Central Darling Shire Council made several property decision at its August meetingCouncil resolved to sell multiple parcels of Council owned vacant land which it says are surplus to current and foreseeable future needs. Following the recent amendment to the Local Environment Plan, a review of all Council owned Operational Land was undertaken. Council identified lands that are surplus to Council’s needs and for which there is a growing demand. According to Council there have been many enquiries, especially from government departments including the Aboriginal Housing Office, NSW Police and Teacher Housing, seeking suitable land to construct housing. “By making available for sale surplus vacant land, Council will be assisting alleviate a critical housing shortage and convert non income producing assets into valuable cashflow,” a spokesperson said. At the same meeting Council resolved to write-off rates and charges of $5,933.23 outstanding against a terminated Crown Land Licence at White Cliffs. The reason given is that Council does not see any avenues to recover the outstanding amount. Council also approved the sale of 18 properties to recover unpaid rates, and authorised the General Manager to perform the necessary actions to enable the land sales, which will include a public auction. The Local Government Act provides that Council may sell any land (including vacant land) on which any rate or charge has remained unpaid for more than five years from the date on which it became payable. The sale of land for unpaid rates is, effectively, a last resort to recover outstanding rates, crystalise increasing bad and doubtful debt exposures and, in many cases, to motivate ratepayers to either pay overdue rates or negotiate payment over term. Council has previously conducted sale of land for unpaid rates auctions, most recently in October 2020, when approximately 83 properties were offered for sale, and in May 2023, when 27 properties were offered for sale. “Further details will be provided to the community including information about the public auction,” a spokesperson said. Central Darling Shire Councillors resolved to acquire the necessary land required at Karoola Homestead in accordance with the Land Acquisition (Just Terms Compensation) Act 1991 for the purpose of works for proposed realignments on the Pooncarie Road Initial Seal Project. Property Owners, Wayne and Arletta Smith, have been lobbying Council since early 2000’s for the road to be realigned for safety reasons, and previous and current General Managers and Director Engineering Services have supported the request.At the August meeting, Council provided further approval to the General Manager to act in relation to the matter now that the plan of acquisition has been registered.

Australia’s largest off-grid poultry farm has commenced operations near Goolgowi. Operated by Agright, a commercial poultry grower in Australia and New Zealand, the 40 shed operation ‘Meriki’ claims to be saving more than 1690 tonnes of carbon dioxide annually. "Sustainability is at the forefront of our business model,” Agright owner Daniel Bryant said. “Chicken is already the meat protein with the lowest carbon footprint, but we are continually looking for ways to reduce this footprint further." Bryant is the son of Max, the New Zealand businessman behind the establishment of the ProTen poultry empire, before his retirement in 2018. The high costs and logistical difficulties of connecting to the grid necessitated an innovative off-grid solution for Meriki, and Agright partnered with Australian company Smart Commercial Solar. The location of the proposed site was more than 19 kilometres from the closest grid connection, but the local network was already overloaded. Rather than change sites Bryan set about seeking off-grid solutions. “This advanced system powers a small village of six staff houses, 40 large chicken barns, and associated buildings,” a Smart Commercial Solar spokesperson said. Mr Bryant appeared at an online media briefing in July. “We grow chickens for the leading processors in New Zealand and Australia under long term contracts, and electricity and gas are probably our largest input costs, alongside labour,” Mr Bryant explained. “So investing in solar quite heavily actually provides us with reasonable returns on top of ESG requirements.” “Given that it was going to take a couple of years to connect to the grid, we could build a solar and battery system quicker,” Smart CEO Huon Hoogesteger said. The Goolgowi development encompasses 3.98 MW ground-mounted solar panels that track the sun, a 3.4 MVA PV inverter and 4.4 MWh of battery storage. The network uses a private distribution network of powerlines, covering more than four kilometres, as well as six diesel generations for backup. “From this central location where the solar and battery system is we distribute that power through an 11 kV line in three directions or more (to supply power the 40 sheds and six homes) and then some extended lines out to water pumps and freezers,” Hoogesteger said. While it’s early days Agright says the operation is competely running on renewable energy. “The whole system is backed up by 2MW of synchronous generators and then the farms, themselves, also have another level of further backup just in case anything could possibly go wrong,” Hoogesteger says. “Daniel’s chickens are protected by about four layers of redundancy, so that they’re never without power, because chickens without power means dead chickens – it’s all about protecting the health and wellbeing of those chickens.

At the August meeting of Carrathool Shire Council, the 2023-2024 Community Grants applications were received, with more than $21,000 allocated to 15 local community groups.The motion to move the approvals was made by Cr. Leon Cashmere and seconded by Cr Beverly Furner. Councillors Geoff Peters and Darryl Jardine declared an interest, with both stating their wives were members of applicant groups.The motion was passed unopposed.Two late applications received from Rankins Springs CWA and Hillston Corellas Cricket Club were not considered for funding.

If you are an iPhone user and have found your MessageBank is suddenly full, you are not alone.Telstra has advised that some Apple customer MessageBank voicemail services have stopped working because they are full.Due to a change in process, Apple voicemail no longer automatically deletes voice messages and this now needs to be done by the user.Visit Telstra's troubleshooting page to learn more.

The NSW Police Force is offering a range of incentives for administrative employees and police officers attached to positions within regional areas.Housing is provided by the NSW Police Force at specific regional locations for police officers at a rate of 3% of an officer’s salary per annum – well below the rental market rate.There are reduced mandatory tenure periods for police officers at identified locations to allow greater mobility opportunities for officers.An additional one week of recreation leave is available to both administrative employees and police officers who are attached to locations within the Western and Central Division of the State in accordance with the Crown Lands Consolidation Act 1913 before its repeal.A fortnightly Remote Area – Living Allowance is provided to both administrative employees and police officers who are attached to positions within select remote areas for the increased cost of living and the climatic conditions in a remote area.In July 2023 a modernised incentive scheme was implemented for police officers stationed within remote and special remote locations that provides officers with cash incentives to encourage recruitment to the areas and to acknowledge the unique operating environment of remote/special remote locations.The new scheme provides a great opportunity for officers looking to make a change and diversify their skills to relocate to a regional position.The allowance structure provides a lump sum payment to officers attached to a location, each year for 5 years to the value of:$36,000 for Remote$31,000 for Special Remote$19,000 for Remote Offshore Location (Lord Howe Island)The incentive scheme enables commanders access to additional funding to provide some level of additional assistance to attract an officer when positions become specifically hard to fill. Funds are also available to assist with capability development and rotation opportunities which will enable officers to travel to the metropolitan and/or other areas and stay in these locations for the rotation period.Separate to the above incentives, police officers in locations defined as Special Remote are entitled to financial assistance when there is a need travel to access medical/dental services outside of their location and a preferential transfer at the conclusion of their tenure period.Employment opportunities for Aboriginal PeopleThe NSW Police Force recognises its role in being able to provide employment opportunities and pathways for Aboriginal people.In the spirit of Reconciliation, the NSW Police Force gives high priority to employing, creating employment pathways and providing on-going training for Aboriginal people. Additionally, to improve the quality of the service the NSW Police Force provides, our officers are educated on Aboriginal history, culture and society."We are committed to providing a safe and secure NSW with a police force respected by the community it serves," a spokesperson said."To achieve this, the NSW Police Force ensures our employees reflect the diversity of the general community and our policing practices and procedures are culturally sensitive and responsive."If you identify as a person of Aboriginal descent and are interested in a career as a police officer with the NSW Police Force, we have established external programs to ensure you meet our academic requirements to be eligible to apply to Charles Sturt University for the Associate Degree in Policing Practice (ADPP).As an employee of the NSW Police Force, you can access a number of support networks within our organisation. The NSW Police Force has an Aboriginal Employees Network in each policing region, Aboriginal employees are trained as Peer Support Officers and mentors and a dedicated Aboriginal Employment and Engagement Team. All Aboriginal employees are encouraged to be involved with our Aboriginal Employee Network meetings and events.Should you wish to join the NSW Police as a Police Officer or have any sworn member recruitment questions, please contact our Aboriginal Recruitment Officer on (02) 8286 4733Indigenous Police Recruitment Our Way Delivery (IPROWD)IPROWD has been an active pathway for Aboriginal people into the NSW Police Force since 2008. It has been a successful program through a partnership between TAFE NSW and the NSW Police Force. The program continues to evolve, and we are excited to invite the Australian Federal Police into this partnership, providing increased opportunities for employment to IPROWD students on completion of their program.The IPROWD program is delivered at specific TAFE NSW campuses across regional and metropolitan areas of NSW. For more information about the IPROWD program, please visit the TAFE NSW IPROWD web site.

In a media release Central Darling Shire Council said it is honoured to have been awarded a 2024 Cr Pat Dixon Memorial Scholarship.Above: Central Darling Shire General Manager Greg Hill. Image: Central Darling ShireThe Scholarship was announced at the LGNSW Local Government Week Awards.The late Cr Pat Dixon was first elected to Armidale City Council in 1983 and worked tirelessly for the community she represented. She is remembered as a trailblazer for Aboriginal women in local government.In recognition of her service and achievements in local government, the scholarship was established for Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander councillors and council staff members in NSW to undertake further study, professional development or research.Central Darling Shire Council General Manager, Greg Hill, said the scholarship would make a big difference and was wonderful recognition.Mr Hill said there had never been a better time for young people to consider working with Council. He said the opportunities for career growth were wide reaching.“Working with Council is very rewarding in so many areas. People can learn new skills and gain qualifications all while being paid. There are opportunities for professional development and much more,” Mr Hill said.It comes as the NSW government has announced plans to employ an extra 1,300 apprentices and trainees across the local government sector, from next year, as it seeks to address a looming skills shortage and stem the outsourcing of council jobs.If anyone in the community would like to work for Council they are encouraged to contact the Human Resources Officer, Evelyn Pollard, to discuss potential opportunities with Central Darling Shire: Phone: 08 8083 8815 or 0459 632 220.

Toyota is bidding farewell to one of the iconic symbols of the wide brown outback – the V8 Landcruiser. Often the butt of well-meaning ribbing thanks to the over accessorising of the popular ute, the announcement by Toyota will end an era of motoring across rural Australia.Final production of the V8 Wagon, Troop Carrier, and WorkMate and GX pick-ups will take place in September with vehicles expected to be in customer hands late this year or early next year.The distinctive sounding V8 1VD-FTV 4.5-litre turbo-diesel engine powered the LandCruiser 70 Series since 2007 and Toyota says more than 170,000 V8s have been sold in that time.It has now been replaced by a 2.8-litre turbo-diesel four-cylinder engine, with Toyota adding a new five-speed manual gearbox.Toyota Australia Vice President Sales, Marketing and Franchise Operations Sean Hanley said the decision to bring down the curtain on the V8 had been inevitable due to changing regulations and community expectations.“Bidding farewell to the V8 marks the end of one chapter and the start of another for the go-anywhere 70 Series – a vehicle that’s renowned for its ruggedness, reliability and simply getting the job done,” Mr Hanley said.“We continue to work closely with our production team to receive the maximum possible V8 allocation so that we can fulfil as many local customer V8 orders as possible,” he said.Mr Hanley said he would encourage any enthusiasts who might lament the V8 decision to join the growing number of drivers who have found the four-cylinder alternative is even more capable. "Both here and in Japan, Toyota was determined to return the loyalty of our customers by devoting significant resources into ensuring the 70 Series remains a vital part of our line-up for years to come.“The only alternative was to walk away from this model – and that was not an option.”

A man and woman have died following a two-vehicle crash near Hay late Monday afternoon. The accident occurred about three kilometres east of Hay on the notorious Sturt Highway, which has claimed the lives of at least 10 people between Balranald and Darlington Point in the last five years. Emergency services were called to the scene at about 5.10pm on Monday, following reports a sedan and a truck had collided. The driver of the sedan, a 71-year-old man, and the female front passenger, who is yet to be identified, were treated but died at the scene. A rear male passenger of the sedan was airlifted to Royal Melbourne Hospital in a serious condition.A second passenger, a 23-year-old woman, was taken to Hay Hospital with serious injuries. The driver of the truck, a 27-year-old man, was treated for minor injuries before being taken to Griffith Hospital for mandatory testing. Officers attached to Murrumbidgee Police District established a crime scene and an investigation has commenced into the circumstances surrounding the incident. Anyone with information, CCTV vision or dashcam footage of the incident is urged to contact police or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000