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A very wise colleague often stated that the key ingredients for successful regional economies are reliable water, energy, and connectivity. The Goulburn Valley has enjoyed all three and it’s reflected in the scale, variety and success of our local business, communities and economy. Looking forward there are challenges including water security, freight network investment and…

I never expected to begin my first column with an apology to Mr Spock and the legions of Star Trek fans – all of whom will know this line was never actually spoken in the series – but here we are. In my first few weeks of connecting and reconnecting with many new and familiar…

Welcome to 2022 which is certainly set to be a big and important year with upcoming elections at Federal and Victorian government levels. A Federal election will be called at any time up until May 20 and the Victorian state election is locked in for late November. Late last year our current Federal Member for…

“The language, and the approach, have de-valued Aboriginal people over the last 150 years. We have an opportunity to change the narrative from a cost to society of maintaining the welfare structures, to an investment language here in our region that looks at the future of indigenous peoples, the shared culture, the shared economy and…

There are pivot points in life, times of questioning and considering direction. Reflecting on who you are, your capabilities, flaws, and what really matters to you. Gaining a better understanding of those around you, and the community that you live in. For me a major pivot point was 2013, when I completed the Fairley Leadership…

Greater Shepparton is facing one of its most significant challenges ever. The continued news of positive COVID cases has been coming in on our screens and feeds since Friday morning. The rising numbers and the fact that large schools are Tier 1 exposure sites means that many families and businesses are impacted by stay at…

Does anybody know what a micromort is? No, it is not a small American cartoonist. A micromort is a concept developed by Ronald Howard, a professor at Stanford University, to establish the probability of death. A micromort is one chance in one million that a person will die. Micromorts can be applied to different activates,…

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)  says that without significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions the world will struggle to keep increases in global temperatures under 2 degrees Celsius. If we can’t keep the increase under 2 degrees, there is a risk of ‘dangerous’ human interference with the system. That means that once it…