The Editor
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As 2022 draws to a close, what’s ahead for ag commodities in 2023: NAB
Despite agricultural commodity prices retreating last month to the same level as November 2021, many Australian producers are seeing their most profitable period in living memory as 2022 draws to a close. Released on 19 December 2022, NAB’s December Rural Commodities Wrap reports the bank’s Rural Commodities Index was down 2.6% in November on the back of increasing volatility in livestock and grain markets.
Shire of Ashburton first in Western Australia to use Guardian Emergency Dashboard
The Shire of Ashburton is the first local government in Western Australia to join forces with Queensland based company QIT Plus to bring a collated Emergency Dashboard resource to the community ... Having resources such as road conditions, power outages, weather warnings, river heights, airport schedules, boating forecasts, quick links and more on one accessible platform will help to inform the community and highlight how to prepare for incidents and events that impact the area.
Seeing double: critically endangered KI Dunnart detections increases three years post-wildfires
Conservationists are feeling hopeful for the future of the endangered Kangaroo Island Dunnart for the first time since the 2019/20 Black Summer fires. The newfound optimism comes after a large increase in detections of the species within the feral predator-free Western River Refuge.
Federal Labor snubs farmers: VFF
The Victorian Farmers Federation (VFF) says Federal Water Minister Tanya Plibersek is continuing to ignore farmers. VFF Water Council Chair Andrew Leahy said despite multiple attempts by the VFF to meet with the Commonwealth, Minister Plibersek’s key water adviser and Murray Darling Basin Authority staff were in Shepparton, but did not meet farmers. “There is no group more impacted by the Basin Plan than farmers and the Commonwealth has chosen to ignore us.”
Susan Close skips the country as River communities brace for flood devastation: Centofanti
Water Minister Susan Close has defied Peter Malinauskas’ order to visit River communities once a week in the lead up to the extraordinary flood event, instead favouring a month-long overseas holiday – her third international trip in the past three months. With water levels expected to peak in the coming weeks and more homes and businesses becoming inundated, the Opposition questions the timing and length of the holiday.
PALM scheme leaves smaller growers behind: NFF
The National Farmers’ Federation’s (NFF) Horticulture Council is calling on the Federal Government to ensure its much-heralded solution to the growing workforce crisis works for the whole of the sector. Following Covid-19 disruptions, there was a swift shift towards a greater reliance on the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme, but with that came headaches for smaller employers who previously relied mostly on backpackers.
Self-thinning forest understoreys and wildfire debate – closing question
In light of the discussion over many submissions on the topic of self-thinning forest understoreys and wildfire from our notable commentators - Jack Bradshaw, Philip Zylstra, Roger Underwood and Peter Rutherford - and the continuing differences of opinion, each was asked the following question, with a view to concluding the debate, at least for the time being, and hopefully on a constructive note: What more might it be useful to explore?
Opportunities to improve fuel management in NSW: John O’Donnell
John O'Donnell reviews the NSW Rural Fire Service Annual Report 2021/22 ... Unfortunately, areas of annual hazard reduction burning and mechanical reduction in NSW are both at very low rates ... Only 3.1 per cent of the NSW forested landscape has received fuel treatment over five years, this is extremely low and inadequate to reduce bushfire areas and risk. In addition, the forests with extensive hot bushfires of 2019/ 20 are now three years old and in many cases there are extensive areas of dead trees, heavy grass/ bark etc fuel and dense understoreys ...
NSW Government announces sheep and goat electronic ID timeline: Saunders
The NSW Government has released its plan to roll out electronic identification (eID) for the State’s $1.5 billion farmed sheep and goat industries. Minister for Agriculture and Western NSW Dugald Saunders said the plan has been developed hand-in-hand with industry, ensuring a timeline that works for each sector.
River Murray flows remain consistent with previous forecasts as government moves to daily height updates: Malinauskas and Szakacs
Today’s River Murray flow update shows the floodwater peak is still due in Renmark around the end of December and forecasts remain between 190 and 220 gigalitres a day, consistent with previous projections. While flow rates are useful for forecasting the scale of floods, water heights provide a better picture of conditions on the ground. Subsequently, as we are now closer to the expected peak, the Department for Environment and Water is now able to provide daily height forecasts for population centres.
