The initiative also aims to boost the town’s essential healthcare services by attracting and retaining medical professionals, providing high-quality training and accommodation for the next generation or rural doctors.   Head of Griffith’s School of Medicine and Dentistry, Professor Julian Archer, said the project reflected Griffith’s commitment to immersing students in the local community.   “This facility will allow students to live and learn in the very environment where we hope they will choose to make a lasting impact,” he said.   “Our final-year medical students are incredibly fortunate to spend time in this community, gaining invaluable rural healthcare experience in an immersive learning environment, with onsite living close to the hospital and patients, shaping their future careers.”   The opportunity to live by the Chinchilla Hospital will also help students see how important healthcare in rural areas is, with Medical Services Southern Assistant Director Dr James Ware saying doctors who train in the country often return to provide their services to the wonderful communities they become a part of.   “I can attest from firsthand experience, having been trained in rural medicine and worked in the country for many years, that a love of rural medicine grew,” he said.   “It’s just fantastic having medical students training in local areas, rural areas, because we know that’s how we’re going to get them back.”   Funded by the Queensland Government’s Resources Community Infrastructure Fund in association with Rural Medical Education Australia and the Darling Downs Hospital and Health Service, the three purpose-built homes were constructed by a local builder.   Read More 09 Apr, 2025 Health + Wellbeing Stressed for success   Harnessing stress effectively can help boost an individual’s productivity or motivation levels, with a new Griffith University study allaying fears... Read More 02 Apr, 2025 Health + Wellbeing Australia’s first AI in radiology trial secures landmark funding  In a ground-breaking advancement for Australian public healthcare a collaborative research team from Griffith University and the Gold Coast Hospital.. The Chinchilla Battery is the first of three CS Energy projects to contribute to Queensland’s 80% renewable energy target by 2035 Australian state-owned power generation company CS Energy announced on 9 August that its 100MW/200MWh Chinchilla Battery is now fully operational and ready to support Queensland’s power grid The project went under a comprehensive commissioning programme to test its batteries for safety and reliability under multiple operating conditions CS Energy CEO Darren Busine commented: “Getting the Chinchilla Battery ready for commercial operation has taken a large effort from many people and teams across our entire business from the team at the site who will operate and maintain the asset to our traders in Brisbane who will dispatch its output into the grid.” The Chinchilla Battery was developed as a collaboration among CS Energy Tesla provided 80 Megapack 2 systems for the project while Downer reportedly spent over A$3m on suppliers and subcontractors during the project’s construction phase The project is the first project to commence commercial operations from CS Energy’s Kogan Creek Clean Energy Hub. The remaining two projects in development are a renewable hydrogen demonstration plant and a hydrogen-ready gas-peaking power station The three projects will contribute to Queensland’s target of meeting 80% of its energy mix with renewable energy by 2035 Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis along with our other projects planned for the Kogan Clean Energy Hub shows that CS Energy is here for the long term in the Western Downs community,” Busine said.  The Chinchilla Battery is the first publicly owned large-scale battery storage project in Queensland.   The project is set to power 33,000 homes for two hours at a time contributing to increased flexible capacity to the grid and decreasing electricity bills across Queensland Mick de Brenni, Minister for Energy and Clean Economy Jobs at the Queensland government, added on his socials: “It [the Chinchilla Battery] will soak up surplus energy during the day to power up to 30,000 homes during the evening peak… We’re converting coal-fired power stations across Queensland to charge up our renewable energy future.”  Give your business an edge with our leading industry insights View all newsletters from across the GlobalData Media network. Picture by Neave DuffDarryl O'Leary may have handed the vines of his melon empire over to his son but he still can't be kept out of the paddock during picking season All articles from our website & appThe digital version of This Week's PaperBreaking news alerts direct to your inboxAll articles from the other agricultural news sites in your areaContinueThe 66-year-old handed the management of Omagh over to his Terry O'Leary and Terry's wife Aja The property grows seedless watermelons and hosts a small hobby herd of 250 Angus breeders Mr O'Leary has been picking watermelons since he was 12 years old so of course it should be no surprise that he is still doing it in "semi-retirement" today "I used to pick melons for the fellas around here [Chinchilla]," he said He has been a grower in the area since 1986 and "harvested [his] first semi-load in 1988" which were planted in mid-to-late September It has been a slow start to harvest due to recent wet weather Mr O'Leary said they would be up and running at full capacity As the picking season falls during Christmas Mr O'Leary said it could be difficult to find labourers willing to stay on over the holiday period two of their seasonal workers have returned for a second year working with the family sorts the melons into their weight categories as they are placed on the tractor Picture by Neave DuffEllie Le-Mentec and her partner Dorian Vinas travelled to Australia from the south of France and will stay at Omagh until February After arriving for their first picking season in 2023 they said they found an unexpected love for Chinchilla it was heartbreaking when we had to go," Miss Le-Mentec said They returned to work for the O'Learys in November and had been assisting with picking and packing the watermelons Miss Le-Mentec said she was looking forward to the 2025 Chinchilla Melon Festival as she missed out in 2024 due to the festival's biennial schedule "I'm happy we can experience it," she said Picture by Neave DuffMr O'Leary has been on the Chinchilla Melon Festival committee since the event's conception in 1994 and he said that preparations for 2025 were in full swing Chinchilla is the only place in the world where visitors can participate in watermelon skiing which Mr O'Leary said remained a key attraction "Everyone just goes in and has fun," he said The O'Learys and other local growers are set to provide 20 tonnes of melons for the festival with 15 tonnes to be used during the skiing event alone Mr O'Leary said that community support for the event continued to be strong and they were looking forward to 2025 "She'll come around quicker than what we think," he said The 2025 Chinchilla Melon Festival will run from February 13-16 Neave is a QCL journalist based in Roma. She grew up in Kununurra in the Kimberley region of Western Australia before moving to a mixed cropping property on the Darling Downs. She is passionate about all things agriculture and loves connecting with people in the industry. Got a good story? Give her a call on 0460 664 184 or email neave.duff@austcommunitymedia.com.au Newsletters & AlertsView allDaily Today's top stories curated by our news team Our twice weekly wrap of the latest in rural property sales Our twice weekly wrap of the big news in the red meat sector Industry news from Australia's dairy sector The week's top stories curated by our news team State-owned generation company CS Energy has switched on its 100MW/200MWh Chinchilla battery energy storage system (BESS) in Queensland Situated in Queensland’s Western Downs Region the project cost around AU$150 million (US$112.6 million) to construct and will connect to the National Electricity Market (NEM) CS Energy worked with Tesla and Downer to deliver the Chinchilla BESS the first operational project in the Kogan Clean Energy Hub CS Energy’s Chinchilla BESS comprises 80 Tesla Megapack 2 systems The Megapack is based on Tesla’s integrated solution which includes lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries the Kogan Clean Energy Hub includes the Kogan Renewable Hydrogen Demonstration Plant The hydrogen plant includes the co-location of a 2MW solar farm The demonstration plant will have an on-site hydrogen storage capacity of about 750kg Through an offtake deal with Sojitz Corporation hydrogen produced at the plant will be exported to the Republic of Palau CS Energy CEO Darren Busine emphasised the potential the project could have for the Western Downs community sharing that CS Energy is “here for the long-term” “Getting the Chinchilla Battery ready for commercial operation has taken a large effort from many people and teams across our entire business from the team at the site who will operate and maintain the asset to our traders in Brisbane who will dispatch its output into the grid,”  Busine said shows that CS Energy is here for the long-term in the Western Downs community.” It should be noted that Tesla’s Megapack system is being utilised across a number of sites in Australia, including RWE’s 50MW/400MWh Limondale BESS in New South Wales Indeed, just last week (8 August) energy storage developer Akaysha Energy said it had started construction of its 205MW/410MWh Brendale BESS, also located in Queensland. The project will incorporate Tesla Megapack technology, with Consolidated Power Projects Australia Pty Ltd (CPP) set to deliver the Balance of Plant. AEST = Australian Eastern Standard Time which is 10 hours ahead of GMT (Greenwich Mean Time) Picture by Neave Duff.They may not be producing normal melons anymore but the Sturgess family's legacy as giant fruit growers is living on All articles from our website & appThe digital version of This Week's PaperBreaking news alerts direct to your inboxAll articles from the other agricultural news sites in your areaContinueKyron and Drew Sturgess took home first place in the giant watermelon competition with their 83kg entry during the weigh-in on on Friday It marked the fourth time the family had won the heaviest melon competition and cemented them as the most heavily decorated melon weigh-in champions The winning melon was planted in October and had been growing for four months to reach its prize-winning size While Kyron is not a grower himself, his father was a local grower who retired recently Member for Callide Bryson Head swung by the watch the event Picture by Neave Duff.Kyron Sturgess said their was no secret formula to growing the biggest melon "It's just like [growing] a normal melon," he said "Just a bit more fertilizer and a bit more water really." A unusual variety of melon being weighed in Picture by Neave Duff.The 83kg melon was not Mr Sturgess' biggest ever in show with his winning 2013 melon coming in at 86kg The competition record was a 100.5kg fruit grown by Lowood-based Geoff Frohloff in 2019 Townsend took home first place with their 54.5kg melon Ruby said the secret to getting the biggest melon was lots of water Seven-year-old Cooper with his dad Matt and five-year-old sister Ruby Picture by Neave Duff.Chinchilla Kindergarten came in second at 46kg and Chinchilla State School rounded out the podium in third place with a 43.5kg melon This year's festival has been a great success and has broken a few records including the largest float parade in regional Queensland with visitors enjoying the spectacle on Friday The Chinchilla Melon Festival finishes on Sunday Pub & LeisureLand Size2.21 haPriceSoldLeasehold Opportunity offering secure future in growth corridor | Resort Brokers ID : LH008344A widely popular motel in Chinchilla the Great Western Motor Inn comprises 26 units in total consisiting of a combination of configurations to accommodate both holiday-makers and corporate guests The onsite restaurant has also been refurbished and once again growing in popularity with guests and locals The motel is equipped with a solar system that generates approximately 180 KW hrs/day and NBN has installed fibre to the property ensuring high-speed Wi-Fi of 100 Mb up and down and corporates will see the Great Western Motor Inn have a promising future with projected turnover at 65% occupancy for 2024-2025 estimating approximately $1.2M in gross revenue This projection is based on current growth along with two local upcoming projects in the pipeline which are expected to bring around 300 extra workers to the area and 4 family rooms - Rooms recently refurbished with modern furniture and bedding new carpets and smart TVs - Equipped with a solar system generating approximately 180kw hrs/day and high-speed NBN Wi-Fi - Rooms offer views of the expansive manicured gardens and pool area - Property features a fully staffed licensed bar and restaurant - Projected turnover at 65% occupancy for 2024-2025 - Highly rated with numerous positive reviews - Benefiting from growing repeat trade along with two upcoming local projects expected to bring an influx of workers to the area - Inspection by appointment only By sending this message, you agree to our Privacy Policy Developments for Sale in Chinchilla Hotels for Sale in Chinchilla Warehouses for Sale in Chinchilla Medical properties for Sale in Chinchilla Offices for Sale in Chinchilla Retail properties for Sale in Chinchilla Rural properties for Sale in Chinchilla Showrooms for Sale in Chinchilla Serviced Offices for Sale in Chinchilla Parking spaces for Sale in Chinchilla Developments for Lease in Chinchilla Hotels for Lease in Chinchilla Warehouses for Lease in Chinchilla Medical properties for Lease in Chinchilla Offices for Lease in Chinchilla Retail properties for Lease in Chinchilla Rural properties for Lease in Chinchilla Showrooms for Lease in Chinchilla Serviced Offices for Lease in Chinchilla Parking spaces for Lease in Chinchilla Commercial real estate in Greenswamp Commercial real estate in Crossroads Commercial real estate in Baking Board Commercial real estate in Red Hill Commercial real estate in Hopeland Commercial real estate in Boonarga Commercial real estate in Chances Plain Commercial Real Estate Agents in Chinchilla Residential properties for sale in Chinchilla Residential properties for lease in Chinchilla Rural & Farming for sale in NSW Rural & Farming for sale in VIC Rural & Farming for sale in QLD Rural & Farming for sale in SA Rural & Farming for sale in WA Rural & Farming for sale in NT Rural & Farming for sale in TAS Rural & Farming for sale in ACT A Chinchilla man has been hit with over 60 drug charges after searches of his house and car revealed cocaine Please call us on 1800 070 535 and we’ll help resolve the issue or try again later Any Questions? Please call 1800 070 535 Saturday & Sunday 7:00am – 11:30am (AEST) Here is a list of matters listed at Chinchilla Magistrates Court on Thursday Here is a list of matters listed at Chinchilla Magistrates Court on Wednesday the "Chinchilla" strategy of smashing together oodles of computing and mountains of data into bigger and longer pre-training runs may not work as well So what if this process doesn't end up being how AI is made in the future To put it another way: What if the Chinchilla dies Building these massive AI models has so far required huge upfront investments Mountains of data are mashed together in an incredibly complex and compute-intensive process known as pre-training The rise of new "reasoning" models has opened up a new potential future for the AI industry where the amount of required infrastructure could be much less We're talking trillions of dollars of capital expenditure that might not happen in coming years and his team estimated the different capex requirements of these two possible outcomes: The difference is stunning in terms of how much money will or will not be spent $3 trillion or more in capex is on the line here These new models use an approach called test-time or inference-time compute turning each into a new prompt that the model tackles The analysts said that DeepSeek's R1 has shown how open-source reasoning models can drive incredible performance improvements with far less training time even if this AI lab may have overstated some of its efficiency gains "AI model providers are no longer going to need to solely spend 18-24 months pre-training their next expensive model to achieve step-function improvements in performance," the Barclays analysts wrote in a recent note to investors smaller base models can run repeated loops and get to a far more accurate response (compared to previous techniques)." companies are embracing other techniques that will likely reduce the amount of computing infrastructure needed AI labs increasingly use an approach called mixture of experts where smaller "expert" models are trained on their tasks and subject areas and work in tandem with an existing huge AI model to answer questions and complete tasks this often means only part of these AI models is used The "Chinchilla" approach has worked for the past five years or more and it's partly why the stock prices of many companies in the AI supply chain have soared The Barclays analysts question whether this paradigm can continue because the performance gains from this method may decline as the cost goes up "The idea of spending $10 billion on a pre-training run on the next base model to achieve very little incremental performance Many in the industry also think data for training AI models is running out — there may not be enough quality information to keep feeding this ravenous chinchilla top AI companies might stop expanding this process when models reach a certain size The AI industry has started using "synthetic" training data Some researchers think this feedback loop of models helping to create new better models will take the technology to the next level though that would mean tech companies will still spend massively on AI in the coming years "If the AI industry were to see breakthroughs in synthetic data and recursive self-improvement then we would hop back on the Chinchilla scaling path and compute needs would continue to go up rapidly," Sandler and his colleagues wrote this is certainly a possibility we need to consider." LifeFlight has revealed its night vision technology is becoming more and more crucial in rescue operations with 32 per cent of airlifts in the first quarter of this year taking place at night Any Questions? Please call 1800 070 535. Monday to Friday 7:30am – 6:00pm, Saturday & Sunday 7:00am – 11:30am (AEST) but Queensland Country Life pages over the years have recorded plenty of great wins All articles from our website & appThe digital version of This Week's PaperBreaking news alerts direct to your inboxAll articles from the other agricultural news sites in your areaContinueInterestingly Darryl and Carmel Reed of Kingaroy set a new record with their 83.6kg melon that was almost the weight that the Sturgess family topped the scales with However, QCL was also there in 2019 when Geoff Frohloff, based at Minden, set a new Chinchilla and Australian record with a 100.5kg monster pictured in 2019 with his record-setting melon Picture: Hayley KennedySpeaking with us this week Mr Frohloff said he'd entered the contest at Chinchilla six years ago for the first time because he knew his melons were outstanding "I heard they grew them pretty big out there and I had three big melons that year Even his other two would have won first prize this year He'd cut the biggest one off the vine a week before the festival and weighed that day for recognition as an official Australian record of 102kg "If they sit too long they can go rotten on the ground," Mr Frohloff said He remembers growing another big one that he had high hopes of a win at Kyogle NSW with but a possum found it to its liking and bored a hole in it Mr Frohloff grew watermelons commercially for over 40 years but at 72 is now retired and growing big watermelons for a hobby Based at Blackall, CW Qld, where I've raised a family, run Merino sheep and beef cattle, and helped develop a region - its history, tourism, education and communications. Get in touch at 0427 575 955 if you've got a story idea for me. Today's top stories curated by our news team. Our twice weekly wrap of the latest in rural property sales. Our twice weekly wrap of the big news in the red meat sector. Industry news from Australia's dairy sector. The week's top stories curated by our news team. Picture suppliedOutstanding Queensland Western Downs property Moriah has sold at auction for the equivalent of $9685/hectare ($3920/acre) All articles from our website & appThe digital version of This Week's PaperBreaking news alerts direct to your inboxAll articles from the other agricultural news sites in your areaContinueOffered by Steve and Esmae Taylor the superb 986 hectare (2436 acres) Condamine River property in the prized Hopeland district sold for $9.55m at a Nutrien Harcourts auction in Chinchilla on Thursday morning Three of the five registered bidders were active at the auction The competition was notably strong with auctioneer Terry Ryan pulling in 42 bids during the 53 minute event attended by some 55 people Moriah is situated in the prized Hopeland district 18km south east of Chinchilla and 84km west of Dalby Picture suppliedMoriah is estimated to run 400 adult cattle equivalents The fully developed property is located 18km south east of Chinchilla and 84km west of Dalby Moriah has an impressive mix of undulating bottletree wilga country falling to superb Condamine River flats with coolibah and river red gums Virtually all of the property returned to improved pastures following a history of farming Picture suppliedThe modern steel cattle yards are equipped with an undercover crush There is also a second set of timber and steel yards The reticulated water system is supplied from a permanent lagoon and the Condamine River plus three dams Standout riverfront property makes confidence building $3920/acreStructural improvements include a 30x12m machinery shed and a workshop which is set in extensive lawns and gardens Darryl Langton and Terry Ryan from Nutrien Harcourts handled the marketing We’re unable to locate the page you requested If you still can’t find what you’re looking for, you can contact us Business Insider SRL is a carrier of data with personal character registered in the “Registrul de Evidenta a Prelucrarilor de Date cu Caracter Personal” with the no Romania-Insider.com is a trademark registered with the help of NOMENIUS and all exclusivity rights are reserved to the owner of Business Insider SRL Any unauthorized use will be sanctioned according to the provisions of trademarks law 84/1998 Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article