Qld

Be sure to take a tour of Allora and check out all the impressive Christmas lighting displays.

Local Goomburra resident Corrie Ross was out with his trusty camera shooting some spectacular images. Local Goomburra resident Corrie Ross was out with his trusty camera shooting some spectacular images.

A report presented to a Toowoomba Regional Council meeting last week provides insight into how new water infrastructure might impact growth in Westbrook and other areas ... The report indicates a raw water reservoir connected to the Southern Water Treatment Plant (SWTP), which was announced two weeks ago, could be built within Fernleigh.

Congratulations to Cambooya State School student E.J. Morris, who recently won the National Under 12 mini bull ride category at the National Finals Rodeo in Canungra. E.J. had an extremely successful year and went into the National Final series in the lead, eventually winning the category with a lead of more than 600 points.

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Qld and WA farmers reported improved optimism heading into the end of the year, while sentiment was more subdued in other states, the latest Rabobank Rural Confidence Survey has found ... on a national basis farmers were becoming increasingly cautious about the outlook for the agricultural economy, with nearly half (47 per cent) attributing their concerns to dry seasonal conditions, while rising cost pressures are also a worry.

Scott O’Keeffe. Around 15 years ago, people living in the Maleny area of Southeast Queensland noticed a decline in the health of some large mature bunya pines (Araucaria bidwillii). The crowns of the trees began turning brown, quickly followed by foliage well below the crown. Within a short time, all foliage would be shed, branches cast, and the affected tree would be dead ... Araucarian Dieback (AD) is on the move.

Locals and visitors made another huge turnout for this year’s Allora Bush Christmas celebration.

Aussies still love their local libraries, with recent data from the Australian Public Libraries Statistical Report 2022-2023 showing a rise in borrowing and in-person library visits ... Recently, Fulton Trotter Architects developed a self-serve library kiosk in a residential suburb development in Port Macquarie to cater for community reading, nestled close to the community’s playground.

Bev O’Halloran. For the uninitiated Pig Lures is a team of pretty good bowlers at the Allora Sports Club. In fact they were good enough to win the season’s competition which wrapped up last week … Congratulations to Chris Brown, Moley and Beetle of Pig Lures on 21 who were season winners.

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The water landscape is undergoing massive changes, with some local towns now in the process of becoming connected to Toowoomba’s water supply and other towns to benefit from plans for a new water treatment plant … The importance of these long awaited projects to supply treated water for Clifton, Nobby, Greenmount and Cambooya was evident by the large roll up of political leaders from state and local governments.

After remaining dormant for several years, there are signs of life for the landscape-changing Fernleigh estate at Westbrook. Fernleigh is a master planned community on the northern side of Shoesmith Road in Westbrook, designed by Hallmark Property to deliver 1,500 residential lots.

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Queensland’s commercial fishing industry had a chance to be saved from ideologically driven decimation on Tuesday, with the Katter’s Australian Party (KAP) disallowance motion to reverse Labor’s gillnet bans in the Gulf of Carpentaria being debated in Parliament. “The Crisafulli government had a chance to put its talk into action,” KAP Leader and Member for Traeger, Robbie Katter has said.

An independent report by a leading consultant shows that the Labor’s Party’s ‘renewables only’ energy plan will cost Australians at least $642 billion, according to the federal Opposition. “This is five times more than they have told the Australian people,” Shadow Minister for Climate Change and Energy, Ted O’Brien said.

CANEGROWERS has today launched the 2024 Sugarcane Transport Load Restraint Guide, an essential tool created in partnership with the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR).  This industry-specific guide aims to enhance road transport safety and streamline compliance for sugarcane growers and transport operators.

Lockyer Valley Fruit & Vegetable Processing Company Limited (‘Lockyer Valley Foods’), the circular economy fruit and vegetable processing facility, has launched a $50M Series A funding round to begin construction ... Founder and CEO Colin Dorber said the Lockyer Valley – known as ‘Australia’s salad bowl’ – is vital to Australia’s food security ... ARR.News interviewed Chair Murray Chatfield to find out more about the facility, the only one of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere.

Southern Downs Regional Council is inviting community feedback on a proposal to increase the maximum short-term camping stay at the Washpool Reserve, Leslie Dam from three nights to seven. Popular with campers and day visitors, the 24-acre reserve is a haven for nature enthusiasts and outdoor adventurers, offering access to a range of recreational activities and breathtaking scenery.

Typically, monochrome is taken to mean Black and White, but it also encapsulates differing tones of a single colour for example, red fading to pale pink. Most members stayed in the safe zone of shades of grey.

This Christmas, the spotlight is on the 17,390 local businesses across the Toowoomba region, as Groom’s Gifts, spearheaded by Groom MP Garth Hamilton, returns for 2024. Groom’s Gifts supports small businesses and rewards shoppers in the lead-up to Christmas.