State politics

The property known as Kurrumbede  was originally part of the Burburgate run, a vast pastoral holding in the 1800s. In 1905, this estate was subdivided into 58 blocks and sold at auction. Two of these blocks were purchased by prominent doctor and politician, Sir Charles Mackellar, Dorothea’s father, who completed building the homestead on the eastern side of the Namoi River in 1908.

The Member for Barkly has called the change of Labor Government leadership a dictatorship after he and the Opposition Leader Lia Finocchiaro were denied permission to visit the Tennant Creek Police Station this week. The Opposition’s visit coincided with the Territory’s new Chief Minister Natasha Fyles and Police Minister Kate Worden’s tour of the Station.

The Joint Declaration of Intent for Cooperation in Bioeconomy was signed by Queensland Treasurer and Minister for Trade and Investment Cameron Dick and German Federal Minister of Education and Research Bettina Stark-Watzinger. Bioeconomies are an emerging model for government and business, with a greater focus on sustainably using renewable biological resources to produce food, energy and industrial goods.

Farmers and regional communities in the state’s Central West can now readily access detailed, real-time weather observations received by the new Doppler radar at Yeoval. Minister for Agriculture and Western NSW Dugald Saunders said the information provided by the radar will revolutionise how weather-dependent decisions are made, and will enhance the productivity of rural communities.

New Chief Minister Natasha Fyles flew into Tennant Creek this week to touch base with local police and health workers and find out the key issues facing the town. Only the second female to secure the top job, the Chief Minister spoke to the Tennant Times about her new role.

"Native vegetation helps mitigate climate change by sequestering carbon. This policy seeks to achieve a net gain in native vegetation, while providing regulatory clarity for business, and building a strong, accessible evidence base for policymaking, decisions, and transparency" : WA Environment Minister, Reece Whitby.

The new national parks will be created by linking existing state forests, parks and reserves. The largest, combining Lerderderg State Park and Wombat State Forest to create the Wombat-Lerderderg National Park covering more than 44,000 hectares between Daylesford and Bacchus Marsh ... ARR.News asked some questions of the Minister which were responded to by a Victorian Government spokesperson.

Train tracks have been repaired after the floods in March and the XPT service can now run between Casino and Brisbane with buses no longer needed to replace trains.

People anywhere in the world can now take a step back in time to what was making the news during our region’s Soldier Settlement years thanks to Mildura Rural City Council Libraries’ newspaper digitisation project.

In addition to a 2,000 litre tank, the new tanker contains 650 litres of water set aside for crew and vehicle protection sprays in the event of a burnover. It also includes brackets to hold breathing apparatus cylinders as well as a cabin that allows a crew of five to travel safely together.

More than 50 new homes will be built in Cape York communities to address major overcrowding issues, but the state government has taken all the credit, despite using federal funding. Not for the first time, the health and wellbeing of Queensland’s most remote and vulnerable residents has been politicised.

This timber reserve is located just west of the Boddington townsite , on the eastern fringe of the jarrah forest in Western Australia ... The infertile, lateritic soils that initially spared the MTR from clearing by farmers were its ultimate downfall ... An important question to ask is “How much bauxite mining is enough?”

“With the new Board of Directors, and myself as Chair of BRADAGG commencing in March this year, we are keen to start moving ahead with a clean slate on this sorely needed alcohol and other drug (AOD) therapeutic treatment facility. The NT Government first committed funding towards a new facility in 2018" : Barkly Regional Alcohol and Drug Abuse Advisory Group Chair, Elliot McAdam.  

The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) has welcomed a New South Wales parliamentary inquiry report into health outcomes in rural, regional, and remote communities but warned that action is also needed at the federal level to ensure the future of general practice care in the bush.

There were 120 applicants for the eight new affordable housing units in Casino. Eight people now have a home to call their own. Momentum Collective with support from the State Government opened the $2 million affordable housing building in South Casino on May 6.

Environment Minister James Griffin said the newest of the seven feral free areas is a 2,000-hectare forest in South East Forest National Park near Bombala, called ‘Nungatta’ ... "when the site is feral predator free, we’ll reintroduce native mammals that were once abundant in this habitat, such as the long-footed potoroo, eastern bettong, smoky mouse, and eastern quoll." ... ARR.News asked a few questions of the Minister and received answers from a departmental spokesperson.

Koalas, long-nosed potoroos and powerful owls are among more than 20 threatened species to benefit from three additions to the NSW national parks estate. Minister for Environment James Griffin said more than 2,000 hectares has been acquired in three locations – in Monaro, near Yamba, and north of Taree ... ARR.News asked some questions of the Minister and received a response from a departmental spokesperson.

A new series of NSW Government funded geophysical surveys will take place in the state’s Central West, New England and Far West to gather detailed information that will help to uncover valuable critical minerals buried deep underground ... “Exploration programs today may lead to a critical minerals project in five to ten years that employs locals and plays a vital role in the manufacturing supply chain for products such as batteries, electric vehicles, and renewables" : Paul Toole.

The infrastructure program for remote housing will rollout more than $690 million worth of works ... Representing a significant transfer of power to remote Aboriginal communities, select tenders are offered to locally-based Aboriginal Business Enterprises as part of our commitment to building the capacity of these communities, helping them to become sustainable into the future.

Forestry Australia’s WA Branch has refuted claims made by Minister for Forests Dave Kelly who suggested timber yields in WA’s forests are declining, that the state’s forests are no longer productive, and that the decision by the State Government to end native forest harvesting is based on “science”.