State politics

Geoff Helisma. An initiative to incorporate population growth as a primary factor when deciding the annual rate peg for NSW councils has been rejected before its implementation. In early 2021, the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) began a review that would include population growth in its calculation of the rate peg, and, upon its adoption, set the rate peg at 0.7 per cent for 2022-23 financial year ... attendees at the Local Government NSW Special Conference disagreed with the IPART, the OLG and the former minister.

Peak sugarcane organisation CANEGROWERS is seeking urgent discussions with local government amid an escalation of people using Queensland farms as dumping grounds ... ARR.News asked some further questions of CANEGROWERS on this costly problem.

Winanjjikari Music Centre held a networking event on Monday evening at the Centre to give those people interested in local music a chance to have a chat and find out all the latest on the local music scene. With people from Music NT, APRA AMCOS and 8CCC Community Radio in attendance as well as local musos, there was plenty of interesting talk going on regarding the future of performing in the Barkly.  

Sheryl Lowe. MacKillop MP Nick McBride has begun campaigning to lead the SA Liberals in opposition, following his convincing re-election and the Liberal Party’s demoralising loss in last Saturday’s 2022 State Election. The decision to “throw his hat into the ring” follows the announcement by former Premier Steven Marshall that he would step down as Liberal Party leader, following Labor’s win.

Serena Kirby. Community member and South West MLC Dr Sally Talbot, who was instrumental in getting WA’s VAD law passed in State Parliament, spoke of the process at the Dying To Know forum convened by death doula Kit Bewley.

A former Narrandera resident who now lives in the tourist town of Noosa wants to alert Narrandera residents to a project she believes will have a negative impact on tourism in Narrandera– the proposed skywalk which will extend over and above Lake Talbot .... The preliminary design for the skywalk at Lake Talbot has been completed by Teleo Design and put out for public feedback by the Narrandera Shire Council by April 15 with intentions to start building it in July this year and complete the project by December.

Houses identified as being at risk in the Kyogle Flood Study are purchased at market value in a voluntary House Buy Back Scheme. Kyogle Council contacts all identified property owners each year and asks them if they would be interested in selling their properties. Only identified properties are eligible for the grant.

Geoff Helisma. Member of the Legislative Council (MLC) Catherine Cusack, who received the Clarence Catchment Alliance’s Clarence Valley Council-backed antimining petition, is resigning from her position. Ms Cusack said she would quit the NSW Government following Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s initial announcement on March 9 that extra disaster funding would be available immediately for people in Lismore, Richmond Valley and Clarence Valley local government areas (LGAs), all of which are within the Nationals-held seat of Page.

On 15 March 2022, NSW Budget Estimates Portfolio Committee No 4 saw Justin Field MLC and David Shoebridge MLC once again argue the closure of selective harvesting of native forests in NSW.

Member for Cook Cynthia Lui said a trip to Cooktown and Hope Vale had highlighted some of the positive contributions made by councils and community groups in the region ... “Given the vast size of my electorate, it is always fabulous catching up with locals in Cooktown and Hope Vale to see and hear first-hand the progress of state-funded projects, programs and matters where I can assist,” she said.

The state’s peak agriculture body says the federal government’s multi-billion-dollar freight project needs more work to fully benefit agriculture and the regions. Adrian Lyons, head of the NSW Farmers Inland Rail Taskforce, said new modelling from the CSIRO revealed cost savings were not built in for the state, and more interconnectivity was needed.

Chief Minister Michael Gunner, Aboriginal Affairs Minister Selena Uibo, Linda Turner and David Curtis Jnr from Julalikari and Byron Matthews from the National Indigenous Australians Agency signed a Local Decision Making Agreement in Tennant Creek following a Community Cabinet meeting in town on Wednesday.

Northern Territory Chief Minister Michael Gunner’s visit to Tennant Creek this week was greeted with ire by many local residents sick of the continuing crime and antisocial behaviour in town ... “Residents have a reason to be angry with the Chief Minister – since 2016 we have yet to see a detailed crime prevention plan that would tackle the issues in Tennant Creek”: Barkly MLA Steve Edgington.

The South Australian Territory Minister for Veteran’s Affairs Kaul Pirby was recently in town and visited the local RSL. Unfortunately on his social media page, Mr Pirby was confused to where he was in fact visiting.

A contingent of around 30 local residents travelled by coach, sponsored by TAFE CLC at Narrandera, to the Avonlie Solar Farm at Sandigo last Thursday to be part of what is claimed to be the beginning of the largest project the town has ever seen ... Managing Director (CEO) of the company behind the project in Australia Ross Rolfe said the Iberdrola was the third largest producer of wind and solar power in the world.

Cattle farmers like Rachel Bell at Coraki need help. Having just experienced their worst flood ever, they need to rebuild and the flood recovery grants are supposed to make that rebuilding easier. Unfortunately, Rachel has found herself in the position where she doesn’t qualify for the flood recovery grants because she doesn’t fit the eligibility criteria for a farmer or as a small business owner.

Geoff Helisma. The Northern Region Planning Panel (NRPP) has deferred its decision to approve (or not) a 136 multi-dwelling proposal in Yamba, pending the development of a draft flood evacuation plan ... As well as calling for an evacuation plan, councillors Tiley and Clancy were concerned that managing stormwater during an extreme weather event, such as the recent Yamba flooding, would be more than the design could handle.

Emma Pritchard. A new variety of soybean developed in the Clarence Valley will significantly boost productivity and profitability for growers across the state ... the new variety called Gwydir is an early maturing plant which provides greater crop security and is well suited to a variety of climates ... Gwydir is also the first variety in NSW which is resistant to soybean leaf rust.