Land & environment

Christine Webster. A Waikerie pet owner is calling on Loxton Waikerie council to review its use of scare guns to control corellas after her dog went missing for several hours when becoming startled by noise ... a canoeist contacted police after noticing a dog on a ledge of a cliff, upstream from the Waikerie ferry.

Rachel Hagan. Local residents are up in arms after the dunes at trending Yorke Peninsula camp spot, Wauraltee Beach, were left covered in rubbish and human waste ... NSW resident Stephanie Ramirez, who was visiting Yorke Peninsula for the first time, said she saw Wauraltee Beach on social media, and her family decided they had to stop on their way to Esperance, especially before camping was banned.

With less than a quarter of the SA Murray Mallee region’s original vegetation remaining, funding from AstraZeneca’s global AZ Forest initiative is supporting large-scale restoration of this priority area. Two properties in the SA Murray Mallee received free trees in 2024 ... ARR.News asked about fire mitigation.

All agricultural land in Victoria should be mapped and strategic land use planning established to protect farmland in major areas such as Gippsland, according to a landmark report by a Victorian parliamentary committee. This was one of 33 recommendations and 29 findings in a report ‘Securing Victoria’s Food Supply’ by the Legislative Assembly Environment and Planning Committee.

In August 2024, the NSW Government announced the appointment of an expert panel to lead consultation on a Forestry Industry Action Plan. The final report of the Independent Forestry Panel has been provided to the NSW Government. Whether the report will be made publicly available and the shape of the future Forestry Industry Action Plan is a matter for the Government.

The ever-increasing number of stories of the difficulties faced by landowners when dealing with transmission network builder, TransGrid, points to an organisation with no knowledge of, and no interest in learning about, the land, and the peoples living on that land, through which they are building those networks.

Labor Government’s Environment Minister Penny Sharp’s tenuous grip on scientific truth has finally been broken. Now allowing real, scientific based research to reveal what political agendas have long suppressed in the fight over koala populations and sustainable forestry in NSW.    

Farmers are urged to take part in a trial of Farm Fire Units in NSW as unprecedented bushfires continue to burn in the United States. Under a NSW Government trial in place until 31 March, private farm vehicles used for firefighting purposes known as Farm Fire Units – or Farm Fire Fighting Vehicles (FFFVs) – can be used unregistered under certain conditions.

WA desperately needs a unified biosecurity authority, one that merges the resources and expertise of DPIRD and DBCA under a single, competent Minister. Such an authority would eliminate bureaucratic overlap, create a cohesive strategy, and launch the kind of public education campaign sorely needed to tackle threats like the shot-hole borer.

The rumbles began with a 2.6-magnitude quake, which struck just before midnight on Friday January 3. This was followed by a followed by a larger 4.1-magnitude quake at 2.50pm on Saturday afternoon and a 3.3-magnitude tremor at 5.30am Sunday morning.

Tomki Rural Fire Brigade has put out a call for new members. “We will keep you fit, teach you many skills that will empower you to strive in many situations as well as having a great support group around you. If you live in the Spring Grove, Clovass, Mckees Hill or the Tomki area why not jump online at NSW RFS and fill in an application form.”

Geoff Park. Mistletoebirds are a lovely feature of the local bird fauna. Each year, from spring through summer, I discover several of their beautifully woven and highly engineered nests, made mainly from cobwebs with a few adornments such as spent wattle flowers added in.

A boat, a BBQ, a swag and the mighty Murray to Murrabit were the order of the day. With a meagre 5,700 megalitres a day flowing past Barham, we set off for Murrabit.

Are you looking for something to do over the summer break? If you haven’t been already, Lake Cooby, half an hour north of Toowoomba at Meringandan, is a beautiful spot for fishing, boating, bush walking and having a picnic or barbecue.

Conservation group Denmark Nannas for Native Forests found a bleak aftermath of a 1123ha prescribed burn in November of Sheepwash North in Mt Lindesay National Park. They were shocked to see big areas of tree canopy defoliated and most of the remaining canopy scorched.

In this timely piece, John O'Donnell reviews the state of bushfire preparedness in New South Wales in light of the NSW Rural Fire Service 2023/2024 Annual Report.

Hay Shire Council and Hay Lions Football and Netball Club joined forces once again for their much-anticipated annual native fish restocking event in the Murrumbidgee River at Hay late last month. Around 6600 Murray Cod fingerlings were released near Sandy Point, marking another significant step in enhancing the local aquatic ecosystem.

Hugh Schuitemaker. Senior Riverland politicians have questioned the potential benefits of a multi-million dollar environmental plan to use treated wastewater – rather than Murray River water – to water public areas and “to supply some industries”. The Federal and State Governments last month announced $20.9m in funding to build infrastructure allowing local governments to substitute Murray River water with storm water, treated wastewater or other alterna-tive water sources.

Western Power says power has been restored to all 150 customers affected by the bushfire in Cowalla, Wanerie and Karakin. Twenty power poles were destroyed by the bushfire, which was reported at 12.03pm on Tuesday, December 31.

Sea urchins play an important ecological role on reefs in the Lord Howe Island Marine Park (LHIMP). They graze on seaweed, and sometimes completely clear it, creating unique habitats known as ‘barrens’ which are instead covered in encrusting algae and coral.

Preparedness is essential in managing emergencies, and Buloke Shire Council has been actively enhancing its readiness to support the community during severe weather events. Recent annual training, live drills, such as practising raising the marine-grade aluminium flood barriers in Donald on Thursday, and investments in flood mitigation infrastructure, demonstrate Council’s commitment to improving emergency response capabilities.