Contributor, ARR.News

New and improved agricultural levies legislation will replace the existing framework next year, making the levy system more user friendly for participants and making it easier for them to understand their obligations. More than 50 pieces of legislation governing over 110 levies and charges – across 75 commodities and 18 bodies that receive levies – are being streamlined into five Acts and subordinate legislation.

National Irrigators’ Council (NIC) has welcomed the refreshed approach proposed by the Murray-Darling Basin Authority (MDBA) to relax delivery constraints in the Murray-Darling Basin to value add environmental benefits for rivers and floodplains but warns that firm commitments from Basin governments are critical to ensure the program’s momentum is not lost.

Mansfield & District Racing Club

Peter Rutherford. On the 24 November 1939, the Coffs Harbour Advocate reported, among other things, that “now there are only 200 known koalas in the whole of New South Wales, including those in captivity.” NSW Environment Minister Sharpe’s media release of 3 December 2024 stated, “that our grandchildren will never get the chance to see koalas in the wild”. I thought she may have been a little behind in reading her ministerial briefings. But then the penny dropped!

Following the wet La Niña years with widespread flooding, drier conditions have resulted in a drop in waterbird numbers and breeding in 2024. UNSW’s annual waterbird survey, conducted by researchers and government collaborators, has observed fewer waterbirds breeding and a drop of nearly 50 per cent in overall numbers, compared to 2023.

According to Geoff Crittenden, CEO of Weld Australia, the Opposition’s plan relies on the misguided notion that coal-fired power stations can continue operating reliabily indefinitely to bridge the energy gap. “It is a fantasy to imagine that coal-fired power stations can keep running without billions of dollars being poured into their maintenance. Many of these plants have already exceeded their design life two- or threefold,” said Crittenden.

Qld and WA farmers reported improved optimism heading into the end of the year, while sentiment was more subdued in other states, the latest Rabobank Rural Confidence Survey has found ... on a national basis farmers were becoming increasingly cautious about the outlook for the agricultural economy, with nearly half (47 per cent) attributing their concerns to dry seasonal conditions, while rising cost pressures are also a worry.

The 2026 South Australian Country Swimming Championships are coming to the Port Pirie Aquatic and Leisure Centre, running from 4–7 January 2026. This highly anticipated event, secured by the Port Pirie Regional Council, will showcase the best of regional swimming talent while bringing families, supporters, and the wider country swimming community together in the heart of the region.

Forestry Australia has welcomed a new study published in  Australian Forestry  peer-reviewed journal by the former chief research scientist at the CSIRO, Dr John Raison. The paper, titled "A review of the impacts of sustainable harvesting, non-harvest management and wildfire on net carbon emissions from Australian native forests", investigates the science behind claims that timber harvesting increases greenhouse gas emissions.

Aussies still love their local libraries, with recent data from the Australian Public Libraries Statistical Report 2022-2023 showing a rise in borrowing and in-person library visits ... Recently, Fulton Trotter Architects developed a self-serve library kiosk in a residential suburb development in Port Macquarie to cater for community reading, nestled close to the community’s playground.