Agricultural outlook for April favourable for beef and wool while croppers keep an eye on the sky ahead of seeding window: Bendigo and Adelaide...
...Bendigo Bank Agribusiness’ Monthly Commodity Update finds that US tariffs should have less impact than initially expected, however dry conditions across key cropping regions still have grain producers on edge. Lamb markets are stable with wool a bright spot, while supply chain issues for fruit and vegetables have seen a lift in wholesale prices on the east coast...
Suspected microalgae bloom kills SYP sea life
Dead sea creatures are being discovered along the east coast of southern Yorke Peninsula, believed to be linked to a microalgal bloom ... "We saw 30 to 40 dead octopus, and normally you have to really look to see one octopus during the daytime ... It was the saddest and most emotional dive I have ever had": diver Paul Macdonald.
Yorke Peninsula’s native orchids
Chris Davey. Through this semi-regular column, I hope to share insights into the beauty and rarity of our local orchids — some of which are found nowhere else. Four species exist only on YP and are classified as endangered, with fewer than 100 plants remaining.
Working bee at the Warrali St garden
Paddie and Cliodhna held a community working bee at the Warrali St garden. Adults and children planted out seedlings, weeded, built up the compost piles and celebrated the healthy soil that’s been created from the old compost piles ... we learnt how to create an Indigenous Microorganism soil trap ...
Opinion: Farmer wants wetlands reinstated after toxic floodwaters destroy crops and trees
Steve Posselt lives on a property at Swan Bay. He describes the impact of the latest flooding on farmland ... Thearles Drain had gone from black to green and now back to black ... This dead cane is the area to the left of the drain ...
Rural Aid delivers urgent lifeline to farmers amidst devasting floods
Major flood warnings have been issued for multiple rivers, including the Thomson, Barcoo, Bulloo, Paroo, and Warrego ... Stock losses are expected to reach into the hundreds of thousands, compounding the already difficult conditions caused by ongoing droughts.
New nature-based tourist sites attract visitors to the Snowy Valleys
The Snowy Valleys community will today celebrate the grand opening of new tourism facilities in Bago State Forest, near the towns of Tumut, Batlow and Tumbarumba. The ‘Enhancing Nature Based Tourism’ project … has delivered new and upgraded visitor facilities serving as a drawcard for the regional tourism industry.
Murray Cod returned to Macquarie River after five years at Fisheries Centre
After having spent five years in the NSW Government's Narrandera Fisheries Centre native fish hatchery, 19 mature Murray Cod saved from the drought-ravaged Macquarie River in 2019 have now been returned to their home waters.
New release – Eyes in the Sky – The history of aerial fire detection in Western Australia
Roger Underwood. Eyes in the Sky is the latest in the BushFire Front's bushfire history series. It tells the story of the development of the bushfire detection system in the southwest, and of the incorporation of fire spotting aircraft into this system.
Floods devastate rural NSW & Queensland, cities to feel ripple effect: NRHA
The soul-destroying floods in rural New South Wales and Queensland are affecting rural people who matter to Australia’s very existence and who are the backbone of Australia’s economy ... this flood is an eye-opener for all political parties to make a commitment to the health of the economic powerhouse that rural Australia is for the rest of the country.
Mandatory state government charge to be collected by councils
"... the 3 per cent rates increase to Hindmarsh is approximately $250,000 (which will cover our insurance premium increases and not a lot more), while the ESVF will generate for the state government between $2m to $3m additional from Hindmarsh alone. Multiply these figures by 38 rural councils across the state and the sum becomes $76-118 million!!!": Hindmarsh Shire Council Mayor, Cr Ron Ismay.
Council chasing water
Funding is being sought for Council to undertake test bores to identify a suitable ground water source for Hay. Council currently draws water from the Murrumbidgee River, but fears there could be a major risk on the water supply should the river water become unavailable or unsuitable.
Back from the brink: Lord Howe woodhen population surges
Lord Howe Island's native woodhen has made a remarkable recovery, with the latest survey revealing a population of at least 1,638 birds on the Island. This is a significant turnaround for the Lord Howe woodhen, which was reduced to just nine breeding pairs in the 1970s.
Biodiversity versus Great Koala Park: a bit of  fairdinkum science: Vic Jurskis
According to Forestry Australia’s Dr Freeman, National Parks don’t guarantee biodiversity ... The Endangered listing of koalas north of the Victorian border and the idea of a Great Koala National Park are farcical. The koala is an irruptive species. High numbers indicate an irruption, not a stable population.
Riverland councils left high and dry as federal funding falls short – What about us?
“We’re paying more for everything we do, whether it’s fixing roads, managing waste, or maintaining community facilities. But unlike households, local government has to contend with the cost shifting of services from other levels of government, with no extra funding to support them": Renmark Paringa Mayor Peter Hunter ... Mid Murray Council also strongly advocating for more federal support ... The South Australian Local Government Association has also called on the Federal Government to provide appropriate funding for local governments.
Riverland’s constant summer heat produces early mango crop
Christine Webster. David Arnold, director of the long-established family fruit business that has been operating since 1915, said due to the long spell of hot weather, the harvest came early in the second week of February, and was over by the end of the month.
Lessons from the LA fires: a forensic dissection with Dr Faraz Hedayati, 16 April 2025
Join this special April Hazardous Webinar to learn about early post-disaster field observations of the devasting Los Angeles (LA) fires with on-the-ground researcher Dr Faraz Hedayati (Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety).
VFF demands Fire Service Levy halt and Inquiry referralÂ
The Victorian Farmers Federation (VFF) is calling on the Victorian Parliament to take immediate action and refer the deeply flawed Fire Services Levy Bill to a parliamentary inquiry, as it faces debate in the Upper House this week. VFF President Brett Hosking said the Bill must be referred to a parliamentary inquiry to ensure the community has a voice in the process.
Nilgen bushfire burns about 5300ha
Eighty firefighters were this afternoon patrolling the Nilgen bushfire area and mopping up after the fire was downgraded from emergency to watch and act yesterday at 6.09pm. The most recent alert issued by the Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) ... the Nilgen bushfire had been further downgraded to a bushfire advice as the fire was now contained and controlled.
ZNE-Ag CRC launches project to focus on low-cost methane measurement from livestock
Australian farmers are set to benefit from groundbreaking technologies that will enable cost effective methane measurement in livestock. Zero Net Emissions Agriculture Cooperative Research Centre (ZNE-Ag CRC) ... launched the first project in its research portfolio.
Research outputs – Talk about logging but don’t talk about national parks: SETA
Peter Rutherford, SETA. It is difficult to know how to respond to Professor Lindenmayer’s most recent comments, when he continues to focus on areas subject to timber harvesting and appears to ignore the fact that 855,310 hectares of the iconic Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area was burnt by bushfires in 2019-20. This is over 16 per cent of the total area burnt in NSW in 2019-20.
David Lindenmayer fails to engage with real-world fire dynamics: Robert Onfray
Rather than engaging with the complexities of fire dynamics, Professor Lindenmayer relies on statistical modelling that confuses correlation with causation, ignores field-based studies that contradict his claims, and overgeneralises the impact of logging without considering key variables such as fuel management and fire suppression efforts.
