Land & environment

Elizabeth and Hayden Steele made sure they built their Colorbond home on Casino's Coraki Rd above the one-in-100 flood height. That was two years ago, and like many people in the area they were surprised when floodwaters lapped at their doorstep.

In Beef Town, cattle are proving to be a problem. Disorientated and lost in the floods, cows have been spotted in backyards and in the streets of Casino.

The current flooding across the Richmond Valley, and associated power outages, have affected Richmond Valley Council’s water supply at Broadwater and Rileys Hill. The council’s water-sewer team is working hard to find the break affecting the water supply.

Emma Pritchard. Major flooding is occurring throughout the Northern Rivers region this week after high moisture and a low-pressure system generated widespread rainfall. Yamba was among the hardest hit with the coastal town recording 532.6mm of rain in the 48 hours to 9am on Tuesday morning.

Manager Water and Wastewater Operations Brie Jowett said the extreme weather had washed soil and debris into creeks and rivers that flow into Council’s water treatment plants and caused power outages at the plants and several water pump stations ... Council has been tankering water into Uki but flooding and no road access is preventing deliveries.

There are approximately 7.5 million hectares of forest in Victoria, and 94 per cent of Victoria’s native forests are in protected areas that cannot be harvested or are unsuitable. Of this amount, VicForests has access to 417,000 hectares and we only harvest 2500-3000 hectares annually. This is nominally equivalent to 0.04% of all forested areas ... Thorough preparation is undertaken prior to harvesting, and VicForests puts special protections in place for priority habitat and species of concern if found in coupes.

Australia’s most trusted rural charity, Rural Aid, is urging farmers to register with the organisation for disaster assistance, in the wake of the devastating floods in Eastern Australia ... Growers watched on helplessly as their beloved crops were swallowed by rising floodwaters. Graziers risked their lives to move stock to higher ground, as rivers swelled to record highs.

A patch of underwater land in the Gulf of Carpentaria could hold several trillion cubic feet of natural gas or hundreds of millions of barrels of oil – at least that’s what a company with the rights to drill it for exploration is saying.

The Australian Government has released the final report of the review into the second phase of the $1.1 billion National Landcare Program (NLP). Minister for Agriculture and Northern Australia David Littleproud and Minister for the Environment Sussan Ley said the NLP is achieving positive outcomes for Australia’s unique environment and natural resources while supporting jobs in Australia’s agriculture sector.

The first Tasmanian Wild Fallow Deer Management Plan brings together existing and contemporary management strategies to form a single point of reference for deer management in Tasmania. The growing number and widening geographic range of wild fallow deer in the State continues to have increasing economic, environmental and public safety impact.

About 1.3 million tyres reach the end of their life each year in Tasmania, most of which ends up in landfill or stockpiles. Some of these tyres are now being processed into crumb rubber and blended with bitumen for use as asphalt in the State road maintenance program.

NSW Farmers Lismore Branch Chair and macadamia farmer Warren Elvery said there would be major losses as a result of the flooding, which was the worst he had ever seen ... “We had 347mm of rain overnight and all of the work we’ve done building up our soil and getting ready for harvest could all be for nothing."

“To be able to tour where my people have walked for thousands of years gives me a feeling that no other show has. This is for my old people, my mob, my ancestors watching over us”: Gomeroi rapper, Kobie Dee.

A proposal to expand the Marmion marine park will if adopted result in the marine park’s boundary starting north of Two Rocks, according to information released by the Parks and Wildlife Service. At present the Marmion marine park, which occupies about 9500ha, is situated between Trigg Island and Burns Rocks.

Daryl Walker, from the Maldon Vintage Machinery and Museum, has spent months putting together a tribute to those that lost their lives in the Ash Wednesday fires on 16 February 1983. The exhibition, consisting of newspaper articles and photographs, is informative and moving.

The City of Wanneroo is calling on the McGowan Government to build a new desalination plant in Alkimos by 2028 saying the Water Corporation’s reliance on the Gnangara Mound to supply water for Perth and Peel is unsustainable. The city’s call, which also includes a request for a wastewater recycling plant, is in response to the government’s release of the draft Gnangara groundwater allocation plan (GGAP).

Patricia Gill. Rob and Sally Seminara tell of how a ‘firey’, overcome with emotion, had wept while presenting them with a cake after the couple had returned to their burnt out house. The show of emotion and gesture touched the hearts of the devastated couple whose home of 30 years at Parryville was razed overnight on February 4.

Serena Kirby. Steve Birkbeck’s 20 million-litre dam at Wentworth Road became a watery asset during the recent bushfire. A constant stream of helicopters and fire trucks drew many millions of litres from the dam. Once a controversial feature, the dam is said to have enabled dozens of properties to be saved.

Charles Sturt, in collaboration with Lockhart Shire Council and The Rock Progress Association, officially opened The Rock Regional Observatory on Friday. The observatory will be used for educational astronomical observation and research activities for residents and visitors.