Annual coral spawning
Just like on other tropical reefs, corals in the LHIMP undertake synchronised mass spawning each year, releasing millions of tiny egg and sperm bundles into the water. This allows fertilisation to take place, resulting in coral larvae with new genetic combinations which can settle back on to the reef and enhance its diversity and resilience.
Modelling climate change: Batini and Freeman
Frank Batini and Michael Freeman. We are convinced that the reports of rainfall change in the southwest region of Western Australia being linked to increased levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere are not correct. We believe this despite all the media reports, climate change modelling, Government documents and peer-reviewed research papers from Universities that say the opposite. We feel very lonely ... ARR.News asked some further questions of Frank and Michael.
Preventing future mining applications at the Bird in Hand gold deposit: Koutsantonis
The ‘Bird in Hand’ gold deposit area at Woodside in the Adelaide Hills has been proclaimed by the Governor at the request of the State Labor Government, protecting it from future mining applications. The land protected under the proclamation is the same area that was subject to a previous development application by Terramin Australia, with the move effectively prohibiting any future applications over the known Bird in Hand gold deposit.
Powerlink aggravating anxiety: Property Rights Australia
Powerlink Queensland’s continued roll out of power transmission projects is having significant mental health impacts on Queensland landowners. "On Wednesday 26 April landowners were contacted by Powerlink representatives advising of an imminent announcement of the final Woolooga West high voltage powerline corridor": Interim Chair of Property Rights Australia (PRA) Jim Willmott.
Recommended corridors released for Gympie, Somerset and South Burnett transmission line connections: Powerlink
Powerlink is seeking community feedback on two recommended corridors for proposed new transmission line connections in the Gympie, Somerset and South Burnett regions. Powerlink’s Draft Corridor Selection Report (CSR) has been released publicly and provides detailed analysis of a number of corridor options against social, environmental and economic criteria.
New walking trail for national park in WA’s Kimberley: Whitby
A new $150,000 walking trail has been unveiled in Kununurra's Mirima National Park in the heart of Western Australia's East Kimberley ... This is the fourth trail within the national park and the longest at 3.5 kilometres.
Laramba Water Treatment Plant officially opened: Fyles, Uibo
Water quality in a Central Australian community has improved following the installation of a water treatment plant ... With a capacity of 360 kilolitres per day, the plant uses proven ion-exchange technology to treat the drinking water and reduce naturally occurring uranium to well below Australian Drinking Water Guideline (ADWG) Levels.
Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Act 2021 (WA) – Have you got any culture?
How is Aboriginal cultural heritage defined in the Guidelines? ... Are there any records we can search to identify heritage sites? ... What is an exempt activity? ... If I need a permit or plan what are the timelines? ... Isn’t there a better way?
Funding fears halt projects
Reports have surfaced that Victorian Water Minister, Harriet Shing, has halted work on several of the nine Victorian Murray floodplain restoration projects, due to fears the federal government will not reimburse it for the work ... Irrigators now fear that Federal Minister Plibersek will now push on with further buybacks, adding to the current round of buybacks, all bringing with them perverse social, economic and environmental impacts.
Haines updated on community projects
Independent Federal Member for Indi, Helen Haines, visited the Upper Murray last week, receiving progress reports on bushfire recovery projects including the new battery and solar energy system at Corryong Health, the Playles Hill Park project and the Tintaldra Recreation Reserve upgrade ... "It will address the reliability, vulnerability and variability of the region’s electricity supply, which in the 2019-2020 bushfires meant power-outages lasted for weeks in Corryong and district including loss of communications": Independent Federal Member for Indi, Helen Haines.
Buybacks cost jobs: Irrigation Council
Water buybacks were blamed for 3261 job losses across the economies of 40 southern Murray-Darling Basin communities, according to Murray-Darling Basin Authority modelling by the NSW Irrigation Council ... "Across the southern Basin States, 648 lost jobs (21 per cent of FTE jobs losses) in the profiled NSW communities profiled were attributed to water recovery, 1684 (30 per cent) in northern Victoria and 929 (45 per cent) in South Australia, mostly in its Riverland horticultural centres": NSWIC CEO, Claire Miller.
Hume Dam releases increase to manage airspace: MDBA
The Murray–Darling Basin Authority is creating airspace at Hume Dam as irrigation demands decrease and the wetter months approach ... "Hume Dam is currently at 91% capacity and Dartmouth is at 96%. Airspace management releases will continue at Dartmouth Dam at low rates": MDBA Executive Director of River Management Andrew Reynolds.
But, protesters support West Yamba rezoning
"Stop the fill, don’t drown our town" were the familiar chants of about 40 protesters who were joined by Greens MLC and environmental lawyer Sue Higginson to support Cr Greg Clancy’s motion to rezone land at West Yamba not already subject to development approval at Clarence Valley Council’s April meeting. Joined by members of Yamba Community Action Network Yamba CAN, who were armed with a 3.01 metre pole to indicate the height of fill at Carrs Drive, Ms Higginson said Cr Clancy’s motion was trying to put the brakes on development on the floodplain for all the right reasons.
Class action planned over White Spot
A fisherman who has been trawling the Clarence River all his life is behind a legal class action hoping to compensate fishermen who haven’t had any income since February due to a White Spot control order preventing the harvesting of uncooked prawns ... "We are on our asses, we’ve had no compensation, the only compensation we were given by the Department of Primary Industries was a one-third reduction in our management fees, which is nothing": Bruce Clark.
West Yamba rezoning motion defeated
A motion to rezone land at West Yamba not already subject to development applications from residential to conservation and rural status has been defeated, with many Clarence Valley Councillors indicating they want to wait for the latest flood modelling to be released before deciding on the issue ... Prior to the CVC meeting, councillors heard deputations supporting the rezoning from Greens MLC and Environmental Lawyer Sue Higginson, Lynne Cairns from Yamba CAN, Engineer Peter Maslen and Yamba Local Craigh McNeill.
To whom it may concern:
The 2009 Victorian Bushfires Royal Commission investigated the Black Saturday fires ... found that the blaze was caused by the negligence of SP AusNet and their assets managers Utility Services Group in the duty of safely maintaining the infrastructure under their control ... Keep this deplorable behaviour and lack of honesty front of mind when considering AEMO and SP AusNet’s bungled attempt to rush through a flawed and less-than-optimal solution to the VNI West project.
Maleny Wood Expo
Over 150 exhibitors, artisans and woodworkers, workshop presenters, speakers and performers! With a dynamic program on offer, a full house of exhibitors, and some new features built into the program this year, the return of the Maleny Wood Expo is set to be a fantastic weekend for the whole family to enjoy!
RSPCA worked with experts on bison, but doesn’t say why they died
Several times IndyNR.com contacted the RSPCA for comment about what was going on with the bison at the closed Aranyani Bison Adventure Tourist Park ... Once we had that confirmation on April 20, we reported the deaths of bison at Myrtle Creek.
2023/2024 Proposed budget’s flood recovery focus: Gannawarra Shire Council
Flood recovery efforts are a key focus of Gannawarra Shire Council’s 2023/2024 Proposed Budget, with Council seeking community feedback regarding this key document up to 5pm Friday, 26 May. ... “Council’s 2023/2024 Proposed Budget outlines the Gannawarra’s recovery from our second major flood event this century, with $25 million from our capital works program dedicated to infrastructure repairs”: Mayor Charlie Gillingham.
Experts to descend on Lockyer Valley to discuss koala conservation at upcoming forum
Tickets are now available for the upcoming Lockyer Valley Koala Forum. The Forum, presented by Wildlife Watcher and an initiative of Social Marketing @ Griffith in partnership with the Lockyer Valley Regional Council, will be held on Thursday 18 May at the Lockyer Valley Cultural Centre, as well as online.
Cluster fence expansion poses opportunities for threatened fauna: National Wild Dog Action Plan
Vast tracts of exclusion fencing for wild dogs across northern Australia are providing opportunities for the recovery of threatened fauna on rangeland grazing properties. University of Southern Queensland Senior Research Fellow (Wildlife Management) Dr Benjamin Allen said cluster fencing had expanded rapidly within Queensland with the area of properties behind predator proof fencing increasing from zero a decade ago to around 200,000 square kilometres in 2023.
Water trees stand the test of time
The biggest stand of Indigenous water trees, boorna gnamma, in the Southern Hemisphere was discovered recently. The find was a collaboration of scientists, a Merningar and Barduk Elder, and a Denmark resident.
