State politics

Club stalwart Steve Graham officially opened Nhill and District Sporting Club’s new grandstand and changeroom facility on Saturday before a full crowd. The grandstand features 147 seats, including an all-abilities accessible ramp and seating areas, a large media room overlooking the oval, and a corporate room with a sink and storage.

The Western Australian Government has announced that it has secured a stockpile diesel. The Opposition is sceptical.

Caitlin Menadue. Algal bloom levels are shifting along northern Yorke Peninsula, with concerns growing for local marine life — including the region's well-known stingrays. Recent footage captured in Moonta Bay showed a large fever of rays moving through shallow waters late last month, with locals suggesting they may be trying to escape the bloom.

Parrtjima 2026 has celebrated its biggest opening weekend yet, recording the largest opening weekend attendance in the festival’s history, including the second-largest opening night, as visitors flocked to the Red Centre. Across Friday, Saturday and Sunday, the festival attracted nearly 8,300 attendances, with a program that’s still got plenty for all to enjoy until 19 April.

A lizard known to Wiimpatja Aboriginal Owners as Kungaka “the Hidden One” has been formally described as a new species, acknowledged in research published today in Zootaxa. With fewer than 20 individuals of the species known to exist, the Kungaka is also now one of Australia's most threatened reptiles.

Miriam Torzillo. Just when we thought the Reconstruction Authority (RA) had got the message that the Big Scrub homes should be deconstructed, salvaged or relocated, reports are coming in from residents about the ramping up of demolition in Lismore. Locals have been recording the destruction and sharing it on social media. The community is not happy.

The biggest-ever AFL Gather Round attendance has led to record crowds beyond the boundary in Norwood and the Barossa, as footy fans and visitors made the most of everything on offer across the state.

The Nationals Member for Euroa, Annabelle Cleeland MP, says Victoria’s growing police vacancy crisis is leaving regional communities exposed, as reports of fuel theft surge across the region. Ms Cleeland said with more than 1500 Victoria Police vacancies and limited farm crime officers remaining, the Allan Labor Government had left farmers increasingly vulnerable to organised theft.

The Crisafulli Government is committed to unlocking productivity for Queenslanders with an inquiry into the impact of the Federal Government’s 2025 environmental legislation. Changes to the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 have raised concerns with stakeholders about increased regulatory burden, compliance costs, uncertainty and delays. 

Victorians doing it tough are getting fresh food on the table thanks to produce grown by Marngoneet Correctional Centre. Participants in Marngoneet’s horticulture program grow and donate more than 30 vegetable boxes each week to help Victorians experiencing food insecurity.

The Member for Central Wheatbelt and Shadow Minister for Agriculture and Food, Lachlan Hunter MP, says the Cook Labor Government is failing to manage the fuel crisis, with the town of Dowerin left without diesel for eight days. Mr Hunter said the situation exposes the growing gap between what the Government is saying and what is happening across regional Western Australia.

The State Opposition is calling for greater scrutiny of fuel retailers who appear to be using global events as an excuse to over-inflate prices. The RAA says unleaded pump prices are between 15 and 20 cents per litre higher than wholesale prices, which compares to margins of between eight and 13 cents per litre before the Middle East conflict began.

Gather Round is much more than a footy festival, with the Malinauskas Labor Government hosting more than 120 interstate investors looking for business opportunities in SA. The State Government is leveraging the event’s popularity to connect South Australian businesses with capital and investment opportunities that will support growth, innovation, and job creation.

Patricia Gill. Bernard Wong hopes to inspire a shared custodial ownership of the submarine world at Greens Pool. "When people have a strong, intimate connection with a place, they will work hard to look after it," he says. Since 1990 he has observed the movement of rays and their flotilla of cleaner fish, giant blue groper, camouflaged wobbegongs, conspiring old wives and much more submerged among the granite pillars.

A cut in fuel excise to make petrol more affordable and a push for more Victorians to use public transport instead of driving are welcome measures to help navigate the fuel crisis, according to Rural Councils Victoria. The 50 per cent excise cut will mean immediate relief at the bowser for rural residents and business operators including farmers.

Regional Cities New South Wales (RCNSW) says the Minns Government’s final Budget before the election is a defining moment to address the growing inequity facing regional communities, inequity now being accelerated by the growing national fuel crisis ... RCNSW’s 2026–27 Pre-Budget Submission highlights a widening gap between rapid regional population growth and the infrastructure needed to support it.

Residents across Yorke Peninsula are being encouraged to support a petition calling for stamp duty to be waived on existing homes for first homebuyers in regional South Australia. The initiative, led by the City of Victor Harbor and supported by Barunga West Council and other regional councils, aims to reduce upfront costs for buyers and improve housing access in country areas.

Council has welcomed the Queensland Government’s plans for a cutting-edge biofuel plantation near Emerald. Mayor Janice Moriarty joined state government, education, business and industry representatives at an initial tree planting of 16,000 Pongamia trees recently to mark the commencement of the project. 

“I am deeply humbled and incredibly grateful… It’s a historic result, and I don't take this trust lightly. I’m ready to get to work.” That was the message from One Nation’s Jason Virgo after a stunning election result delivered a massive swing across the MacKillop electorate - with Naracoorte emerging as a key signal of change.