Land & environment

Local CFA brigades attended a fire at Walkers sawmill in Corryong on Friday night which destroyed electrical equipment, necessary for the production of kindling. Two on-site mill workers heard a series of popping noises, similar to gunshots, around 10.30pm before noticing flames coming from the main processing area.

About 150 people gathered at Nornalup on March 23 to protest about the State Government’s plan to burn 80ha of nearby mostly-unlogged tingle forest. Nornalup community members are angry about the planned burn which environmentalists say is counter-productive to fire mitigation and destructive to the environment.

Major works are underway on Connells Bridge Road with upcoming works to commence on Wheatvale Plains Road ... Southern Downs Council’s Chief Executive Officer Dave Burges said "Both Connells Bridge Road and Wheatvale Plains Road are susceptible to prolonged closures during floods and they sustained major damage in the 2020, 2021 and 2022 events which left the roads closed for multiple weeks.

As part of the weir project Water Infrastructure contracted to an archaeological consulting firm to conduct excavations on a number of sites that may fall with the footprint of the weir and construction zones ... Wilcannia Local Aboriginal Land Council and the Barkindji Native Title Group were consulted and a number of members received training on how to sift the soil from the holes...

Clarence Valley Council will make a submission to a NSW Government inquiry looking to impose a levy on councils with dams calling for the idea to be scrapped, as it is another means of shifting costs onto councils ... Mayor Peter Johnstone said a previous attempt by the NSW Government to impose a levy on councils with dams failed.

The plight of Yamba residents whose homes are shaking and cracking from excavators moving and trucks carrying fill into floodplain development sites will be broadcast to a national audience following a visit by A Current Affair last Wednesday … greeted the reporter and camera crew ... in Park Avenue, Yamba, displaying “Stop The Fill” signs, while chanting “Stop The Fill, Don’t Drown Our Town.”

Victorians have a landmark opportunity to help design the future of the state’s public land estate – which now includes more than 1.8 million hectares of forest previously used for timber harvesting. To inform the future use and management of Victoria’s forest estate the Allan Labor Government has established the Great Outdoors Taskforce…

Forestry Australia has welcomed the decision by the Federal Court to allow planned prescribed burns in the Strathbogie Forest ... Forestry Australia President Dr Michelle Freeman said prescribed burning recognises Australia’s fire-dependent ecosystems, and fire-adapted flora and fauna that have evolved through the long tradition of indigenous caring for Country.

During the 2019 bushfires, Ember was severely dehydrated, her fur was black, coated in soot and she was badly singed. She suffered from congested lungs from smoke inhalation and had significant burns to her rump and all four paws.

Ian Hutton. It depends on how you read the Bureau of Meteorology data - maximums, minimums, average daily etc ... However, if we take a simple measure of the number of days with maximums over 28 degrees C, then summer of 2023/2024, was Lord Howe’s hottest on record.

Crustose coralline algae (CCA) are related to seaweeds but grow rock-hard crusts instead of fleshy fronds. Many species are candy or pastel pink, adding a splash of colour to reefs and rockpools ... This summer saw the highest global Sea Surface Temperatures on record ... and waters in the LHIMP followed this global trend.

Anne Hughes. The ground-walking, weak-flying birds you see on your trip down the Sunraysia Highway to Ballarat are one of Australia’s most amazing birds - the White-winged Chough (pron. chuff). With their sooty-black livery, startling ruby-red eyes and, when they take to the air, black-edged white wings they are obviously not crows (we don’t have ’em down here) or ravens either.

At recent Birchip and Wycheproof Probus Club meetings, an intriguing question from the Buloke Shire Council’s Community Recovery Team kicked off an essential conversation: “If you had to leave your home in a hurry, what would you take?” This question opened up a broader discussion on emergency preparedness, emphasising the need to know what to pack and where to find reliable information.

A new weather radar in Tennant Creek is a step closer to construction with the Bureau of Meterology lodging a development allocation to build it at the Bill Allen Lookout. Member for Barkly Steve Edgington took a trip out to the proposed site with long-time resident Mike Nash, who has been fighting since 2015 for its return after it was decommissioned by the Bureau.

The Newstead Community Energy Project (aka solar farm) will be commissioned during the second half of 2024 (date TBC). The inverter, solar panels and most of the tracking system have been installed.

"The order was renewed last year for only 12 months, during which time farmers and other stakeholders were promised consultation and a count of the wild dog population across Victoria," said Libbe Paton, North East Wild Dog Action Group. "Neither of these promises have been upheld to date."

Artwork born from the ashes of the 2019-20 Black Summer bushfires will be on public display in Corryong during the upcoming bush festival ... three local artists - Gayle Lee, Gillian Fahle and Ronda Teakel ... All three artists live and work on their cattle farms, which were severely affected by the bushfires.

Earthmoving contractors who worked to protect Koondrook during the October 2022 floods have finally received payment from the state government after 17 months of waiting. Local contractor Danny Gleeson said that not being paid makes you question dropping everything to help.

"The decision regarding the proposed Great Koala National Park does not belong to a single voice but should involve many voices, mostly from the Mid North Coast. The Labor Government is attempting to blindfold us. Rather than using its chance to engage in authentic discussion with the community, it chooses to undermine us by including carefully curated elitists pretending to be our community representatives": Michael Kemp MP ... A good point that needs to be spelt out in more detail.

As if all the promise to see a Grumman Avenger, a Delorian, or Paul Bennet performing his acrobatics is not enough, the Airshow Committee are pleased to announce yet another exciting surprise for those planning to attend. Jane Bunn the popular, Channel 7 weather forecaster, has agreed to be the ‘Guest of Honour’ on the day.