By Nasik Swami: SA Pathology has confirmed it is in the process of hiring additional staff to support the expansion of services at its Naracoorte collection centre. The move aims to extend operations to six days a week. This confirmation came in response to enquiries made by The News to the Department of Health regarding the current limited schedule, which sees the facility open only two days per week. We asked the department the following questions: What is the reason the SA Pathology clinic in Naracoorte is only open to the public two days a week (Monday and Tuesday, 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM, excluding the lunch break)? With the local population on the rise and significant travel required to reach alternative clinics in Penola and Mount Gambier, do you believe the current two-day schedule adequately serves community needs? Are there any plans underway to expand the clinic’s operating hours […]

By Nasik Swami: Many local councils in the MacKillop electorate are facing serious financial strain, struggling to meet community demands while navigating complex partnerships with state and federal governments under the Local Government Act 1999. With a shrinking ratepayer base to draw income from, MacKillop MP Nick McBride is asking how regional councils—like Naracoorte Lucindale—can realistically keep up with growing demands and operational expectations. He raised concerns about whether the structure of the Local Government Act was unfairly favouring urban councils while putting smaller, rural councils in the South East at a disadvantage. According to Mr McBride, current local government regulations were placing excessive demands on small councils—expecting levels of service delivery that far exceeded their financial capacity. What’s really coming to light, McBride explained, was how local councils—regardless of size or budget—are lumped into the same category. He said they were expected to handle everything from planning and infrastructure […]

By Nasik Swami: Are the elected officials of the Naracoorte Lucindale Council fulfilling the commitments they made to you, the voters, when they campaigned for office in 2022? Are they effectively addressing community needs and ensuring your voices are heard? This week, The News starts a new series called “Attention councillors.”  This Q&A initiative offers each council member a platform to candidly express their views, share their concerns, discuss their vision for the community, and assess their performance as district representatives. As part of this ongoing initiative, all elected representatives were invited to engage by responding to a set of questions. Some have already declined not to participate, citing various reasons. Our first Q&A is with Cr Andrew Downward:  Positive feedback! The News: How has your experience this term been so far as an elected member of the Naracoorte Lucindale Council? Cr Downward: Enjoyable, although as with most things, it […]

By Nasik Swami: Teys Naracoorte facility, which currently employs 475 workers, will not experience any major changes to staffing levels following its recent acquisition by American food and protein industry giant Cargill. A joint spokesperson for Teys and Cargill confirmed to The News that the acquisition will have no “significant impact on roles” at the Naracoorte site, addressing concerns about potential workforce changes. “Together, the Teys family and Cargill have built a strong legacy, and Cargill remains committed to ensuring continuity and stability for Teys employees,” the spokesperson said. “Cargill recognises that it is the people who have made Teys a great place to work and will honour our commitment to providing satisfying and meaningful career paths in Australian agriculture. “We do not anticipate any significant impact on roles,” the spokesperson said. Teys Investments Pty Ltd and Cargill announced on June 5 that a wholly owned subsidiary of Cargill had […]

By Nasik Swami: “This is an emergency”. That is the urgent message from Naracoorte Lucindale mayor Patrick Ross, who has issued a heartfelt appeal to the government for immediate support for farmers grappling with severe drought in the area. Mr Ross emphasised that the widespread impact of the drought challenged the outdated belief that farmers can always manage on their own. “When hundreds are impacted by a natural disaster, we call it an emergency. This drought is impacting tens of thousands, and yet it is being left up to individual farmers—already stressed and battling to keep their farms operating and animals fed—to reach out for help,” he said. “I understand that drought no longer needs to be declared in a region for farmers to be eligible for assistance,” he said. “But let’s call it: this is an emergency.” The mayor’s appeal comes on the heels of a compelling message shared […]

Health burden too heavy: Community demands local dialysis unit. By Nasik Swami: Making more than a three-hour round trip to Mount Gambier Hospital and spending five hours on a dialysis chair each week is a tough routine for Ros Tregoweth. Living on a farm near Lucindale with her husband and children, Ms Tregoweth undergoes kidney dialysis to manage her condition. She follows a mixed dialysis regime—performing peritoneal dialysis at home six nights a week and making a weekly trip to Mount Gambier for haemodialysis. Her demanding travel schedule, which includes navigating long distances and avoiding wildlife like kangaroos, has pushed her to join others in advocating for local dialysis services to be offered at Naracoorte Hospital. Dialysis patients and other stakeholders are urging the government to establish a dialysis unit and offer renal services at Naracoorte Hospital. For many already struggling with health issues, the financial and emotional toll of […]

By Chris Oldfield: THE member for Barker, Tony Pasin, is one of the few SA Liberals to have a seat in Canberra following last Saturday’s federal election. Mr Pasin campaigned throughout his 65,206sq km electorate by personally attending numerous local events and gatherings as well as via local newspapers and social media. The only other SA coalition member in Canberra’s House of Representatives is Liberal Tom Venning, representing the seat of Grey which is 908,595sq km. At the time of press, the Liberals appeared to be losing one of their three senators up for election. SA elects six senators every three years. The Liberals have usually secured three positions, Labor two and Greens one. But at the time of press, a 21-year-old Labor woman, Charlotte Walker from the factional Left, seemed likely to become a third senator for the Labor Party. Naracoorte’s Monique Crossling was unable to get close to […]

By Chris Oldfield: CR Crash Downward has queried the impact of a 5 per cent rate rise on the district’s farmers already paying thousands of dollars each week to feed their livestock. Naracoorte Lucindale Council relies on the district’s farming families to fund around 60 per cent of its proposed $12.726m rate revenue. An average 5 per cent rate rise is projected by the council’s administration as part of a draft 2025-26 budget and business plan. All up, the budget seeks a total income of $22.676 million. In addition to rate revenue, it has budgeted for other income:  * Service charges – $2.248m. * Statutory charges – $263,000. * User charges -$2.52m. * Grants, subsidies and contributions – $4.301m. * Investment income – $359,000. * Reimbursements – $154,000. * “Other income” – $106,000. The council’s proposed capital works program prepared by its administration includes significant projects in and around Naracoorte. […]

Health burden too heavy: Community demands local dialysis unit. By Nasik Swami: Making more than a three-hour round trip to Mount Gambier Hospital and spending five hours on a dialysis chair each week is a tough routine for Ros Tregoweth. Living on a farm near...

By Chris Oldfield: THE member for Barker, Tony Pasin, is one of the few SA Liberals to have a seat in Canberra following last Saturday’s federal election. Mr Pasin campaigned throughout his 65,206sq km electorate by personally attending numerous local events and...

By Chris Oldfield: CR Crash Downward has queried the impact of a 5 per cent rate rise on the district’s farmers already paying thousands of dollars each week to feed their livestock. Naracoorte Lucindale Council relies on the district’s farming families to fund around...

Farmers call for a hand up, not handouts By Nasik Swami: Pushed to their limits by an unrelenting drought that is taking the heaviest toll on their mental well-being, farmers across the district are expressing deep frustration. Many farmers have dismissed the government’s $55 million relief package as woefully inadequate, labelling it “a drop in the ocean.” In the 2022–23 fiscal year, the state’s primary industries—comprising grains, livestock, horticulture, wine, seafood, forestry, and dairy—generated $18.5 billion in revenue, marking a seven percent rise from the previous year. According to the government, this sector was responsible for 51 percent of the state’s total merchandise exports and directly employed more than 76,000 people. Local farmers say the ongoing dry conditions are not only affecting their livelihoods but also having a huge impact on their mental health—with many now suffering in silence. Burdened by the soaring costs of livestock feed, high-interest loans, dwindling […]