Land & environment

Threatened wildlife like the critically endangered South-east Red-tailed Black-cockatoo have a bright future thanks to a renewed conservation partnership with Bank Australia in the Wimmera. Conservation organisation Trust for Nature is partnering with Bank Australia to manage the bank's 2,117 hectare conservation reserve...

The Murray–Darling Basin Authority (MDBA) has welcomed new research that combines Indigenous knowledge and ecological science to protect and restore the Darling (Baaka) River. The study, led by the Wilcannia Barkandji community, highlights the enduring Cultural, spiritual, and ecological significance of Barkandji stone fish traps along the Baaka near Wilcannia.

Australia's wild crocodile population has become part of the country's livestock industry. Continued development of the industry requires raising crocodile eggs on farms, rather than collecting wild crocodile eggs in the jungle. This is driving the development of crocodile farms in Queensland and Western Australia.

Extensive flood resilience works to protect communities in Mount Sylvia and Woodbine from future flood damage are now complete. The $1.8 million rehabilitation project, led by Resilient Rivers SEQ, involved major creek bank stabilisation and revegetation works at three priority sites along Blackfellow Creek, and was officially unveiled today.

An $8 million grant program has supported industry to scale up production of the methane-inhibiting seaweed, Asparagopsis. Methane from livestock digestion accounts for about 71 per cent of Australia’s agricultural emissions and 13 per cent of Australia’s total emissions, according to the latest National Inventory Report.

For the first time, a contingent of Nepali fire and forest management professionals have visited Victoria to learn from our fire experience. The visitors were hosted in Victoria by the Australian Himalayan Foundation through the Australia Awards Fellowships program.

Joy Leneaux-Gale has the best rose garden in Maldon* and has been enjoying the full flush of colour over the past few weeks. She’s very humble when talking about it but she created it from scratch.

Gardeners are an optimistic bunch, aren’t they, dealing with unpredictable weather, temperamental plants and invaders of all sorts (weeds, insects, nosy photographers from the local newspaper). They know that with a bit of patience and perseverance, they will be rewarded with pleasant aromas and delightful displays of colour.

While the Victorian Government is moving to ban pet crocodiles, the Finocchiaro CLP Government is backing them - with 63 Territorians already licensed to keep 123 crocs, it's proof our unique Territory lifestyle is alive and thriving. Now, the CLP Government is inviting Territorians to have their say on new safety and welfare guidelines to make owning a pet croc simpler and safer than ever.

Young people living in the Murray–Darling Basin are calling for a stronger voice in shaping responses to environmental change. A Murray–Darling Water and Environment Research Program (MD–WERP) study led by Griffith University has found that young people aged 16–25 are increasingly concerned about the impact of a changing climate on their futures...

Shadow Minister for Agriculture and Food, Lachlan Hunter MP, says the Cook Labor Government has shown extraordinary negligence on biosecurity, sitting on an independent review of the State’s laws for nearly two years before quietly tabling a watered-down response in Parliament with zero public announcement.

Greater Shepparton City Council is deeply concerned regarding yesterday’s announcement by the Federal Government to expand water buybacks under the updated Restoring Our Rivers Framework. This decision risks significant impacts on agriculture, horticulture, and the broader regional economy.

Mat Dalby. "if one person takes one lesson from any of this and adds to their own preparedness, then the effort is worth it." Shire of Denmark Bushfire Ready lead facilitator Murray Brooker asks everyone to 'be prepared and not regretful after the fact'.

Community members are being reminded about the danger of bats after a boy was scratched by a flying fox near Crows Nest while attempting to rescue it. William, aged 14, was scratched by the flying fox while attempting to free it from a barbed wire fence on the family's property near Crows Nest, on 10 October.

Terry Collins. The NSW Government has come in for strong criticism for allowing just three days extra for public comment on its controversial Draft Central Coast Strategic Conservation Plan ... "The Plan proposes 14,000 new residential lots; it outlines how our unique biodiversity will be managed for the next 30 years and it describes how the NSW Government will deliver its housing targets by unlocking new lands for development": Acting Mayor John Mouland.

Almost 400 people filed through the impressive displays and stalls at the Mid Murray Industry Expo. 32 site holders showcased a range of services, products and expertise available in the local community. From forestry, to milled timber products, veterinary services, fires and ambulance services, real estate, garden supplies, plumbing, education, and so much more.

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.