Land & environment

NSW Farmers is calling for archaic, century-old water rules to be overhauled after the state government released a tone deaf ‘what we heard’ report on a review into stock and domestic water use. The report found most water users rejected the need for more red tape, and there was an opportunity to update permitted uses under the basic landholder right.

Agriculture Victoria is urging farmers to be mindful of import requirements and to keep watch for red imported fire ants (RIFA) when sourcing fodder from interstate. Agriculture Victoria acting Chief Plant Health Officer, Stephen Dibley, said RIFA - or Solenopsis invicta - is one of the worst invasive ant species in Australia.

Since 2023, the Clarence River prawn trawl industry has been on its knees, with fishermen locked out of their livelihoods due to a White Spot Control Order costing countless millions in income. White Spot Syndrome Virus (WSSV) was detected by the NSW Department of Primary Industries DPI in August 2022 at a Palmers Island prawn farm…

Check out the powerful exhibition Scars of Fire by photographer Liam Cuce, now showing at the Purple Starfish in Kaniva. With ancestral ties to Kaniva dating back to the 1800s, Liam returned not to retrace old footsteps but to document the impact of the present.

It’s not every day you get to meet a living legend, let alone hear their personal reflections on an event that gripped the entire world ... The captivating figure at the heart of it all was none other than Dr. Richard "Harry" Harris OAM… "My Underwater World," his first foray into filmmaking, passionately showcases the world-renowned underwater cave systems of the Limestone Coast...

Maureen Donnellon. Brian Lea, Birchip Probus president was guest speaker on the role played by Birchip Apex Club, from 1975, without whom, the Tchum Lake we know and love, may never have been created. Brian was the original treasurer of Apex at that time and has had an interest ever since in the story of the development of the lake.

The State Government is rolling out a suite of measures to back South Australia’s recreational fishing community, helping them weather the impacts of the unprecedented algal bloom and setting the stage for a strong recovery of fish stocks. The algal bloom presents a real challenge for fishers, causing foamy and discoloured water in some areas and has impacted about 400 types of fish and marine animals.

A stop work order has been issued covering operation of the Boera Dam river regulator in Toorale National Park following an extensive investigation by the Natural Resources Access Regulator (NRAR). Chief Regulatory Officer Grant Barnes said NRAR issued the order yesterday (Wednesday, August 6) because the operation of certain water infrastructure allegedly did not fully account for water use, as required by the Water Management Act.

This webinar explores the cutting-edge advancements in deep-cycling offshore seaweed mariculture, a “stellar technology” poised to revolutionise ocean regeneration and sustainable economies. Led by Dr. Brian von Herzen, Dr. Joseph Rauch, and Steve Hamilton, the session will delve into the automation, scaling, and commercialisation of these innovative platforms...

Under the current outlook the Murray–Darling Basin Authority (MDBA) is confident that system demands will be met across the 2025-26 water year, despite a dry start to the season. The MDBA has released its Annual Operating Outlook for 2025–26, which outlines how the River Murray System might be managed under different water availability scenarios for the year ahead.

While politicians and activists agonise over the merits of the wars in Gaza and Ukraine, a far more insidious war rages on — not between nations, but between species. It’s the war we barely talk about, yet one we’re losing badly: the war against invasive pests. From farmland to forest, the frontlines are everywhere, and the casualties aren’t measured in headlines but in trees, crops, ecosystems — and billions of taxpayer dollars.

Long?suffering readers know I like to poke around in the world of agricultural science particularly anything to do with carbon farming and climate change, so — without drawing on the untapped wisdom of my son Thomas — I’m going to argue, once again, that soil carbon farming in the WA Wheatbelt belongs firmly in the fantasy section of the library, not the science shelves.

Serena Kirby. It was eyes down and tweezers poised at a recent seed sorting session. The Wilson Inlet Catchment Committee-organised activity was part of the committee's Cockies for Cockies program that's working to re-establish and protect habitats and food sources for three threatened black cockatoo species: Carnaby's, Baudin and red-tailed black cockatoos.

The Wilson Inlet sand bar was breached yesterday with the AHD of 1m exceeded last week when low-lying areas around the inlet began to flood. Despite the cold weather and rain, fishers were out in force at Prawn Rock Channel at the weekend as schools gathered in the changing water conditions and increased food availability.

A community-based project to re-establish a critically endangered plant in the Burrowa Pine Mountain National Park (BPMNP) is gaining momentum in the Upper Murray. Mountain Banksia (B. canei) became locally extinct in the park following the 2019-20 Black Summer bushfires.

I’d always heard the claims that Australia’s most significant water reform was built on falsehoods, political agenda and flawed science, but seeing for myself fundamentally changed me ... I joined a merry band of nine intrepid explorers who ventured to South Australia’s agricultural crown jewel to understand more of the Murray-Darling Myths.

This year’s Spanish mackerel stock assessment found the population was now likely to have doubled since the 2021 review. Based on this, the Department Primary Industries has proposed raising Spanish mackerel catch limits for both commercial and recreational fishing.

A major upgrade at the Grafton Regional Landfill is helping Clarence Valley Council (CVC) reduce their carbon footprint while delivering sustainable results for the environment and economic benefits for the local community. Aimed at capturing harmful methane (CH4) gas emissions which are byproducts of the decomposing waste buried underground, 12 vertical gas extraction wells which extend 40m below the surface ...

Hugh Schuitemaker. An ongoing reduction in permanent entitlements being held in a Riverland irrigation trust's district has forced changes to its water accounting. Central Irrigation Trust (CIT) customers were informed in June that all water accounts would now need to be balanced at the end of each month.