The Editor

From children to seniors, beginners to pros, everyone is invited to join the fun and #HaveaGo at a free council community event in Caloundra on July 23 – a celebration to acknowledge exactly 10 years to go until the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games open. Get on your bikes at Sugar Bag Road Mountain Bike Trails from 10am-3pm for an action packed day of demos, trails, #HaveAGo sessions and rubbing shoulders with world class champions.  

Works on a major airside upgrade to the Whyalla Airport are nearing completion, with all but the resurfacing of the secondary runway and additional electrical work to be completed ... Mayor Clare McLaughlin said the works including the installation of the new taxi way have been constructed to allow for the landing and departure of larger aircraft.

When you’re the largest producer of Australia’s strawberries, grow more than a quarter of the state’s pineapples, and are recognised globally for seafood, it’s no surprise to find Moreton Bay is already home to a fast-evolving food and agribusiness industry.

A recent CSIRO study has found that Australians are more likely to support the use of gene drive technology for feral cat management if there was a perceived problem of invasive species in one’s local neighbourhood ... "Feral cats are an ideal candidate for gene drive research given that their reproductive rates are up to three litters a year, which greatly outpaces conventional measures" : Dr Owain Edwards.

John O'Donnell looks closely at recent announcements by the NSW Government concerning funding for bushfire management and climate change adaptation and identifies 7 key remaining areas of concern, including an emphasis on bushfire suppression and inadequate levels of fire mitigation.

The 2022-23 NSW Budget is delivering a major boost to fire management in national parks through a $598 million investment, delivering 250 permanent jobs and critical infrastructure upgrades. The NSW Government has also committed an additional $93.7 million to deliver the Climate Change Adaptation Strategy to prepare for the impacts of climate change and capture new investment opportunities.

Clarence Valley Anglican School Year 11 student Caleb Harrison won’t regret penning a 1000 word history essay after his work won him an 11 day, NSW Government organised and ClubsNSW funded tour of historic World War II sites in the United States and Japan. After meeting Caleb and his proud mum, Jackie in Grafton on Monday and reading his essay, Clarence Nationals MP Chris Gulaptis said it was easy to see why he was just one of six students across NSW to win a place on the ClubsNSW Premier’s WWII Memorial Tour.

Another biosecurity zone has been set up in NSW after varroa mite was discovered in bee hives at three more properties. Minister for Agriculture Dugald Saunders says the move accounts for an infested premises, which is located outside the existing zones.

“Comparing soil health in sugarcane growing districts to soil health in pasture, horticulture and cropping regions shows just how unique those sugarcane soil systems are. Many cane growers may not have measured their soil health before but with commodity prices remaining strong in this regulated market, we’re seeing cane growers becoming increasingly interested in soil health" : Rob Dwyer, Incitec Pivot Fertilisers agronomist.

Moves by governments to restrict exports only exacerbate price rises and increase food insecurity, according to the latest Insights report from ABARES. Executive Director of ABARES Dr Jared Greenville said there were lessons to be learnt from the 2007-08 food crisis.