Under the heading ‘green shoots’, research head of Australia’s Public Interest Journalism Initiative Gary Dickson noted that it recorded the opening of two news outlets in January, increasing the total to 1213.

One of these was the January 9 launch of the Hobart Weekly News, while two others outlets were recorded as having opened last year. They are Burdekin (Qld) Life “in 2023”, and the Moruya Mail last October.

“The latter two were among ten changes made to outlet records in January, which also included an increase in service and a name change for the Limestone Coast Today (formerly the Naracoorte Herald)”, PIJI notes.

Publisher of the Braidwood Bugle, Alex Rea had taken stablemate the Moruya Mail – previously been limited to a Facebook page – into print after the closure of Lei Parker’s The Beagle.

Its longtime editor, Lei Parker had died on October 13, after suspending publication the previous month. The online news outlet covered news from NSW’s Eurobodalla council area.

Dickson notes: “Lei was a passionate advocate for local journalism, particularly on the South Coast, and regularly interrogated PIJI’s data, methods and findings. His scrutiny, particularly in the first months of the (then) Australian Newsroom Mapping Project, improved our work.”

Burdekin Life is published by Core Publishing and Events, which owns Queensland’s Mackay and Whitsunday Life. Its launch follows the 2022 closure of Burdekin Local News by publisher Scott Morrison (no connection with the former prime minister).

The Today edition (pictured) has expanded coverage from just Naracoorte Lucindale to include other local government areas in the Limestone Coast region, including Mount Gambier, Wattle Range, and Grant.