The community of Hay turned out to celebrate 50 years of Hay Bridge. Story and photo gallery.

On the bright and sunny morning of Thursday, July 27, Hay Public School came alive with vibrant colours, laughter, and an air of excitement as students gathered to celebrate NAIDOC Day.

A former councillor and employee of Hay Shire Council, Roger McGrath has labelled the draft Lachlan Street Upgrade Master Plan as one which will stifle existing businesses and restrict future development in the main street.

Country music super star Lee Kernaghan has been announced as the surprise headline act for the upcoming Lift Up Hay concert.

Children of Hay are getting their pertinent questions answered as well as learning new skills.

Meredith Gaw, Daniel Green, Frederick Nelson, Paigan Gee, Euen Kerr and Kodi Scott have been learning how to podcast during a novel workshop conducted at TAFE Connected Learning Centre last week.

Local champion dog handler and breeder Geoff McDougall and his dog six-year-old Ace took home the Victorian Yard Dog Championship on the weekend.

Hay Hospital is one of two facilities being prioritised for Multi Purpose Service status.

Another application to turn the hospital into an MPS has been submitted by Murrumbidgee Local Health District, with a decision to be made by September. Local Health Advisory Committee chair, John Perry said it had been a long road getting to this point.

An amended application for the demolition of the former ANZ Bank building was approved by Council at its recent meeting, which will see the entire structure being pulled down.

This comes after Council imposed a condition that the remaining front wall be subject to engineer designed support.

“I considered this condition to be unnecessary,” the applicant, and owner of the building, Roger McGrath said.

Hay War Memorial High School’s Aberline Dorper and White Dorper Stud had another successful showing at the recent Holbrook Sheep and Wool Fair, taking out the most successful Dorper and White Dorper exhibitor award.

Sue and Lloyd Schneider are planning a tandem retirement after careers serving the Hay community.

Representatives of the NSW Department of Planning and Environment’s (DPE) water group visited Hillston, Hay and Moulmein recently, gathering first-hand information to inform the newest iteration of floodplain management plans for the Murray Darling Basin.

The Albanese government has proposed to change the Australian constitution to include an Indigenous Voice to parliament, which will be voted on in a referendum.

The Riverine Grazier unpacks the main points.

A journey that began 23 years ago for Tim Matt from Hay, NSW finally came to fruition last week with a dedication ceremony for the Dexter Horizontal Turbine which he helped to rebuild.

Tegan Allott, local AgFLite pilot, dreamed of flying from the time that she was quite young. Tegan was recently awarded the Professional Pilot Award 2023, at the Aerial Application Association of Australia annual convention.

An impressive ram owned by the South Australian merino stud ‘Mulloorie’ took home the Bill Lamb trophy for supreme champion ram or ewe at the 71st Hay Merino Sheep Show.

Hay SES logistics specialist, Aileen Honeyman has been deployed to Alberta to assist with supply coordination alongside Canadian firefighters for five weeks.

In a surprise move The Nature Conservancy (TNC) Australia has offered The Great Cumbung Swamp up for sale.

Touted as one of the largest remaining natural reedbed wetlands in NSW the joint properties of Juanbung and Boyong Stations are located 110 kilometres northwest of Hay and encompass 34,114 hectares.

It is expected the properties will attract offers over $60 million, which could nett TNC and partner Tiverton Agriculture more than a $5 million profit after four years of ownership.

The Sporting Shooters Association of Australia (SSAA) and Grain Producers Australia (GPA) may not seem likely partners at first glance, but the two organisations have partnered to protect biosecurity on farms.

The venue of the proposed Hay Hydro Therapy Pool is expected to be determined soon, and the committee is hoping for a slice of the John Houston Memorial Pool complex.

A first-class restaurant facility, The Drunken Ram, has been approved for Lachlan Street, and demolition of the adjacent former ANZ Bank building will enable the developer to increase the footprint.