State politics

Four transmission towers have been erected as the clean-up starts after the huge storms that have left the city in darkness ... Once all seven towers are up, the conductors will be strung and once they are clipped in and it is safe to do so, the towers will be energised, according to the Transgrid spokesman...

...the administrators for Rex Airlines have advised the sale of Pel-Air, part of the Rex business, to Helicorp Pty Ltd, part of Toll Aviation. Pel-Air is the contractor supplying ambulance services to Ambulance Victoria and NSW Ambulance, along with specially-modified aircraft for international and domestic aeromedical transfers.  

Panel members have now been appointed to lead the independent review into the Wilcannia Weir Replacement Project, marking a significant step forward in the review process. It comes following the NSW Government’s commitment to undertake a review of the Wilcannia proposed weir design.

Rainer Chlanda. Those who work in the social service sector in Alice Springs, as I do, know this fact intimately: there is an incredible amount of money funding our response to a community who have incredibly little. Our system watches as desperate people stumble and waits for them to fall before extending a paternalistic hand or one gripped around a gavel.

Penola, in South Australia's Limestone Coast, has been named the 2024 Agricultural Town of the Year, in recognition of its dedication to agriculture, agricultural education and community. The announcement was made at the Regional Showcase Awards held at Beresford House in McLaren Vale.

The motion was described by Mrs McArthur as “cloaked in care but shrouded in deception”, emphasising the disingenuous aim to improve transparency while actually seeking to close the industry ... Whether it's greyhound racing, flat racing, jumps racing, or equestrian racing—even pony clubs have races—this is just the short edge of the wedge.

Amidst changes to regulations and community engagement requirements, the Queensland Government is seeking feedback on its approach to renewable energy projects ... From over 1,000 conversations during the REZ readiness assessment for the anticipated Callide Renewable Energy Zone in Central Queensland, locals showed that regional communities want greater engagement, accessible advice, real choices, clearer information...

The Nationals Member for Mildura, Jade Benham, says with regional Victoria’s dangerously below par ambulance response times, it is essential people make submissions to the parliamentary inquiry into the performance, workplace culture, and procurement practices of Ambulance Victoria. Ms Benham says with the Victorian health system in crisis, our overworked and undermanned ambos are reaching breaking point.

...$12.7 million of taxpayers’ money was spent operating the Howard Springs Accommodation Village for two months to cater for flood evacuees last year. The total bill for cleaning and repairs was $1.3 million for the two-month period in March and April last year. This included $469,000 replacing windows, $277,000 for handyman services, $174,000 on plumbing, and $89,000 on mattresses.

The proposed Cooba Solar Project will cover a massive 665 hectares of some of the best wine country in Victoria with 740,000 solar panels and 300 batteries the size of shipping containers. There are over 30 wineries along the Heathcote-Rochester Road that bring a constant stream of tourists to the area ... The area is prime agricultural land, with high-quality soil that is particularly suited to grape-growing ...

Hugh Schuitemaker. A 5c on the dollar return for unsecured creditors of Salena Estate, in the wake of the winery’s sale, is "another devastating blow" for the Riverland wine industry according to senior local politicians. Salena Estate creditors last week approved a sale of the vineyards, winery properties and equipment to an entity associated with China’s Tianyu Wool.

Riverland-based MLC, and opposition spokesperson for regional South Australia, Nicola Centofanti, has provided the following speech she gave in Parliament regarding concerns for the listing of the Lower Murray as a threatened ecological community as part of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999…

If the various State and Federal Ministers for Agriculture really want to make a statement that offers opportunities for Aboriginal people, then start with the existing 40 million hectares of the Indigenous-owned estate and unshackle them from the dead hand of government bureaucracy and red and green tape. But such a move would give the few Indigenous Australians who live on these properties real self-determination, the right to own their own land outright, access to capital and the right to get rich or go broke ...

For the first time, the Energy & Water Ombudsman NSW will provide impartial information and an external dispute resolution service to landholders and community members impacted by new major renewable energy transmission infrastructure and renewable energy infrastructure projects ... The Energy & Water Ombudsman NSW will provide a ‘no wrong door’ referral service for residents ...

Tasmanian farmers continue to take wildlife management seriously as new data released by Primary Industries and Water Minister Jane Howlett reveals that 1,373 Property Protection Permits were issued in the 2023-24 financial year. TasFarmers President Ian Sauer said farmers support the government's approach to addressing surging wildlife populations, including deer and wallabies…

Emily McInerney. It was announced at midday Saturday ... that power has been restored, via generator, to customers living in rural areas outside of Broken Hill, after Essential Energy completed aerial inspections of the power network and confirmed it was safe to re-energise. More than 12,000 customers were impacted by unplanned outages following a storm that moved through the area on Wednesday night, bringing down transmission towers and causing damage to the electricity network.

The Northern Territory Government is transferring management of 100 public housing properties in Alice Springs to the community housing sector to help create better outcomes for social housing tenants. From today, the homes will be transferred to Community Housing Central Australia (CHCA), an experienced housing organisation which currently manages over 400 properties across the Alice Springs region.

The Albury to Illabo (A2I) section of Inland Rail will enter the construction phase after the project received NSW Government planning approval on Friday. The approval from the NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure is a significant milestone, and opens the way for construction to begin in 2025.

...dozens of new public homes completed, contracted, and under construction in regional communities. Visiting Whyalla for today’s State Cabinet meeting, Minister for Housing and Urban Development Nick Champion has released the latest data on public housing builds and projects in regional centres.