Land & environment

This amazing photo was taken by Corie Ross of Long Neck Farm in Goomburra. “Two red bellied black snakes fighting for mating rights. A pretty rare sight but we got to enjoy it for nearly 20 minutes.” Corie said.

A proposal to raise the Warragamba Dam wall by 14 metres has been declared Critical State Significant Infrastructure (CSSI), as it is deemed essential to NSW for economic and social reasons. Premier Dominic Perrottet said the proposal to raise the Dam wall would save lives, save properties and would help future-proof Western Sydney from flood risks.  

Agriculture and Food Minister Alannah MacTiernan has officially opened an expansive cell fence project in the Murchison, which is protecting 53 pastoral properties in the region from wild dogs ... The cell builds off the State Barrier Fence to encompass more than 6.5 million hectares of pastoral land, extending through the Yalgoo, Mount Magnet, Sandstone, Cue and Meekatharra areas.

Emma Pritchard. It was a lifeline that stretched more than 8km. 56 trucks transporting over 2000 bales of hay, generously donated by farmers across Victoria, arrived in the Clarence Valley on September 30, bound for local properties owned by hobby farmers and primary producers who are continuing to struggle following months of relentless wet weather which has severely compromised their livelihoods.  

Finally, the announcement many workers in Lismore were hoping for – Norco will rebuild its ice cream factory in South Lismore although it will be smaller. The factory was left wrecked and non-operational after the February 28 floods.

High-tech sensors which can predict and detect fires and clean energy solutions for bush fire-affected communities are among five innovative ideas being piloted under a landmark NSW Government research and development (R&D) program. Minister for Science, Innovation and Technology Alister Henskens said the Bushfire Technology Pilots Program, a total of $6 million over four years, will support trials of field-ready bush fire technology developed by NSW businesses.

The community of Lord Howe Island is now better prepared for emergencies and natural disasters following the installation of backup NBN Sky Muster satellite services at the Lord Howe Island State Emergency Service unit ... The satellite will mean that services are more resilient during natural disasters.

Tweed Shire Council is urging Tweed River floodplain landowners to seek Council assistance in projects that can improve water quality, after recent testing detected acid-affected water in the river and red spot disease in local fish ... Recent testing has indicated acid sulfate soil (ASS)-related runoff from floodplain drains is affecting water quality in the Tweed River, with indications this is severely impacting fish health.

Minister for Agriculture Gayle Tierney has announced the Labor Government is investing $120 million – the single largest investment in plantation establishment in the state’s history – in an agreement with Hancock Victorian Plantations (HVP), planting an extra 16 million trees in a new estate.

Nillumbik Friends of the Great Forest have followed with interest the developments in the native forest logging industry, in particular the decision by the Andrews government in 2019 to halt native forest logging in 2030. Victoria is well placed to transition to a 100 % plantation industry as we already have considerable areas of plantation ... The industry has every right to be upset with the government for withholding the funding for a fair and just transition ... ARR.News asks NFGF a few questions.

Following the detection of a rodent on the MV Island Trader on 8th September, the ship was placed into quarantine for 7 days. This unfortunately meant that it missed the tide window and caused a 14-day delay to freight transport at the beginning of the tourist season ... Our newest recruit, Willow, is underway with her training. She visited the children of the LHI Central School ...

When English historian, Derek Neville, was researching letters written by David Blackburn, navigator and ‘master’ of the First Fleet vessel Supply, he was disappointed to discover that the small island in the Lagoon at Lord Howe had lost its original name – ‘Blackburn Isle’. This name had been given to it by Lieutenant Henry Lidgbird Ball in March, 1788, when the very first landing was made at Lord Howe.

Sustainable land management in Western Australia has been boosted by a ground-breaking initiative that has more accurately calculated the extent of salinity in the agricultural region to support new approaches to conserving natural assets and agricultural productivity. The 'Mapping salt-affected land in the South-West of Western Australia using satellite remote sensing' report by the national science agency, CSIRO, and the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) was released at a forum in Perth.

South Australian pastoralists inside the Dog Fence will continue to benefit from the services of wild dog trappers, with funding for the trapper program guaranteed for the next four years ... The wild dog trapping program is open to landowners or managers inside the Dog Fence who have baited and still experience impacts from wild dog attacks.

The impact of a series of major landslips caused by recent weather events has been assessed with a dozen Sunshine Coast roads now facing significant repairs. Heavy rain hit the region between February and May with the worst affected areas being Bald Knob, Wootha (west of Maleny), Glenview, Eudlo, Coolum, Peachester, Montville and Towen Mountain.

World Cassowary Day  has arrived at a significant moment for the  Ipima Ikaya Traditional Owner clans with the news that at least 10 Wadthuuny (cassowaries) have been discovered living on their Country in the remote section of the Cape York Northern Area Peninsula.  The findings are part of the first formal Wadthuuny survey to be conducted on Gudang Yadhaykenu Country in the Ussher Point section of  the newly renamed  Apudthama National Park.

The myths about water are many. They range from Australia being the driest continent on earth, to all of our rivers dying from overuse, right up to the government being required to return water to the environment ... here are some not-so-well-known facts that should be shouted out in the present flood of misinformation about our water resources.

Catastrophic floods and droughts are currently being experienced across the world. Paul Wyrwoll and Quentin Grafton argue that our existing approaches to managing water are not working. We need a new paradigm for how we manage water, a rethinking where human societies work with and nurture the hydrological cycle, instead of trying to master it.

The report highlights the complexities of water management and notes that each Basin government holds information about rules, entitlements, allocations, and environmental water - there is no single source of information. This is something the Inspector-General has noticed as part of a trend, with states operating under their individual jurisdictional powers.

NSW Minister for Environment James Griffin said the landmark program is restoring koala habitat on private land, increasing biodiversity and providing an additional revenue stream for landholders through carbon farming ... ARR.News has asked a question of the Minister.

Pam Dillon. Water Safety week at the Tennant Creek pool recently had a real family feel to it. Lots of families came down to the pool to celebrate and learn more about how to be safe in and around water.