First Territory Water Plan ensures water security for all Territorians: Moss
The first ever whole-of-government strategic plan for water across the Northern Territory has been released by the Minister for Environment, Climate Change and Water Security, Lauren Moss. The Territory Water Plan is a package of actions that will set the foundation for delivering water security for all Territorians – now and into the future.
Roadmap to the 2026 Basin Plan Review announced: MDBA
The Roadmap to the 2026 Basin Plan Review was launched by the Murray–Darling Basin Authority with a commitment to work with communities throughout the 3-year journey.
WICC on target to buy wetlands sanctuary
A fundraising target of $505,000 has been exceeded to buy a former potato farm on Wilson Inlet’s eastern banks as a wildlife protection sanctuary. Wilson Inlet Catchment Committee and other groups comprising the Eungedup Wetlands Management Group have raised $516,000 to buy 103ha with the sale to be settled at the end of the month.
Prescribed burning: Call for full State inquiry
The Denmark Environment Centre is calling on the State Government for a full and independent inquiry into the impact of its current prescribed burning practices. This follows the release last week of a report, Icons to Ashes, on the practice as examined in the Walpole Wilderness Area. The report calls for an urgent rethink of burning practices, highlighting that regular burning is having a big impact on forests and wildlife and has been scientifically demonstrated to be increasing the risk of bushfire.
“It’s time for action” Productivity Commission told
Last week’s round of Productivity Commission meetings on the impacts of the Murray-Darling Basin Plan had an overwhelming response ... It was reported the commissioners were surprised by the attendance, which gave them a stark lesson in the passion of local communities and the frustration at a failing Murray-Darling Basin Plan and governments which refuse to address its shortcomings ... The Speak Up Campaign ... was represented by chair Shelley Scoullar ... Also at the hearing was Wakool River Assocation chair John Lolicato ... Southern Riverina Irrigators CEO Sophie Baldwin said the large turnout at the meeting was an indication of just how badly the basin plan has impacted our region ...
King’s Birthday Honours for Noel’s lifetime dedication
When we say Noel Graham has dedicated a lifetime to the rice and general agricultural industry, we mean it. He almost had no choice given his family history, but luckily, Noel is just as passionate about agriculture and rice as his forebears ... Concurrently, Noel also held roles within SunRice and Murray Irrigation.
New program supports recovery vision
The Upper Murray Community Recovery Committee (CRC) is partnering with Alpine Valleys Community Leadership (AVCL) to deliver a program for emerging and future community leaders of the Upper Murray region and other fire-affected areas of the Towong Shire ... "This program is an opportunity to develop leadership skills which will enable participants to effectively contribute to the community capacity building and economic development of the Upper Murray": Jo Mackinnon, Chair, UMI.
Recovery delays cause concern
A number of Cudgewa North residents, concerned about the delays in rehabilitating the Bluff Falls tourism area following the 2019-20 Black Summer bushfires, claim that Parks Victoria is not doing enough to get the recovery project underway. They say that there has been a lack of communication about the works.
Lessons in water management across the Pacific: MDBA
A renowned sustainable river ecologist has identified water management in the Murray–Darling Basin as a model for other countries seeking to support communities and healthy rivers into the future. Addressing the MDBA's annual River reflections regional water conference in Narrabri, Professor N LeRoy Poff from the University of Canberra and Colorado State University said the Murray–Darling Basin Plan was a beacon for other nations on how integrated water management at the Basin scale can work.
Farmers come to Canberra to fight transmission lines: Littleproud, Webster
Dozens of concerned farmers have descended on Canberra, urging Federal Labor to rethink its plan to build hundreds of kilometres of poles and wires through regional Victoria. The farmers met with The Nationals leader David Littleproud and Federal Member for Mallee Dr Anne Webster, who echoed the group’s concerns.
Helping to fight Canada wildfires
Michelle Daw. Former Kadina local Dan Brind is part of the South Australian contingent helping to battle massive wildfires burning out of control in Canada ... Mr Brind, who is ForestrySA’s fire manager, left Adelaide for Canada last week and is part of the 18 SA firefighters from the Country Fire Service and the National Parks and Wildlife Service SA in the delegation.
Getting to the root of the issue: John O’Donnell
John O'Donnell reviews eucalypt decline and dieback in relation to the lack of low intensity fire management across Australia. John considers that exclusion of frequent low intensity mild fire is the primary cause of eucalypt decline in Australian native forests and woodlands and this has been inadequately recognised ... This lack of recognition is in itself a major environmental issue and ignores up to 60,000 years of Aboriginal burning practices across the landscape.
More out-of-control burns heat up pressure on Gov: Katter
Not even one month after an uncontrolled fire on Government land triggered Traeger MP Robbie Katter to request an inquiry into the State Government’s aggressive take-up of land without properly resourcing it, several more blazes have broken out. Katter’s Australian Party Leader and Member for Traeger Robbie Katter received complaints that constituents were left to battle two grass fires in about two weeks 30 kilometres east of Hughenden that were likely caused by cattle train activity and nearby high fuel loads.
Is government failing Australians on fire ants?: Canegrowers
CANEGROWERS is calling on the federal, state and territory governments to redouble their efforts to halt the march of Red Imported Fire Ants (RIFA), following the release of a damning report on the failure of the current eradication program. The report, which has been kept under wraps for two years, makes clear that the current strategy will not only fail to eradicate RIFA, but will be unable to stop the global super-pest from spreading beyond south-east Queensland.
Regional plans to control wild deer population: Stitt
Minister for Environment Ingrid Stitt launched the East and West Victoria Deer Control Plans, which are regional strategies aiming to reduce the threat deer pose to Victoria’s natural environment, Aboriginal cultural heritage and farming. The East and West Deer Control Plans are five-year plans that focus on preventing new populations from establishing, along with measures on how to effectively protect native species, waterways, national parks and reserves from deer.
Conservation efforts lead to reopening of fishing for Torres Strait species: Furner, Watt, Lui
A fishing season for a high value sea cucumber in the Torres Strait has reopened for the first time in 20 years thanks to a concerted conservation and stock restoration effort ... Torres Strait Islanders will have exclusive access rights to black teatfish, which is estimated to be worth $380,000 to the local economy.
Rookwood Weir water flows for Central Queensland farmers: Butcher
Economic opportunity has been unlocked in Central Queensland with the completion of the second tender for water from the soon-to-be-completed Rookwood Weir, as 21 successful bidders secured a total allocation of 6000 megalitres for productive irrigation use. Strong interest from across the region resulted in 21 successful bids, with 6082 megalitres sold from an available 7500 megalitres.
Paddock drainage trials show promising results: GRDC
Two consecutive wet seasons in southwest Western Australia have put a renewed focus on waterlogged crops ... Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) investments, led by South Coast Natural Resource Management (South Coast NRM) and Stirlings to Coast Farmers, are exploring the potential return on investment of subsurface water management options for waterlogged areas at four sites in the Esperance and Albany port zones.
Productivity Commission Review of the Basin Plan at Deniliquin: The Riverina State
David Landini. The Federal Government Productivity Commission held one of a series of public consultation meetings at the Deniliquin RSL on 8/6/23 ... I took the opportunity to publicly describe the political problems associated with the Basin Plan.
What goes on inside the curious world of a cat’s mind?
Tom came to us for unknown reasons. A stranger in our midst, yes, but feral? He was clearly somebody’s pet but having learned from other cats in the neighbourhood that the place up the road offered a better alternative to the life he had – good (and regular) food, a warm place to sleep, and reasonably congenial humans – he’d opted to chance his luck on our doorstep.
Maldon hailstones go global
In January this year, a freak hailstorm hit Maldon and surrounds, bringing billiard ball sized hailstones causing distress to livestock and damaging roofs, windows and cars. The largest reported hailstones fell in Maldon, with some of them exceeding 70 mm in diameter and exhibiting unusual shapes. The shapes and sizes made them of great interest to hail researchers.
Corryong powers up
Corryong has received the bulk of almost $18 million in funding that has been awarded to seven projects in Indi to build resilience to natural disasters under the Disaster Ready Fund, Federal Member for Indi, Helen Haines, has announced. A staggering $15 million has been delivered for the only project in the Towong Shire to establish an Advanced Microgrid that would improve energy resilience to Corryong during natural disasters.
