$500 per ratepayer: Cost shifting blowout exposed in new report
Local government councils across NSW are now absorbing a staggering $1.5 billion in cost shifting from State and Federal governments each year – a cumulative $11.3 billion over the past decade – according to a new report commissioned by Local Government NSW (LGNSW).
Act now if you fish for Mulloway
Clarence Valley fishos are concerned the draft Mulloway Harvest Strategy could be extreme and potentially impact tourism but the community has until July 31 to make its feelings heard ... there are fears the Harvest Strategy could prevent taking any Mulloway.
Shire comment on convicted offender
Monica Revell. Hindmarsh Shire Council is deeply saddened and concerned following the conviction of Mr Ronald Marks, Indigenous Elder, only learning of the conviction through media reports. We acknowledge the distress this news has caused across our community, particularly for families and those who engaged with Mr Marks through his cultural programs...
Dalton’s water Bill progresses – environmental water is “a mess”
"It matters because, as of December 2022, governments held over 2.5 million megalitres, which is 2,505 gigalitres, of water licences across New South Wales, yet there is no central, transparent record of what has been done with it. There is no way to track trades": Helen Dalton, Member for Murray.
Family calls for Alicia’s Law to create a national DV database
The family of former Hay student Alicia Little have launched an appeal for co-operation between courts across state borders. The family says the Justice for Alicia Little Campaign focuses on urging Australian authorities to work together to roll out a national domestic violence offender database.
Mobile tower funding
Naracoorte Lucindale mayor Patrick Ross has set the record straight by explaining why the council chose not to allocate ratepayer funds to Telstra’s Limestone Coast Connectivity Project which had only two mobile base stations earmarked for the district ... it was not prepared to use limited public funds to subsidise infrastructure that Telstra—a major telecommunications provider—had a responsibility to deliver.
A WIN for people power, says MP
The sudden backflip on withdrawing Channel Seven programming from South-East free-to-air TV screens is a testament to the community’s determination, a local MP says ... “I am livid that communities across the Limestone Coast and the Riverland were used as pawns in a commercial negotiation and I have made my disappointment clear to the chief executive officers of both organisations,” said Liberal member for Barker, Tony Pasin.
Property owners face homelessness
Christine Webster. The owners of a Mount Mary property, who were told by Mid Murray Council they were breaking the law by living on their vacant land in a motorhome and bus, have left the area in frustration ... Mr King believes he and his friend have a right to live on the property in their registered bus and motorhome.
Fishers’ plea for lifeline
Michelle Daw. Commercial fishers are calling for the South Australian Government to waive licence and quota fees as they continue to struggle with low catches amid the devastating impact of the prolonged toxic algal bloom on marine life.
SA first: All hours ambos
Copper Coast is set to become the first regional area in South Australia to host a 24-hour ambulance crew. A team of 12 SA Ambulance Service career paramedics will begin operating from Moonta from Monday, July 14, before relocating to the Wallaroo Ambulance Station later this year once major upgrades at that site are complete.
A $6.3 billion solution hiding in plain sight
Picture this: you're watching the NSW Treasurer deliver a budget that cuts transport spending by 34 per cent, slashes education infrastructure by 41 per cent, and offers zero additional cost of living relief to struggling families. Meanwhile, sitting in government reservoirs across the state is something that could change everything – 450 gigalitres of surplus water worth a potential $6.3 billion.
Backing our farmers through the drought: Tierney
The Drought Response Taskforce has been listening directly to farmers and regional communities across Victoria – making sure their voices shape the support they need to get through tough times ... the Labor Government is investing an additional $75 million to help farmers through the drought, bringing the total support package to $144 million.
Regional landholders under threat from Labor’s transmission takeover: Cleeland
The Nationals' Member for Euroa, Annabelle Cleeland, has slammed new legislation proposed by the Allan Labor Government that would allow government officials and transmission companies to enter private farmland without consent, and hit landholders with steep fines if they object.
Merger will not restore deleted emergency capability
Victorian Fisheries Media Centre. On May 20, 2025, the fisheries authority (VFA) finalised an organisational restructure, under which it has since shed 30 (44 per cent) of the state's 69 Fisheries Officers; leaving just 39 officers to patrol Victoria's 2,512 km coastline, 10,000 square km of ocean waters and 170,000 km of inland water frontage along 85,000 km of rivers and creeks. Then in a separate decision, on Friday, June 13, 2025, the VFA stripped the remaining officers of their duties to "respond to any emergency" by deleting these duties from their Position Descriptions ...
More opportunities for deer hunting in Victoria: Dimopoulos
The Allan Labor Government is expanding recreational hunting in East Gippsland – boosting tourism, supporting local jobs and helping control wild deer. Minister for Outdoor Recreation Steve Dimopoulos today announced that the National Parks Act will be amended to allow seasonal deer hunting in Errinundra and Snowy River National Park.
Government must act to stop South West spread of shot hole borer: Eatts
The Shadow Minister for Forestry and Member for Warren Blackwood, Bevan Eatts MLA, has called on the Cook Labor Government to urgently invest in public awareness and collaborative monitoring efforts to prevent the spread of the Polyphagous Shot Hole Borer (PSHB) beyond the Perth metropolitan area and into the South West.
New fire ant failure detected: NSW Farmers Association
Farmers are calling for a government crackdown to stamp out fire ants in NSW after the pests were discovered in Tweed Heads this week. On Wednesday the NSW Government confirmed an immature Red Imported Fire Ant nest was detected on a property in NSW, where it was later destroyed by authorities.
Outdated career myths holding Ag back, says TasFarmers
TasFarmers is calling on all political parties in the upcoming state election to support a $500,000 investment into funding an independent Agricultural Career Coach, designed to connect young Tasmanians with fulfilling careers in agriculture regardless of their background.
VNI West completion dates pushed back
Transmission Company Victoria ... advised landholders that the expected completion date for the VNI West transmission project was extending from 2028 to late 2030. TCV Spokesperson, Claire Cass, said the updated timeline reflects revised planning, design and construction assumptions for one of Victoria’s most significant energy infrastructure projects ... The controversial project's timeline extension showed the landholders deserved more respect, according to Member for Mallee Dr Anne Webster.
Coppicing reform: A win for native species and farming families
Member for Cootamundra, Steph Cooke has introduced the Biodiversity Conservation and Local Land Services Legislation Amendment (Broombush and Blue Mallee Coppicing) Bill 2025 to the NSW Parliament. The bill seeks to amend the Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016 and the Local Land Services Act 2013 to enable the lawful coppicing of broombush and blue mallee in the Bland Shire...
Mayor disappointed as NSW Budget ignores critical needs in Narrandera
Narrandera Shire Council Mayor Cr Neville Kschenka has expressed disappointment following the release of the 2025-26 NSW Budget, which failed to deliver any new funding for vital infrastructure and services in Narrandera. "While we welcome ongoing investment in regional health infrastructure in parts of the electorate, Narrandera Shire has once again been overlooked in this budget," Mayor Kschenka said.
Geoscientific breakthrough could spark new gold rush in WA: Michael
Experts from the Geological Survey of Western Australia, part of the newly formed WA Department of Mines, Petroleum and Exploration, have identified a distinctive chemical fingerprint that signals where gold is most likely to be found ... a major step forward for mineral exploration on a global scale.
