“It is obvious the government have lost complete control of their budget”. ”Letter to Coober Pedy Businesses Dear All, By now you will be aware that the state government intends to dramatically […]
Coober Pedy Regional Times
South Australian Outback/Regional Newspaper and Community Forum
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SATIC: “ALARMING POWER PRICES THREATENS OUTBACK TOURISM SUSTAINABILITY”
Power price increases of up to 120% may force tourism businesses to close in Coober Pedy and other key South Australian outback tourism destinations. South Australian Tourism Industry Council Chief Executive, Ward […]
REMOTE COMMUNITIES BLUDGEONED IN RUTHLESS TAX RAID
In a letter received from Minister O’Brien yesterday regarding the Remote Areas Energy Supplies (RAES), he states the following reasons for implenting a $1.3 million tax on 13 remote communities in the […]
URGENT ACTION ON COOBER PEDY POWER
FAMILY FIRST MLC Dennis Hood is circulating a petition and has raised in Parliament concerns regarding massive increases in the electricity tariff for Coober Pedy and 12 other outback towns that are […]
CARBON TAX: “FAMILIES, NOT COMPANIES, WILL PAY”
“ORDINARY families will cop the brunt of Labor’s carbon tax hit squarely in their hip-pockets,” Leader of the Nationals Warren Truss told a rally of over 3,000 protesters outside Parliament House in […]
“MINING SECTOR A CAUSE FOR CUTTING REMOTE AREAS ELECTRICITY SUBSIDY” SAYS ENERGY MINISTER

Energy Minister Michael O’Brien has stated on ABC radio that “one of the compelling reasons for withdrawing the Remote Areas Electricity Subsidy from 13 remote communities was due to the increased mining […]
THE TAX THAT FELL OUT OF THE SKY
Dear Editor, Most of us who live in remote South Australia are content when rain falls from the sky, but the latest tax that fell on us is somewhat confusing. Basically most […]
REMOTE ELECTRICITY TALKS MAY HELP RECTIFY “BUNGLED” PRICING STRUCTURE IN OUTBACK

Negotiations are currently underway between the Coober Pedy District Council and the Hon Michael O’Brien MP, the Minister for Energy in South Australia following community outrage over what outback residents and businesses […]
DAN VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN: “REMOTE TOWN’S ELECTRICITY TARIFF UNFAIR, UNREALISTIC AND UNACCEPTABLE”

In a speech to the South Australian Parliament on 8 March 2011 Mr Dan Van Holst Pellekaan the Federal Member for Stuart spoke strongly of the effects the unfair and unrealistic electricity […]
ENERGY MINISTER’S “OFFENSIVE COMMENTS” SHOCK S.A. REMOTE AREA TRADERS

Adam Plate of Oodnadatta Traders (Pink Roadhouse Oodnadatta), a general outback business employing up to 12 people, this week expressed dismay at the electricity price rises which he said will be “much […]
OUTBACK ELECTRICITY TARIFFS: “SHORT SIGHTED SA GOVERNMENT SADDLES TOWNS WITH IMPOSSIBLE DEBTS”
Letter to Senator Nick Xenaphon from Yanni Athanasiadis of Umoona Opal Mine and Museum re: the short sighted decision of SA Government and Energy minister to impose $1.3m electricity tariff on Outback […]
OUTBACK ELECTRICITY TARIFFS: “CONTEMPTUOUS TREATMENT OF OUTBACK SA COMMUNITIES”
Letter to Premier Mike Rann from Yanni Athanasiadis of Umoona Opal Mine & Museum Coober Pedy re: discriminatory $1.3million electricity tax on remote South Australian communities Mr Rann, My name is Yanni Athanasiadis and […]
OUTBACK ELECTRICITY TARIFFS: “WE WILL PURSUE THIS AS FAR AS IT GOES!”
Letter to Ms Lyn Breuer MP from Yanni Athanasiadis Umoona Opal Mine & Museum Coober Pedy re: Discrimination in Electricity Tariffs imposed on Regional South Australians Mrs Breuer, I tried to call your office […]
SA GOVT SQUEEZE $1.3M FROM OUTBACK TOWNS IN A CRIPPLING TAX LUNGE
SA govt squeeze outback towns for $1.3m extra taxes but procrastinate over collecting $200m in unpaid fines elsewhere Letter to Editor by: Richard Abbott a licenced land surveyor from Adelaide who visits Coober Pedy regularly. […]
MINISTER SNUBS REGIONAL TOURISM OVER POWER INCREASES
South Australian tourism minister John Rau brushed aside the fate of tourism businesses in remote communities when asked in parliament how he expects a small remote tourism business to absorb massive increases […]
SA GOVT’S NEW ELECTRICITY TARRIFS = JOB LOSSES FOR COOBER PEDY

The District Council of Coober Pedy and the Coober Pedy Retail Business and Tourism Association are vehemently opposed to the new South Australian Government electricity tarriff increases and are doing everything possible […]
“TOUR DE YASI” LEAVES FAR NORTH SA COLD AND FLOODED

Temperatures in the Far North communities of SA plummeted from the high 40s down to 17C on Sunday as Ex-Cyclone Yasi circled the top end of the state. Pastoral areas north of Coober Pedy […]
CYCLONE YASI: UP TO 8 INCHES FLOODING FOR OUTBACK SA

for THUNDERSTORMS, DAMAGING WIND, FLASH FLOODING and LARGE HAILSTONES A deep tropical low pressure system associated with the remnants of Tropical Cyclone Yasi is threatening up to 8 inches of rain for areas just north […]
IMX: CAIRN HILL SALES CONTRACT NOVATED TO SICHUAN TAIFENG
Iron ore producer, IMX Resources Limited (ASX:IXR) is pleased to announce that the Cairn Hill Phase 1 life of mine sales contract has been novated to the Sichuan Taifeng Group on the […]
LINC ENERGY AWARDS $2.6M SEISMIC CONTRACT AT ARCKARINGA BASIN
Linc Energy CEO and Managing Director Peter Bond announced this week that Terrex Seismic had been awarded a $2.6 million contract for an aggressive 2D seismic program on Linc Energy’s petroleum and […]
ETSA WARNS: CATASTROPHIC FIRE CONDITIONS FOR SA – HIGH WINDS
Elders Weather: 45 degrees predicted for Coober Pedy on New Year’s Day ETSA Utilities is closely monitoring weather conditions following the CFS warning of catastrophic fire conditions tomorrow (Friday) and the Bureau […]
LIGHT AIRCRAFT MAKES EMERGENCY LANDING NEAR WILLIAM CREEK IN FAR NORTH
Residents of the Williams Creek area availed themselves to search and rescue procedures yesterday afternoon, when a light plane (Jabiru) made an emergency landing approximately 48 kilometres North West of William Creek […]
MAN MISSING NEAR GLENDAMBO – POLICE SEEK ASSISTANCE
Update: Police have since released that the missing man has returned to Glendambo safely, although suffering from dehydration after 7 hours in the scrub with temperatures in the high 30s. Previously: Roxby Downs […]
GREENS: “SOLAR DELAY COSTING HOUSEHOLDS $5,000 DAILY”
“The Rann Government’s tardiness in changing its solar feed-in bonus scheme will cost households with solar PV cells at least $800,000 – with potential lost revenue increasing $5,000 per day”, says SA […]
SACE: YEAR 12 RESULTS POSTED TODAY
UPDATE: 2013 Year 12 SACE results 2013 will be released online from 8am, Thursday 19 December, 2013. Go to: http://www.sace.sa.edu.au/home
OLYMPIC DAM: URANIUM ALTERNATIVE WOULD SAVE UP TO $18.9 MILLION LITRES WATER DAILY
Authorities have got to decide whether they are happy for South Australia to simply be China’s quarry”, says SA Greens MLC Mark Parnell. A new peer-reviewed report shows that a ‘no uranium’ […]
AUSTRALIA’S MEDIA CONSIDER SA’s RESOURCE POTENTIAL

South Australian Government communications organisation Advantage SA this week hosted interstate and local media groups on a tour aimed at encouraging positive publicity for the SA mining sector. Advantage SA CEO Nikki […]
BHP SUPPLEMENTARY EIS RESPONSE IS IN – PUBLIC TO WAIT A FURTHER 8 WEEKS
BHP Billiton operators of the Olympic Dam gold, copper and uranium mine in the mid north of the state has handed the South Australian government it’s 15,000 page supplementary environmental impact statement. […]
CAB CHASSIS UTES – DISAPPOINTING SAFETY RATINGS

Australia’s leading independent vehicle safety advocate, the Australasian New Car Assessment Program, today announced a disappointing 3-star safety ratings for two cab chassis utes – the Toyota Landcruiser 70 Series and the […]
DRUG STASH ($150K) FOUND IN ADELAIDE – ALICE SPRINGS BUS LUGGAGE
Police sniffer dogs have found a commercial quantity of drugs stashed in luggage on a northbound bus in Alice Springs overnight. Police were checking the Stuart Highway bus from Adelaide when sniffer […]
OZ MINERALS: SENIOR MANAGEMENT CHANGES AT PROMINENT HILL

OZ Minerals announced today that Executive General Manager Mick Wilkes has accepted an exciting new role as CEO of the Australian based gold mining company OceanaGold Corporation and will be leaving OZ […]
LGA COUNCIL ELECTION RESULTS 2010- COOBER PEDY
FINAL results for the 2010 Local Government elections at Coober Pedy. The following election results are published by the Local Government Association. Results are only final where candidates are marked “elected”.
GROWING INDIGENOUS WORKFORCE AT PROMINENT HILL IN FAR NORTH

On Thursday 28 October at Prominent Hill eight members of the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) Lands community graduated from the Award Winning* OZ Minerals Pre-Employment Training Program and were formally recognised in […]
CAIRN HILL PROJECT NEAR COOBER PEDY HITS ANOTHER MILESTONE

IMX Resources Limited is pleased to announce that the first train load of Cairn Hill Magnetite – Copper – Gold ore left the Rankin Dam rail facility bound for Port Adelaide on […]
COOBER PEDY OPEN AIR CINEMA WINS ADVANTAGE SA AWARD

On Friday 22nd October, Steve Staines, Chairperson of the Outback Open Air Cinema travelled to Roxby Downs for the Advantage SA Regional Awards. The Outback Open Air Cinema won the Community Group […]
CALL FOR CHINA TO DIVEST FROM ARKAROOLA PROJECT

Dear Editor, As a teacher of Chinese and a long-time advocate, through the Australia-China Friendship Society, of the promotion of friendship and understanding between the peoples of China and Australia, I feel […]
AMEC: INDIGENOUS ISSUES CREATE BARRIERS TO LAND ACCESS – DELAYING PROJECT APPROVALS
“Yesterday, AMEC led critical discussions with a number of key government agencies in an attempt to further streamline the development approval process”, said Simon Bennison, AMEC CEO. “Despite the significant progress already […]
VOLUNTEER QUITS OVER NRM “BANNED” POISONS PROGRAMS

Local Flinders Ranges NRM Volunteer, Nigel Carney has submitted his resignation to the General Manager of the SA Arid Land NRM Board, John Gavin. In an interview with the Coober Pedy Regional Times […]
RURAL DOCTORS ASSOC LOOK TO INDEPENDENTS FOR DESPERATE REGIONAL HEALTH SITUATION
RDAA: INDEPENDENTS GIVE HOPE FOR DESPERATE REGIONAL HEALTH SITUATION The Rural Doctors Association of Australia (RDAA) has written to the three Independents MPs who are expected to hold the balance of power […]
WILLIAM CREEK & OODNADATTA HOST STRANDED TOURISTS AFTER HEAVY RAINS

Between 80 – 100 travellers are currently stranded at William Creek event after torrential rains engulfed the far north over the past 24 hours. Some of the stranded include visitors who travelled […]
BANNED LOCUST CONTROL CHEMICALS MAY EXPOSE HUMANS, FOOD CROPS AND LIVESTOCK IN SA

UPDATED Monday 23 August 2010: Banned US neurotoxic insecticides Diazinon, Chlorpyrifos and others are about to be unleashed over South Australia to protect crops from locust with a possible assistance scheme for farmers […]
ADVANCE NOTICE – SECTIONS OF STUART & EYRE HIGHWAYS ROAD CLOSURES
Sections of the Stuart and Eyre Highway will be closed to allow DTEI and other officials to monitor road train vehicle movement and tracking along these sections of the Highways
COOBER PEDY AREA SCHOOL AIRS IT’S LINEN IN PUBLIC OVER PRINCIPAL
Claims that the Coober Pedy Area School is in a state of caos following the departure of Principal Sue Lewis were addressed by Education Minister Jay Weatherill today who said, “We now […]
OBJECTIONS TO OUTBACK AUTHORITY BOARD STRUCTURE – RESULTS IN PUSH FOR ALLIANCE
Update on unsettled Outback Authority situation – includes Letters to Editor + comments In what has become very public “consultation”, Outback Communities in the Far North of South Australia believe that efforts to […]
FAR NORTH POLICE WILL ENFORCE LAWS RE: BREACHES TO LEGISLATION RELATING TO “ROAD CLOSED”

Senior Sergeant Greg Burns, officer in charge of the Coober Pedy Police Station in South Australia’s Far North is concerned that motorists continue to drive on dirt roads despite they display ROAD […]
FLINDERS RANGES: NEPABUNNA YOUTH PARTICIPATE IN CONSERVATION AND LAND MANAGEMENT

Five Adnyamathanha people in the Nepabunna community in far north SA recently completed Certificate II in Conservation and Land Management with the Greening Australia SA’s Youth Programs team. Two of the students […]
ACCC: WATER CHARGES RULES BEGINS – COMPLIANCE GUIDE ISSUED
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission today issued A Guide to the Water Charge (Planning and Management Information) Rules 2010.
AMEC RE-LAUNCHES IT’S ANTI MINING TAX MEDIA CAMPAIGN
“In a gesture of good faith we ceased our media campaign in June against the Government`s proposed new mining tax, however, the time has now come to re-launch our campaign,” said Simon […]
HAS OUTBACK AREAS AUTHORITY MISLED PROGRESS ASSOCIATIONS?

Update 29th July 2010: response from Minister Gail Gago, MLC. Update 29th July 2010: letter from Flinders Ranges resident to Minister Gago. Update 2 August 2010: letter from APOMA to Minister Gail […]
RAMSEY: LABORS MISMANAGEMENT OF NATION ECONOMY – $100b IN DEBT & RISING
Local Initiatives Will Be Impacted by Mismanagement of National Economy The mismanagement of the national economy will continue to impact on our ability to deliver the assistance needed to build water infrastructure, […]