It’s been a big year for news across the Riverina. From solar farms to hospitals, scams to successes, there was plenty of local news to keep you reading. Take a walk back through 2025 and have a look at 14 of our most popular news stories.
15. New documentary: SAS soldiers on why they feel betrayed after risking their lives for their country
by Oliver Jacques
In the documentary, SAS soldier ”Horse” explains the important role dogs like Quake played in providing early warnings of ambushes. Photo: Supplied.
An explosive documentary on Australia’s SAS reveals what it was like to fight in Afghanistan and why the soldiers felt betrayed when returning home, where some were accused of war crimes.
14. ‘She’s a lifesaver’: Wagga retailer’s quick action saves life of tradie suffering cardiac arrest
by Marguerite McKinnon
Lifesavers Rory McKenzie and Kim McArthur, who saved a man’s life with CPR and a (pictured) portable defibrillator. Photo: Marguerite McKinnon.
The owner of Heartland Brides has become an unlikely hero after some quick thinking when facing an emergency.
13. Jindera finally poised for improved mobile coverage with Telstra confirming upgrade dates
by Oliver Jacques
Councillor Jenny O’Neil and Federal MP Sussan Ley have been campaigning for better mobile coverage in Jindera. Photo: Sussan Ley MP.
After a long-running battle, Telstra says Jindera residents will have better mobile phone coverage after it finalised plans to transfer equipment to an existing 40-metre Optus tower.
The telecommunications giant says there’ll be a better 4G and 5G user experience after the site moves from the existing 15 m structure in Urana Street to a much larger structure at Jindera Recreation Reserve.
12. Australian of the Year Neale Daniher’s Riverina roots run deep
by Jarryd Rowley
Neale Daniher cofounded FightMND in 2014 after being diagnosed with the disease a year prior. Photo: FightMND.
The Riverina’s own Neale Daniher received one of Australia’s greatest honours after being named the 2025 Australian of the Year. Here is a little about the legend from West Wyalong.
11. First aerobatic helicopter in Southern Hemisphere stored in Griffith as pilot achieves rare feat
by Oliver Jacques
Bryce Nietvelt is looking for a sponsor for his extremely rare aircraft. Photo: Oliver Jacques.
The first ever aerobatic helicopter to enter the Southern Hemisphere is now parked at a hangar in Griffith Airport.
Aviation veteran Bryce Nietvelt has become one of just three pilots in the world trained to operate a specialised chopper that can do loops and rolls and fly upside down.
10. Australia’s largest transmission project moves into next phase with Riverina works underway
by Jarryd Rowley
Work on the Riverina section of one of the country’s biggest renewable energy projects, EnergyConnect, has officially begun. Photo: Supplied.
Australia’s largest energy transmission project, EnergyConnect, has moved into its next phase with specialist teams making significant progress constructing the eastern alignment of the project across the Riverina.
More than 1600 personnel are working on the critical project, with construction of two sections of new high-voltage transmission line, stretching 540 km from Buronga to Wagga Wagga, more than 70 per cent complete.
9. New Wagga research centre to explore possible link between blue-green algae and skyrocketing Riverina MND rates
by Jarryd Rowley
Professor Dominic Rowe and neurologist Martin Jude have begun researching the environmental links to MND in the region already following the research centre’s launch on 22 February. Photo: Supplied.
A motor neurone disease (MND) surveillance centre in Wagga will seek to solve the mystery of shockingly high rates of the illness in the Riverina, including looking at whether blue-green algae in waterways could be a triggering factor.
MND is a serious illness that damages a person’s nervous system, weakening muscles such that a sufferer loses their ability to walk, speak, swallow and breathe, before they ultimately lose their life.
8. ‘White elephant with no staff’: Griffith Citizen of the Year issues warning about new hospital
by Oliver Jacques
Dr Narayanan Jayachandran says Griffith needs to pay attention and fight for its hospital. Photo: St Vincent’s Private Community Hospital Griffith Facebook.
A veteran surgeon who was recently named Griffith Citizen of the Year has warned the town’s planned new hospital is poised to have empty wards and limited services, due to chronic staff shortages.
Dr Narayanan Jayachandran, 70, was given the Australia Day award honour for his 22 years of service, saving lives at the public Griffith Base Hospital and St Vincent’s private hospital next door.
7. New restrictions on what you can place in green-lid bins introduced in Wagga, with contents to be monitored
by Jarryd Rowley
More Riverina councils rolled out updated FOGO programs with Wagga Council being among the first to implement the new State Government changes. Photo: Wagga City Council.
Changes have been made regarding the items residents are allowed to place in their green-lid bins, also known as FOGO – food organics and garden organics bins.
Previously, items such as paper towel, cardboard, bamboo utensils, timber offcuts and tea bags were permitted in the green-lid bins, however, changes implemented by the EPA NSW mean these items now must go in either the red- or yellow-lid bins.
6. Billionaire Gina Rinehart tells Wagga that net zero’s causing a huge decline in investment in Australia
by Oliver Jacques
Gina Rinehart was critical of the Federal Government at the Wagga summit. Photo: Supplied.
Billionaire Gina Rinehart told a gathering in Wagga that net zero, excessive regulation and high taxes have hurt the mining sector and that ordinary Australians will bear the consequences.
The mining magnate gave a presentation that was broadcast via video at a Bush Summit held at Charles Sturt University’s Joyce Hall.
5. Where’s the dam water gone? Riverina levels diving compared to the rest of NSW
by Marguerite McKinnon
Blowering Dam water levels have fallen by nearly 70 per cent, to 31 per cent capacity. Photo: Marguerite McKinnon.
Rain drenched much of NSW earlier in 2025, but here in the Riverina conditions were not so good.
Blowering Dam, which usually holds the equivalent of three times Sydney Harbour, was down to 31 per cent of its maximum capacity.
4. Leeton woman issues warning after $250 rip-off by online Wagga ‘butcher’
by Jarryd Rowley
The Facebook page appears to have used images from an Australian Meat Industry Council competition involving students from TAFE SA. Photo: Facebook.
It seemed too good to be true – and so it was. A ”butcher” advertising on Wagga noticeboards appeared to be a new up-and-comer in the region offering rare deals on meat, and it left a local woman $249 out of pocket.
3. ‘No favourites’ promise not binding: Court rules on inheritance dispute over $20 million Riverina farm
by Oliver Jacques
The large farming property is near the small town of Barmedman. Photo: Wikipedia.
The Supreme Court has dismissed an accountant’s claim for a greater share of his deceased father’s $20 million Riverina farming estate, after the final will left the vast majority of his wealth to his other son.
However, the judge made provision for a third sibling and only daughter in the family to get an extra $300,000 out of the estate.
2. ‘You’re taking away my future’: 12-year-old Riverina girl’s plea to government goes viral
by Oliver Jacques
Caitlin Bell says water buybacks are not the way to restore our rivers. Photo: Oliver Jacques.
“Schools get smaller, families start to move away and suddenly our town starts to disappear.” A 12-year-old Gogeldrie girl has a message for the Federal Government, claiming a key policy is destroying her future.
1. ‘They can stick their million dollars where the sun don’t shine’: Maxwell farmers fight Spanish company’s solar proposal
by Shri Gayathirie Rajen
Mick Henderson stands in front of prime agricultural land in Maxwell that is proposed for solar farming. Photo: Shri Gayathirie Rajen.
Following community consultation, Riverina farmers were left angry and disappointed after the latest chapter in the ongoing dispute over the contentious Maxwell solar farm project.
The Spanish company X-ELIO has proposed building a solar farm on 2500 acres in Maxwell, despite ongoing opposition from residents since the project was announced in 2022.
