Soil carbon on rangelands and in hilly topography
Matthew Harrison. With global temperature rise likely to exceed 1.5oC by 2050, interest in the development of skills, practices and technologies for removing carbon dioxide to avoid dangerous climate change abounds. One way to do this is via improved storage of soil organic carbon (SOC), as incremental gains in soil carbon at scale can have massive effect on residual CO2 circulating in the atmosphere.
More water and better quality promised to three villages with $2mil funding
Water supply for the villages of Urbenville, Muli Muli and Woodenbong will be increased in capacity from 600 to 700 people. The Water Supply Project to these three villages will also improve the water quality as well with State Government funding of $2million to deliver the final stages to the Urbenville Water Treatment Plant.
Join in the Great Koala Count
Australia's national science agency CSIRO is calling on all Aussies to record koala sightings in the Koala Spotter all, to help build the most accurate national population count to date ... The latest koala national population estimate according to NKMP is between 224,000 and 524,000. The next estimate is due in March 2025.
Southern Basin communities raise alarm over water recovery impact
The Commonwealth Government water buybacks scheme will disproportionately impact the southern Murray-Darling Basin, as the region still struggles to overcome the impacts of earlier water recovery programs. Water users and local government have outlined the significant risks posed by water recovery policies to the region’s agriculture, economy, and mental health, in a letter to State and federal politicians and departments.
Cattle industry – drought prompts rethink
Patricia Gill. Drought has prompted a rethink in the Denmark cattle industry after farmers have been forced to shoot animals because of a lack of feed and rock-bottom cattle prices. Farmers, including Steve Birkbeck at the Raintree Farm, have faced their driest season from spring through to autumn, with longer-established farmers saying this season has been the driest since 1982.
$3.9M boost for Riverina fire stations
Firefighting capabilities and support to better protect residents in south-western NSW and the food bowl in the Riverina have received a $3.9 million boost. NSW Rural Fire Service Chief Superintendent Kelwyn White officially opened two new brigade stations and upgraded training facilities, handed over five firefighting trucks and recognised more than 160 volunteers in the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area (MIA) this week.
Local faces at water resource conference
Hugh Schuitemaker. Local mayors and a senior irrigation industry figure participated in discussions of how to approach South Australia’s future water use at a major conference ... "A key announcement was that SA Water has committed to cap its reliance on the River Murray at the current level": Riverland Irrigation Trust CEO Rosalie Auricht.
Fire Ant Biosecurity Emergency Order extended
Red Imported Fire Ant detections have increased around the NSW border since the highly invasive pests were found at Tallebudgera, 6km across the border into Queensland, in July 2023, with 7 additional sites resulting in an Emergency Biosecurity Order that has just been extended. Implemented on July 17, 2024, the Biosecurity (Fire Ant) Emergency Order made by Chief Invasive Species Officer, Scott Charlton, was extended on August 6 for another 6 months.
Careless burning sparks EPA warning for Western Victoria
EPA Victoria says a rise in illegal burning in Western Victoria is damaging the environment and putting people’s health at risk with contaminated residue and hazardous smoke. The environmental watchdog has investigations under way in the Hindmarsh, Horsham and Northern Grampians areas after recent fires on farming, industrial and residential property.
Preliminary results pave the way for novel disease management in foals: AgriFutures Australia
Laboratory-based study confirms bacteriophages can suppress the growth of rattles-causing bacteria in soil. A ground-breaking project led by Dr Gary Muscatello at The University of Sydney has paved the way for a novel potential management strategy to combat Rhodococcus equi pneumonia in foals, commonly known as ‘rattles’.
High rise homes in Buloke
The secret is now out! And the residents have started to move into their high-rise apartments. Some time ago, a "Buloke Times" photographer spotted an impressive array of colourful birdhouses at the Donald Buloke Shire Council office, each getting a fresh coat of weather protection. The photographer was politely asked to keep a lid on the scoop, as further consultation with land management stakeholders was under way.
Calling all citizen scientists to learn more about groundwater: CDU
Charles Darwin University (CDU) researchers are calling out for over 500 citizen scientists living in the northern part of the Territory and Western Australia to collect water samples from their bores using sampling kits in a bid to increase water security.  Groundwater is stored beneath the Earth’s surface and is often seen as out of sight and out of mind, but it is an important permanent source of water in otherwise dry landscapes. Â
State Fire Commissioner opens Allora Facility
Officials from Queensland Fire Department were in Allora on Saturday for the recommissioning of the Allora Facility which houses both the town and rural brigades. Members of the Allora Rural Fire Brigade were happy to show off their new medium attack firefighting appliance which was handed over to them as part of the formal proceedings.
Burning questions
Tonnes of flood-damaged firewood in Barmah Forest will now be made available to locals instead of being burnt by the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA). The wood has been pushed into 70 large piles throughout the forest and a DEECA spokesperson says “the flood-affected wood is being assessed and will be used for habitat and environmental projects within the park.
Growers’ passion: A love for gardening seeds native nursery success
... this region is renowned for its abundance and diversity of produce ... Marc and Stacey Brooke are one such couple who have wholeheartedly embraced the area’s inherent spirit of diversity, with the transformation of their small cropping farm nestled on the outskirts of Wakool into the blossoming Australian natives enterprise, Tulla Natives.
Murray Darling Basin Authority visit
An influx of Government and Government Agency staff visited Wilcannia on Monday 29th July to look at the old weir, proposed site for the new weir and meet with local organisations and the Shire. Included in the group was former Western Lands Commissioner and passionate Wilcannia and Darling River advocate Geoff Wise.
Deer harvest numbers increase Â
The Game Management Authority (GMA) recently released the Estimates of the 2023 deer harvest in Victoria report. Results show an estimated 137,090 deer were harvested in 2023 which is an 11 per cent increase on the estimated 123,400 deer harvested in 2022 and a 59 per cent increase on the long-term average of 86,400.
Independent Review findings shared
At a Community Meeting in Carisbrook ... the findings and recommendations of the Carisbrook Levee Independent Review were shared with residents ... The report has found that overall, there is confidence in the catchment modelling to which the Levee has been built.
The emerging forces shaping Australia’s rural industries: AgriFutures Australia
In the coming decade, Australia’s rural industries will be shaped by significant forces that have the potential to disrupt how we produce, market and consume agricultural goods ... Navigating a Future of Cross-Sectoral Forces reports that now, more than ever, rural industries must prepare to adapt and thrive in the face of an uncertain future...
Southern Murray-Darling Basin water entitlement markets lost nearly $2 billion in value over 2023-24, despite Commonwealth buybacks
Today  Aither, a Ricardo company, released their eleventh annual Aither Water Markets Report. It summarises water trading activity and trends in the 2023-24 water year and provides insights into the outlook for 2024-25 ... Following a decade of 21 per cent compound annual growth, the Aither Entitlement Index (AEI) has fallen 12 per cent since reaching an all-time high in February 2023 ...
The Nhill roll call of 1974
John Williams. Nhill was headline news in 1974 as the town was flooded after 6 inches of rain, but business continued to keep its head above water, and new ventures such as Lowan Whole Foods, which had just begun operations, were even established. At the Nhill Hospital, Jason McCartney, AFL football star and Bali bomb survivor had taken his first breath ...
Future proofing your farm – Soil health and water in the landscape event series
Northern Slopes Landcare Association and Tamworth Regional Landcare are running a series of events for farming communities across the North West to inspire conversations about the importance of soil health and understanding water in our landscapes to build more resilient and profitable farms and communities. The events also feature the screening of new Australian short documentary Thankful for Soil...
