New systems boost backup
The loss of power in the Upper Murray region during and after the 2019/2020 bushfires placed an additional strain on communities and emergency services but the shortfall has now been addressed by boosting systems on critical sites. Under the Upper Murray Place Based Power Plan - Energy Resilience and Reliability Project, a combination of solar, battery and generator systems have been supplied and installed across 23 sites in the region.
Yabby Festival
The World Wetland Day Yabby Festival was a huge success ... The Pollack Swamp is a 700ha flora and fauna nature reserve in the Koondrook-Perricoota Forest. Historically occupied by the Barapa Barapa people, the swamp has become a model of how locally driven projects can collaboratively engage community members, farmers and traditional owners to enhance environmental outcomes.
Water wars continue
It’s said “when you’re a hammer, everything is a nail,” and the blunt political instrument of the Murray-Darling Basin Plan is a jumbo hammer that swings with the force of the political party who wields it at the time ... Neglecting private environment and ecosystem function holds a certain irony as the plan has been for the environment with no consideration for the social and economic aspects of Australians who live and work within the basin.
Wimmera expands soil moisture probe network
Dryland farmers, agronomists, plant breeders and emergency services are among those to benefit from an extra 72 soil moisture probes and weather stations across the Wimmera. Wimmera CMA is coordinating the region-wide installation of probes and stations across 30,000 square kilometres.
Yet another Blue Tree
The Blue Tree Project is spreading like a weed through the eastern Downs, with yet another Blue Tree painted, this time at Deuchar ... The Blue Tree Project’s mission is to help raise awareness of mental health struggles by encouraging communication.
Eat Swiss and German cakes by the river at new cafe
Baked cheesecake, fruit tarts, apple strudel with vanilla sauce served with a bowl of gelato – it’s enough to make your mouth water. Heike and Reto Bodenburg will be serving Swiss and German cakes at their cafe in Coraki opening this Saturday, March 4.
NRRC claims 250 buyback offers by end of April
One year on from the February-March floods, the most pressing need is for housing. Residents need to know what options are available to them – whether it be a buyback, raising the house, doing a retrofit or no option at all because they are not eligible.
Largest ever acquisition for NSW national park estate: Perrottet, Griffin
Premier Dominic Perrottet said the 437,394 hectare site between Tibooburra and Bourke will become the third largest national park in NSW and a major new tourism drawcard for the region. “This is the largest ever single parcel of land to be acquired for the national park estate in NSW,” Mr Perrottet said.
Cost cutting increases bushfire threat: NSW Farmers
NSW Farmers Energy Transition Working Group chair Reg Kidd said the Government had to explain why it was allowing Transgrid to build more overhead power lines when there was compelling evidence they increased the risk of bushfires.
Payment for power lines
Farmers for Climate Action has welcomed the Victorian Government’s move to pay landholders $8,000 a year for each kilometre of high voltage power line on their land, for 25 years. Farmers for Climate Action, an organisation representing 7,500 farmers Australia-wide, had been calling for such a policy, and it was a key plank of its Victorian election campaign.
Plans for rural water supply gather momentum
A crowd of 94 people attended a public information session at the Natte Yallock Recreation Reserve on Wednesday 22 February to learn more about the Southern Wimmera and Northeast Pyrenees Rural Water Supply Project. The proposed pipeline is designed to provide a fit for purpose sustainable rural water supply across almost 354,000 hectares spanning parts of the Central Goldfields, Northern Grampians and Pyrenees Shires.
Setting a course for plant knowledge: Cape York NRM
From plant structure and correct terminology to learning about the features of leaves, bark, fruit and flowers; a three-day plant identification course hosted by Cape York NRM provided new insights into the flora on Cape York Peninsula ... The main tool used was the Australian Tropical Rainforests Plants key (8th ed), developed at the Australian Tropical Herbarium by CSIRO.
Moore River bacteria update
Recent tests have confirmed bacteria levels in the Moore River have returned to the acceptable range, as is usual for this time of year, according to the Shire of Gingin. But shire staff are continuing to monitor the levels in consultation with the Department of Health.
Murray–Darling Basin Ministerial Council communique, 24 February 2023
Murray–Darling Basin water ministers met on Gadigal Land (Sydney) to discuss the impacts of flooding on catchments and communities, next steps to deliver the Basin Plan and opportunities to strengthen First Nations' role in water management and ownership.
Australia’s rarest bird of prey disappearing at alarming rate: UQ
Australia’s rarest bird of prey - the red goshawk - is facing extinction, with Cape York Peninsula now the only place in Queensland known to support breeding populations ... “Over four decades the red goshawk has lost a third of its historical range, which is the area that it’s previously been known to occupy”: Chris MacColl, UQ.
Koala conservation in Queensland – interview with Australian Wildlife Conservancy
Australia Rural & Regional News asks some questions about AWC's koala conservation projects and koala monitoring, and land and fire management of Andrew Howe, Australian Wildlife Conservancy Senior Field Ecologist and Peter Stanton, Australian Wildlife Conservancy Senior Ecologist.
Federal grant to fund koala conservation in Queensland: AWC
Australian Wildlife Conservancy (AWC) has secured $179,211 in new federal funding to assist in a three-part Koala conservation project at Curramore and Mount Zero-Taravale Wildlife Sanctuaries in Queensland ... Tim White, AWC Chief Operations Officer, welcomed the grant, saying it will help improve habitat, data and knowledge on Koala populations at both sanctuaries.
Thousands more hectares of koala habitat protected forever: Griffin
Another 3,157 hectares of high quality koala habitat has been secured for the State’s national park estate ... Minister for Environment James Griffin said seven more properties spanning from near Tenterfield in the north, to near Cooma in the south have been protected in perpetuity ... Since 2019, the NSW Liberal and Nationals Government has secured more than 600,000 hectares for addition to the national park estate.
Bridging the Gap under the Murray-Darling Basin Plan: Plibersek
The Government is beginning the process to buy water to Bridge the Gap under the Murray–Darling Basin Plan. These water purchases are voluntary. This water purchase is only for the remaining 49GL of the Bridging the Gap target. ‘Bridging the Gap’ is the largest pool of water to be recovered under the Murray-Darling Basin Plan – a total of 2,075GL. Around 49GL remains to be recovered: Tanya Plibersek.
Economic Contribution Study of the NSW hardwood timber industry
The North East NSW Forestry Hub has posted a report prepared by Ernst & Young into the economic significance of the NSW hardwood industry to the NSW and Commonwealth economies ... the report shows the critical importance of the industry to the Northern NSW economy, contributing $1.8 billion in revenue, adding $700 million to NSW GDP and employing 5,700 people in the region.
Statement on water buybacks: NFF
Reports are that these buybacks will not be used to progress the 450GL or 605GL recovery targets. However, it’s important this proposal doesn’t become a stalking horse to open up broader buybacks. We need open consultation and transparency in decision making and we’re looking to Minister Plibersek to lead that approach. We have recently written to water ministers seeking openness and transparency – both from the Ministerial Council and their advisory body the Basin Officials Committee: Malcolm Holm, NFF.
Partnership expands iconic Gold Coast Hinterland national parks: Scanlon
Two of Queensland’s most popular national parks have expanded thanks to a partnership worth more than $600,000 between the Department of Environment and Science (DES) and the Foundation of National Parks and Wildlife (FNPW). More than 185 hectares of undisturbed forest habitat has been added to the Gondwana Rainforests of Australia World Heritage listed Lamington and Main Range National Parks.
