The Editor

The results for the 2021 London Wine Competition were announced earlier this month and the prestigious Wine of the Year award went to Lévrier Wines’ Anubis Cabernet Sauvignon. The competition, in its 4th year, is unique in that each wine is judged on quality, value and package. The 2021 edition saw entries from 36 countries. Congratulations to Jo Irvine for taking top spot in the whole competition.

Qantas will add more flights to the Bendigo to Sydney route and has made tickets more flexible to accommodate changing COVID-19 restrictions across Australia. Qantas have announced that from May 24 it will increase to a two flight a day return service. This means there will be two flights a day leaving Bendigo and two flights arriving from Sydney.

Greater Shepparton City Council has undertaken a trial of incorporating recycled glass and reclaimed asphalt pavement to renew part of Kialla Lakes Drive, Shepparton ... “Incorporating recycled glass sand into the base layer makes sense, using a waste product, recycling it to renew a road it’s better for the environment. We are very keen to explore every option we have to increase recycling and reuse of waste products that would otherwise go to landfill it just make sense and is something we will expand,” Greater Shepparton City Council Director Infrastructure Phil Hoare said.

NSW Farmers Vice President and Liverpool Plains farmer Xavier Martin said the agreement ends 13 years of uncertainty for the region’s farmers. “It was the wrong mine in the wrong place,” Mr Martin said. “This area has some of the best soils and water in Australia and as a nation, short term energy extraction gains should never compromise long term food and fibre production goals.” Mr Martin said the Shenhua project also had an “unmanageable risk” factor on the quality and quantity of groundwater resources.

The National Farmers’ Federation welcomes today’s announcement to end plans for the development of the proposed Shenhua coal mine on the Liverpool Plains. "After more than 13 long years, farmers and the Liverpool Plains community can almost breathe a sigh of relief that this process has finally ended," President and Liverpool Plains farmer Fiona Simson said. "The fertile black soil of the Liverpool Plains is some of the best farm land in Australia. It is a region of national significance.

Queensland sheep producers and woolgrowers have signalled their interest in boosting Merino numbers in the State with the annual Leading Sheep Forum and dinner at Longreach attracting strong attendance. Under the theme of Meeting the Markets with Merinos, the forum was held on 26 March at Qantas Founders Outback Museum, and attracted 50 attendees representing 17 individual primary production businesses.

Sheep Producers Australia and WoolProducers Australia have today released the world first Australian Sheep Sustainability Framework (SSF). The SSF was initiated by Australia’s sheep industry leaders to demonstrate our sustainable practices, identify areas for improvement, and better communicate with customers and consumers. The framework lists 21 priorities across the four themes - Caring for our Sheep; Enhancing the Environment and Climate; Looking after our People, our Customers and the Community and Ensuring a Financially Resilient Industry.