January 30, 2026
Strict welfare guidelines as government legalises virtual stock fencing The CSIRO’s patented neckbands use GPS and wireless sensors to control cattle movements. Photo: CSIRO.
Regional

Strict welfare guidelines as government legalises virtual stock fencing

CATTLE and dairy farmers have welcomed the government’s decision to legalise virtual stock fencing, which involves using GPS collars to control the animals through audio cues and electric shocks. The move is expected to reduce physical fencing costs, improve rotational grazing systems, and provide remote access to data on the welfare of herds. Minister for […]

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Scarlet sprints to gold at Australia titles Scarlet Monk with her haul of medals from the School Sport Australia (SAA) Track and Field Championships. Photo: Kim Ambrose/SaltyFoxFotography.
Regional

Scarlet sprints to gold at Australia titles

Scarlet Monk with her haul of medals from the School Sport Australia (SAA) Track and Field Championships. Photo: Kim Ambrose/SaltyFoxFotography. Scarlet Monk with her haul of medals from the School Sport Australia (SAA) Track and Field Championships. Photo: Kim Ambrose/SaltyFoxFotography. Scarlet Monk with Laurieton Public School Principal Mr Grant Timmins. Photo: Kim Ambrose/SaltyFoxFotography. LAURIETON sprinter […]

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National campaign to place Shark Bite Kits on every Australian beach Kai McKenzie, founder Danny Schouten, Toby Begg, and GoFundMe CEO Tim Cadogan. Photo: supplied.
Regional

National campaign to place Shark Bite Kits on every Australian beach

THREE surfers and shark attack survivors are leading the call for the roll out of life-saving emergency response kits on beaches across Australia. One year after creating Community Shark Bite Kits, founder and Hastings local Danny Schouten has deployed more than 150 kits on beaches across NSW, Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia. “We’re not […]

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Tacking Point Lions Club answers Lord Howe’s call for Christmas cakes Birdon’s Island Trader on the Hastings River. Photo: supplied.
Regional

Tacking Point Lions Club answers Lord Howe’s call for Christmas cakes

Lions Club members Dee Watkinson and Karen Carrick selling Lions’ Christmas cakes at Bunnings. Photo: supplied. Birdon’s Island Trader on the Hastings River. Photo: supplied. LORD Howe Island resident Neil de Rusett has again issued the call for the Tacking Point Lions Club to send him their famous Christmas cakes. So on Monday morning, 1 […]

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Regional towns set to spark from EV charger installing The chargers will be high-powered at between 22kW and 100kW, which can fully charge a standard EV SUV in about an hour.
Regional

Regional towns set to spark from EV charger installing

The chargers will be high-powered at between 22kW and 100kW, which can fully charge a standard EV SUV in about an hour. A map of Round 3 locations for Destination Charging Grants. ROAD-TRIPPERS will be able to charge their electric vehicles at tourism destinations, in what one state hopes will be a win for the […]

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Building farm productivity and resilience on the North Coast The North Coast Climate Smart Agriculture project is supporting farmers to adopt practices that reduce carbon emissions, improve sustainability and strengthen farm business management.
Regional

Building farm productivity and resilience on the North Coast

FARMERS in the North Coast Local Land Services (LLS) region are participating in a three-year project that is set to build farm productivity and resilience while protecting the region’s natural and cultural assets. The North LLS region extends from Tweed Shire Council in the north to Port Macquarie-Hastings Council in the south. The North Coast […]

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The ecological disaster threatening Australian seabirds Experts want a national seabird beach monitoring program to help explain why mass deaths happen. Photo: Silke Stuckenbrock/AAP.
Regional

The ecological disaster threatening Australian seabirds

BILL Fulton recalls counting 1162 dead birds during a four-and-a-half kilometre morning beach walk. That’s a rough average of one every four metres. But when he tells people about the work and its confronting reality, they’re curiously inclined to dismiss it as kind of normal. “We want people to know that this is different,” Mr […]

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Enhanced water-quality monitoring on Lake Innes The new water quality buoy automatically records key water quality parameters, including temperature, salinity, pH, turbidity, dissolved oxygen and water level every 15 minutes.
Regional

Enhanced water-quality monitoring on Lake Innes

ADVANCED water-quality monitoring technology has been installed at Lake Innes to improve understanding of the lake’s condition. The new water quality buoy automatically records key water quality parameters, including temperature, salinity, pH, turbidity, dissolved oxygen and water level every 15 minutes. This live data is transmitted to the Manly Hydraulics Laboratory (MHL) website, where it […]

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