State politics

Michelle Daw. After months of anticipation, the long-awaited Yorke Peninsula health services inquiry report has been released. Its 16 recommendations include upgrading services at Wallaroo Hospital and developing emergency departments at Yorketown and Maitland Hospitals ... Narungga MP Fraser Ellis said he was disappointed by the "underwhelming" language used in the report.

On September 9, Mancel Gray Giddings, OAM, was presented with his Order of Australia Medal at a ceremony at Government House, officiated by Her Excellency Professor the Honourable Margaret Gardner AC, Governor of Victoria. It was a truly special occasion, and Mancel was delighted to once again put his beloved Wycheproof on the map!

Australian researchers are delving into the secret life of bees in a quest to breed more resilient, productive and happy honey-makers. The nation’s first comprehensive honey bee genetic improvement program, Plan Bee, has delivered genetic tools to secure the future of beekeepers.

The Plant Health Australia National Management Group (NMG), with advice from the Consultative Committee on Emergency Plant Pests (CCEPP), has ... agreed that potato mop-top virus (PMTV) is not technically feasible to eradicate from Australia.

The Finocchiaro CLP Government has welcomed Tivan Ltd’s strategic acquisition of the Molyhil Tungsten–Molybdenum Project in Central Australia, reinforcing the Territory’s position as a key jurisdiction for critical minerals development. Tivan has announced the 100 per cent acquisition of the Molyhil Tungsten–Molybdenum Project, located 220 kilometres north-east of Alice Springs…

Dozens of fire trucks and hundreds of people gathered at Weeroona Oval in Bendigo on Sunday 14 September to protest against the State Government’s recently introduced Emergency Services Volunteer Fund (ESVF). Organised by the CFA Volunteers Group, the protest attracted people from across the region...

Bendigo Bank torches regional development with selective blacklist based on mining. Just like the fictional Tasmanian town of Mystery Bay, a star in its own right in the hit ABC TV series Bay of Fires, Queenstown, where much of the show was filmed, is being held back by mysterious forces. Locals have suspected for some time that the town was a “no-go” area for home lending but like many other disadvantages they face due to remoteness, it was believed geography was the likely cause.

The distance from Corryong to Khancoban is just 27kms but the gap between being able to buy a home is almost $45,000. "People looking to buy their first home in Corryong are paying almost $45,000 more than someone on the other side of the Murray River for the same priced property," according to Member for Benambra, Bill Tilley.

More than $200 million worth of the latest in agricultural and machinery products will be showcased to the nation in southern Australia’s single biggest agricultural event, the 2025 Henty Machinery Field Days. The agribusiness super event is scheduled for 23-25 September and has evolved into the nation’s agricultural shop front over its 62-year history with 14 kilometres of outdoor sites.

McLaren Vale’s Grenache & Gourmet, the festival for curious palates, returns this Friday 19 September to Monday 6 October, enticing visitors to explore and experience all that Fleurieu Peninsula has on offer.

All bee hives connected to South Australia’s first varroa mite detection have been removed from the state to protect SA’s apiary industry.

Shadow Minister for Agriculture Lachlan Hunter MLA has slammed the Cook Labor Government for ignoring its own independent review into the Grower Group Alliance (GGA) and DPIRD Collaboration. Mr Hunter said the review, commissioned by the Labor Government, clearly recommended increased investment into the program, yet the Minister for Agriculture instead chose to axe the program entirely.

Member for Barwon Roy Butler MP asked questions in the most recent sitting of NSW Parliament, regarding future plans and budgets for the purchase of lands for National Parks and the average price being paid in his far west electorate.

The Nationals’ Member for Euroa, Annabelle Cleeland, has expressed frustration over the decision to abandon a major munitions manufacturing agreement in Benalla, labelling it a devastating blow for the local community. The Department of Defence quietly scrapped its agreement with Thales Australia to manufacture 155-millimetre M795 artillery ammunition at the Benalla munitions facility.

...Using vanadium sourced from Julia Creek, the Townsville facility will anchor a pit-to-port product manufacturing chain, supplying vanadium flow batteries for global energy storage markets. The project is expected to support nearly 600 jobs across North and North West Queensland, with early works scheduled for 2026 and operations to commence in early 2028.

Australia has not just a skills shortage but a worker shortage of any skill when it comes to finding people in the bush who actually want to work. Out there in the real world there is no longer a shortage of mechanics or tractor drivers — it’s the whole backbone of the trades. Builders, sparkies, plumbers: the people who keep farms, houses and small towns from grinding to a halt. 

The WA Opposition has called for an urgent, nationally coordinated response to the spread of the destructive polyphagous shot-hole borer, following revelations that Western Australia has abandoned efforts to eradicate the pest after more than 5,000 trees were lost in the Perth metropolitan area.

A major milestone in Victoria’s decade-long Treaty process has been achieved with the Victorian Government and First Peoples’ Assembly of Victoria reaching in-principle agreement on Australia’s first Treaty. The first negotiated Statewide Treaty Agreement brings together First Peoples, through the First Peoples’ Assembly of Victoria, and the Victorian Government, to build a new relationship based on respect, trust and integrity.

A hydrology report has indicated the proposed Jane Eliza Development will have minimal impact on water levels in the event of future flooding in Renmark and surrounding areas. Renmark Paringa Council has today released the hydrology report, which showcases a range of modelled situations, including the 186 gigalitres (GL) recorded in the 2022 flood, a higher 250GL event, and the 1956 flood level of 341GL.

A new drone test flight facility in the Northern Territory will give manufacturers the chance to test their technology in some of the most diverse terrain and extreme weather conditions in the world. The North Australia Centre for Autonomous Systems (NACAS), based out of Charles Darwin University (CDU), has launched its Airspace Integration Research Facility (AIR-F), the only purpose-designed and built Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) test flight facility based in northern Australia.