Unmissable coral tree is a red weed destroying waterways and native plants
The fire engine red of the coral tree is unmissable at the moment. They are everywhere and are particularly virulent outside Lismore on the Bruxner Highway and along the Richmond River at Coraki and Woodburn. The scarlet flower reflects its bloom into the still river waters and if it wasn’t such an invasive weed, it would be a pretty sight.
Power: Neighbours see red over greener energy
The proposal for a battery at McKees Hill has neighbour against neighbour. This week 20 residents met on the rise of Auckram Rd outside the new site proposed for the Lismore Battery Energy Storage System (Lismore BESS) to discuss what action they would take to oppose the project.
Australia’s first CCS hub to be operational by 2024
The Morrison Government welcomes the final investment decision taken by joint venture partners Santos and Beach Energy to establish Australia’s first carbon capture and storage (CCS) hub at Moomba, South Australia. The $220 million Moomba CCS hub is the first project of its kind to be registered under the Government’s Emissions Reduction Fund (ERF).
As the world moves on methane, Morrison’s misinformation and farm fear mongering holds Australia back: The Greens
Continuing to run a protection racket for coal and gas projects and their methane emissions, Scott Morrison, Barnaby Joyce and Labor have collaborated to frame methane emission reduction as an attack on agriculture, despite the numbers indicating we could meet the 30% reduction by acting on coal and gas emissions by 2030 and without touching a single cow. Further, the final wording of the pledge does not even require each country to cut by 30%: The Greens
Locals rate NL Council’s Blackford fire response
Gabrielle Duykers. Residents affected by the Blackford fire have described local council as “missing in action” during the recovery efforts following the tragic event. In January this year, the Blackford fire burnt through more than 14,000 hectares of land throughout Lucindale and Avenue Range. On September 23, 2021, Naracoorte Lucindale Council emailed a survey to residents and landowners affected by the fire to gain feedback on its recovery actions and approach.
Megafires: Prof Ross Bradstock responds
The bulk of this commentary has little to do with the content of the Report to the NSW Natural Resources Commission. The report addresses the consequences of the 2019/20 fires for the objectives and outcomes of the Coastal Integrated Forestry Operations Approvals (i.e. forest health, threatened species conservation, water quality and aquatic biodiversity). The 2019/20 fires have rendered forests, in relation to these objectives and outcomes, in a highly vulnerable state because of their magnitude and severity. This vulnerability will be ongoing and challenging to deal with because the efficacy of all facets of fire management (e.g. preparation, prevention, suppression) will be adversely affected by climate change.
Sustainable practices commonplace on farms: survey
The majority of farmers surveyed in an ABARES study are using sustainable land management practices to improve the natural resource base and drought resilience. ABARES’s acting Executive Director Jared Greenville said the findings of the Natural Resource Management and Drought Resilience – survey of farm practices demonstrates the agriculture sector’s commitment to sustainable land management.
Fire bug runs riot
More than 100,000 acres of pastoral land in Cape York has been lit up by a fire bug on the Peninsula Developmental Road ... “The cost is astronomical. Not only do the domestic herd of cattle now need to be fed, but we’ve lost carbon credits and been pulled away from our regular work looking after the environment. There's also a massive psychological cost when it comes to fighting fires": Sally Gray, Piccaninny Plains.
New report reinforces farmers are the best land managers
In 2018, the NSW Government introduced the Land Management (Native Vegetation) Code as part of the wider NSW Land Management and Biodiversity reform framework. Minister for Agriculture Adam Marshall said the inaugural NSW Land Management Report 2018-2020 showed how farmers had used the Code to increase agricultural production, while restoring valuable native vegetation.
Successful Sunwater trial returns rebates to irrigators
More than $3.13 million will be returned to growers in regional Queensland as part of a Sunwater trial related to water delivery services. Minister for Regional Development and Manufacturing and Minister for Water Glenn Butcher said the rebates have already begun being provided to irrigators following the first 12 months of a three-year electricity cost passâ€through trial - developed in conjunction with the Queensland Farmers’ Federation.
Slow down, koalas are about
Lismore City Council will install temporary signage to reduce the number of koalas being hit by vehicles at six identified koala-strike hot spots around Lismore. “Since the beginning of this year 33 koalas were killed on roads in the Lismore Local Government Area – this is 33 too many,” said Council’s Environmental Strategies Officer Angie Brace.
Justin Gilligan new photography award
Justin Gilligan. I'm excited that my image 'Rich Reflections' has been announced as the winner of the Plants and Fungi category of this year's Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition. The digital awards ceremony was just broadcast live from the Natural History Museum in London, with more than 50,000 entries from 95 countries.
Galapagos shark research final report
Researchers from The University of Western Australia recently completed the final report for the LHI Galapagos shark research project, which has been running since January 2018. This research used acoustic listening stations around LHI waters to track Galapagos sharks fitted with internal acoustic tags to determine their movement patterns, as well as identifying where, when and how frequently these sharks interact with fishing vessels.
Coastal water rights a positive step
NSW Farmers has welcomed the state government’s move to increase water capture for coastal farms as a positive first step in reforms.
Wheel Cactus field day in Maldon Historic Reserve
Lea Mead. The Cactus Warriors invite you to join us on Sunday 31 October at 10.30am along Mount Back Road where we will be assisting Parks Victoria to remove Wheel Cactus plants from our sensational Maldon Historic Reserve. We’ll be armed with digging hoes and buckets and will concentrate on digging up small wheel cactus plants in an area along Mount Back Road.
Loud & clear
With just two days’ notice, community volunteers at the heart of the Koondrook Perricoota co-design welcomed a shiny entourage of politicians, bureaucrats and media. The whistlestop tour was part of a $330 million funding announcement with no less than five state and federal politicians ... The Koondrook Perricoota project has been a white elephant of government spending with the $120 million over-designed project sitting idle.
Gunbower bush bash
Kirstin Nicholson. Cohuna Neighbourhood House treated 28 people to a ‘Bush Bash Tour’ as part of the Victorian Seniors Festival ... Local Aboriginal elder, Aunty Esther Kirby, explained the historical significance of the Gunbower Forest to the local Aboriginal people and discussed items of cultural significance.
Our megafires are a political, not a climatic crisis
People proliferated across Australia, which was then a part of Sahul, from about 40 000 years ago when megafauna finally disappeared long before the Last Glacial Maximum. Aboriginal burning initially turned much biomass into charcoal, reducing browse, changing vegetation and causing megafaunal extinctions. It created ecosystems whose health and safety depend on constant human input of mild fire.
Black marketing fish is illegal: seized boat goes under the hammer
A boat used repeatedly for illegal black market fishing on the Sunshine Coast and seized by fisheries officers is being sold to the highest bidder at auction.
Voters put environment first
Patricia Gill. Councillor Ceinwen Gearon has been re-elected unopposed as shire president and Cr Kingsley Gibson deputy shire president to an environmentally-focused council of predominately women. Cr Gearon was elected deputy shire president in 2016 and shire president the following year, a position she has served ever since.
Major bushfires in Australian history – the 1974 and 1975 Australian bushfires
John O'Donnell. In contrast to the temperate southern regions of Australia, fire events in Central Australia are driven by above average rainfall in the preceding years, rather than below average rainfall or drought in the current year. Widespread fire events in Central Australia were found to be associated with two or more consecutive years of above-average rainfall. Fuel loads in long-unburnt grassland can get to high levels.
Support for plantation estate in the south welcomed
The Tasmanian Government welcomes the announcement by the Federal Government to help grow and incentivise the plantation estate and support jobs in Tasmania ... unlocking the carbon farming market ‘water rule’ in the South of the State will help encourage private forester participants to fully participate in the Emissions Reduction Fund (ERF) across the State, including making the market more accessible to small scale landholders.
