollout of powerline safety technology: IND Technology
Victoria has long faced the devastating impact of powerline-related bushfires, with outdated Single Wire Earth Return powerlines responsible for 30 to 40 fires each year. Despite almost ten years of successful trials, partially funded by the Victorian Government, which prove that early fault detectors for powerlines can prevent bushfires, the technology has yet to be widely rolled out ... ARR.News asked some further questions of IND.T CEO, Professor Alan Wong.
Council goes for gold with Mount Morgan recreational fossicking plans
Rockhampton Regional Council has reached the final stage of establishing a recreational fossicking area on the land surrounding Mount Morgan No 7 Dam, after Councillors voted to formally request the creation of a General Permission Area (GPA) from the State Government.
Opposition calls for Parliamentary Inquiry into State Election conduct: Love
Opposition Leader Shane Love MLA has called for a Parliamentary Inquiry into the conduct of 2025 State Election, following serious concerns about the performance of the Western Australian Electoral Commission (WAEC). Mr Love said the widespread issues reported during the election demanded a full, independent investigation through a bipartisan Upper House Committee.
Clarke wins Butler while Winton and Love retain their seats
Lorna Clarke has won the seat of Butler for WA Labor despite a 17.6 per cent swing to the WA Liberals, according to the ABC’s Western Australia election 2025 results ... Despite the swing away from Labor, on Monday, March 10 about noon with 63.8 per cent of the votes counted, the ALP had won 41 seats, the Liberals five and The Nationals four.

