'Big Pear' showdown: the juicy rivalry growing in regional Australia
The inner southern Canberra suburb of Parkes already has claimed the humble pear.
Parkes hosts a cluster of oversized pear sculptures by acclaimed artist George Baldessin
The iconic sculptures outside the National Gallery date back to the 1960s.
But Shepparton's rich horticulture history could give it the edge.
Nearly all of the fruit sold across the country comes from the Goulburn Valley.
The project, spearheaded by the Shepparton Big Pear Steering Group chaired by former orchardist Rocky Varapodio, will take some serious fundraising.
The group is seeking both private and public funding with the project estimated to cost $1.3 million and include an interpretive centre within the three-storey fibreglass pear structure.
If constructed, it would mark the town's second "big thing" - after a 16m sculpture of a murray cod opened on the outskirts of the town earlier this year.
Australia is already home to over 150 "Big Things", including the Big Banana in Coffs Harbour and the "Big Prawn" in Ballina.
The eye-catching attractions draw attention to local businesses and promote tourism in the region.
READ MORE: Cheese dream: scientists say dairy may cause nightmares
The regional Victorian town of Shepparton has announced plans to construct the world's largest pear. But there's a problem.
The inner southern Canberra suburb of Parkes already has claimed the humble pear.
Parkes hosts a cluster of oversized pear sculptures by acclaimed artist George Baldessin
The iconic sculptures outside the National Gallery date back to the 1960s.
But Shepparton's rich horticulture history could give it the edge.
Nearly all of the fruit sold across the country comes from the Goulburn Valley.
The project, spearheaded by the Shepparton Big Pear Steering Group chaired by former orchardist Rocky Varapodio, will take some serious fundraising.
The group is seeking both private and public funding with the project estimated to cost $1.3 million and include an interpretive centre within the three-storey fibreglass pear structure.
If constructed, it would mark the town's second "big thing" - after a 16m sculpture of a murray cod opened on the outskirts of the town earlier this year.
Australia is already home to over 150 "Big Things", including the Big Banana in Coffs Harbour and the "Big Prawn" in Ballina.
The eye-catching attractions draw attention to local businesses and promote tourism in the region.
READ MORE: Cheese dream: scientists say dairy may cause nightmares
The regional Victorian town of Shepparton has announced plans to construct the world's largest pear. But there's a problem.
The inner southern Canberra suburb of Parkes already has claimed the humble pear.
Parkes hosts a cluster of oversized pear sculptures by acclaimed artist George Baldessin
The iconic sculptures outside the National Gallery date back to the 1960s.
But Shepparton's rich horticulture history could give it the edge.
Nearly all of the fruit sold across the country comes from the Goulburn Valley.
The project, spearheaded by the Shepparton Big Pear Steering Group chaired by former orchardist Rocky Varapodio, will take some serious fundraising.
The group is seeking both private and public funding with the project estimated to cost $1.3 million and include an interpretive centre within the three-storey fibreglass pear structure.
If constructed, it would mark the town's second "big thing" - after a 16m sculpture of a murray cod opened on the outskirts of the town earlier this year.
Australia is already home to over 150 "Big Things", including the Big Banana in Coffs Harbour and the "Big Prawn" in Ballina.
The eye-catching attractions draw attention to local businesses and promote tourism in the region.
READ MORE: Cheese dream: scientists say dairy may cause nightmares
The regional Victorian town of Shepparton has announced plans to construct the world's largest pear. But there's a problem.
The inner southern Canberra suburb of Parkes already has claimed the humble pear.
Parkes hosts a cluster of oversized pear sculptures by acclaimed artist George Baldessin
The iconic sculptures outside the National Gallery date back to the 1960s.
But Shepparton's rich horticulture history could give it the edge.
Nearly all of the fruit sold across the country comes from the Goulburn Valley.
The project, spearheaded by the Shepparton Big Pear Steering Group chaired by former orchardist Rocky Varapodio, will take some serious fundraising.
The group is seeking both private and public funding with the project estimated to cost $1.3 million and include an interpretive centre within the three-storey fibreglass pear structure.
If constructed, it would mark the town's second "big thing" - after a 16m sculpture of a murray cod opened on the outskirts of the town earlier this year.
Australia is already home to over 150 "Big Things", including the Big Banana in Coffs Harbour and the "Big Prawn" in Ballina.
The eye-catching attractions draw attention to local businesses and promote tourism in the region.
READ MORE: Cheese dream: scientists say dairy may cause nightmares
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News.com.au
5 hours ago
- News.com.au
‘Gucci mansion' seller drops $17m on luxe waterfront home
A Victorian number cruncher selling one of Brisbane's flashiest homes has paid almost $17 million for a waterfront Noosa pad. Mark Seery of MDS Accounting & Financial Services and his wife, Lisette, are understood to be the buyers of the luxurious property at 78 Noosa Parade in Noosa Heads. The property had previously been owned by Russell Jones, the former boss of packaging giant Amcor, who paid just $1.725m for the prize site back in 1999. RELATED: Qld's 20 biggest home sales of the year revealed Three bidders vied for the Noosa Heads home at the Tom Offermann Real Estate auction, before it sold under-the-hammer for $16.95m. Featuring five bedrooms and three bathrooms, 78 Noosa Parade was recently refurbished and features organic materials including aged timbers, Italian limestone, cedar, as well as a jetty with a pontoon, and a horizon-edge heated pool. Noosa continues to be a popular spot for those with deep pockets. MORE: Housing crisis horror: One bedroom for $1m Down the street, a jawdropping, waterfront home in Wyuna Drive is about to hit the market with a similar price tag. The property, which was designed by Paul Clout and built by Poyzer Sawyer, will hit the market soon with Adrian Reed of Reed & Co. Billionaire Gina Rinehart has also been spotted looking at homes in the area recently, accompanied by her security motorcade. MORE PROPERTY NEWS She owns a number of properties in Mossman Court and still holds the record for the biggest sale in Noosa for her $34m purchase in Webb Rd, Sunshine Beach. Meanwhile, the Seerys have listed their iconic riverfront home at 29 Laidlaw Pde, East Brisbane, which was regarded as so decadent it became known as the 'Gucci mansion'. With a bold, black European-inspired facade and colourful interiors, the property sold in less than three months during the height of the property boom in 2022. They paid $12.5 million for the glamorous property three years ago and it is now for sale with Matt Lancashire of Ray White The Collective via an expressions of interest campaign. The bold and dramatic interiors of the home were designed by renowned interior designer Greg Natale, while the standout black build was crafted by CHS Building.
Courier-Mail
11 hours ago
- Courier-Mail
Revealed: How Australia's new EV tax rollout will work
Don't miss out on the headlines from National. Followed categories will be added to My News. EXCLUSIVE Australia's new tax on electric vehicle drivers is set to kick off with a trial period for trucks before it stings cars. can reveal that the Albanese Government is looking at a staged rollout to test the proposed new EV tax and trucks will be the first cab off the rank. It is also interested in a new road user charge that sends price signals on the best time to be on the road, or the freeway. Over time, it could replace petrol taxes and apply to all cars based on distance travelled and when cars and trucks are on the road to tackle congestion. Don't miss a ding! Get all the latest Australian news as it happens — download the app direct to your phone. Free ride for EVs nearly over The free ride enjoyed by drivers of electric vehicles is coming to a close with Treasurer Jim Chalmers and state governments finalising plans for a new road-user charge. All Australian motorists who buy petrol and diesel at the bowser pay 51.6 cents a litre in fuel excise. But drivers of EV vehicles pay nothing. 'The status quo won't be sustainable over the next decade or two,'' Treasurer Jim Chalmers told 'As more and more people get off petrol cars and into EVs we've got to make sure that the tax arrangements support investment in roads. 'But we're in no rush, changes of this nature will be made, because the status quo won't work in 10 or 20 years.' Treasurer Jim Chalmers has shared some details of the government's plan. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman The Treasurer says roads won't keep up without a new system for charging users, with potholes like these in Sydney this week becoming more common. Picture: Richard Dobson The Treasurer made no secret of his support for a road user charge before the election, but favours a staged rollout of the changes. Based on a planned NSW road user scheme, a national rollout will depend on your mileage but might cost between $300 and $400 a year. Victorian Treasurer Tim Pallas said that electric vehicles are 'heavier and do more damage to the road network as a consequence than do internal combustion engine vehicles'. 'By giving drivers a clear signal about the cost of infrastructure, they would have an incentive to use it more efficiently,' the Productivity Commission report said. How does fuel excise work? The current rate of fuel excise is 51.6 cents in excise for every litre of fuel purchased. For a typical household with a car running on petrol, the tax costs more than $1200 a year. But the flat sales tax isn't paid by drivers of pure electric vehicles, who simply need to plug in their cars to recharge. While registration and driver's licence fees go to state and territory governments, fuel excise is collected by the federal government. Australian motorists paid an estimated $15.71 billion in net fuel excise in 2023-24, and are expected to pay $67.6 billion over the four years to 2026-27. However, governments have long-warned that a road-user charge will be required to fill the gap in the budget left by declining revenue from the fuel excise, as the petrol and diesel engines in new cars consume less fuel and Australians adopt hybrid and electric cars. Chinese tech to change EVs Rapid charging tech promised by China's CATL could put electric cars in top gear, as David McCowen reports. Video Player is loading. Play Video This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Text Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Caption Area Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Drop shadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. X Learn More Loaded : 37.82% 0:00 00:00 / 00:00 Close Modal Dialog This is a modal window. This modal can be closed by pressing the Escape key or activating the close button. 00:26 SUBSCRIBER ONLY Chinese tech to change EVs China's... more CATL could put electric cars in top gear, as David McCowen reports. Rapid charging tech promised by... more ... more A road user charge is needed to fill the gap left by the decreasingly profitable fuel excise. Picture: NewsWire / Nicholas Eagar What does the AAA say? The Australian Automobile Association (AAA) is calling for a national approach to road-user charging but wants a guarantee the revenue will be earmarked for road upgrades. The AAA backs a distance-based road-user charging as a fairer and more equitable way to fund land transport infrastructure. The 2024 federal budget forecasted a reduction in fuel excise receipts by $470 million over four years from 2024-25. Roadblocks to reform Currently, New South Wales is the only state with firm plans to introduce a road-user charge from 2027 or when EVs reach 30 per cent of new car sales. Plug-in hybrid EVs will be charged a fixed 80 per cent proportion of the full road-user charge to reflect their vehicle type. Western Australia has also stated an intention to implement a road-user charge. Meanwhile, Victoria's electric vehicle levy had to be scrapped following a ruling from the High Court. Our road infrastructure must be maintained as heavier EVs do increasing damage. Picture: Alan Barber Two Victorian electric car owners launched a legal challenge on the basis the tax was not legal as it was an excise that only a federal government could impose. They won, with the High Court upholding the legal challenge. There have been several false starts to enshrine a road-user charge including in South Australia, where the former Liberal Government planned to introduce a charge for plug-in electric and other zero emission vehicles, which included a fixed component and a variable charge based on distance travelled. It was later pushed back to 2027 due to a backlash before the legislation was ultimately repealed. 'Gold standard' for reform Some experts argue the gold standard for reform is a variable rate that factors in the vehicle's mass, distance travelled, location, and time of day. But there's a big barrier to the Commonwealth imposing those charges because the Constitution prohibits it from imposing taxes that discriminate between states or parts of states. State governments could impose those levies, but as the experience of the Victorian Government underlines, it is legally complex. Originally published as How the Albanese Government plans to revolutionise the taxes you pay for driving a car
Courier-Mail
11 hours ago
- Courier-Mail
‘Gucci mansion' seller drops $17m on luxe waterfront home
Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Next playlist item Mute Current Time 0:00 / Duration 0:00 Loaded : 0% 0:00 Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 Fullscreen This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. This is a modal window. This modal can be closed by pressing the Escape key or activating the close button. Close Modal Dialog This is a modal window. This modal can be closed by pressing the Escape key or activating the close button. Play Mute Current Time 0:00 / Duration 0:00 Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently playing live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 Picture-in-Picture Fullscreen AREC: Third Home founder Wade Shealy on reimagining the holiday home market 02:55 A Victorian number cruncher selling one of Brisbane's flashiest homes has paid almost $17 million for a waterfront Noosa pad. Mark Seery of MDS Accounting & Financial Services and his wife, Lisette, are understood to be the buyers of the luxurious property at 78 Noosa Parade in Noosa Heads. The property had previously been owned by Russell Jones, the former boss of packaging giant Amcor, who paid just $1.725m for the prize site back in 1999. RELATED: Qld's 20 biggest home sales of the year revealed Three bidders vied for the Noosa Heads home at the Tom Offermann Real Estate auction, before it sold under-the-hammer for $16.95m. Featuring five bedrooms and three bathrooms, 78 Noosa Parade was recently refurbished and features organic materials including aged timbers, Italian limestone, cedar, as well as a jetty with a pontoon, and a horizon-edge heated pool. Noosa continues to be a popular spot for those with deep pockets. MORE: Housing crisis horror: One bedroom for $1m Down the street, a jawdropping, waterfront home in Wyuna Drive is about to hit the market with a similar price tag. The property, which was designed by Paul Clout and built by Poyzer Sawyer, will hit the market soon with Adrian Reed of Reed & Co. Billionaire Gina Rinehart has also been spotted looking at homes in the area recently, accompanied by her security motorcade. MORE PROPERTY NEWS She owns a number of properties in Mossman Court and still holds the record for the biggest sale in Noosa for her $34m purchase in Webb Rd, Sunshine Beach. Meanwhile, the Seerys have listed their iconic riverfront home at 29 Laidlaw Pde, East Brisbane, which was regarded as so decadent it became known as the 'Gucci mansion'. With a bold, black European-inspired facade and colourful interiors, the property sold in less than three months during the height of the property boom in 2022. They paid $12.5 million for the glamorous property three years ago and it is now for sale with Matt Lancashire of Ray White The Collective via an expressions of interest campaign. The bold and dramatic interiors of the home were designed by renowned interior designer Greg Natale, while the standout black build was crafted by CHS Building.
