State politics

Council has now lodged its submission with the Department of Planning on the State Significant Development application for a proposed residential flat building development at Sanderling Avenue, Hawks Nest. The proposal involves the construction of three residential flat buildings up to four storeys, strata subdivision, and upgrades to the golf club parking area ... Council’s submission does not support the proposal in its current form.

The NSW Liberals and Nationals will oppose Labor’s rushed attempt to remove independent oversight, increase Ministerial powers and bypass effective community consultation on renewable energy projects in regional NSW, with the views of farmers and other stakeholders already being ignored by the Minns Labor Government ... The Energy Legislation Amendment (Prioritising Renewable Energy) Bill 2026 is a reckless concentration of unchecked Ministerial power...

More renewable energy flowing into the system is helping place downward pressure on electricity prices, with the Default Market Offer in NSW set to fall from July. The Australian Energy Regulator (AER) has determined the cap on default electricity prices for NSW households will drop by between 3.4 and 7.7 per cent from July, reflecting lower wholesale electricity costs as more renewable generation and storage enters the market.

Michelle Daw. Moonta Mines heritage volunteers say about $100,000 has been lost since National Trust of South Australia shut local sites in February, as they continue to fight the closure on multiple fronts.

Chantelle Thomas invoked the Bible, calling for a return to Christian values, and an end to abortions and "woke ideology" in her maiden speech as the Member for Narungga last week. Speaking in the House of Assembly on Wednesday, May 20, Mrs Thomas said Australia was built on strong Christian values of faith, family, respect, personal responsibility and helping neighbours.

For irrigators across the Riverina and communities across the Far West, the water picture heading into winter 2026 is one that demands close attention. The key dam levels as of 25 May paint a mixed picture. Burrinjuck Dam, which drives allocations for the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area and surrounding districts centred on Griffith, Leeton and Narrandera, is at 38 per cent.

A film about a proposal to turn Wilbinga, a locality north of Two Rocks and south of Guilderton, into a national park is screening at Luna Palace Cinemas ... Wilbinga lies between Two Rocks and the southern side of the Moore River mouth with the town of Guilderton on the estuary’s north side.

New bushfire research to review fire behaviour during major bushfires in western Victoria in February 2024 has identified important learnings for future bushfire preparedness and management. Bushfire scientists from CFA and Forest Fire Management Victoria (FFMVic), through the Safer Together program, have reconstructed five bushfires from the 2023-24 fire season, including the Bayindeen – Rocky Road, Mt Stapylton, Bellfield, Staffordshire Reef and Dereel bushfires.

Murrindindi Shire Council has released a video highlighting the scale of devastation from the January 2026 bushfires, reinforcing its call for a more equitable and impact-based disaster recovery funding model that better reflects the needs of affected communities.

Just 54 Northern Rivers homes have accessed house-raises and retrofits to protect against floods, despite promises of 4,400 house-raises and retrofits made in the aftermath of the 2022 flood catastrophe - a 1 per cent completion rate in 4 years. The NSW Auditor General ... released a report criticising the design and establishment of the Resilient Homes Program...

South Australian farmers received $4.7 million in tag discounts and rebates during the first year of mandatory electronic identification (eID) for sheep and farmed goats. The state’s farmers continue to implement a national roll-out of individual eID tags for sheep and goats to strengthen our world-leading livestock traceability systems and support rapid responses to biosecurity threats.

If you ever wondered why so few of our political class appear genuinely effective, the answer can largely be explained by three principles that govern human organisations everywhere: the Pareto Principle (1890s), Price’s Law (1960) and the Peter Principle (1969).

Renowned environmentalist Bob Brown made his ‘little bit' of contribution recently to preventing ‘pyromaniacs' from burning a national treasure – the Walpole-Nornalup National Park tingle forests. He joined the Tingle Action Group and WA Forest Alliance to see both the beauty of long-unburnt tingle forest, thriving as it has for centuries, and the impact of prescribed burning, which has felled hundreds of ancient tingle trees.

The NSW Labor government has failed to sign the required Deed of Agreement to progress Narrandera's Water Treatment Plant business case, nearly six months after Commonwealth funding was awarded. Member for Cootamundra, Steph Cooke, said the ongoing delay is preventing Narrandera Shire Council from progressing critical work to deliver clean drinking water to the community.

A rose by any other name would still smell as sweet, but would it mean the same thing? This is the thought I was left with when the MDBA announced the "Opening trade balance set for Barmah Narrows". Notice the subtle change in language? The "Barmah Choke", which is a natural constriction to water flow within the river channel, has formed part of the operating rules that irrigators had to abide by for longer than some of us have been alive.

South Australia’s growing reputation as a global space hub continues to take giant leaps, following the safe return of a space capsule. Local company, Southern Launch, was responsible for the end-to-end re-entry operation for the Varda Space Industries W-6 capsule, which safely returned to earth at its Koonibba Test Range, near Ceduna on the Far West Coast.

“Frack off” has been the resounding message coming out from the Limestone Coast following the premier’s announcement that the government plans to lift a 10-year moratorium on hydraulic fracturing (fracking) in the region, two years ahead of its 2028 expiry.

Turquoise waters, wide open skies and live music in unexpected locations define one of Queensland’s most striking regional music experiences as Qld Music Trails arrives in the Whitsundays with The Reef Trail.

Robyn Grant from Mine Free Glenaladale said, “There was some disappointment in the community that the Minister did not reject this proposal outright, because of the serious environmental impacts it poses to Matters of National Environmental Significance in the region."

Liberal Member for Northern Victoria Wendy Lovell has slammed the Allan Labor Government for the unacceptable delay in providing housing support for people affected by the 2025-26 summer bushfires. Ms Lovell spoke in parliament last week to demand that the Minister for Natural Disaster Recovery take immediate action to provide proper housing support to those affected by the fires.