Tuesday, December 3
FAST-paced and witty, Never Mind the Buzzers, Here’s RocKwiz LIVE! brought the music quiz show’s beloved blended live format to Swan Hill Town Hall on Saturday with characteristic gusto.
The four local contestants met hosts Julia Zemiro and Brian Nankervis beat for beat, alongside three well-known musicians: a Voice finalist and theatre actress, an ARIA-nominated singer – songwriter and an LA-based Aussie blues and roots singer and guitarist.
INDEPENDENT candidate for Farrer Michelle Milthorpe has come to the defence of the Federal Government’s fee-free TAFE program.
The program has been the source of political debate over the past fortnight, as the Coalition opposed Government attempts to guarantee 100,000 fee free TAFE placements every year from 2027.
Friday, December 6
THE hottest tickets this summer were on sale as the State Emergency Service (SES) Swan Hill Unit geared up for its annual Great Duck Race.
Held on New Year’s Day, the duck race will celebrate its 35th anniversary in 2025 and has become as much a part of Swan Hill’s identity as Arnold the giant cod and The Pioneer Settlement.
Mayor Stuart King continued the mayoral tradition and purchased the first official duck of the 2025 race.
REGIONAL Australians would be allocated 30 per cent of a $5 billion funding promise as part of the Coalition’s home-building plan to unlock new homes in regional, rural and remote Australia.
Member for Mallee Dr Anne Webster confirmed that if the Coalition wins the next federal election, an ambitious target would be set for 30 per cent of the Housing Infrastructure Programme to be spent in the regions, benefiting areas such as Gannawarra, Goldfields, Mallee, Sunraysia and the Wimmera.
Tuesday, December 10
THE COMMUNITY turned out in the hundreds to celebrate the completion of the new Swan Hill District Health Emergency Department (ED).
The new ED has prioritised patient and family comfort within the state-of-the-art facilities, with toilets and beverage stations conveniently placed throughout, plenty of seating and thoughtfully designed rooms to preserve patient dignity and privacy.
VICTORIA Police had zero tolerance towards drink driving during the festive month.
It comes as new analysis revealed December is the worst month for drink driving.
Over the past three years, 2591 drink driving detections were recorded in the final month of the calendar year.
That was 20 per cent higher than November, when 2154 motorists were caught over the limit in the three years.
Friday, December 13
THE proposed VHM Limited Rare Earth and Mineral Sands Project at Goschen will progress to the federal government for approval, after the Victorian Minister for Planning completed her assessment on Tuesday.
Minister Sonya Kilkenny released a 110-page assessment of the Goschen project, which concluded that the potential environmental and nuclear impacts would be at acceptable levels with mitigation and offsetting measures.
SUMMER has arrived and its already packing a punch.
From this weekend, temperatures are going to skyrocket with hot and muggy conditions moving southeast from central Australia.
The high temps, originating from the Northern Territory and Western Australia, will be dragged down through western New South Wales and into northern Victoria from Saturday.
Tuesday, December 17
THE sound of Christmas carols filled Riverside Park on Sunday as revellers joined to celebrate the annual Carols by Candlelight event.
Despite it being 38 degrees at 6.30pm, the scorching heat didn’t deter anyone as more than a thousand people attended for an evening full of carols, food and fireworks.
SCORCHING heat took hold of the Mallee yesterday with temperatures reaching 45 degrees in Swan Hill by 3pm, breaking a five-year December record not seen since 2019.
Friday, December 20
THE Swan Hill Drag Strip has taken another leap forward with the signing of a three-year lease with Swan Hill Rural City Council on Tuesday.
Previously known as Skid City Consortium, the group, which plans to develop drag racing in Swan Hill, has now established a not-for-profit organisation, Skid City (Swan Hill) Inc.
A BRIGHT and sunny Christmas is on the cards this year with warm weather forecast for the region.
Across the Mallee, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day are shaping up to be perfect for outdoor celebrations, backyard cricket, and of course barbecues.
