CATEGORY

Agriculture

Fire exposes risk of chicken farm waste

The management, storage and disposal of farm waste products has become a focus after residents reportedly discovered a smouldering fire in a chicken litter stockpile last week. A resident in the Baringhup/Carisbrook area says they discovered evidence of self-combustion in a pile of chicken farm waste following a day of Total Fire Ban in the district, expressing concern that it could happen again.

Australian forestry professionals join Canada, UK and New Zealand as part of international exchange program: Forestry Australia

A pilot international exchange program between Canada, the UK, New Zealand and Australia has been developed to offer participants an opportunity to gain diverse perspectives as well as foster personal and professional growth ... “The pilot international exchange program offers a unique opportunity for emerging leaders in forestry and forest management to participate in a 3-month paid international work placement,” Ms Martin said.

Allora Show, 7-8 February 2025

Allora Show Society Inc I Calendar and Map

Debunking false claims about bushfire risk and native forest logging in Australia

Robert Onfray critiques claims that native forest logging in Australia contributes significantly to increased bushfire risk. Some academics championed this idea, purporting to follow the scientific method, but often their work lacks scientific rigour. These claims have misled the public, skewing the debate around forest management, fire prevention, and the ecological role of logging.

Ganmain Show bucks the trend of declining agricultural shows

Many country agricultural shows remain in doubt for 2025. However some country shows bucked the trend and drew a large crowd. Ganmain Show was one of them, attracting more than 2500 people in 2024.

The WA Minister has learnt nothing from the live export debate

Has our State Minister for Agriculture learnt nothing from the live export debate? ... So, what’s next if Jackie Jarvis ends up as WA Minister for Agriculture after the next election - imposing bans on intensive piggeries, dairy calves, long distance transport of livestock, live export of cattle?

SA Murray Mallee newest region to receive trees through AstraZeneca’s global forest initiative: Greening Australia

With less than a quarter of the SA Murray Mallee region’s original vegetation remaining, funding from AstraZeneca’s global AZ Forest initiative is supporting large-scale restoration of this priority area. Two properties in the SA Murray Mallee received free trees in 2024 ... ARR.News asked about fire mitigation.

Secure the food supply

All agricultural land in Victoria should be mapped and strategic land use planning established to protect farmland in major areas such as Gippsland, according to a landmark report by a Victorian parliamentary committee. This was one of 33 recommendations and 29 findings in a report ‘Securing Victoria’s Food Supply’ by the Legislative Assembly Environment and Planning Committee.

What kind of fishing is allowed in the Two Rocks marina?

The Department of Transport has clarified what kind of fishing is allowed in the Two Rocks marina. A department spokesman said the placement of crab pots and floats had always been prohibited within all Department of Transport marinas, to ensure safe navigation of vessels.

NSW Independent Forestry Panel process

In August 2024, the NSW Government announced the appointment of an expert panel to lead consultation on a Forestry Industry Action Plan. The final report of the Independent Forestry Panel has been provided to the NSW Government. Whether the report will be made publicly available and the shape of the future Forestry Industry Action Plan is a matter for the Government.

Foreign owned and controlled TransGrid is disconnected from regional Australia

The ever-increasing number of stories of the difficulties faced by landowners when dealing with transmission network builder, TransGrid, points to an organisation with no knowledge of, and no interest in learning about, the land, and the peoples living on that land, through which they are building those networks.

Scientists finally speak out as Labor removes gag on koalas and forestry: Kemp

Labor Government’s Environment Minister Penny Sharp’s tenuous grip on scientific truth has finally been broken. Now allowing real, scientific based research to reveal what political agendas have long suppressed in the fight over koala populations and sustainable forestry in NSW.    

Time to trial fire vehicles: NSW Farmers Association

Farmers are urged to take part in a trial of Farm Fire Units in NSW as unprecedented bushfires continue to burn in the United States. Under a NSW Government trial in place until 31 March, private farm vehicles used for firefighting purposes known as Farm Fire Units – or Farm Fire Fighting Vehicles (FFFVs) – can be used unregistered under certain conditions.

WA Minister too busy freeing the chooks to focus on biosecurity

WA desperately needs a unified biosecurity authority, one that merges the resources and expertise of DPIRD and DBCA under a single, competent Minister. Such an authority would eliminate bureaucratic overlap, create a cohesive strategy, and launch the kind of public education campaign sorely needed to tackle threats like the shot-hole borer.

Eurobodalla Agricultural Show, 25-26 January 2025

Eurobodalla District Show Society I Calendar and Map

New resources for ewe pregnancy scanning

Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA) and Australian Wool Innovation (AWI) have released a range of new resources to help producers scan and manage pregnant ewes. The new resources are the result of a multi-year coinvestment between MLA and AWI aimed to improve lamb survival and reproductive rates in the Australian sheep flock through better adoption of pregnancy scanning.

Fresh intake of 20,600 fingerlings along local river waterways

Hay Shire Council and Hay Lions Football and Netball Club joined forces once again for their much-anticipated annual native fish restocking event in the Murrumbidgee River at Hay late last month. Around 6600 Murray Cod fingerlings were released near Sandy Point, marking another significant step in enhancing the local aquatic ecosystem.

$20.9m funding for Murray-Darling Basin water savings – Where’s the benefit?

Hugh Schuitemaker. Senior Riverland politicians have questioned the potential benefits of a multi-million dollar environmental plan to use treated wastewater – rather than Murray River water – to water public areas and “to supply some industries”. The Federal and State Governments last month announced $20.9m in funding to build infrastructure allowing local governments to substitute Murray River water with storm water, treated wastewater or other alterna-tive water sources.

2024 Churchill Fellowship recipient: Henry Tan

Henry Tan discusses with ARR.News his project to identify effective food safety and biosecurity risk controls in the production, and processing of chicken meat that will result in a reduction of consumer exposure to Campylobacter, the leading cause of foodborne illness in Australia.

Concrete railway sleepers – a growing blight on the environment: Roger Underwood

Roger Underwood. I had an email from a Queensland mate the other day. “I recently took a train trip from Brisbane to Charleville” he told me, “and there were huge piles of concrete sleepers beside the line to the Toowoomba Range and elsewhere.” I knew exactly what he was talking about. In September 2024 I travelled by train from Perth to Adelaide, from Ballarat to Melbourne and from Melbourne to Sydney. Alongside every railway line along this trip were piles of “used” concrete sleepers.

Opinion – Transparency, independence, and the great koala scam: Vic Jurskis

The transcript of proceedings of the Independent Forestry Panel in teleconference with the Independent Koala Expert Panel on 1 November 2024 has been released. The Forestry Panel will oversee the destruction of sustainable forestry in NSW to 'save’ koalas.

Trump holds the keys to right to repair

As a second Trump presidency looms on the horizon, one pressing issue for America's and Australian farmers remains unresolved: the unfettered right to repair their own agricultural machinery. With both groups at loggerheads with the big farm machinery manufacturers over who gets the right to access software locks to repair complex tractors and headers, what happens under Trump could impact where this long running debate finally settles.

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