Land & environment

Declaring  buffel grass  a weed, as it is in South Australia, will be considered by a  technical working group assessing the impacts of, and approaches to, the introduced plant that is causing extensive damage to native flora and providing fuel for massive bushfires ... We have asked when, and how much money the government has set aside for the campaign against what is widely already recognised as a weed, even if not declared.

The Tennant Creek Fishing Club’s annual Family Fun Fishing Day made a comeback at Lake Mary Ann last weekend. The weather co-operated wonderfully, with little wind, warm and sunny as around ninety people came out to the lake to discover the joys of fishing.

After a 43-year hiatus, the 209 team of the Leitchville Fire Brigade has fired up again. Sporting shirts in the original team colours, the team entered its first competition after just six weeks of training.

A recent report on the Water Supply and Demand in the Southern Murray-Darling Basin released by the Victorian Government conveys the catastrophic convergence of events that are unfolding under a plan to “restore the balance” and “save the Murray.” The report brings into focus the extent to which water scarcity will increase in the future as existing and new permanent horticulture plantings explode below the natural constraints of the river system and fight for dam storage.

Australia’s state-of-the-art avian quarantine facility is filling the role of midwife to nearly 3000 turkey poults in Victoria. The team at the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry’s Post Entry Quarantine (PEQ) facility in Mickleham together with industry experts have nurtured 2900 turkey eggs from Canada during their minimum 13-week quarantine period.

The Northern Territory Government has announced the establishment of a technical working group to assess the impacts of, and approaches to buffel grass management in Central Australia, which will include consideration of declaring buffel grass a weed under the Weeds Management Act 2001. While buffel grass has provided valuable fodder as well as dust suppression and erosion control in desert areas since the 1960s, there is increasing concern about its role in heightening wildfire intensity, and associated impacts on biodiversity.

Gavin Butcher. Analysis of publicly available data by respected scientist Dr Lachie McCaw has shown that claims by Premier McGowan and his coterie of Forestry Ministers, Jarvis and Kelly, to be without substance. The WA government had stated that one of the reasons the timber industry had been axed was because the trees are no longer growing. Dr McCaw has used published data on the long-term forest monitoring plots called ForestCheck to demonstrate that the harvested forest is growing and the uncut forest is in decline.

Campaspe Shire Council has announced a package of rates relief in 2022-2023 for properties impacted by the October 2022 floods ... “About 1,000 properties have already had rate adjustments by the Victorian Valuer General as they have had a secondary impact assessment and been through the supplementary rates process": Campaspe Mayor Cr Rob Amos.

The Linklater family ... of Trentham Farms, near Gol Gol, NSW, crop 9800 ha of sandy loam country and appreciate the value of older and cheaper herbicides that are still effective options against their major weeds. With a focus on maximising yield by cropping as often as possible, Daniel says it is necessary to take a medium to long-term view when making decisions rather than focusing on the lowest-cost options in a single season.

Rod Moss. Good rains recharged  Lhere Mparntwe (Todd River) drawing crowds to its banks for the infrequent spectacle. When its rushing subsided waterholes became an unparalleled recreational attraction. In full rage it is perilous as friends, Johnathan Rodd and Rowley Hill, would discover, drowning near Wigleys Gorge.

The sound of the musical eastern banjo frog ringing out across the Pike floodplain is among the incredible sights and sounds ecologists are observing as floodwaters recede throughout the Murraylands, Riverland and Lower Lakes ... "We will eventually go back into a drier period and that is when the 450 gigalitres promised SA under the Murray Darling Basin Plan but not delivered will be of the utmost importance to maintaining the health of the river system": Susan Close.

The annual Sustainable Seafood Awards held by the Aquaculture Stewardship Council in partnership with the Marine Stewardship Council were held ... at Melbourne Zoo, showcasing the Aussie heroes of responsible seafood farming and sustainable fishing practices in Australia ... The winners were a fantastic mix of organisations and individuals who have made significant contributions to responsible aquaculture, from retailers to producers and even an inspiring young person in the industry.

What is a sacred site? According to the government, sacred sites are places within the landscape that have a special meaning or significance under Aboriginal tradition. Hills rocks, waterholes, trees, plains, lakes, billabongs and other natural features can be sacred sites ... When heritage moves from easily identifiable caves, rock art, convict buildings and federation houses to mythical spaces that are not registered on published maps, widely known and regularly visited, then we face endless abuse of process, as everything everywhere becomes sacred with a price attached to any disturbance.

Current issues and challenges around wild dog management were under the spotlight as more than 50 operational, agency and research staff from around the nation attended a three-day symposium in northern NSW.

The Darling River was once again making headlines as the muddy waters were hardly visible through a blanket of dead fish. The Murray-Darling Basin Authority’s mantra of ‘just add water’ has had a schooling once again by mother nature as the kills come on the back of some of the highest inflows and floods on record.

A Narrandera Inland Fisheries Centre team is on site at what is the worst ever mass fish kill to hit the Darling River at Menindee. A constant stream of mostly bony bream has been floating down the river since last Friday morning, as well as golden perch and silver perch and some Murray cod.