Land & environment

Words, pictures and voices bring to life the stories of the 2019-2020 bushfires ... The stories and photos have been turned into a book that was launched at the Roxy Gallery on Friday, May 19.

The four honour boards in the Rappville Hall that were destroyed in the 2019 bushfire have just been replaced with new and better versions ... Resident Roger Bailey was a driver of the project to restore the boards that hang on the shiny, white walls of the new hall.

Council is thrilled to announce that the Wolfe Brothers will be the headlining act ... This exciting event will provide a platform for local service providers, disaster recovery and employment agencies to showcase their products and share resources to the attendees, through trade displays and a mini job fair.

This project assessed the impact on honey bee biosecurity of reduced access to public land floral resources as a result of the 2019-20 Australian bushfire crisis. It investigated current biosecurity programs and practices, gaps in biosecurity coverage, beekeeper use of public lands and biosecurity risk as a result of changes in the beekeeper’s enterprise, and delivered recommendations relating to policy change, technology investment and research and development.

This is the Productivity Commission’s second five yearly review into the effectiveness of the implementation of the Plan and it focuses on what needs to change for it to be delivered in full ... The Productivity Commission is consulting widely on its review including with Basin governments, environmental water managers, peak bodies, researchers and academics, Aboriginal people and Basin communities.

That’s the question occupying the mind of Maureen Fritsch, who writes from her family’s home, off Avon Plains Road, between Donald and Cope Cope. "The other day, my son, Matt, discovered a 2050mm snake skin not far from our farm," Maureen wrote.

A new plan developed by Gannawarra Shire Council in partnership with more than 30 agencies will guide the Gannawarra’s recovery from the October-December 2022 floods. The Gannawarra Municipal Flood Recovery Plan features 48 priority actions across 11 recovery target areas that Council and other agencies will work on to guide recovery efforts.

Friends of the Corryong Wetlands recently conducted a tree planting day as part of its native flora re-vegetation project ... we were greatly surprised and encouraged when 19 turned up! "We would like to say a big thank you to everybody who participated": project coordinator, John Murphy.

From kindergarten to high school, Sunshine Coast students are turtle-y in love with turtles ... “Hatchlings are the most popular topic with the kids wanting to know if they can breathe under the sand, how they get out of the nest, what happens if they get left behind and if a mother turtle can find the hatchlings if the nest is relocated": Leisa Baldwin.

Boat operators are urged to take special care in the Tweed River, with several sightings of a dugong reported to Council over the past 12 months. While dugong are known to occur in Moreton Bay, the presence of one of these marine mammals in the Tweed is both unusual and exciting.

Cropping is in full swing across the district. Diapur farmer Tom Cook said, "Funny start to the season. I wouldn’t really say we’ve had the break, but I’ve got vetch and canola out of the ground. Still sowing into moisture at the moment as we move through our wheat program. Not sure the moisture will hang around for long though, unless we get more rain."

The Lockyer Valley knows only too well just what the impact of a severe weather event can look like – physically, mentally and emotionally. Following two severe flood events in 2022 alone, after bushfires and years of drought, Lockyer Valley Regional Council has forged important new partnerships to bring tangible benefits to the community.

The Yamba Community Action Network Yamba CAN Inc is urging Clarence Valley Council to conduct a flood survey of all residents on the Yamba floodplain so it can be incorporated in the updated Clarence River Flood Study and Flood Model which are currently being prepared ... When Yamba CAN recently discovered a flood study being conducted by Coffs Harbour City Council of residents in the Moonee Creek catchment area, members questioned why CVC couldn’t do the same.

Playgrounds are important spaces for the community to enjoy, and the Southern Downs Regional Council has a duty of care to maintain equipment so it is safe to use and compliant with Australian standards and guidelines. Council’s Manager Parks and Operations Chris Collingwood said Council’s unwavering priority is community safety.

Artwork by ten local artists will adorn temporary vinyl mesh fencing around a number of Council-owned buildings while they undergo flood restoration ... "I hope when people walk past these construction sites, the artwork puts a smile on their face and lifts their spirit”: Lismore City Mayor Steve Krieg.

NSW Farmers is calling for a comprehensive, ongoing review of devastating flooding during La Nina to prevent future threats to people, property and livelihoods ... NSW Farmers President Xavier Martin said many people had reported unprecedented damage resulting from these floods, and called for a review into floodplains and planning decisions that may have exacerbated the problem.

Leader of The Nationals, David Littleproud, Federal Member for Flynn, Colin Boyce, and Federal Member for Capricornia, Michelle Landry, and have joined local Kalapa graziers in central Queensland to see first-hand the impact renewable projects will have on the region’s environment and communities. It comes amid concerns over a planned 10,910-hectare Moah wind farm project, 30 kilometres west of Rockhampton.

A fishing season for a high value sea cucumber in the Torres Strait has reopened for the first time in 20 years thanks to a concerted conservation and stock restoration effort ... Torres Strait Islanders will have exclusive access rights to black teatfish, which is estimated to be worth $380,000 to the local economy.

Fifty pairs of helping hands restored the McCormacks’ prize winning garden at Swan Bay. In 2018, Jenny and Jim McCormack won the North Coast Champion Garden. In 2022, that garden was under water with only the tops of the tallest trees poking out of the floodwaters.

Around 200 Murray crayfish have been released into the river as part of a landmark trial to reintroduce the iconic Australian species back into the South Australian River Murray ... "The Murray crayfish release in South Australia would not have been possible without the rescue efforts of OzFish volunteers during the upstream black-water event, and North-West Aquaculture and Nature Glenelg Trust for maintaining them in captivity," said Darren Willis, Team Leader Wetlands at the Murraylands and Riverland Landscape Board.

Managing fire together: Applying science, skills, and stories. The Nature Conservation Council of NSW is excited to announce details of the 13th Biennial Bushfire Conference. The conference is unique in its focus on community participation in fire management...

South Burnett Regional Council Mayor, Brett Otto has joined National Party Leader and Member for Maranoa David Littleproud in questioning the federal government recent budget announcement to impose a levy on farmers to fund biosecurity. Mayor Otto has called on the federal government to reverse the decision, saying it is another impost on struggling farmers.