Thursday, 20 May, 2021
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Incorporating the Southern Free Times
53 Fitzroy Street, Warwick Qld 4370 www.helenharm.com
Fatal crash in Storm King
Helen’s rural Insights
Q&A with Candy Sumpton
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Budget breakdown The Southern Downs and Granite Belt scored some wins in the 2021-22 federal budget delivered by Treasurer Josh Frydenberg last week. Budget documents revealed $500,000 would go towards the Warwick Recycled Water for Agriculture project to upgrade an existing recycled water treatment plant, and $250 million would go to expanding the Building Better Regions Fund. The region is also set to benefit from the federal government’s $160 million commitment to helping women flee violent situations, which includes first-of-its-kind immediate financial assistance. For more see page 10
Trivia fun Stanthorpe locals had the chance to live out their childhood dreams, if only for a night, at the St Joseph’s School Parents and Friends’ trivia night on Saturday 15 May. Guests took advantage of the evening’s theme, ‘When I grow up, I want to be...’, and arrived dressed as firefighters, professional athletes, and royalty - among virtually every other profession imaginable. After trivia, guests visited the bar, chatted with friends, and kicked on with ‘DJ Wrenny’. Check out our pics from the evening on page 25
Blaze destroys home A family has been left homeless after a fire destroyed their Applethorpe home on Sunday 16 May. Nobody was at home at the time, and all pets escaped unscathed, but the family’s
belongings and memories have gone up in smoke. Friends of the family have set up a GoFundMe to support them as they prepare to start over. Story and photos page 6
$1.5m in the net After years of campaigning, Queensland apple and pear growers will soon have access to $1.5 million in grants to purchase and install protective netting. The funding was announced by Minister for Agriculture, Drought and Emergency Management David Littleproud and Queensland Minister for Agricultural Industry Development and Fisheries Mark Furner on 7 May 2021, and
has since been met with reserved cheers from Granite Belt growers. The grants will allow Queensland apple and pear producers access to 50 percent of the cost of purchasing and installing protective netting, up to a maximum of $150,000. But while the investment is appreciated by local growers, many have indicated it will not be enough to adequately support all
who need it. Horticulture sales manager at NetPro, a Stanthorpe-based company that specialises in protective netting, Lindsay Adams said the pitch canopies typically used by local growers to protect their orchards and crops cost approximately $70,000 per hectare. Based on this estimate, $1.5 million in grants would fund approximately 20 hectares
worth of netting. Lindsay said Granite Belt apple and pear growers are grateful for the funding, but many were expecting – and hoping for – much more, particularly given South Australian growers have access to $14.6 million in grants under the same Horticultural Netting Program. Turn to page 5 for the full story
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