Land & environment

Narrandera's Lake Talbot skywalk is now taking shape, with vehicle and pedestrian access within the Lake Talbot swimming pool carpark and stairway to the boat ramp closed in both directions last week to allow further works on the project. The design features a fully accessible walkway that extends some 13 metres out over and above the waters of Lake Talbot...

Kaniva District Landcare Group held a successful tree planting day in celebration of National Tree Planting Day on Saturday at Lillimur. There were over 1200 trees planted on Victoria Toogood’s property at Lillimur in approximately 2 hours.

Southern Downs residents can expect more activity on the road network and additional construction crews being deployed across the region to undertake flood repairs, with final approvals for last year’s flood event now secured.

The push for more funding for the flood ravaged Northern Rivers region has been taken up by Member for Clarence, Richie Williamson, who questioned the Minns NSW Government on the massive reduction in buybacks offered and Federal Member for Page, Kevin Hogan, who launched a petition to fully fund the Resilient Homes Program as promised ... On Saturday Woodburn locals lined the bridge armed with signs, a town which felt the full brunt of the catastrophic flood, that still feels unheard as they struggle to rebuild.

Nearby resident Len Patterson with his dog Smokey check out the repaired Kital Road Bridge. The Bridge was badly damaged following the flooding in Dalrymple Creek early 2022 and has been impassable for the past 15 months.

Minister Plibersek has written to Murray-Darling Basin Authority Chair, Angus Huston, requesting an honest assessment of whether the plan can be delivered by the mid-2024 deadline. “The bulk of the impact of the Murray Darling Basin Plan has been borne by our communities across northern Victoria. We welcome the Ministers call to delay the implementation of the Murray Darling Basin Plan, so our communities can be heard and listened to”, Murray River Group of Councils Chair, Cr Rob Amos said.

Work has begun on one of the largest water infrastructure projects in New South Wales, with the Parkes-Peak Hill Water Supply Project designed to put the region in a stronger position to manage water in a drier climate. The $61.7 million project will deliver a suite of water infrastructure upgrades to safeguard water supply and boost drought resilience, funded in partnership between the Australian Government, the NSW Government and Parkes Shire Council.

Climate change is having an impact on Australian agriculture, with farmers having to contend with higher temperatures and lower winter rainfall ... The latest ABARES figures show climate adjusted productivity in Australia’s broadacre industries grew by 0.6 per cent per year on average between 1988–89 and 2021–22.

The boxing club tucked away in a Woodburn laneway was flooded last year ... The Woodburn Amateur Boxing Club has been going since 1989 and a recent grant of $5000 from Richmond Valley Council has meant the club could replace the punching bags, boxing gloves and focus mitts.

Here’s a great chance to tap into inspiring tips from Sunshine Coast design experts and learn how to make your home comfortable all year round. Sunshine Coast Council has developed a free educational design booklet, online course and smart phone compass to help you better understand our local sub-tropical climate and how the sun in winter and summer influences the liveability of our homes.

The Port Pirie Visitor Information Centre is celebrating 25 years since Shakka the Shark became a local tourist attraction and icon with an event this Wednesday and complimentary entry throughout the school holidays. Shakka is a 5.5 metre Great White Shark which tragically became entangled in snapper lines and drowned in Germein Bay on 12 July, 1998.

A major mains replacement project on South Western Highway is the first part of a $9.6 million State Government investment over 10 years to improve water supply reliability in the Bunbury region ... The existing 100mm pipes were replaced with 200mm pipes and capacity was improved which will increase water supply and pressure to the Bunbury Airport to boost the firefighting capacity, Bunbury Regional Prison and meet future development needs.

VFPA welcomes the Federal Government’s announcement to reverse the highly contested rainfall regulation, known as ‘water rule’, under the Carbon Farming Initiative (CFI) ... The announcement means the Australian Government will permanently remove this perverse rule from the Carbon Farming Initiative Regulation from 1 June 2024.  

I note that some at Denmark WA object to deliberate burning by the government department called DBCA. On television I have seen the matter briefly addressed by two botanists, Dr Joanna Young and Prof Stephen Hopper. They were showing a politician a recently burnt swamp, with ugly damage to the peat. A nasty sight, but was it the whole truth, or only part? We might remember Aristotle’s discussion of the perils of omitting, deliberately or accidentally, part of the truth (enthymeme).

Just months out from the River Murray Basin Plan 2024 deadline, the Federal Labor Government has just woken up to the real prospect that, despite their election commitment, the Basin Plan might not be delivered in full and on time. It has been revealed that the Federal Water Minister, Tanya Plibersek, has written to the Murray-Darling Authority asking “whether the plan has any prospects”...

The NSW Government attended a cultural burn, on the eve of NAIDOC week at Nellingen last week organised by The Batemans Bay Local Aboriginal Land Council. The cultural burn was an opportunity to support the renewal of culture through the use of fire while promoting knowledge sharing with Crown Lands’ bushfire mitigation staff.

The Kerang Memorial Hall was a flurry of activity at Tuesday’s VNI West Information Sessions ... From landholder engagement to environmental concerns, aboriginal cultural heritage, and even local, George Warne, was there as Transmission Company Victoria’s (TCV) agricultural advisor.

A celebration took place over the weekend as the enthusiastic gardener enjoyed viewing a beautiful exhibit of orchids from around the world in Kerang for the 22nd Victorian Country Orchid Clubs Challenge. Ten displays with an average of 50 plants made their way to the Kerang Basketball Stadium, supported by the sharing of gardening knowledge and commercial stalls.  

Allora Landcare Group is delighted to report the successful ‘cool’ burn of 2 - 3 acres of weedy land adjacent to the reservoir on Allora Mountain last Wednesday afternoon. The wind was from the north so smoke was kept way from town.

Sheep and cattle farmers are planting hundreds of thousands of an elite variety of Oldman Saltbush across Australia’s southeast this winter to supplement feed during dryer conditions heralded by a potential El Nino. Anameka Saltbush is a specially selected variety of the drought-tolerant native shrub, developed over 15 years by CSIRO.

The Starcke boat ramp area has been the target of an intensive clean-up after years of visitor over-use, weed infestation and damage from feral cattle. Cape York NRM provided training for the Juunjuwara Rangers in littoral rainforest research, and teams then conducted surveys to establish the health of the coastal vegetation.