We discuss with the independent MP for Murray, Helen Dalton, housing and health spending among other topics in this chat just before the 25 March 2023 state election. Mrs Dalton questions the Nationals candidate's future as Edward River mayor if she defeats her to regain the Murray seat for the National Party.

Troy Grant discusses with Flow FM listeners across regional NSW, Victoria and South Australia, some of the key Murray-Darling Basin states, the compliance work on water taking and use undertaken in the Basin, including his role in calling out the NSW Government's progress on water sharing plans key to his office's compliance activities.

The ANZ's head of agribusiness insights Michael Whitehead checks in for the Friday Country Viewpoint program on FlowFM from our Colac broadcast region (90.9FM) on how the cattle and sheep markets are travelling for Australian producers.

The Australian Wool Exchange has been doing a roaring trade with large offerings for weeks and no sign it will abate, particularly with a Melbourne public holiday on Monday stifling trading opportunities. We discuss the latest with Michell Direct Wool's Andrew Partridge.

... and as the federal member for the seat of Grey including Port Lincoln, we hear Rowan Ramsey's reaction to the state government decision on Thursday to ignore the Site Selection Committee's preference and instead prepare to situate a desalination plant at Billy Lights Point, adjacent to the Port Lincoln city centre and Boston Bay.

Rowan Ramsey has called on Westpac to resume operating its Coober Pedy bank branch, closed for a couple of weeks, due to the significant impact the closure has on that local community and the current senate inquiry into bank closures. The NAB have indicated to the Grey MP they will proceed with their closure of the last bank in Roxby Downs, despite committing to pause other closures in regional Australia pending the inquiry's report due at the end of 2023.

Winter croppers might be looking more favourably towards planting barley this season but not necessarily due to rumours of a cooling in Australia-China relations and thereby the tariff case between the two countries, as we discuss planting intentions and market forces including the Russia grain corridor deal renewal in March 2023 with ProFarmerGrain's Sean Hickey.

David Beatty, group manager of productivity and animal wellbeing at Meat and Livestock Australia talks about a new project in South Australia's northern arid lands aiming to reduce wild dog activity by 80 per cent.

The South Australian MP covering the southern Eyre Peninsula and Port Lincoln, Sam Telfer, speaks with Flow listeners the day after water minister Susan Close told FlowFM the government would situate a desalination plant for water security for the region at Billy Lights Point adjacent to the city centre, not at Sleaford West, the site chosen by an independent site selection committee chaired by the now retired member for Flinders, Peter Treloar.

A horrific early 2023 run of crashes brings road safety into the spotlight for federal assistant minister for transport and infrastructure, Tony Pasin who says duplication of highways including the Dukes and Sturt Highways in his Barker electorate of South Australia, and the Augusta highway in neighbouring Grey, should be priorities. However, Mr Pasin argues, a $5 billion pricetag for the final section of North-South Corridor works on South Road in Adelaide potentially deprives regional South Australians of road safety improvements on their roads.

We discuss with the South Australian environment and water minister why the government intends to proceed with a desalination plant in Boston Bay despite an independent site selection committee commissioned by the former Marshall Liberal government preferring Sleaford Bay on the southern Eyre Peninsula. We cover SARDI's research on the environmental impacts in Boston Bay, how a future desalination solution at Whyalla could interface with the Eyre Peninsula's water security needs, and what prospects there are in future for more desalination for instance for West Coast communities.