Author: Isabella Kelly
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Largest childcare provider signs on to wage rise
Thousands of workers at Australia’s largest childcare provider have agreed to a pay rise ahead of a federal wage boost for the industry. Staff at Goodstart Early Learning voted for a new enterprise agreement that would trigger a 10 per cent pay increase from December, followed by a five per cent rise 12 months later.…
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Dangerous volcanic ash disrupts Australia-Bali flights
There has been chaos at airports across Australia after airlines cancelled flights to and from Bali following a volcanic eruption that spewed ash kilometres into the air. The groundings affected Jetstar, Qantas and Virgin Australia flights on Tuesday and Wednesday, leaving passengers stranded. The emergency began on Sunday when Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki erupted on the…
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Trump, Biden pledge orderly transition of power
US President-elect Donald Trump and President Joe Biden, longtime political rivals, have met for the first time since Trump won back the White House last week and both men promised a smooth transfer of power in January. The two leaders sat side by side on Wednesday before a roaring fire in the Oval Office, a…
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Up to 70 new homes for Whyalla
Expressions of Interest have opened for the development of two parcels of land in Whyalla, led by Renewal SA through the Office for Regional Housing. The first – a 1.7-hectare site on Kloeden Street near the airport – could host up to 30 allotments and requires at least 10 houses to be immediately constructed for…
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Conservation efforts for a rediscovered lizard
The endangered pygmy bluetongue lizard was rediscovered near Burra in 1992, and remains unique to the Mid North of South Australia. The tiny skink is the focus of a monitoring program by South Australian not-for-profit the Nature Foundation, which has established survey methods to create an accurate estimate of the remaining population. One such method…
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State prepares for incoming biosecurity hazard
The honey bee industry’s most serious pest worldwide, varroa mite, has spread to Victoria after being first detected in NSW in June 2022. Since then the Department of Primary Industries and Regionas (PIRSA) has developed a plan for what it warns is the inevitable spread of varroa mite into South Australia. Varroa mites, external parasites…
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Federal funding for Eyre Peninsula healthcare
The Northern Eyre Peninsula Health Alliance (NEPHA), consisting of Cleve, Cowell, Kimba, Wudinna, Elliston and Streaky Bay, has been given $1.4 million over four years by the Federal health department to improve healthcare accessibility in rural areas. The $24.7 million Innovative Models of Care (IMOC) Program has helped 21 organisations around the country, with NEPHA…
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Big plans for a Flinders art trail’s 21st birthday
A Brush with Art runs over a month around spring each year, bringing artists together from across the Flinders Ranges to curate a dedicated art trail to let tourists and locals immerse themselves in art. Launched in 2004, the Flinders Ranges Art Trail – as it was then called – first involved one exhibition each…
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Adelaide 500 traffic already worse than 2023
Road closures began last Friday ahead of the Adelaide 500, with several of Adelaide’s busiest roads already seeing an increased delay compared to last year. Travel time on Payneham Road between Glynburn and Hackney Road was up to 40 minutes on Friday, an increase from the 32-minute median time on the first Friday of 2023’s…
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Momentum building to protect Great Australian Bight
More voices have joined the chorus wanting to protect the Great Australian Bight, amid a push to add South Australia’s coastal jewel to the World Heritage List. Senior whale song man and Mirning Elder, Marbanu Bunna Lawrie told AAP the area needs to stop being polluted and start being protected. “Our mob have been looking…