Land & environment

The Seedbed Conditioner creates the perfect seedbed and root zone for crops at a fraction of the current power (HP/KW) requirement and cost of seeding. Over 15 years of paddock-scale research this machine always produced large yield increase, which averaged 25 per cent with a range of 10–40 per cent.

Sean Cunningham. The One Nation bandwagon continued to roll on with a landslide victory for Narrandera local David Farley in last Saturday's Farrer By-Election. On the back of One Nation's rise during the recent SA elections, the seat of Farrer became the party's latest conquest as voters chose to abandon the Liberals and Nationals and place their faith in Mr Farley.

Shadow Minister for Agriculture and Food and Member for Central Wheatbelt Lachlan Hunter has slammed Labor for siding with the Greens and the Animal Justice Party in support of a radical anti-farming agenda that would cripple wild dog control across regional WA ... The motion, moved by Hon Amanda Dorn MLC of the Animal Justice Party, called on the Government to remove dingoes as declared pests and end critical control measures including 1080 baiting and trapping.

The May Budget delivered by Treasurer Jim Chalmers has elicited criticism, and some praise, from many quarters, as illustrated by the following statements from the National Party, Beyond Zero Emissions, National Farmers' Federation and the NFF Horticulture Council, National Seniors Australia, Business Council of Co-operatives and Mutuals, TasFarmers, Grain Producers Australia and NSW Farmers.

David Farley convincingly won last Saturday's Farrer by-election, becoming the first One Nation candidate ever elected to the House of Representatives. For the first time in the history of Farrer, the electorate will not be represented by a Coalition MP. Mr Farley broke through the glass ceiling with a whopping 57.4 per cent of the votes, well ahead of close rival, Independent Michelle Milthorpe's 42.6 per cent.

Ten new trainee Fisheries and Marine Officers (FMOs) are now on deck to help boost fisheries compliance efforts across Western Australia. The new officers graduated this month after completing a comprehensive four-month training program with the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development and will join more than 100 fisheries officers across the State.

Residents are invited to take part in an upcoming Fire Wise Planting Bus Tour Workshop, designed to provide practical tips on landscaping in fire-prone areas. The workshop is one of four initiatives being delivered by Council in partnership with community organisations, funded through the Victorian Government’s Safer Together Program – Strengthening Local Government Partnerships.

On today's episode the FBI has released some intel on UFO's plus we talk about the mouse situation in the CWB with Rob Proud from IGHC, along with all of your regional news and your weekly farming weather.

Gippsland Critical Minerals has launched live weather monitoring on its website, giving the East Gippsland community real-time access to on-site conditions at the Fingerboards Project. Available now via the Monitoring and Studies page, the live feed draws data from two on-site weather stations: one south-west of the Fingerboards intersection and a second on the Mitchell River plateau, installed in response to feedback from landholders and community.  

The 36th meeting of the Advisory Committee on Social, Economic and Environmental Sciences (ACSEES) was convened virtually 21 April 2026 ... The Murray–Darling Basin Authority (MDBA) updated the Committee on its business priorities and progress on the Basin Plan Review.

Allora local Sally Higgins has been appointed by Minister for Climate Change and Energy, Chris Bowen as the United Nations Presidency Youth Climate Champion (PYCC) for COP31 - a global role created to ensure young people are meaningfully included in international climate discussions.

Danny the leak detection dog and his handler set to arrive in the region this May, bringing technology typically used in major city networks to remote communities. “This is the kind of technology you’d usually see in large urban networks, and we’re now trialling it here in Cook Shire,” Mayor Holmes said.

The Murray–Darling Basin Authority (MDBA) has marked the close of the formal public consultation period for the Basin Plan Review, a significant milestone in shaping the future of water management across the Basin. More than 2,400 submissions have been received from First Nations people, community members, organisations, local, state and national government agencies.

Gannawarra Shire Council is calling on the Murray-Darling Basin Authority (MDBA) to recalibrate the Murray-Darling Basin Plan to reflect that the municipality has been the hardest impacted area in northern Victoria. Council has produced a five-page submission to the 2026 Basin Plan Review, which will look at whether change is needed to make the Basin Plan work as efficiently and effectively as possible.

Following considerable community pressure and lobbying by Towong Shire Council, the Victorian Parliament’s summer fires inquiry decided to hold a dedicated ‘open mic’ session for Towong residents. "While this session will be held online and not physically in the shire, it will at least provide an opportunity for the inquiry to hear the voices of our communities directly," said Towong mayor, Cr Peter Tolsher.

Caitlin Menadue. Recent reports from farmers during the early stages of seeding have indicated an increase in locust activity across several cropping regions in South Australia, Grain Producers South Australia has warned. GPSA chief executive Brad Perry said producers from Yorke Peninsula, the Riverland, Eyre Peninsula and Flinders Ranges had reported locusts on farms.

An investigation by the State Opposition has uncovered multiple examples of Government spin doctors banning the words ‘outbreak’ and ‘harmful’ from communications about the algal bloom. The Freedom of Information documents reveal instructions coming from staff within the Premier’s own department, as well as the Environment Department’s PR team.  

New South Wales is facing an increasingly parched winter outlook as latest data reveals a looming expansion of drought conditions across the northeast, southeast, and western regions of the state. The latest Combined Drought Indicator (CDI) map ... paints a sobering picture of the state's agricultural landscape.

A surprise wedding announcement. Plus whale vomit found in the Great Southern.

Hayley Primmer & Seth Carter. Foreshore erosion in Lancelin is becoming an increasing concern for the Shire of Gingin, with the Opposition warning ongoing changes to the coastline threaten the future of several businesses in the town, as well as the long-term safety of some residents’ homes. Lancelin Sands Hotel owner Glen Trebilcock said he had lost 40m of land in 12 months due to Lancelin’s increasing coastal erosion.

Mike Gillam. On March 3 the Bureau of Meteorology recorded an impressive monsoon trough containing four tropical lows each with the potential to develop into a cyclone, hugging the coast of northern Australia ... Moths and butterflies are everywhere and I don’t believe it’s an exaggeration to say that every genus of plants is supporting at least one distinctive species of caterpillar.