The Editor

Geoff Bammann. The 2022 Eyre Peninsula Field Days’ committee is very excited to be able to welcome both visitors and exhibitors back to Cleve ... The field days is a great opportunity to catch up with friends and also to keep abreast of, not only, the latest in farming and technology, but also lifestyle, education, grain marketing and every other aspect of living in the country.

In partnership with Varuna, The National Writers’ House, the New England Writers’ Centre is delighted to announce that entries are now open for the fourth year of the prestigious Varuna-New England Writers’ Centre Fellowship.

There is more certainty for farmers and the environment after the NSW Government’s licensing and measurement reform became law in Water Sharing Plans for the Border Rivers and Gwydir Valleys. Minister for Lands and Water Kevin Anderson and Minister for Environment James Griffin have approved changes to the Border Rivers, Gwydir and Macquarie Water Sharing Plans.

More than $5 million was pumped into the local economy in the first half of the year thanks to two local festivals, economic data shows. The Port Fairy Folk Festival and Long Weekend Street Fair, held in March, and the Koroit Irish Festival, held in late April, resulted in a $5,118,949 increase in spending across the Moyne Shire. Spending associated with The Port Fairy Folk Festival and the Port Fairy Street Fair totaled $3.58M, up 40 per cent from the previous year when the festival was postponed due to Covid.

Lismore City Mayor Steve Krieg has opened the new Tucki Creek Bridge at Tucki Tucki which was replaced due to safety issues. Our specialist Bridge Crew replaced the ageing wooden bridge with a new 12.1m x 4.8m single span concrete structure. This new structure founded on concrete driven piles has been designed and constructed to achieve a 100-year design life while improving its flood immunity and safety for local farmers and truck drivers.

The Victorian Farmers Federation (VFF) has raised concerns that the Commonwealth Government is rewriting history in an attempt to buyback and deliver water to South Australia under the Murray Darling Basin Plan. VFF Water Council Chair Andrew Leahy said the response from Water Minister Tanya Plibersek to South Australian MP Rebekha Sharkie’s question in Parliament this week ignored the history behind the 450 GL up-water target.

NSW Farmers members called out a lack of fairness in the energy transition during debate at the organisation's annual conference ... “You cannot simply build infrastructure to benefit substantially city users without addressing the impact on regions and rural landowners who have invested in their biodiversity and production capacity,”: NSW Farmers Energy Transition Working Group Chair, Reg Kidd

A significant aspect of Closing the Gap in East Arnhem Land is the creation of new industry, jobs and business on country. Announced  over the Garma Weekend, the Territory Labor Government has  released  the East Arnhem Regional Economic Growth Plan – a collaborative 10 year plan which sets ambitious goals for economic and jobs growth  across  the  33,000 square kilometres of the region.

The Crocodile Management Independent Expert Evaluation Committee – chaired by Queensland’s Chief Scientist, Professor Hugh Possingham – made 22 recommendations for improving estuarine crocodile management in Queensland ... The department has accepted each of the committee’s recommendations, with several recommendations already being implemented.