Property

Landowners whose property joins the mouth of the Sleeman River have been asked to dismantle the remnants of a disintegrating weir which has been in place for more than 30 years. The weir was built to block salt water from entering the river so landowners could exercise their riparian rights.

From the Western Australian deserts to the NSW rainforests, the new projects combined will protect 7.5 million hectares of land and 450,000 hectares of sea Country – bigger than the size of Tasmania. This is on top of existing IPAs which currently cover 87 million hectares of land and over five million hectares of sea Country – the majority of Australia’s national estate.

Independent Member for Murray, Helen Dalton has responded to The Riverine Grazier’s story last week regarding reports of a fuel spill at a district property. "The allegations are incredibly serious and must not be swept under the carpet," Mrs Dalton said. "We cannot have a situation where foreign - owned agricultural enterprises act as if Australian laws do not apply to them."

Joanna Tucker. Privately owned rural land on the outskirts of Wallaroo is in the process of being rezoned, with new housing and an industrial estate looking increasingly likely to be built there in coming years ... Wallaroo’s population has increased by more than a quarter in the past decade and continues to grow rapidly.

The NSW Reconstruction Authority announced that 370 homes have been identified as eligible for house raising or retrofit. These 370 homes are across seven council areas. IndyNR.com has asked the Authority if any of these 370 homes are in Coraki, Broadwater, Woodburn or nearby. We are waiting on an answer.

ABARES has expanded the Farmland Price Indicator to include a new series of experimental estimates by farmland type. Users can now access and download specific information for beef, dairy, cropping, forestry, orchard and even hobby farmland type via the ABARES Farmland Price Indicator dashboard.

Work on the Bishop’ Lodge subdivision  has been completed at a cost of $405,000 and Council hopes to utilise the area to create affordable housing. General Manager, David Webb said many local councils were committing to specific mechanisms and actions to increase housing supply and housing affordability, such as affordable housing contribution schemes.  

The recent frosty mornings in our area might inspire us to cosy up inside by a fire or with a loved one, but university studies have found that Australians have colder houses than people in similar climates around the world. Experts from RMIT commented last week about the phenomenon in which Australians have lower standards for warmth in their homes, leading to health risks.

Ellen and Graeme Allen first spoke to Mark Collins in March and delivery of their Tiny Home was made to Geitz Road last week. Built strictly to Council regulations and for Australian Conditions the home was 95 per cent complete before delivery with Bellinghams of Warwick responsible for the move to the site.

Naomi Shine. Beautiful old homes, made from incredibly sturdy Big Scrub timbers, are being boarded up across the flood zone in Lismore and left to moulder. People needing shelter are moving in, and NSW Reconstruction Authority doesn’t know how to deal with the situation.

An average residential rate increase of 5.68 per cent – or $82 – is likely across the Berri Barmera district for 2024/25, after the local council cut its rate in the dollar to combat skyrocketing valuations ... Residential valuations alone –made by the Adelaide-based Valuer General – across Berri Barmera will rise by a whopping 15.28 per cent, or almost $186 million, in 2024/25. “With the State Government’s capital valuation growth so high, council has resolved to reduce the rate in the dollar across all property types,” Berri Barmera chief executive officer Tim Pfeiffer told The Murray Pioneer.

If only these walls could talk… organisers of the official reopening of the Cawongla Community Centre were thrilled with the turnout ... No one quite knows the age of the timber cottage next to Cawongla Preschool in the heart of the village ... For years the community centre sat empty ...

As the cost-of-living crisis continues to bite insurance costs have risen, resulting in home and contents insurance being cost prohibitive for some Clarence Valley homeowners with prices ranging from $35.51 to $252.36 per week, while in some parts of the valley some companies refuse to insure homes ... To determine home and contents insurance costs across the region and if we are insurable, the Clarence Valley Independent sought quotes for a 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom, single storey home...

The minimum lot size is to be removed in Hay township (both North and South Hay) and some primary production land will be rezoned to low density residential in a bid by Council to address the housing shortage … Council recently received funding under the regional Housing Strategic Planning Fund to undertake a planning proposal to change the Hay Local Environment Plan (LEP) which governs the land uses and zoning of properties.

Recovery Pods have been deployed to help South Australians still recovering from the River Murray floods. To date, six of the self-contained homes have been deployed to help individuals and families who lost their primary place of residence, with more still available.

Every country town has at least one building that lies abandoned or underutilised which could be turned into a house or unit that could attract another worker or family to the community. We have old train stations and roads boards buildings, there are abandoned shops in the main street, empty pubs, unused halls, even farmhouses close to town left to deteriorate.

Don’t have a plumber, electrician, aircon mechanic, car mechanic, tyre shop, independent ag mechanic, hydraulic shop etc in your town? Then do something about it. The council or a group of farmers should get together to buy an industrial lot, build a lock up shed, offer it out for $1 a year then stand back and watch the rush.

On a bright day, next to the bridge arching across the swollen Richmond River at Woodburn, an announcement was made about funding for affordable flood-free housing. The State Government is giving $245,000 to Richmond Valley Council to scope out what is needed for the 1500-blocks at Fairy Hill to proceed.

Wilya Janta, an Aboriginal Housing consultancy has recently taken another step forward with their plans for sustainable housing in Tennant Creek and remote communities. They have taken a 60-year-old abandoned brick-making machine and given it a new lease on life.

Remember the protracted battle regarding the plans to build broiler farms on the Moolort Plains, west of Baringhup, in the Shire of Mount Alexander? After court hearings and the extraordinary step of building two houses out near the proposed site for the proposed broiler sheds, that battle was won by local residents.

The commercial and industrial property tax reform will progressively abolish stamp duty and replace it with a more efficient commercial and industrial property tax ... ARR.News asked a question about primary production property, answered by a government spokesperson.