As a 16-year-old, Rose Nevinson purchased 30 stud ewes from One Oak Poll Stud, after growing up immersed in the Merino and wool industry, at the family property ‘Parkview’ at Booroorban.

“I’ve always had a love for Merinos and knew from early on I wanted to start my own stud,” Rose said.

“I’ve kept that flock going and now breed my own rams, continuing to learn as I go.”

What started as a query about a water leak has a ratepayer now questioning the transparency within Hay Shire Council.

Brenton Nisbet has owned a Keble Street investment property for the past 11 years. Born and raised in Hay, he now lives in the foothills of the Blue Mountains, but says he still cares about how the town operates.

“I am cognizant of the fact that I don't live in Hay, but I was raised there, I still care deeply about the kind of leadership that defines the town."

The family of former Hay student Alicia Little have launched an appeal for co-operation between courts across state borders.

The family says the Justice for Alicia Little Campaign focuses on urging Australian authorities to work together to roll out a national domestic violence offender database.

Member for Murray Helen Dalton’s Water Management Amendment (Register of State and Commonwealth Water Access Licences) Bill 2025 was read for the second time in NSW Parliament recently.

“I rise to speak for the people of the bush, the farmers and the irrigators and the small-town communities who’ve been doing it tough, while water policy is being made behind closed doors,” Ms Dalton said in her speech.

Hay is to get its first drive-through bottle shop since the former Caledonian Hotel burnt down around 20 years ago.

Council approved a Development Application for the bottle shop despite eight objections from surrounding landholders and a recommendation from Council staff to refuse the application, or approve it with stringent conditions.

Ross Wells OAM honoured as 2025 Hay Merino Sheep Show Ambassador

Hay Shire Councillors listened to their community when they voted against a recommendation from Council staff for the approval of a Development Application for an unmanned truck refuelling station on Moama Street.

South Hay residents in the vicinity of the proposed development filled the gallery at Council’s Ordinary monthly meeting last week to vehemently oppose the application by IOR (diesel fuel supplier).

Hay Merino Sheep Show crowned Collinsville as the Supreme Champion and the South Australian Stud swooped the biggest prizes at the 73rd show.

Hay stud Woodpark Poll took the honours in the unhoused section and Poll Bonoke took out champion hogget.

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.