Plus meaty moments and furry engineers. Welcome to Galah Weekly, our award-winning newsletter keeping you up to date with regional headlines that matter, plus other delightful things from life beyond the city. By Dean Southwell, who counts himself lucky to have plenty of local produce.
Scientists have called for urgent changes to the plan to save Australia’s most important river system after summing it up as a $13 billion flop.
A scathing report by researchers from four Australian universities says decades of government policy changes, water buybacks and billions in taxpayer funds have done little to improve the health of the Murray-Darling system.
Yet farmer and irrigator groups have disputed many of the findings, particularly on the economics, where the report says irrigation communities have not necessarily suffered because of water buybacks.
They say farmers and regional communities are paying the cost of water buybacks and consumers are wearing that at the checkout.
National Irrigators Council CEO Zara Lowien urged the scientists to “come out to Bourke and places like that and explain why apparently they’re doing well”.
The scientists found environmental flows were not acceptable at most sites on the river system, water returned to rivers was not being used effectively, and even the basic need for safe drinking water was not being met in some areas.
Why it matters The Murray-Darling starts in Qld and flows through NSW, Vic and SA and is home to 2.4 million Australians. The system is critical to agriculture, which generates $30 billion a year and $15 billion annually in tourism. It includes internationally protected wetlands and hundreds of bird and fish species.
What happens next? Federal Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek launched a major round of water buybacks in July. Progress on the Murray Basin Plan will be evaluated in 2025 ahead of a 10-year review in 2026.
Meanwhile, the NSW government is installing a mobile filtration plant to remove so-called “forever chemicals” from drinking water in the Blue Mountains. The move comes after it at first dismissed reports of chemical contamination, then commissioned testing.
If you’d like to take advantage of Galah’s Christmas gifting specials, there’s no time to waste. Readers need to act now to take advantage of Galah’s Christmas gift packages.
The specials end on Wednesday ahead of the Australia Post Christmas cut-off on Friday.
A decision by a central Victorian abattoir to shut out small livestock producers means restaurants, local butchers and consumers will lose access to meat grown in their region. It’s a situation repeated across the country.
Kilcoy Global Foods, otherwise known as Hardwicks, announced it would not take orders less than 15 head of cattle or 50 lambs at its Kyneton facility from the start of next year, leaving smallholders and the restaurants they supply in limbo at short notice.
Tammi Jonas, who raises beef and pigs at her farm near Daylesford, is one of the small farmers affected by the new limits. She is also president of the Australian Food Sovereignty Alliance, which represents farmers who support locally based sustainable food systems.
Jonas said the limits imposed by the Chinese-owned abattoir were expected and part of a national trend to a mass-production business model that ignored small producers.
A Tasmanian butcher and restaurateurs told Galah this week the decline of regional abattoirs and focus on high-volume operations made it harder to maintain relationships with producers.
Jonas is developing a micro-abattoir on her property and her group has launched a petition asking the Victorian government to ensure access to abattoirs in the short term. The petition also calls for changes to regulations to make it easier for smaller producers to develop on-farm facilities that still meet food standards.
Former farmer Harold Proud celebrates his 104th birthday tomorrow and might just be Australia’s oldest emergency service volunteer.
Proud has lived in the WA wheatbelt town of Kulin, 270km south-east of Perth, his whole life and has served with the Kulin North Volunteer Fire Brigade since 1947, including time as captain.
Although he doesn’t spend much time on firegrounds these days, he still attends meetings and remains ready to help.
"If there's a fire and I did get there, I'd be helping make the cups of tea … or bringing along the beers," he said.
It took just a day of angry feedback for the Commonwealth Bank to pause plans to introduce a $3 fee for customers accessing their own cash.
The proposed fee on one of the bank’s main account offerings was announced on Tuesday and due to apply from 6 January but widespread condemnation saw a six-month delay announced on Wednesday afternoon.
The fee, seen as a way of shifting customers away from in-person transactions, would have applied only to withdrawals made at bank branches, post offices or by phone.
The bank, which made a $9.8 billion profit last year, had originally described the change as “part of our commitment to provide the best available banking experiences”.
It’s less than three weeks since the federal government said it would introduce a cash mandate by 2026 forcing businesses to accept cash for essentials.
A small army of furry bush engineers is helping revitalise the environment on the Yorke Peninsula in SA.
Brush-tailed bettongs, driven to virtual extinction by land clearing and cats and foxes, have been reintroduced to the Dhilba Guuranda-Innes National Park and their positive impact on the environment is already apparent.
The marsupials’ digging and other work in the undergrowth help promote plant recovery and keep down weeds.
A town of 1500 in NSW’s New England region is the latest community attempting to halt the deportation of a refugee family that has become part of the community.
Rosemary and Petrus Atep and their eight children moved to Australia from PNG seven years ago. They say they faced death threats in PNG but face deportation this month because their application for a protection visa has been denied.
The town of Bingara is lobbying to let them stay.
Earlier this year the Bathurst community successfully lobbied on behalf of a Vietnamese family in a similar situation. Two years ago, in one of Australia’s most prominent refugee cases, a Sri Lankan Tamil family won permanent residency after a campaign launched in the central Qld town of Biloela.
Small producers such as Tammi Jonas say a shift to mass production means your favourite restaurants and even the corner butcher will find it tough to retain links with small, local producers. If the trend continues and you still buy meat, it’s also more likely to come from well outside your region.
But does that matter to you? We’d like to know your thoughts. Hit reply and tell us what you think.
Everyone was pleased to welcome an extra face to the regular Wednesday Galah planning meeting this week. Food writer Sophie Hansen – readers will already know her from her monthly Yes, Chef! newsletters for Galah – has moved officially into the Galah fold to work on marketing and special projects.
Hansen lives with her family on a farm just outside Orange in central western NSW. She’s the author of five cookbooks, most recently What Can I Bring?, and has a background in food magazines, events and marketing. Contact Sophie on sophie@galahpress.com
We’re proud of the 2025 Galah Regional Photography Prize. Celebrating all that is great about regional Australia is what we’re all about.
Right now, it’s the artist subsidy fund created to go with it that says so much about the generosity of the Galah community.
A donation of $2000 has helped push the fund halfway to its $30,000 target. Behind that donation is the amazing story of a woman’s tribute to her father, which we’ll share with you soon.
Meanwhile, the fund has less than a fortnight to run, so we’d love you to consider donating.
Every cent of the tax deductible donations will go to the 40 finalists to offset the considerable cost of printing and framing.
Entries for the Galah Regional Photography Prize close on 10 February 2025.
Northern Rivers ceramicist Penny Evans has won the $10,000 Koori Mail Indigenous Art Award for her work The Elephant 2024, which she said presented ceramics as more than objects but also acts of resistance, storytelling and “reclamation vessels of resilience”. See shortlisted works until 2 February at Lismore Regional Gallery, NSW. Read more
Port Macquarie-based artists Brad Collins and Chris Proctor have transformed an empty retail space into a pop-up gallery for an exhibition exploring the depths of the ocean and the weirdness of life. Until 5 January, at Port Central, Port Macquarie, NSW. Read more
Fremantle-based photographer Brett Leigh Dicks tracked down the original sites of Kalgoorlie landmarks such as the Palace Hotel and Boulder Town Hall to recreate scenes of what has changed in the goldmining town in a century. Until 9 February, Museum of the Goldfields, Kalgoorlie, WA. Read more
Fibre artist Lae Oldmeadow uses discarded organic material he finds on walks around his home in the NSW Tweed region and even coir thread unravelled from an old carpet to create the sculptural works in this exhibition. 14 December-12 January, Roxy Gallery, Kyogle, NSW. Read more
Interview: Emma Hearnes
Maggie MacFie’s work is all about creating meaningful change for young people, whether through running small businesses or working with remote communities. As CEO of youthconnections.com.au, she developed Green Central, a hub designed to help young people transition from school to the workforce on the NSW Central Coast. Her commitment to First Nations empowerment has earned her the Darkinjung Medal. Now, as the WA-based CEO of The Skill Engineer, a charity operating in NSW, WA and Victoria, she continues to champion innovative pathways into employment, training and education for young people.
Where do you live and work?
I call Broome home, despite the challenges of remoteness, because it’s a region of adventure, culture, a strong sense of community and beautiful natural landscapes that take my breath away every day.
How would you describe your work?
I spend my time thinking of ways to create promise and inclusion in young lives. I have the great privilege of supporting and leading programs for young people, many of whom are economically and socially disadvantaged. I advocate for investment in education, innovation and sustainable pathways for a brighter future.
What do the young people you work with teach you?
I learn so much about adaptability and resilience from young people. I watch them navigate rapidly changing environments and approach problems with fresh ideas and creative solutions.
In general, those with the benefit of education and privilege are deeply engaged in social and environmental issues and know how to leverage social media for social change. Those struggling with social exclusion, particularly our First Nations youth, hold tightly to their connection to Country, knowing it heals their liyan and gives their lives purpose.
Are you optimistic about the future?
I believe it’s important to be optimistic. Equally, I believe it is crucial to be realistic and proactive. Optimism isn't about ignoring challenges; it's about believing in the possibility of positive outcomes and working towards them. Being optimistic motivates me to act, support others and contribute to a better future.
How can we engage more meaningfully with the young people in our lives?
It requires intentionality, openness and a willingness to learn from them as much as you teach. It is important to show genuine interest, be open and non-judgemental and share experiences. One of our values at The Skill Engineer is “be a no ego doer”. Young people can pick a phoney a mile away.
If you don’t have Tupperware containers stashed in the cupboard, there’s a fair chance your parents or grandparents have plenty. Millions of Australian birthday cakes and school lunches have been stored in the plastic containers since the 1960s, most of them bought via direct sales at Tupperware parties in homes around the country..
US-based Tupperware Brands, which filed for bankruptcy in September, has been sold and will limit its operations to key markets including the US, among a few core markets. Australia isn’t one of them and that reportedly means manufacturing and sales here will cease.
Tupperware has faced declining sales. It says consumers have moved away from direct sales and prefer glass containers to plastic.
We’d love to hear about the news, events and people that should be making the headlines in the Galah Weekly newsletter. Share what’s new(s) in your neck of the woods with us at newsie@galahpress.com
