FlowNews24

Jo Hall the chief executive officer of Wool Producers Australia speaks with FlowFM listeners across southern NSW, regional Victoria and South Australia about the latest efforts to promote Australian wool abroad, find a diversified source of processing in an expanding market, and continuing efforts to address labour shortages in shearing and woolsheds.

The New South Wales Labor candidate for the seat of Albury, Marcus Rowland, joins us again on FlowFM to discuss what he's been hearing in the western part of the electorate taking in local communities like Corowa, Urana, Oaklands and Mulwala, and we speak in detail about how Labor is looking to address the shortage of nurses and housing in the region and across regional NSW. Early voting opens on...

The Liberal MP for Grey who has been an advocate for the Napandee low level spent nuclear fuel storage facility near Kimba on South Australia's Eyre Peninsula, Rowan Ramsey, talks with Flow FM listeners across regional South Australia about the new nuclear submarine deal under the AUKUS (Australia - United Kingdom - United States of America) alliance and talks down the prospect of any waste arisin...

Voters in electorates like Murray in southern NSW but also to the north want politicians to represent their local community views across the Great Dividing Range on Macquarie Street in Sydney, the deputy director of the Institute of Public Affairs, Daniel Wild, tells flow listeners in the NSW Riverina.

On Wednesday morning 15 March 2023 the Australian Energy Regulator released its draft Default Market Offer determination with significant price increases for South Australian, New South Wales and south eastern Queensland energy customers. We discuss the impact of the draft, if it comes to fruition from 1 July, with South Australia's shadow minister for energy and net zero, the SA Liberals' Stephen...

The federal member for Barker including Truro in the northern Barossa Valley (pictured left with state Liberal MP for Schubert, including Truro, Ashton Hurn) says he's disappointed to learn there is no plan for the Sturt Highway bypass at Truro to be built at first instance as a dual carriageway to handle freight. Apologies for the poor line connection in this interview, we are working to resolve...

We discuss with the independent MP for Murray, Helen Dalton, housing and health spending among other topics in this chat just before the 25 March 2023 state election. Mrs Dalton questions the Nationals candidate's future as Edward River mayor if she defeats her to regain the Murray seat for the National Party.

Troy Grant discusses with Flow FM listeners across regional NSW, Victoria and South Australia, some of the key Murray-Darling Basin states, the compliance work on water taking and use undertaken in the Basin, including his role in calling out the NSW Government's progress on water sharing plans key to his office's compliance activities.

The ANZ's head of agribusiness insights Michael Whitehead checks in for the Friday Country Viewpoint program on FlowFM from our Colac broadcast region (90.9FM) on how the cattle and sheep markets are travelling for Australian producers.

The Australian Wool Exchange has been doing a roaring trade with large offerings for weeks and no sign it will abate, particularly with a Melbourne public holiday on Monday stifling trading opportunities. We discuss the latest with Michell Direct Wool's Andrew Partridge.

... and as the federal member for the seat of Grey including Port Lincoln, we hear Rowan Ramsey's reaction to the state government decision on Thursday to ignore the Site Selection Committee's preference and instead prepare to situate a desalination plant at Billy Lights Point, adjacent to the Port Lincoln city centre and Boston Bay. Rowan Ramsey has called on Westpac to resume operating its Coobe...

Winter croppers might be looking more favourably towards planting barley this season but not necessarily due to rumours of a cooling in Australia-China relations and thereby the tariff case between the two countries, as we discuss planting intentions and market forces including the Russia grain corridor deal renewal in March 2023 with ProFarmerGrain's Sean Hickey.

David Beatty, group manager of productivity and animal wellbeing at Meat and Livestock Australia talks about a new project in South Australia's northern arid lands aiming to reduce wild dog activity by 80 per cent.

The South Australian MP covering the southern Eyre Peninsula and Port Lincoln, Sam Telfer, speaks with Flow listeners the day after water minister Susan Close told FlowFM the government would situate a desalination plant for water security for the region at Billy Lights Point adjacent to the city centre, not at Sleaford West, the site chosen by an independent site selection committee chaired by th...

A horrific early 2023 run of crashes brings road safety into the spotlight for federal assistant minister for transport and infrastructure, Tony Pasin who says duplication of highways including the Dukes and Sturt Highways in his Barker electorate of South Australia, and the Augusta highway in neighbouring Grey, should be priorities. However, Mr Pasin argues, a $5 billion pricetag for the final se...

We discuss with the South Australian environment and water minister why the government intends to proceed with a desalination plant in Boston Bay despite an independent site selection committee commissioned by the former Marshall Liberal government preferring Sleaford Bay on the southern Eyre Peninsula. We cover SARDI's research on the environmental impacts in Boston Bay, how a future desalination...

The federal assistant minister for regional and rural health, Emma McBride shares with FlowFM listeners how the Albanese Labor government is working towards the May 2023 budget to assist remote, rural and regional communities accessing better primary health care. A pharmacist before her election, the assistant minister also discusses the rural multidisciplinary practice model recently discussed on...

Australians are shopping around to beat inflation pressures by looking for private label or 'home brand' supermarket milk, China has bolstered its own milk production and Australian dairy farmers will get better farmgate prices in a falling supply environment - these insights and many more in our chat with Dairy Australia's industry analyst Eliza Redfern

The big four banks' proposed or actual closures of branches in regional towns such as Junee NSW, Sale and Robinvale Victoria and Coober Pedy, Kingston SE & Kapunda has sparked an inquiry moved by Queensland LNP senator Gerard Rennick. The chair of the senate rural, regional and transport references committee tasked with the inquiry, Matt Canavan, speaks with FlowFM listeners in regional NSW, V...

Adelaide residents and visitors are being encouraged to report sightings of tagged ibises as they are sighted more frequently in South Australia's capital after their spread into urbanised centres on the eastern seaboard - more information: https://www.greenadelaide.sa.gov.au/news/2023-monitoring-white-ibis

... and we discuss the multi-disciplinary approach already used in regional areas as a model to alleviate strain on doctors practising in regional Australia. Dr Tonkin says AHPRA has been streamlining approvals processes and believes the fees charged for approvals are not a substantial barrier to securing doctors in rural Australia.

Could a Viterra and Aurizon proposal to re-open Eyre Peninsula railway lines take the strain off local roads after some bumper winter crop harvests? We discuss with the CEO of Grain Producers SA how such a proposal might be viable, what role they envisage government might need to play, and how other commodities - such as mineral resources - may need to be part of the mix to make it viable.

Lee McLean the chief executive officer of Australian Grape and Wine calls for a rethink on the Export Market Development Grant program criteria with some producers already exhausting their opportunities there, as the challenges re-entering the Chinese export market continue. AGW welcomes the improved relations between Australia and China but reflects on ABARES data out today showing just how hard...

Sarah Strachan is the Group Manager - Adoption and Commercialisation at Meat and Livestock Australia and shares with Flow listeners how MLA has been working to achieve consistency across Australia's cattle producing regions on how their stock are described through new guidelines.

The Western Australian government recently announced it would require mandatory mental health checks for firearms owners . We speak with the president of the Shooters Union of Australia, Graham Park, about this departure from the National Firearms Agreement, Western Australia's tendency to go it alone, and where policing activity should focus when it comes to gun crime.