Local landcare groups and Wiradjuri Cultural Burns Team deliver hands-on workshop teaching 60,000-year-old fire management techniques to modern land managers.

NSW Premier Chris Minns has sparked debate around the introduction of a bounty on feral animals.

Speaking on radio last week Mr Minns suggested that a system where shooters are paid a small fee for each feral animal killed could be a "novel way" to reduce their populations, which he believes have "taken over a lot of parks."

He also indicated that it could encourage recreational shooters who might have been deterred by rising fuel and food costs.

He cited Victoria's fox bounty scheme, which paid around $14-$15 per fox in 2022, as a potential model.

The Riverine Grazier’s Tertia Butcher covers Hay Shire Council news - Hay Library is still a wonderful community asset and Council votes to exit RAMJO, after fees increase.

Vegetation protection on farms is vital for soil health, but Stacey and Ian Lugsdin also discovered a rare plant - once thought extinct - on their farm. The Winged Peppercress herb has been found on sandhills near Gunbar, NSW.

Dr Ben Gooden and Caroline Delaisse visited Hay recently, to present the rust fungus success story at the Riverina Local Land Services forum.

The fungus is being used by the CSIRO, in the fight against noxious weed, the African Boxthorn.

Image: CSIRO

Hay Shire Council expects to maintain its cash position in the General Fund, despite substantial operating deficits for the next five years.

Council said, apart from the pool replacement and new road works, the forecasts are to spend less than 60 per cent on average of its depreciation cost on capital renewal over the rest of its Long-Term Financial Plan (10 years).

We put out the call, and you answered – hidden abuse is happening right now in our town.

“The nice neighbour you have next door - and have known your whole life, isn’t always who you think they are behind closed doors,” one person told us.

“It happens in ‘good’ families too,” said another.

A third said they were ‘lucky’ because their abuse has stopped.

“Almost everyone has a story. Some are lucky that the abuse stops, like me, but it took me calling the police to have a shock effect to achieve that. I am a lucky one.”

After the recent articles dealing with family violence published in The Riverine Grazier by Kimberly Grabham and myself, we offered our community an anonymous portal to share personal stories.

We received a dozen responses, including two from outside Hay, in neighbouring towns.

They told us of physical violence, including punching, hitting, spitting, kicking and sexual assault. They told us their finances are controlled, and that having their home broken into is a regular occurrence.

One told us of historic child sexual abuse at the hands of an uncle.

Despite a swing against her, and Labor winning the federal election in a landslide, Liberal Party incumbent Sussan Ley appears poised to retain the seat of Farrer.

At time of publication Ms Ley held an estimated 62 per cent of the vote, ahead of first-time independent candidate Michelle Milthorpe, who is expected to capture more than 20 per cent of the vote tally.

Labor’s Glen Hyde is trailing the two forerunners on just over 15 per cent.

The Cobb Highway cotton gin, operated by Australian Food and Fibre (AFF) has entered its tenth year of processing.

Since 2015, the Hay gin has processed 1.2 million bales. That’s enough to produce a whopping 258 million pairs of jeans or 1,440 million tee shirts.

A quiet revolution is brewing in the world of food, and it's not happening in the paddocks – it's in the pharmacies.

New weight-loss drugs, like the much-talked-about Ozempic, are not only helping individuals shed pounds but are also prompting experts to consider a seismic shift in our food systems, potentially even more significant than the impacts of climate change.

Hay Shire Council has welcomed the announcement that Pottinger Wind Farm (Someva/AGL) and Bullawah Wind Farm (BayWa r.e) have been granted access under the South West Renewable Energy Zone Access Rights Scheme announced last Wednesday.

“This will be a real boost to our local economy,” Hay Shire Mayor Carol Oataway said.

“We’re looking forward to working with both Someva /AGL (Pottinger) and BayWa r.e (Bullawah) to ensure these developments benefit our community now and into the future.

The Australian Government has released figures pertaining to more than $89 million water purchasing contracts for the period March 1 to April 14. Total purchases over the past six week total $210 million.

District water holders have taken advantage of the government buyback scheme, with local agricultural businesses Hazeldean, Budgewah Pastoral Co and M and T Mirabelli listed on the Austender CW website.

Read how our own Kimberly Grabham, credits the support of Alice, from Linking Communities Newtwork, in helping her escape homelessness.

The 1923 police strike and riots in Melbourne rocked the entire nation - The officer at the centre of it all moved to Hay and became a much-loved member of the community.

Read the story of Constable William Thomas Brooks.

Special feature: Celebrating 90 years of Hay CWA. Read about the history of the women’s advocacy organisation and enjoy a bonus recipe for traditional ANZAC biscuits.

The 30,000 hectare Kooba farm aggregation has sold, for a rumoured $500 million. Australian Food and Fibre (AFF), owner of Hay’s cotton gin, will take ownership of Kooba, in a joint venture between Canadian-based agribusiness PSP Investments and the Robinson family.

Trigger warning: Family violence

One woman’s story of surviving an attack that happened while her home town slept, and battling the system to stay safe.

“I started screaming at him ‘You are going to kill me.’ He was in that rage that he didn’t even see the two trucks coming.”

“Flat out of dough”

As construction on a new pool continues, Krista Schade delves into the past, reviving the coverage of the completion of Hay’s first swimming pool.

John Houston, described as the ‘all time president’ led local fundraising efforts.

An estimated 200,000 people live with Parkinson’s Disease in Australia.

As World Parkinson’s Awareness Day approaches, Kimberly Grabham speaks with someone recently diagnosed, and attempts a pancake flip to raise awareness.