Land & environment

Greg Westcott. More than 40 years on from the demolition of the historic Portland Roads jetty, the community is divided by persistent lobbying by a minority of local property owners for the construction of a rock wall and boat ramp that, when completed, will extend out from “the point” about 190 metres into deep water.

Australia’s peak farm body has ridiculed a policy proposal to scrap the Fuel Tax Credits Scheme – reportedly being floated by Andrew Forrest – saying it would be devastating to regional Australia. National Farmers’ Federation Chief Executive, Tony Mahar, said it was bad policy that would damage livelihoods in country areas.

NSW Minister for Agriculture Adam Marshall has today taken aim at the Animal Justice Party (AJP) for recklessly threatening the future of the state’s invaluable fishing industry. Mr Marshall said he would not entertain the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Amendment (Aquatic Animal Recognition) Bill 2021 tabled before Parliament by the radical group.

A petition of more than 1150 signatures has been tabled in the Victorian Parliament requesting the Government abandon aerial and ground shooting of wild horses.    The Government wants to remove 560 brumbies from the Bogong High Plains and Eastern Alps this year.  Petitioners argue that the population counts, and the environmental damage apportioned to the horses, are wildly exaggerated.   Member for Western Victoria Bev McArthur, tabled the petition.

The whole landscape needs maintenance by mild fire. But academics and fire chiefs talk of asset protection zones, strategic zones and management zones with different fire regimes. They just don’t get it. Firebreaks don’t work in extreme weather. They can’t stop firestorms and long-distance ember showers. If you need to reduce accumulated fuel, you haven’t been maintaining the landscape properly.

The National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) has welcomed the timely arrival of a new state-of-the-art helicopter to boost its capacity and help frontline firefighters prepare for and defend against bushfires. The new Airbus H125 helicopter, with its customised avionics, winch, radios and other specialised operational and safety equipment, joins four similar machines operated by the NPWS air wing known as ParkAir.

The Tasmanian Government will today lodge its official funding submission with the Australian Government to initiate the Tasmanian Green Hydrogen Hub Project at Bell Bay confirming it as one of Australia’s strategically important locations for the development of the emerging green hydrogen industry.

Peter Rutherford. The Sydney Morning Herald, the Age and other outlets published an article regarding a freedom of information (FOI) request lodged by the South East Timber Association on 28 April 2021. The initial request was for emails and letters between Professor David Lindenmayer and 17 journalists and 4 other parties ... It is flattering that the named journalists and Professor Lindenmayer are so overwhelmed by the FOI request that they have made a national news story. As every single exchange between the Professor and the journalists has been redacted, what is the point of the story?

An in-depth review of an excellent, timely and well-written book. Sold Down The River is really a text book on water trading for the uninitiated which sums up the tragedy of the Murray-Darling created by successive governments of all persuasions. Highly recommended.

Gabrielle Duykers. Local council will begin its annual shooting of corellas throughout the district this month in an attempt to mitigate damage caused by the species.  At its October meeting, Naracoorte Lucindale Council moved to begin its Little Corella Management Program 2021-22 which will extend to April 2022.

A massive expansion is underway at the DPI’s Narrandera Fisheries Centre courtesy of a multi-million Government investment in native fish breeding. The world class centre is Australia’s largest native fish breeding and research facility producing hundreds of thousands of fingerlings annually to stock dams and waterways in the Murray-Darling Basin.

After 33 years of excellent service to Koondrook Fire Brigade, old faithful has been moved on, replaced with a shiny new model with all the bells, whistles and, of course, sirens! The well-kept secret was unveiled to the excited CFA members with a jet of water announcing the arrival of the new tanker ... The replacement tanker now has many extras that we never had on the old one, says Koondrook CFA captain, John Shultz.

Farmers who have been through a bushfire are wanted for a research project looking to gain a better understanding of the psychological impacts of bushfires and the support that farmers want in the aftermath. The lead researcher, Dr Kate Gunn, Senior Research Fellow and Clinical Psychologist from the University of South Australia, herself grew up on a farm near Streaky Bay in South Australia.

Work has started on what will be one of the most exciting pathways in Evans Head. The pavement along the southern breakwall will have a $150,000 upgrade making it easier to walk along the breakwater with the sea on both sides.

In a village known for its 1930s hoop pines, it was a sorry sight to see one of its tallest beauties felled this morning. The tree towered above the lavender canopy of the jacaranda nestled below its branches at the Bonalbo Tourist Park ... Marion moved to Bonalbo because she “fell in love with the hoop pines.”

For 2789 days, BlazeAid volunteers have been helping fix fences on rural properties destroyed in the bushfires. BlazeAid camp coordinator Ron “Spud” Murphy said most of the volunteers are ‘grey nomads’ ... BlazeAid came to Richmond Valley in November 2019 after the bushfires.

Geoff Helisma. In Grafton on  Sunday and Monday, November 14 and 15, Armen Arakelian (CEO) and Will Jefferies (director), from  Clean Waters Oceania  exhibited a machine, manufactured by Israeli company  Watergen, that “uses condensation as a means of producing fresh water”. Watergen says it has “become the global leader in the atmospheric drinking water devices market”.

$5 million will be available between three leading Northern Australian universities for research into water security in Northern Australia. The money from the Federal Government, through the Cooperative Research Centre for Developing Northern Australia (CRCNA), is for Charles Darwin University (CDU), CQUniversity Australia (CQU) and James Cook University (JCU).

The South Australian Government welcomes the Japanese Government awarding funding to Marubeni Corporation for a project to export green hydrogen produced in South Australia to the Indo-Pacific region. Japan’s Ministry of the Environment has selected Marubeni Corporation’s hydrogen production project in South Australia as a pilot project, as part of a program looking to cooperate with developing countries to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

NSW Farmers has welcomed the timely proposal for Australia’s first national biosecurity strategy, announced by Agriculture Minister David Littleproud. During November the federal government is letting Australians have their say on biosecurity in the first phase of consultation on the national strategy. The initial consultation survey closes on 26 November 2021.

A proposed silica mine that will give Traditional Owners a direct slice of the pie has Cooktown and Hope Vale residents excited about its prospects. Diatreme Resources has received a shot in the arm this month with former Treasurer and political heavyweight Wayne Swan agreeing to join Diatreme as chairman of the board.