Plus unkind swine and a change of guard. Welcome to Galah Weekly, our newsy newsletter keeping you up to date with regional headlines that matter, plus other delightful things from life beyond the city. By Anna Rogan, who is saying a sad goodbye as your Galah Weekly editor.
A new telco network sharing deal between TPG — the parent company of Vodafone — and Optus was signed off by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission this week. The 11-year, $1.6 billion deal will double the size of TPG’s mobile network to about one million square kilometres. Vodafone executive Kieran Cooney called the network expansion a "huge win" and said it will "break the mobile duopoly that has limited customer choice in regional Australia for too long".
Meanwhile, as regional residents brace for 3G networks to shut down at the end of October, questions have been raised about whether the government should guarantee reliable mobile and internet services for all Australians.
Under current legislation, Telstra is contracted to provide all Australians with access to voice calls via "standard telephone services (landlines) and payphones", regardless of where they live. Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman Cynthia Gebert says mobile, NBN and satellite services should also be included. "What we're asking the government to do is create a more modern, contemporary regulatory environment that has technology-neutral service standards for both landline and internet, to ensure that consumers can get connected to a usable, reliable and quality service," she says.
I have to go outside to get good mobile phone reception at my house, and I’m not the only regional Australian with patchy coverage. In the past four years, more than 50,000 complaints about poor phone and internet coverage were made by people living in regional Australia, according to data released by the ombudsman this week.
This is a timely announcement, given the news article above: Telstra's new Satellite Home Internet, powered by Starlink, has arrived in Australia. Using satellite technology, it provides a new option for home internet access for those who live in regional areas and struggle with regular service coverage. Farmers Peter and Lucy Eccleston have trialled it on their farm near Orange, NSW and finally, they have good, reliable internet. Read their story.
Saputo, the Canadian company that operates King Island Dairy, has announced that it will be retiring the 120-year-old Australian brand and closing its King Island processing site by mid next year, saying the brand had "not maintained its position in today's ultra-competitive food industry".
The decision will have "a devastating impact on dairy farmers and the island community", said TasFarmers president Ian Sauer. "Dairy is a major employer and the flow-on effect will be felt through the entire community, from the supermarket to the hotel, and even the local hospital. These farmers have faced relentless hardships, and for those who’ve worked so hard to build a world-renowned and respected brand, this blow from Saputo is heartbreaking."
Tasmanian Premier Jeremy Rockcliff has suggested that the hunt to find a buyer is not over yet. In a statement on X, Rockcliff wrote: "We’re going to keep working with the company to try and find a new operator for this iconic dairy."
King Island Dairy is the latest in a series of Australian food brands, including SPC and Billson’s Brewery, to face significant challenges as manufacturing costs continue to rise.
Queensland farmers have more debt than two years ago, according to data released this week, and experts say it's a sign of positive industry growth. According to the latest Queensland Rural Debt Survey, debt has risen 8.2% in three years, from $26.99 billion in 2021 to $29.37 billion in 2023.
Economist Jon Gillespie attributes the debt rise to farmers investing in infrastructure, equipment and property to boost production. "Debt is not a bad thing. It can be quite good, providing it's done effectively," he said. "The agricultural industries in Queensland are doing relatively well in respect to the debt level."
A convoy of 40 trucks drove around Parliament House in Canberra on Tuesday, and thousands of protestors gathered outside for the National Farmers Rally, the first protest to be endorsed by the National Farmers Federation in almost 40 years.
The rally highlighted a range of concerns for Australian farmers including the live sheep export ban, Murray-Darling Basin water buybacks, and the impact of renewable energy projects on regional communities. However, some pundits suggest that rally organisers overlooked other important issues, including global warming, supply chain threats, and anti-competitive practices.
The Central Coast Council of Tasmania is lobbying for new laws to help local governments better manage wild pigs. Since 2000, the farming community of Gunns Plains has been terrorised by a drove of pigs that has grown to 150. Central Coast mayor Cheryl Fuller said the pigs have damaged local roads and property and have also attacked people and their pets. "Pigs can be very unkind", she said.
Wild pigs aren’t legally recognised as feral on mainland Tasmania, which affects their management. Tasmania's Environment and Resources Department said feral pigs in the state are found only on Flinders Island and are being managed. However, some experts believe that, if left unchecked, the roaming pig population on the mainland could grow to more than 30,000 in just 10 years.
Between the wild cows, feral deer, and roaming pigs, I hope our Tasmanian Galahs have excellent fences.
The Gibraltar Range waratah, which as the name suggests grows only in the Gibraltar Range, NSW, is among 20 plants and animals to be added to the list of threatened wildlife, bringing the total number of Australian endangered species and ecosystems to almost 2250.
The new listings come as legislation for a new national environment watchdog is being debated, and the implementation of a broader package of reforms to Australia’s environment laws faces ongoing delays.
Farmers Peter and Lucy Eccleston have trialled Telstra's new Satellite Home Internet on their farm near Orange, NSW. Joy upon joy, they now have good, reliable internet. Read their story.
With King Island’s double-cream brie, SPC canned peaches and Billson’s Portello on the chopping block and Allen’s Fantales discontinued, we’ve been thinking about the iconic Australian-brand foods we can’t bear to lose. For me, it’s Paddle Pops and Golden Gaytimes, my go-to bribe to get the kids out of the pool in summer.
For Annabelle, it’s the giant Holbrook Bakery wagon wheels of which she writes, "My god. I tried one on a road trip about 20 years ago and as soon as I finished it, I walked back in and bought two more."
We’d love to hear yours, hit reply and tell us about it.
This week will be my last as your Galah Weekly editor, as I launch into a new adventure as a full-time speechwriter. Without exaggeration, I have loved every minute spent bringing you this newsletter, and I’m a better guest at dinner parties and trivia nights now, too. I’ll be leaving you in the very capable hands of your new Galah Weekly editor, Dean Southwell, but I will continue to loiter about Galah HQ, and no doubt you’ll be hearing from me again.
Galah’s book tour is coming up, and we’ve added a stop in Mudgee, NSW. Catch editor-in-chief Annabelle Hickson in October at:
Barwon Heads, 1 October, 6pm. Join an evening of conversation with Annabelle and Galah contributor Sophie Hansen, including a glass of wine and nibbles at Heads and Tales Bookstore. Tickets here.
Merricks, 2 October, 12.15pm. Join a three-course long lunch with wine at Merricks Store. Tickets are $120 all-inclusive, available here.
Melbourne, 3 October, 6pm. Join this free event at Hill of Content bookshop. RSVP by email, melbourne@hillofcontentbookshop.com
Mudgee, 19 October, 11am. Join the Sculptures in the Garden annual outdoor art exhibition at Rosby Wines. Tickets here.
Discover the golden heartland of Wiradjuri Country, NSW. Follow a winding trail from Temora to Coolamon to Junee through glowing fields of gold as canola crops turn to face the spring sunshine. Read more.
The Museum of Australian Photography has announced Robert Fielding is the winner of this year’s Bowness Photography Prize. Fielding, who lives in SA’s remote Mimili community, took out the $30,000 prize for his work Sacred earth/Manta Miil miilpa. The 74 shortlisted works for this year’s prize are showing at the Museum of Australian Photography, Wheelers Hill, Vic, on 7 September-10 November. Read more.
Tour cold climate and native gardens and enjoy live music, artisan markets and art exhibitions at the inaugural Spring into Art Festival and Back Creek Art Show in the Blayney Shire village of Newbridge, NSW, on 19-20 October. Read more.
Sample the gourmet offerings of the NSW Tweed region and learn about the people who produce and make, from First Nations storytellers and chefs to distillers and brewers, cheesemakers and farmers. Savour the Tweed will stage more than 20 events across the region on 30 October-3 November. Read more.
Interview by Emma Hearnes.
In 2009, Arfa Khan moved from Pakistan to Australia. She joined her husband in Wollongong, where he was working as a doctor, and the couple eventually settled in Trafalgar in Victoria’s Gippsland region with their two young children. Khan describes herself as a social and cross-cultural champion, interfaith advocate, community leader, project planner, philanthropist and learner. Her career includes 10 years working at the United Muslim Sisters of Latrobe Valley (UMSLV).
Diversity has become a bit of a buzzword. How can we engage with it more genuinely?
It is really important to listen to local stories while working towards cultural diversity at any level – allowing underlying issues to come to the forefront. It’s vital to understand your culture is no more valuable or correct than anyone else's and this can be done by having true curiosity and engaging with people without stereotyping and preconceived biases and beliefs. Appreciate the differences.
I’ve heard you describe yourself as a "learner" many times. Why is this important to you?
I’m a naturally curious soul and I believe the more we learn the more we become more aware of how little we actually know. There are so many beautiful individuals with whom I work and engage daily and everyone has something unique to teach and take away. Everyone adds to my knowledge.
Tell us more about the work of UMSLV.
UMSLV is a women-led organisation that provides opportunities for inter-faith and cross-cultural discussions, amplifies the voices of our community and serves as a focal point where people can gather to build their extended family. I feel really proud of what we have achieved, bringing smiles and connection into people’s lives and contributing to a healthy Gippsland community.
The 2024 Australian Museum Eureka Prizes – dubbed the Science Oscars – have been awarded to 19 people and teams across fields including botanical science, infectious disease research, sustainability, STEM and school science.
It’s no secret that we’re big fans of bright ideas and innovation at Galah HQ. Read our story on biotech inventors, featuring farmers, marine biologists and Indigenous owners, in Galah issue 10, the invention issue, on sale at selected stockists and online here.
We’d love to hear about the news, events and people that should be making the headlines in Galah Weekly. Share what’s new(s) in your neck of the woods with us at newsie@galahpress.com
