Land & environment

"If we can remove young pigs before they breed it will put real pressure on feral pig population." - John Medcalf, Lachlan Shire Mayor. A joint operation between NSW Farmers Tottenham branch and the Australia Pig Doggers and Hunters Association (APDHA) has conducted a very successful feral pig bounty trial in the Tottenham area. The trial resulted in the removal of 1,427 feral pigs...

Robert Onfray completely confuses fire intensity (the amount of heat generated) with fire severity (damage to vegetation and soil). He also misunderstands the difference between empirical studies (based on evidence and real-world data) and modelling (theoretical simulations). Additionally, he fails to understand the difference between a literature review and an empirical study.

SETA suggests that my research on the relationship between logging and fire is merely “opinion”. It is anything but ... SETA makes an absurd comparison between the flammability of national parks and state forests. The proper scientific comparison is between logged and unlogged state forests ...

Grain growers are advised to remain vigilant by monitoring mouse numbers locally in the lead up to sowing. The latest meeting of the National Mouse Group (NMG) heard reports of moderate to high mouse activity from the Darling Downs and Roma in Queensland, parts of the Eyre Peninsula in South Australia and parts of Western Australia.

A Charles Sturt University researcher argues that sustainability research is particularly relevant to supporting Australian farmers’ resilience to both climate change and market risk.

As extreme weather threatened our coastline, TurtleCare volunteers worked tirelessly to safeguard the future of endangered baby turtles. Wildlife Conservation Team Leader Kate Hofmeister said their quick action and commitment ensured many nests were relocated to safer areas, giving hatchlings a better chance of survival.

She is arguing they don’t need, or deserve, access to water from NSW and Victoria. In her new social media video Mrs. Dalton contends that the reason South Australians don’t have enough water is because the State wastes the water it already has.

Reports from the public about fish gasping for air have been coming in to fish habitat charity OzFish ... The organisation has received messages and photos from locals who said thousands of fish were gasping for air, or washing up dead, following the recent cyclone and flooding.

When the access bridge to a farm is washed away by flooding caused by ex- Cyclone Alfred, who is responsible for fixing it? On a property at Upper Duck Creek, near old Bonalbo, a woman in her 80s living with her son, in his 60s (both asked not to be named) have no access in and out of their farm because the bridge was washed away during recent flooding. The damaged bridge is not on their land.

The state’s peak farming group has welcomed a fresh crackdown on biosecurity controls in the wake of ex-tropical Cyclone Alfred. On Friday NSW Agriculture Minister Tara Moriarty announced measures to keep Red Imported Fire Ants out, with a temporary ban on soil and hay coming into the state from infested areas in southeast Queensland.

Tweed Shire Council is actively tackling the widespread damage caused by Tropical Cyclone Alfred with vital support from intrastate crews. The storm has caused significant damage, with fallen trees and debris blocking roads, Council land and private properties. 

Clockwise from top left: North Branch Road, near Goomburra Hall; New England Highway bridge; Goomburra residents were lucky that this tree missed their car...

The Labor Government’s kangaroo harvesting quotas have been significantly reduced for 2025, exacerbating the escalating overpopulation crisis in Western Victoria. Peter Riddle, a professional kangaroo harvester with 10 years of experience, was allocated just 50 tags for the first quarter of 2025 ... Bev McArthur remarked that it is “barely enough to cover one and a half nights of work.

A review of the Darling Downs 2024 Koala Population Study was recently held in Pittsworth and revealed three separate koala 'clusters' on the Downs identified through DNA testing of scat samples. A total of 91 out of 104 samples collected over an eight month period were used as part of the study.

Murrumbidgee Council is pleased to announce the new residential subdivision in Darlington Point will be called 'River Red Gum Estate'. The name was chosen to honour the iconic river red gum, a tree species that is deeply intertwined with the region's natural landscape, environment, and cultural heritage.

As flood relief efforts in the aftermath of Tropical Cyclone Alfred remain ongoing, volunteer surf lifesavers and lifeguards are imploring the public to take safety seriously, with the use of rescue water craft likely to be significantly hampered ahead of the weekend.

John Williams. "Kaniva Weather" is a proverbial. And another old saying might be "Snakes alive in Kaniva" thanks to the following historic snake stories that have made the news.

Despite seemingly dodging a bullet in the form of the worst of the winds and rain from ex-tropical cyclone Alfred, the Lower Clarence was in the crosshairs of a major flood after large volumes of rain fell in the catchment. From Thursday, winds and rain lashed the Lower Clarence, causing minor flash flooding and uprooting trees around Yamba.

Moderate and major flooding was occurring across Northern NSW as the Clarence Valley Independent went to print this week, and while coastal communities including Iluka and Yamba avoided the worst of the severe weather event, further inland, residents in Grafton and surrounding areas endured a nervous wait as heavy rain associated with Ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred continued to fall locally and in the catchment area.

Hugh Schuitemaker. The Federal Government says it is reaching new milestones in recovering environmental water, however senior Riverland politicians claim a focus on fulfilling the Murray-Darling Basin Plan is harming local growers and irrigators. Statistics released last week by the Federal Government show 286GL of water for the environment has been recovered under the Murray-Darling Basin Plan.

Victoria has long faced the devastating impact of powerline-related bushfires, with outdated Single Wire Earth Return powerlines responsible for 30 to 40 fires each year. Despite almost ten years of successful trials, partially funded by the Victorian Government, which prove that early fault detectors for powerlines can prevent bushfires, the technology has yet to be widely rolled out ... ARR.News asked some further questions of IND.T CEO, Professor Alan Wong.