Locked and loaded, now gathering dust: What killed Narrabri's battery?
By Jess Davis, Nathan Morris, and Alex Lim
A community battery project three years in the making, run by a local not-for-profit and backed by the council, was killed after a spark of misinformation about its fire risk was ignited.
#RenewableEnergy #Batteries #ClimateChange #RegionalCommunities #GreenhouseGases #GlobalWarming #RegionalDevelopmentandPlanning #JessDavis #NathanMorris # #AlexLim
Renewable rollout leaves $600k repair bill for road 'bogholes'
By Melinda Hayter
Regional councils hosting renewable energy infrastructure say the reality differs from what was promised, often leaving them with damage bills worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.
#RenewableEnergy #RegionalCommunities #RegionalDevelopmentandPlanning #LocalGovernment #StateandTerritoryGovernment #MelindaHayter
Gold Coast Trump Tower developer was 'uncontactable' after business collapse
By Liam Walsh and Glen Norris
The businessman behind a proposed Trump Tower on the Gold Coast ran a development business that collapsed owing $28 million.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-02-25/trump-tower-altus-david-young-business-collapse/106382270
#UrbanDevelopmentandPlanning #ConstructionandRealEstateIndustry #RegionalDevelopmentandPlanning #LiamWalsh #GlenNorris
Developer behind Gold Coast Trump Tower proposal went bankrupt twice
By Liam Walsh and Glen Norris
A search by the ABC of federal insolvency records reveals the developer has had personal financial scrapes.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-02-24/trump-tower-developer-went-bankrupt-twice/106379446
#UrbanDevelopmentandPlanning #ConstructionandRealEstateIndustry #RegionalDevelopmentandPlanning #LiamWalsh #GlenNorris
Cash-strapped councils slowly march towards financial cliff
Huge areas, spiralling costs and a small revenue base do not add up for a growing number of councils in NSW.
#LocalGovernment #StateandTerritoryGovernment #Roads #RegionalDevelopmentandPlanning #BusinessEconomicsandFinance
As erosion costs climb these coastal communities consider retreat
By Josh Brine
With costs and damage mounting, councils are considering all options, including pulling back from the beaches.
#Erosion #RisingSeaLevels #ClimateChange #LocalGovernment #RegionalDevelopmentandPlanning #RegionalCommunities #Storms #JoshBrine
Landholders fear large-scale battery project will impact housing growth
By Samuel O'Brien and Becc Bird
Landholders call for a proposed 500-megawatt battery energy storage project to be moved amid concerns it will impact on housing developments in South Australia's second largest city.
#RenewableEnergy #RegionalDevelopmentandPlanning #HousingConstructionIndustry #RealEstateIndustry #RegionalCommunities #EnergyIndustry #Batteries #ConstructionandRealEstateIndustry #SamuelOBrien #BeccBird
Hopes modular homes will solve outback town's housing shortage woes
By Kimberley Putland
Amid warnings regional housing shortages will deepen, one regional city in northern Western Australia is looking to a modular solution.
#HousingConstructionIndustry #RegionalDevelopmentandPlanning #KimberleyPutland
Grape growers want to rezone land for housing to exit industry in crisis
By Jackson Byrne
The wine grape industry in South Australia's Riverland continues to face unprecedented levels of uncertainty, as growers look to exit the industry and turn their land into residential housing.
#Viticulture #Grapevines #UrbanDevelopmentandPlanning #AgriculturalCrops #LocalGovernment #RegionalDevelopmentandPlanning #HousingConstructionIndustry #HousingPolicy #Farmers #RegionalCommunities #JacksonByrne
Region to woo Defence with training site, Australian-owned port and airport
By Jasmine Hines
Three central Queensland councils are trying to entice the Australian Defence Force to invest in the region, in the hopes of a defence economy boom.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-02-17/defence-push-invest-central-qld-councils/106343496
#DefenceForces #DefenceIndustry #RegionalDevelopmentandPlanning #JasmineHines
National park officials defend 'diabolical' new booking system for WA campers
By Kelsey Reid, Mietta Adams, Andrew Collins, and Nadia Mitsopoulos
A West Australian department is working to refine its new campsite booking system for a World Heritage area after its website crashed during the first week of the trial.
#Camping #TravelandTourism #TourismandLeisureIndustry #RegionalDevelopmentandPlanning #KelseyReid #MiettaAdams #AndrewCollins # #NadiaMitsopoulos
Residents 'embarrassed' by WA town as buyback scheme ends
By Mietta Adams
As Port Hedland's controversial dust buyback scheme winds up, Pilbara Ports quietly walks away from major plans to build a training facility and accommodation, with development plans for the area still uncertain.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-02-12/port-hedland-buyback-ends-leaving-uncertain-future/106050394
#RegionalDevelopmentandPlanning #HousingPolicy #MiningEnvironmentalIssues #UrbanDevelopmentandPlanning #MiettaAdams
Alpine town struggles with identity as logging industry packs up
By Madeleine Stuchbery
Job losses mean Swifts Creek in Victoria's High Country is facing an identity crisis, but it is not the only small town undergoing a transformation.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-02-10/swifts-creek-future-as-logging-industry-closes/105904130
#ForestryLoggingandTimberIndustry #RegionalDevelopmentandPlanning #RegionalCommunities #Unemployment #StateandTerritoryGovernment #MadeleineStuchbery
Small towns fight to keep their schools open amid low enrolments
By Jonathan Hawes
As the gates shut at five tiny schools across regional New South Wales, residents fear the loss will be felt far beyond the classroom.
#PrimaryEducation #RegionalCommunities #RegionalDevelopmentandPlanning #EducationalInstitutions #PublicSchools #JonathanHawes
1960s films restored in hope of enticing new migrants to regional Australia
By Samuel O'Brien and Elyse Armanini
The National Film and Sound Archive has released 4K restorations of the 1960s film series Life in Australia, commissioned by the Department of Immigration to attract new migrants to regional Australia.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-01-26/nfsa-restoration-of-mount-gambier-life-in-australia/106117106
#History #Immigration #FilmIndustry #RegionalCommunities #RegionalDevelopmentandPlanning #AdvertisingandMarketingIndustry #Advertising #HumanInterest #Movies #Documentaries #SamuelOBrien #ElyseArmanini
Breaking: WA gives embattled Griffin Coal another lifeline, citing energy security
By Daniel Mercer
Since 2022, the WA government has already tipped $300 million into propping up the insolvent Indian-owned miner, which is more than $1 billion in debt.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-01-21/roger-cook-extends-griffin-coal-financial-lifeline/106250998
#Coal #EnergyIndustry #RegionalDevelopmentandPlanning #StateandTerritoryGovernment #StateandTerritoryParliament #GovernmentandPolitics #DanielMercer
Developer's bid to demolish 140-year-old flour mill walls faces backlash
By Samuel O'Brien and Becc Bird
As the wrecking ball looms, a community battle is brewing over whether historic flour mill walls need to fall to make way for development.
#RegionalDevelopmentandPlanning #UrbanDevelopmentandPlanning #Architecture #SamuelOBrien #BeccBird
Developer's bid to demolish 140-year-old flour mill walls faces backlash
By Samuel O'Brien and Becc Bird
As the wrecking ball looms, a community battle is brewing over whether historic flour mill walls need to fall to make way for development.
#RegionalDevelopmentandPlanning #UrbanDevelopmentandPlanning #Architecture #SamuelOBrien #BeccBird
In vet care deserts, an hour can be the difference between life and death
By Isabella Kelly
More than 250,000 people do not have ready access to a vet in Australia, and according to the industry it is not completely down to a shortage. It is also a distribution issue which is also putting biosecurity at risk.
#VeterinaryMedicine #RuralandRemoteCommunities #Pets #RegionalDevelopmentandPlanning #RegionalCommunities #Animals #LivestockHealthandWelfare #LivestockFarming #SheepFarming #Farmers #IsabellaKelly
A Tasmanian council built a wall. It hasn't gone down well
By Sandy Powell
A concrete wall built on the picturesque waterfront of a small Tasmanian town has prompted confusion and concern from residents.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-01-10/wall-blocking-views-on-strahan-waterfront-ridiculed/106209782
#RegionalDevelopmentandPlanning #TourismandLeisureIndustry #SandyPowell
