Land & environment

Many stakeholders have been left shocked by yesterday’s Federal Government announcement to fast track an additional 130 gigalitres of water purchases from farmers in the Southern Murray-Darling Basin, despite evidence that the Basin management needs to move beyond “just adding water”.

Following community consultation held in 2024 on the Castlereagh Country Drought Plans, the Gilgandra and Warrumbungle Shire Councils, supported by the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund and the NSW Government, are pleased to announce the launch of an innovative free event aimed at building resilience, empowering communities and showcasing opportunities.

The Victorian Government should pilot a recycled drinking water facility as a pathway to boost water security and improve consumer understanding, the state’s independent infrastructure advisor finds. Manufactured water created from recycled wastewater can help meet growing demand for water and offset the impacts of climate change.

Starting from ... 10 November 2025, the Shire of Ashburton’s Ranger Services will commence annual property inspections to ensure compliance under the Bush Fires Act 1954 and the Emergency Management Act 2005. These inspections are aimed at ensuring properties are prepared for the upcoming bushfire and cyclone seasons.

Testimony to the potential presented by Southeast Asia is the steady progress of innovative Australia agtech company Bygen, both domestically and in the region, in this case Vietnam. Bygen is a Melbourne-based manufacturer producing granular and powdered activated carbon products. ARR.News found out more from Cameron Griffiths, Bygen CCO.

I’ve stood on the bridge of the Fisheries portfolio before, watching the charts, reading the soundings, and warning the captain that reefs lay ahead. As a former Chief of Staff to a Fisheries Minister, I recognise the signs when a government vessel starts taking on water and the crew pretend it’s just spray over the bow. WA is again steering toward the same rocks: science shouting from the crow’s nest, lobby groups whispering on the bridge, and politicians tightening the sails to catch votes instead of heeding the compass. Now Captain Jackie Jarvis has the helm. We will see whether she keeps a steady course guided by evidence or follows her predecessor into the shallows of cheap populism and political drift.

Unique wetlands in Victoria's Wimmera are getting a helping hand thanks to the local community. Conservation organisation Trust for Nature, supported by the Wimmera Catchment Management Authority (CMA) and the Victorian Government, is working with landholders to protect and manage wetlands on their properties.

On Saturday the town and district looked like a disaster zone. After the first storm super cell went through, it doubled back striking again and again. Many windows and skylights smashed, solar panels were severely impacted...

Australia's export-oriented crocodile industry depends on public opinion in foreign countries and the actions of legislators in those countries. This is the industry's primary problem. Two secondary problems arise from this. Australia's crocodile industry has too little economic potential, and lobbying regulations in Australia are too imperfect for Australian farmers to quickly follow global trends.

The Victorian Labor Government is claiming critical minerals will develop jobs and regional growth and boost local economies. Mine Free Glenaladale and the community it represents in East Gippsland disputes this claim by the Government, as there is a high probability existing jobs and industries would be adversely affected by a proposal of a mineral sands mine 25 kilometres west of Bairnsdale.

Independent Federal Member for Indi, Dr Helen Haines, will propose key amendments to new environmental laws to be debated in Parliament this week. Dr Haines welcomed the re-introduction of reforms to Australia’s environment laws as long overdue, but stressed the need for greater transparency and meaningful community consultation to be embedded in the legislation. 

Steel power poles are being trialled in part of Yanchep with their installation expected to be completed at the end of October, according to Western Power. This week a Western Power spokeswoman said the trial of steel poles was aimed at increasing network resilience.

Brendan Atkins. "On a knoll commanding a wide view of peaceful mountain, reef and sea, there stands a monolith, erected to the memory of Allan McCulloch, naturalist, an outstanding figure in the history of the island", says cinematographer Frank Hurley in Jewel of the Pacific, his 1932 travelogue about Lord Howe Island.

The latest national koala population estimates from CSIRO’s National Koala Monitoring Program (NKMP) have revealed a staggering leap in koala numbers that upends years of alarmism. The 2025 CSIRO report estimates the listed population between 398,000 and 569,000, a dramatic rise from the 2024 estimate of just 95,000 to 238,000.  

Hugh Schuitemaker. Significant infrastructure upgrades at Renmark's Bookmark Creek – allowing for improved natural water flows, better conditions for native fish and other species, and greater recreational opportunities – have been completed.

The 2024 - 2025 Blue Economy CRC Annual Report is now available. As we enter the final half of our 10-year journey, our measure of success is no longer knowledge generation alone, but how that knowledge is applied and adopted.  

Leader of The Nationals and Federal Member for Maranoa David Littleproud is calling for a review of the Bureau of Meteorology’s (BOM) new website, following a flood of complaints from locals. Mr Littleproud said it was clear Maranoa locals were not given the information they needed after the recent rain event...

Marine biologist Kat Mason may have only been in Australia a matter of months, but her connection to the ocean runs deep. Raised in Bournemouth, a coastal town in the south of England, Kat’s early years were filled with an appreciation of the ocean but it was a childhood stint in Florida that truly sparked her curiosity about marine life.

Navigating through the forms and criteria for help with flood impacted homes can be complex and difficult. The NSW Reconstruction Authority, through the Resilient Home Program, is offering assistance for residents to protect their homes from future damage — whether that’s by raising, retrofitting, rebuilding or relocating their properties to safer ground.

Australian scientists have observed signs consistent with H5 avian influenza (bird flu) in wildlife during a management voyage to sub-Antarctic Heard Island ... Scientists observed unusual levels of mortality in elephant seals on Heard Island in recent days.