The Editor
2622 POSTS
Improved water security and accessibility
Through grant funding provided via the Commonwealth Government's Drought Communities Programme (DCP) Extension new water standpipes have been installed in Eden Valley, Moculta and Mount Pleasant. The standpipes will support those within the council area who do not have access to reticulated water supplies and may have limited access via other sources due to ongoing drought conditions.
Ord Valley event musters up millions for east Kimberley economy
A popular East Kimberley event held in May this year, and supported by the McGowan Government, injected around $6 million into the local economy and recorded its highest-ever ticket sales.
State’s first vanadium mine a new era for Queensland’s resources sector
A vanadium mine in Queensland's remote northwest will pioneer production of a globally sought-after new economy mineral, supporting up to 400 regional jobs. Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk, Resources Minister Scott Stewart and Multicom Resources’ chief executive officer Shaun McCarthy jointly announced the go-ahead for the $250 million Saint Elmo mine near Julia Creek, in the state’s North West.
Resistance set to change how farmers manage flystrike this season
For the first time in more than 20 years, farmers are having to rethink their strategy for managing flystrike. Recently documented chemical resistance, coupled with wet and warm conditions this spring, means there is the threat of a big flystrike season ahead.
New map to help safeguard nation’s protected cropping industries
Australian horticulture growers are being urged to contribute to the creation of a high-tech mapping tool
to improve biosecurity preparedness and natural disaster response efforts. The National Protected Cropping Map, an initiative being delivered through Hort Innovation and led by the University of New England’s Applied Agricultural Remote Sensing Centre, will capture the location of commercial, polytunnels, shadehouses, glasshouses and permanent nets in every State and Territory of Australia.
New barley powdery mildew resistance genes key to future resistance
Australian researchers have discovered a set of unique and potentially durable resistance genes from exotic barley lines and landraces that breeders can use to develop crops with more stable resistance to powdery mildew.
Worker reforms welcomed by NSW Farmers
NSW Farmers welcomes efforts by the Australian Government to streamline the Seasonal Worker Program (SWP) and the Pacific Labour Scheme (PLS) under the new Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme, providing a simplified process for farm businesses to access the schemes. The Government’s commitment to bring an additional 12,500 workers from the Pacific region by March 2022 to work in Australian sectors including agriculture will help alleviate the workforce shortage crisis continuing to threaten the productivity of farm enterprises.
Energy companies the only beneficiaries of the Integrated Systems Plan
The National Farmers Federation is concerned about the significant cost blow-outs associated with the proposed Hume-Link Transmission Line, with costs blowing out by 250% to $3.317 billion. Proposed transmission lines across Australia within the Australian Energy Market Operator’s (AEMO) Integrated Systems Plan (ISP) have caused significant issues with land-use conflict amongst farmers, and now are leaving households out of pocket.
From tanks to tractors – operation grain harvest assist launched
A nationwide operation has been launched aiming to bolster the supply of local workers to help deliver this year’s bumper grains harvest and relieve pressure on farming communities. Retired and former ADF servicemen and women are being motivated and mobilised under Operation Grain Harvest Assist, to answer the call-up and work on grain farms stationed throughout Australia.
“Excellent” season and booming commodity prices see nation’s buoyant farmers defying broader COVID economic uncertainty
A second consecutive year of good seasonal conditions and high commodity prices is helping shield Australia’s farm sector from the broader economic uncertainty of COVID-19, with farmer sentiment surging in recent months, according to the latest quarterly Rabobank Rural Confidence Survey. The survey reveals Australian farm sector confidence is at one of its highest levels in the survey’s history due to ongoing positive seasonal conditions and exceptionally-high commodity prices, with more than 90 per cent of Australian farmers expecting the current conditions to continue or improve further over the coming 12 months.
