Land & environment

NSW Farmers is encouraging farmers to apply now for mouse bait rebates of up to $10,000 per farm business through the Rural Assistance Authority website. Applications for the rebate opened today with a total of $95 million available to assist farmers with the costs of Zinc Phosphide baiting programs.

To date 87 rodents have been removed. All rodent detections and removals have been within the northern settlement area. A small number of rats that continue to be detected are being actively monitored and baited ... Eleven prospective biosecurity officers undertook training on 2 & 3 July with renowned dog trainers Steve Austin and Miriam Richie.

Due to its incredibly small population size, population density, and distribution, the Lord Howe Abalone faces an extremely high risk of extinction from threats including marine pollution - such as an oil spill event - and climate change. As a result, the IUCN assessed this species to be Critically Endangered. Of the 37 worldwide abalone species, it was one of only two given this status.

The Local Government Illegal Dumping Partnerships Program (LGIDPP), a collaborative project between North Burnett Regional Council, South Burnett Regional Council and Cherbourg Aboriginal Shire Council, is a very positive way for Councils to build a relationship and look after Country.

A new paper reviewing the science behind claims that forest management and timber harvesting worsened the 2019/20 bushfires has been welcomed by the professional association representing some 1,000 scientific and professional forest land managers in Australia.

The Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences’ latest Insights report examines the effects of recent and possible future changes in climate on the profitability of Australian farms.

Western Australian grain growers are being urged to "walk through paddocks" to check for mouse activity and crop damage to determine whether they need to start baiting programs this season.

Rous County Councillors voted 5–3 to keep the Dunoon Dam out of the region’s future water strategy and instead tap into ground water aquifers in Alstonville and Tyagarah ... “The community feedback on the council’s strategy was overwhelmingly in favour of the Dunoon Dam project with more than 10,000 of the 13,000 submissions received supporting the dam being investigated as a future water project. It is outrageous that the majority of elected councillors have completely ignored the community consultation process and Rous County Council staff recommendations”: NSW parliamentary secretary for Water Infrastructure, Sam Farraway.

The echidnas are looking for a mate, Wires said, and most of the ones spotted around Kyogle are likely to be males. “They join the echidna train where males follow a female for up to six weeks until she chooses one of them.”

Barbara Winters. The Ashby Nature Discovery team and the Clarence Valley Koala Working Group proved recently that we can still enjoy Covid-safe community events in the outdoors. The Ashby Hall Reserve is the perfect location to make new connections and go for a walk and learn more about nature while social distancing.

Geoff Helisma. Bellingen Shire Council is the second council to support Clarence Valley Council’s anti-mining stance ... "So, this is asking that we don’t mine areas of high rainfall where there is a chance that it will have lasting effects on the environment and our economic opportunity. We do protect those things that are so valued in our community, so I have no qualms about putting this motion up to support what the Clarence Valley councillors have put” : Bellingen mayor, Dominic King.

A retinue of 38 specialists from NSW firefighting and emergency services will join an Australian deployment to Canada to assist firefighters as they continue to battle devastating wild fires.

With today's technological advances and some insightful design, Leaper Innovate Green Energies have developed and patented the LiGE Air Battery. A zero-emissions CAES system that can be hooked up to the electricity grid or to renewable energy sources to provide clean energy as well as clean water.

Western Australia's Career Fire and Rescue Service (CFRS) has welcomed 26 new firefighters into its ranks as the State enters the busiest period for home fires ... The new recruits bring a wide range of knowledge and experience to the CFRS, having transitioned from careers in education, defence, engineering and other emergency services.

The Queensland Government will forcibly acquire Martha’s Farm on the southern Gold Coast, after talks broke down with the current landowners. Also known as Martha’s Vineyard, the government plans to transform it into one of the largest eco-parklands in Australia ... The acquisition continues the trend of state governments acquiring land for nature reserves.

With the increasing risk of natural disasters and extreme weather events, it’s critical that Australian production nurseries are forward planning and implementing risk mitigation strategies that reduce the impact they have on the business and its operations. Operating for over 26 years, Mt Nathan Nursery, located on the Coomera River in the Gold Coast Hinterland, Queensland, is one nursery that made the decision to implement risk mitigation strategies to minimise future stock losses and damage in the event of a natural disaster.

There is no other place in the world that compares to the awe-inspiring, soul-stirring, up-close whale watching encounters that you will find in Hervey Bay. Between July and November, thousands of humpback whales travel the ‘humpback highway’ and arrive in the calm, protected waters of Hervey Bay.

The McGowan Government has become a founding member of the Smart Energy Council's Zero Carbon Certification Scheme to boost the State's fledgling renewable hydrogen industry. The industry-led Guarantee of Origin style scheme aims to accelerate the development and deployment of renewable hydrogen, green ammonia and green metals, such as green steel and green zinc, in Australia and around the world.

Australia’s national science agency, CSIRO, and Optus have released findings of a joint nationwide project to improve bushfire resilience of critical telecommunications. The research analysed where there is risk of damage to the network and where upgrades could reduce vulnerability to future bushfire events.