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By Chris Oldfield: LOCAL police are seeking further information regarding several incidents throughout Naracoorte Lucindale and Tatiara districts. Naracoorte Sergeant Simon Haebich said he was particularly concerned about a break-in at Keith last month. During the night or early morning of July 14-15, while occupants slept an offender entered through an unlocked door and stole car keys. The offender then used them to steal the car parked outside in the driveway.   “A short time later that vehicle was captured on CCTV at a business premises on Bordertown’s Western Services Road where it rammed a cyclone gate, and then drove off,” Sgt Haebich said. “It is also suspected of being involved in some other `unlawfully on premises’ matters in the Bordertown light industrial area that morning. “Entry was gained in some business premises but there were no actual thefts.  “Nobody has been apprehended yet. The big thing for us is security […]

By Nasik Swami: It was a lucky escape for a truck driver in Frances, outside of Naracoorte. This after the truck he was driving, loaded with hay, caught fire on July 25. According to the Country Fire Service (CFS) 17 firefighters on four CFS trucks had to attend the tray-top truck fire.  “The truck was driving along Frances Road at just before 5pm, when its load of hay burst into flames, CFS confirmed.  “The driver pulled over, and a nearby farmer who witnessed the incident drove his tractor over and helped by unloading the burning hay, which prevented further damages to the $500,000 rig.” CFS crews worked hard to extinguish the fire, however, the 30 large hay bales and parts of the tray top were destroyed.   According to CFS, total loss is estimated to be at $130,000. Investigations into the incident continue.

By Chris Oldfield: SA LIBERAL leader David Speirs has cancelled plans to return to Scotland for another family wedding. But speculation continues as the State Government urges a leadership challenge. In a statement issued at deadline for press last week, a spokesperson for the Leader of the Opposition said the Liberal Party was “incredibly united” under his leadership. The comments came in the wake of claims Mr Speirs had issued an ultimatum to his colleagues, urging them to mount a challenge to his leadership. Mr Speirs had returned to Scotland for a cousin’s wedding when the State Budget was released, and was hoping to return for another family wedding soon.  But that meant possibly missing the first week of Parliament on top of missing the release of the Budget.  As a result, disgruntled Liberals had leaked to several media outlets, including The News. Labor then seized on comments Mr Speirs […]

By Nasik Swami: The need for public transportation services in Naracoorte and other surrounding towns is increasing. Many people who do not have access to their own vehicles and prefer public transportation to travel and connect to the high value markets of the South East, Adelaide, and Victoria are finding it difficult. Unfortunately, for a growing town like Naracoorte, we do not have public transportation to service the area and help people connect to their destinations. In Naracoorte, we have a private company that provides coach services (not daily) to Adelaide at a cost of $78.60 one way. The cost of travelling from Naracoorte to Bordertown is $23.90 one way, and to Mt Gambier, it is $29.30. Apart from this, commuters have to travel to Bordertown or Mount Gambier for their other connections. Also, many travellers have to find their own way to Naracoorte after getting off in Mount Gambier […]

By Nasik Swami: A Federal Government inquiry has been launched into the sustainability of our local councils. The House of Representatives Standing Committee on Regional Development, Infrastructure, and Transport’s (the RDIT Committee) is at the forefront of the inquiry. The RDIT Committee will inquire into and report on local government matters, with a particular focus on: The financial sustainability and funding of local government. The changing infrastructure and service delivery obligations of local government. Any structural impediments to security for local government workers and infrastructure and service delivery. Trends in the attraction and retention of a skilled workforce in the local government sector, including impacts of labour hire practices. The role of the Australian Government in addressing issues raised in relation to the above. Speaking to The News, Naracoorte Lucindale mayor Patrick Ross welcomed the inquiry, calling it timely and a great move to address the challenges faced by the […]

By Nasik Swami: A war of words has broken out between Health Minister Chris Picton and Member of Barker Tony Pasin over the release of a feasibility study on delivering radiation treatment services for the region. Mr Pasin claimed the local health bureaucracy, the Limestone Coast Local Health Network (LCLHN), has “snubbed” the release of the report, hiding it from the public and the volunteers of the Limestone Coast Radiation Treatment Working Group. He claimed the feasibility study report was being withheld from the group—the very people who have been the driving force behind the government’s commitment to undertake the study. However, the Health Minister says, “Tony Pasin certainly has a short memory”. “The Member for Barker must have forgotten he was part of the former Federal Liberal Government that rejected a proposal to establish radiation therapy in the Limestone Coast in May 2021,” Mr Picton said while responding to […]

To celebrate NAIDOC Week last week, Naracoorte Lucindale Council’s Arts & Cultural Facilitator and Naracoorte Library + Town Hall held a number of activities. About 14 people participated in basket weaving & Nunga Screen. Many more engaged in NAIDOC Week colouring and the Indigenous exhibition on display at the Wonambi Gallery. Pic: NLC Facebook page.

By Nasik Swami: The avian influenza (bird flu) outbreaks have caused some gaps on supermarket shelves, prompting temporary buying limits. Naracoorte’s two main supermarkets, Woolworths and Foodland, have so far escaped from this, with their suppliers in South Australia not being affected. The supermarkets have confirmed their supply of chicken and eggs to customers remain normal and safe. Responding to questions from this newspaper, Naracoorte Foodland said they had an impact on their egg supply but were able to source them from their other suppliers. “That has enabled us to get some regularity back in supply,” Naracoorte Foodland said. “We know one of our main suppliers who supply our Foodland eggs has been the most impacted, but they have been dealing with other issues before.” The supermarket chain said at the moment, supply of eggs was not so much of an issue for South Australia. “We are just monitoring. We […]

South East free-to-air TV viewers suddenly deprived of Sky News Regional – as of last week – “deserve better”, a state MP says. People across the South-East and the state’s Riverland – plus sections of NSW – lost access to Sky News Regional on Monday 1 July after Sky’s affiliation agreement with WIN Television ended.  It means popular opinion programs like Outsiders, The Bolt Report, Sharri, The Kenny Report and Paul Murray Live are no longer available to viewers in these areas, along with the raft of news offerings on Sky.  One Nation MLC Sarah Game said her office received calls from the South East about the blackout last week. She said the decision was a slap in the face to locals looking for some political balance in their everyday viewing. “I consider Sky News one of the most important news and opinion services across Australia’s media landscape, providing crucial […]

Naracoorte’s new pole dancing studio to open soon By Nasik Swami: Naracoorte’s Stacey Windsor is on a mission to change mindsets on pole dancing and promote the popular artform in town. Also known as Dee-Dee, Stacey is opening a new pole dancing studio in Naracoorte, giving the young and the old the opportunity to learn and to love pole dancing. She wants to remove the stigmas associated with pole dancing, the most argued being that it is an artform “strictly for the male gaze”. The News recently caught up with Stacey and spoke to her about why a pole dancing studio in Naracoorte. This is her story. The News: Please give a bit of background about who Stacey is? Stacey: I grew up in Naracoorte, attending my mother Debbie Davis’s School of Dance from the age of three. I left Naracoorte to pursue my dream of being a long-haul flight […]

By Nasik Swami: The vulnerable in the district are choosing between heating and eating this winter. If they turn on heating to keep themselves warm during the chilly nights, many say they will be faced with eye-watering power bills. So, what does the public do? The News asked our decision makers to explain why we have one of the highest electricity prices in the world and what is being done to give regional South Australians some relief. Naracoorte Lucindale mayor Patrick Ross says the new electricity cuts announced by the state government which equates to $63 for average households and around $512 for small businesses “does not go very far on a winter heating bill”. Mr Ross said he has been wading his way through the Australian Local Government Conference motions for next week, and one of the large areas of concern for local governments throughout South Australia is energy […]

By Nasik Swami: The Naracoorte Lucindale Council has adopted its 2024–2025 Annual Business Plan and Budget, with a strong focus on the road network and Naracoorte Regional Livestock Exchange (NRLE). According to the council, the plan and budget that were adopted at the council’s June meeting also focus on keeping rates as reasonable as possible due to the current economic climate. For this financial year, the Council endorsed a 5 percent increase in general rate revenue of $12.25 million, with operational expenditure of $21m – an increase of $1.4m from 2023–2024. “Of the total rateable properties in the Council area, 54.23 percent will experience a rate increase of between 0-5%, and 7.59% will receive a rate decrease,” the council stated. The total capital spend in the 2024–2025 budget is $10.5m, with $6.8m allocated to road and stormwater infrastructure upgrades and $2.5m allocated to NRLE infrastructure upgrades. The council’s patrol grading […]