Energy

The 2026-27 Budget delivers lower debt, $73.5 billion lower than it would have been under Labor, based on MYFER 24-25, by 2029-30, and delivers a surplus in 2029-30. 

Terry Collins. In a landmark decision on June 18, the Federal Court dismissed Asset Energy's application to overturn the Federal Government's rejection of the controversial PEP 11 application. Petroleum Exploration Permit (PEP) 11 has long been a point of controversy, as it sought to pursue offshore petroleum exploration over a large expanse of the eastern coastline including the Central Coast.

Patrick Tucker. Gannawarra Shire Mayor Garner Smith said communities hosting major renewable energy projects should receive more in return for the changes they will bring to the district. The comments come as projects including VNI West, solar farms and battery developments continue to expand across northern Victoria.

The Victorian Farmers Federation (VFF) says Victoria’s $25b dollar agriculture sector must not be forgotten in the face of a rapidly expanding data centre infrastructure boom sweeping the state. The VFF has today released an issues paper outlining the scale of potential development and competition for resources like land, water and energy. 

Farmers for Climate Action has produced a report ‘Energy Sovereignty for Regional Australia: Protecting Farmers, Powering the Future’ arguing that Australia's transition away from diesel should be accelerated through electrification, subsidies, infrastructure investment and changes to fuel tax arrangements ... When did advocacy become less about persuading people to voluntarily embrace change and more about finding another group to pay for it?

The MCi Carbon plant takes carbon dioxide captured from ammonia production and turns it into materials used in concrete, plasterboard, glass and paper. 

Carey Brennan. Tuesday night’s VicGrid Community Reference Group meeting of impacted farmers, council officers and VicGrid employees was disrupted by around 60 farmers and concerned community members at Charlton Park. Claire Flanagan-Smith, of RMG Consulting, chairing the meeting, called a halt to proceedings and refused to let it continue with the farmers present.

Energy Minister Penny Sharpe has cut the ribbon on Australia's first eight-hour battery near Balranald, with RWE's Limondale storage system promising steadier power, local jobs and money back into the community. A property on the outskirts of Balranald is now home to a national first.

SA Power Networks has issued an urgent warning about the use of agricultural drones around powerlines, after a large drone crashed and dropped a high voltage line to the ground at Wasleys, east of Mallala. The incident is the first of its kind to have occurred in South Australia.

Australia’s farmers are embracing new income streams to remain viable, but the nation’s tax system has not kept pace, according to new research ... by AgriFutures Australia. The report, Assessing the Implications of Emerging Farm Income Streams for Primary Producer Tax Policy, shows modern farm businesses are increasingly hosting renewable energy projects, participating in environmental markets and managing land access agreements...

Soaring aviation fuel costs are forcing the children's charity flight service Little Wings to cut back, with consequences for some of the most vulnerable families in the far west. The organisation has had to reduce its number of flights, limiting access to vital developmental assessments and therapy for children in Broken Hill and other remote communities.

On writing this, urea had slipped back below $1,000 a tonne and oil had fallen under US$90 a barrel. The headlines had moved on, the politicians were congratulating themselves, and the market was once again telling us that everything was under control. Problem solved. Move along. Nothing to see here. Except that is exactly what people said after the last fertiliser shock, and the one before that, and the one before that.

Queensland producers will gain access to discounts on ground and aviation fuels, and lubricant services through a new partnership between AgForce and Lowes Petroleum aimed at helping reduce operating costs and improve on-farm efficiency.

The voice of Territorians in Canberra is barely a whisper: just four NT pollies are in the national Parliament. Only one of them, Labor Senator Malarndirri McCarthy, is on the Government front bench. We asked her for an interview on June 2 or 3 about Territorians likely to have a very specific take on the $368b AUKUS fiasco.

Michael Vardon. Australia’s data centre rush now rivals the mining boom. OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman last week said Australia could become a “data centre capital of the world”. This would come at an environmental cost ... Before committing fully, we need granular detail on how much water and energy these centres use.

For Naracoorte single mother Michaela Dalton, every power bill brings the same fear - that one day she won't be able to keep the lights on for her daughter. With bills piling up and electricity prices set to rise, the 24-year-old says she feels like she's drowning.

Minister for Planning Sonya Kilkenny has recently approved a further $2.4 billion in projects through the Development Facilitation Program (DFP).

Member for Mallee Dr Anne Webster has taken Energy Minister Chris Bowen to task for his spin on Mallee battery rollout numbers, as the cost of the Government’s home battery scheme blows out. “I had to call out the Minister’s nonsense claiming Mallee has a home battery rollout ‘6 times Melbourne’ – which is very sneaky semantics...

The Nationals will fight to stop the Victoria to NSW Interconnector West (VNI West) by scrapping Labor's net zero agenda, which has driven the reckless renewables rollout across regional Australia. Speaking after a Farmers' Forum in St Arnaud last week, Leader of The Nationals Matt Canavan said farmers and the local community had made clear the disastrous impact Labor's net zero agenda was having on regional Victoria.

Plus road train owner operator Zac Anthony gives a real on the road update on diesel prices, plus your weekly farming weather and all of your rural news with Fiona L Fox from Australian Rural and Regional News.

The Albanese Government has given environmental approval to another renewable energy project in Queensland, boosting the state’s energy security. Finalised in just 19 days, Blackbutt’s Tumuruu solar farm and battery energy storage system (BESS) has also been approved by the South Burnett Regional Council.