Qld

Western Downs Regional Council Mayor Paul McVeigh has congratulated Chinchilla journalist Harry Clarke for taking out a prestigious award at the 2021 Local Government Association of Queensland’s (LGAQ) Annual Conference.   Mr Clarke, founder and editor of the online news publication Country Caller, took out the coveted  Bean Lockyer Ticehurst Award for Excellence in Regional Journalism.

More than 100,000 acres of pastoral land in Cape York has been lit up by a fire bug on the Peninsula Developmental Road ... “The cost is astronomical. Not only do the domestic herd of cattle now need to be fed, but we’ve lost carbon credits and been pulled away from our regular work looking after the environment. There's also a massive psychological cost when it comes to fighting fires": Sally Gray, Piccaninny Plains.

A company's grand plans to launch rockets and satellites from Cape York will be revealed in Weipa this month. Space Centre Australia hopes to start construction of its facility in 2023 and be launching rockets by the start of 2025. Director James Palmer said preliminary discussions between SCA and Traditional Owners had been progressing well and hoped this month’s trip would result in further community consultation.

Janel Ryan isn’t sure which horse will win the Cooktown Cup this year, but will take a three-pronged attack into the feature race in a bid to add another trophy to her growing collection. Janel and her husband Ronnie Ryan have won four Cups this year, securing the Atherton, Gordonvale and Cairns Cups, as well as the famous Banana Cup at Innisfail.

More than $3.13 million will be returned to growers in regional Queensland as part of a Sunwater trial related to water delivery services. Minister for Regional Development and Manufacturing and Minister for Water Glenn Butcher said the rebates have already begun being provided to irrigators following the first 12 months of a three-year electricity cost pass‐through trial - developed in conjunction with the Queensland Farmers’ Federation.

Did you know Queensland stock routes cover around 72,000 km and 48 local government areas? Drovers are herding cattle along the stock routes passing through the Central Highlands at Yan Yan Road through to Lilyvale Road, Gregory Highway and Capricornia Highway through to Springsure and Rolleston areas. These roads are subject to change depending on conditions and motorists are urged to be patient and vigilant whenever they are driving along a stock route.

Minister for Resources and Water Keith Pitt says our resources exploration industry can now access another world-leading dataset, revealing exciting new prospective regions across more than one million square kilometres of northern Australia.

Global travel authority Lonely Planet has announced their Best in Travel 2022, three lists encompassing the world’s hottest countries, cities and regions, and have included the Scenic Rim as number eight in the top regions to visit in 2022.

A boat used repeatedly for illegal black market fishing on the Sunshine Coast and seized by fisheries officers is being sold to the highest bidder at auction.

Queensland’s Western Downs solar farm has reached a major milestone, with connection to the electricity grid now complete. Minister for Energy, Renewables and Hydrogen Mick de Brenni said Neoen’s $600 million Western Downs Green Power Hub is supporting more than 450 construction jobs and will generate 400 megawatts (MW) of solar energy.

Join us for the annual celebration of all things art, culture and entertainment.

Queensland copper mine waste could deliver a key ingredient for the renewable energy revolution thanks to a three-year international study. Qld Resources Minister Scott Stewart announced a three-way agreement between the Queensland Government,  Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corporation (JOGMEC)  and  the University of Queensland  which will examine whether cobalt – a globally-sought-after critical mineral and a key battery ingredient – can be retrieved economically from old copper mine tailings.

Logan City Council’s Logan Water is looking for parties interested in buying commercial quantities of a revolutionary substance developed from the city's sewage. Biochar is a charcoal-like material that is produced when sewage sludge is treated at high temperatures in a low oxygen environment ... Biosolids gasification dramatically reduces Council’s carbon emissions and destroys harmful chemicals such as micro-plastics, which are present in biosolids. The resulting biochar is sterile, odourless and high in nutrients.

Modesty went out the window and the PC brigade was turned away as the world-famous Running of the Bulls was revived in true Weipa style on Sunday morning ... Lit up by the moon and a few streetlights, the eager herd carried plastic bags and buckets, hopeful that enough residents had stayed up past 1am to make a charitable donation to the Royal Flying Doctor Service.

Aurukun mayor Keri Tamwoy was a little emotional at the opening of the town’s new airport terminal last week, paying tribute to her late mother Alison Woolla, of whom the passenger lounge was named in her honour ... Local builder Cameron Herbert is thrilled with the final product ... Mr Herbert makes his own concrete, the only one to do so in Aurukun, and said he was thrilled he could use locals to help with construction.

A brainchild of Weipa Community Care, the banners on Central Avenue were erected to send a message about domestic violence and sexual violence ... Weipa Community Care support worker Lucy Waugh said domestic and family violence, as well as sexual violence, was too high in Cape York. “We need to change the thinking about what a healthy relationship is,” she said.

Deputy Prime Minister, the Hon Barnaby Joyce MP, and the Premier of Queensland and Minister for the Olympics, the Hon Annastacia Palaszczuk MP, have signed an Intergovernmental Agreement for the provision of state services to Norfolk Island, marking the beginning of an enduring partnership for the delivery of essential services to one of Australia’s most remote communities.  

Picturesque Bassett Park will be abuzz with activity when the Royal on 99 Roma Cup races take place on Saturday November 20, 2021.

As Queensland grain growers start thinking about what  to plant next season, based on how crops performed this year, the latest Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) sowing guide could help inform their decision making. The newly released GRDC 2022 Queensland Winter Crop Sowing Guide contains the latest information for wheat, barley and chickpea varieties.

The Rockhampton region’s reputation as a hub for start-ups and entrepreneurs has grown even more after the Rockhampton Angel Investment Network was named the ‘Most Active Regional Angel Group’ at the Techboard Australian Angel Awards 2021 last month. Angels invest in start-ups in their early stages to enable them to grow.