Land & environment

Gavin Butcher. When the WA Premier announced it was changing direction in the management of native forests to one guided by improving forest health and climate resilience he was on a potential winner ... Here was a unique opportunity to end the forest wars and set up a sustainable future for all. Alas the government has fluffed it.

Helping spot fires is the job of dreams for Parks and Wildlife Service Senior Spotter Pilot Bronwen Prinsloo. This Manjimup-based pilot loves taking to the skies to spot and report on fires, monitor prescribed burns and do her bit to help keep our communities safe.

Water allocation prices in the southern Murray–Darling Basin are likely to remain low for a fourth consecutive year, according to the latest ABARES Water Market Outlook ... ABARES considers the average scenario to be the most likely, with prices expected to increase to $80 per ML across the southern basin in 2023–24, up from $29 per ML in 2022 23.

Pastoralists and land managers can have complete confidence the information they record about wild dog activity, control and livestock attacks entered on FeralScan ® (including WildDogScan ®) is kept confidential and managed securely.

A leather mask made in a studio in Kyogle has won a second place ribbon at the Sydney Royal Easter Show. Artist Mario Sanchez Huertas placed second in two categories – art picture category and creative design and won two ribbons.

Allora Landcare Group (ALG) is delighted to announce the 2nd edition of their book "A Pictorial Guide to the Birds of Allora Mountain Flora and Fauna Reserve" is now available. Since the success of the first edition in 2020 more species of bird have been identified on the Mountain with now well over 100 which suggests the Mountain's ecosystems are richer and more diverse than originally thought.

Robbie Kerwin says, 'I started doing art when I was a kid ... I learnt a lot from Nana Jessie Kerwin and Aunty Elsie Jones' ... Vicki Dutton says, 'When I was a kid I loved going down to the river with my family, going fishing and hunting. I'd sit down with pencil and paper and draw from the Darling River, everything I'd see.'

Visitors to Yamba this Easter may be greeted with the same inquisitive looks that have been exciting locals over the past couple of months from a Coastal Emu that has taken up residence in paddocks near Wynyabbie House at Palmers Channel. Social media has been abuzz with sightings and photos of the critically endangered, world’s second tallest bird, which is only found on the NSW North Coast.

At the heart of "Our Dangerous Friend" is author David Jefford Ward’s belief that traditional Noongar knowledge should be a respected source of bushfire philosophy, ecology and management in south west Australia. In fact Ward, who started as a workman in the then Forests Department, places more value on Noongar bushfire knowledge than some refereed scientific papers.

Richmond Landcare has set an inspiring precedent for reconciliation by being the first Landcare group in NSW to have its Reflect Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) endorsed by Reconciliation Australia. The Reflect RAP outlines the group’s dedication to increasing cultural awareness and knowledge, promoting engagement strategies, and building collaborative partnerships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.

Farmers are on the lookout for increased mouse activity with reports of increasing damage to crops and fodder across the state. Two years after a mouse plague saw vehicles, buildings and towns infested while crops were destroyed, NSW Farmers President Xavier Martin is urging growers to be extra-vigilant about mouse activity.

Volunteer-based not-for-profit organisations have received vital support through the Early Needs Recovery Program to help re-build, repair and clear fences in flood-affected areas ... "By providing this funding to ShoreTrack, BlazeAid and Rotary Australia to help with the fence rebuilding process, it is hoped to take some of the pressure off farmers to get this done so they can concentrate on other parts of their businesses and recover production quicker": Peta Holcombe, Early Needs Recovery Project Manager.

To ensure that the emu population receives appropriate funding and care, a recent on-country meeting was held on Mount Wycheproof, with participation from Council, Traditional Owners, State Government agencies, Friends of Mount Wycheproof, Landcare, and community members. The group collectively resolved to establish a team representative of all stakeholders to oversee the welfare of the emus.

Wilson Inlet could become a thriving commercial fishery for rock oysters and mussels given the correct salinity levels, says aquaculturalist Zak Launay. The sustainable product feeds on phytoplankton and has the capacity to contribute greatly to the local economy, creating jobs and local fresh seafood.

A fire and air forum will be held at the University of WA in Perth on May 5 to explore community concern regarding the impacts of broad-scale prescribed burning in South West forests ... Speakers will include those with expertise in landscape flammability, biodiversity, ecology, air pollution, health impacts and the latest in peer-reviewed research.

Narrandera Shire Council General Manager George Cowan assured residents of the town that water quality is the Council’s number one priority, but relief is estimated to be three years away. Claims have been made that many residents are living off bottled water because the town supply is leaving them with irritated bowels and skin rashes.

Despite evidence to the contrary, the WA Minister for Forests (Jacki Jarvis) continues to argue that the WA timber industry had to close because it has run out of wood as a result of reduced growth rate due to climate change, quoting reports from CSIRO and the Bureau of Meteorology as evidence. Neither of these organisations has any involvement in the determination of timber yield.