Land & environment

An important part of Spencer Gulf’s maritime heritage may be lost with the sinking of the Mary-Ann Simms in Port Lincoln. The vessel went down at Snook’s Landing on the weekend of September 6 and 7, possibly due to earlier hull damage from a barge collision and the theft of solar panels that powered its automatic bilge pump.

Dalgarno Street, Coonabarabran, will burst into life on Saturday 20 September 2025, as Warrumbungle Bloomfest returns with an evening of light, music, food, and community spirit under the night skies of Australia’s only Dark Sky Park. Now in its second year, Bloomfest is completely free and family-friendly, making it one of the most accessible festivals in regional NSW.

Member for Barwon Roy Butler MP asked questions in the most recent sitting of NSW Parliament, regarding future plans and budgets for the purchase of lands for National Parks and the average price being paid in his far west electorate.

...The National Climate Risk Assessment (NCRA) finds that no Australian community will be immune from climate risks that will be cascading, compounding and concurrent ... Today the National Climate Risk Assessment is clear: while we can no longer avoid climate impacts, every action we take today towards our goal of net zero by 2050 will help avoid the worst impacts on Australian communities and businesses. 

The scent of blooms and blossoms — coupled with longer, warmer, sunnier days — signals the start of spring and for many, a change in mood ... And while Health Direct, an Australian government-funded source of health advice, reckons that Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is rare in this country, there might also be a sense that wintry depression is starting to drift away.

A report released in partnership with Australia’s national science agency CSIRO, Commonwealth environmental water sustaining Murray–Darling Basin ecosystems: 10-year (2014–24) retrospective, outlines how a decade of monitoring, evaluation and reporting is optimising management of Commonwealth environmental water holdings – a public asset with a market value approaching $10 billion.

A 30-strong platoon of volunteers recently completed a significant planting project at Playles Hill Park in Corryong. In seven days, the industrious group amassed more than 280 hours of work ... One hundred locally extinct and critically endangered Banksia canei have also been included in the plantings.

A hydrology report has indicated the proposed Jane Eliza Development will have minimal impact on water levels in the event of future flooding in Renmark and surrounding areas. Renmark Paringa Council has today released the hydrology report, which showcases a range of modelled situations, including the 186 gigalitres (GL) recorded in the 2022 flood, a higher 250GL event, and the 1956 flood level of 341GL.

Yorke Peninsula Council has taken its algal bloom advocacy all the way to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. Acting Mayor Richard Carruthers was part of a delegation of SA mayors, industry leaders and marine experts that travelled to Canberra to seek more bloom support ...

South Australians impacted by the harmful algal bloom sweeping South Australia’s shores are being denied a real opportunity to have their say – with the Senate inquiry into the crisis only allowing public evidence to be given at Port Lincoln.

Soil compaction is quietly limiting pasture productivity and affecting horse health. Thanks to the work of 2022 Nuffield Scholar Adam Williamson, the thoroughbred industry now has practical, evidence-based strategies to address it.

Premier Chris Minns says it’s unthinkable that koalas are at risk of extinction. He’s spot on. Koalas are not now and never have been at risk of extinction ... Environment Minister Penny Sharpe says the Great Koala National Park has been a dream for more than a decade. Indeed. The Great Koala Park is the culmination of a campaign by NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service to extend their empire ... Agriculture Minister Tara Moriarty says the Government is committed to a sustainable forestry industry in NSW. I think her ministerial title gives the lie to that.

Clarence Nationals MP Richie Williamson has slammed the Minns Labor Government’s announcement of the 476,000-hectare Great Koala National Park, describing it as “a massive kick in the guts” for regional communities across the Richmond and Clarence valleys and the wider North Coast region.

Forestry Australia, the nation’s leading body representing forest scientists, managers and growers, expresses its dismay at the New South Wales State Government’s decision to create a Great Koala National Park without a clear, science-led plan to deliver measurable outcomes and avoid negative flow on consequences.

The Minns Labor Government has confirmed the next major step delivering on an election commitment to protect koalas in the wild, announcing the proposed boundary for the Great Koala National Park, alongside a comprehensive plan to support workers, industry and local communities ... The park will reserve 176,000 hectares of state forest and connect with existing national parks to create a 476,000-hectare reserve – one of the largest in NSW.

Joanne Heathcote. An artist’s vision for the birds we’ve lost and might yet see again. Fiona Lumsden is a wildlife artist based in Katoomba. She is passionate about birds, habitats, and the stories that link species and landscapes. Her work aims to foster a sense of belonging and a connection to nature.

There was a full house at the launch of Mount Alexander Wildlife Watch incorporated Sunday 31 August. Local Councillors Rosalie Hastwell, Lucas Maddock and Deputy Mayor Toby Heydon turned up in support of the group's inaugural event – a key note talk by Prof. Darryl Jones of Griffith University on the subject of wildlife crossings.

A fin-tastic new project is set to bring more fish swimming into Sunshine Coast rivers ... Two new fishways will be installed on Petrie Creek, providing vital passage for a variety of native fish.

Every time someone brings up the Southern Oscillation Index or the Indian Ocean Dipole, I nod along and drift off. But a recent conversation with an old boarding school mate gave me hope that maybe it’s not as complex as I originally thought and maybe some of the amateur Wheatbelt weather forecasters might have more than half a clue about what's going on out there.

This Labor government’s environmental policy doesn’t look like it’s being run by those in Macquarie Street, but maybe by rooftop protestors who contribute little to society ... These high-end activists are screaming “koala crisis”, all the while happily living in high rise towers built from concrete and steel, wrapped in plastics, stuffed with furniture made from imported timber ripped from forests overseas with zero environmental standards. That’s not conservation. That’s hypocrisy.

The Walking the Seasons program provides guided walks led by local First Nations Elders and aims to deepen the understanding of local landscapes ...