Land & environment

Around 5,000 or so grey-headed flying foxes, often called fruit bats, currently have two main camps - one near Naracoorte and the other around Mount Burr. The flying foxes can carry the deadly Lyssavirus and Hendra virus - anyone scratched or bitten must seek urgent medical attention. Even dead bats are considered too dangerous to touch…

Rockhampton Zoo has expanded its family with the arrival of two Green Wing Macaws, Poppy and Dahlia. The vibrant new additions have joined the Zoo’s resident Blue and Gold Wing Macaws. Councillor for Parks, Sports, and Public Spaces Cherie Rutherford said the duo, originally from Perth, are settling into their new home well.

Back when Kookaburra was young and out for adventure, he used to jump into a car and drive overnight to the Western District of Victoria, traversing half of New South Wales and then half of Victoria to get there. A nap at a truckstop near Tocumwal was about the only break as the miles signs (in those days) clicked by. The sun rising near Maryborough whilst the car thrust its way forward through the ranges and down to Beaufort signalled the journey was nearing its end. A quick pit stop and then out on that last stretch to Stockyard Hill and my destination – a poll Dorset sheep stud owned by some old family friends – who always managed to find a spare room for the blow-in.

Shaun Ossinger. The world biochar market is estimated to reach $5 billion dollars by next year more than 100 people were told at the recent South Coast Biochar Forum. Key speaker Professor Stephen Joseph told the Wilson Inlet Catchment Committee forum that biochar had huge potential to sequester carbon, improve plant and animal health and manage a host of waste streams in the process.

Acting President of Forestry Australia Dr Bill Jackson says the paper answers questions around active management - and how it relates to forest management - by stating that active management is principally about human engagement in shaping forests and is  deliberate tending of forests by humans for diverse purposes and goals relating to biodiversity conservation, ecosystem services and function including resilience.

Yellow Crazy Ants (Anoplolepis gracilipes) – which are now established in Australia –are  one of the worst invasive species on Earth ... “A truly proactive approach involves everyone affected and in areas potentially affective taking control into their own hands to proactively eliminate at a local level all known and potential threats, such as ants being carried further afield on machinery and vehicles”: David Priddy, Sundew CEO.

A national pest eradication expert says the news that Queensland is more than doubling the Red Imported Fire Ant eradication zone highlights the need for residents to be equipped with site-specific self-treatment products to combat known outbreaks ... There have been several fire ant incursions since 2001, and all those outbreaks were eradicated. “That tells us eradication is possible. We have the people and the know-how to make fire ant eradication a reality”: David Priddy, Sundew CEO.

Local Member for Groom Garth Hamilton has strongly condemned the federal government’s response to the spread of fire ants, which have the potential to wreak havoc on the Darling Downs. Mr Hamilton, is demanding the government urgently responds to the Senate inquiry into red imported fire ants in Australia, which was delivered in April 2024.

One of Australia’s best beaches is making a comeback. Yorke Peninsula Council has recruited some hardworking students to help get Flaherty Beach, near Point Turton, back into shape ... "Flaherty Beach is a coastal gem on Yorke Peninsula and has been ranked as the fourth best beach in Australia," says Letitia Dahl-helm, YPC environment officer.

An insect species that evolved 130 million years ago is the inspiration for a  new research study  to improve navigation systems in drones, robots, and orbiting satellites. The dung beetle is the first known species to use the Milky Way at night to navigate, focusing on the constellation of stars as a reference point to roll balls of dung in a straight line away from their competitors.

Education and community awareness, removal of problem animals and exclusion areas are significantly more effective in reducing saltwater crocodile attacks in the Northern Territory than a widespread culling program to reduce crocodile numbers, according to a new study. The study outlined why culling the reptiles to reduce density was not a cost-effective, or efficient solution, in reducing crocodile attacks.  

It’s a long way from the small town of Carnarvon in WA’s Gascoyne region to the picturesque Italian city of Venice. But that’s exactly where WA glass-artist Sabrina Dowling Guidici will be heading this September. Sabrina is the only Australian to be exhibiting at this year’s prestigious Venice Glass Week where she’ll showcase a unique glasswork collection titled ‘Saltwaters’ ... inspired by seagrasses found in WA’s World Heritage Site of Shark Bay ...

The former flood damaged Broadwater Public School is gone – demolished and only bare ground remains where playgrounds and classrooms once stood. Today, Monday, August 26, students, teachers and parents mark the start of construction on the rebuild of their village school more than two and a half years since the 2022 flood disaster.

Work is continuing on the Cunninghams Gap Reconstruction Project to restore the bushfire damaged section of the Cunningham Highway at Cunninghams Gap. The crest of the range has been a hive of activity and works are continuing to reduce the steep grade of the road at Cunninghams Gap.

August has been an exceptional month for aurora-spotting and photographers have been sharing their extraordinary images online, making everyone else glance skyward with envy. With its elevated position and lack of light pollution, Mount Tarrengower has been a perfect place from which to capture these night rainbows, as Karen Cordell showed in this gorgeous photo that she took with her phone last week.

State Member for Hill, Shane Knuth ... introduced the KAP’s Crocodile Control, Conservation, and Safety Bill 2024 into Parliament, taking a no-nonsense stand against the escalating crocodile threat in North Queensland. The Bill is a response to constant calls from North Queensland communities and places a premium on human life by implementing aggressive measures to mitigate the risks to human life posed by the increasing crocodile population.

We all know Woodside, Australia’s biggest gas producer, but many might not realise it is also one of the country’s biggest CO2 emitters ... the Australian energy sector has been all too willing to overpromise on what is achievable in reducing their CO2 footprint, as a result they are now desperately searching for solutions. This, unfortunately, is where WA farmland comes into play ... That win-win plan is to plant trees – lots of trees – on productive farmland and then lock that land up for the next 100 years so it no longer produces food or fibre.

Researchers from the University of Southern Queensland (UniSQ) are taking the idea of "try before you buy" straight to the bank to make it easier for farmers to utilise ag tech. The $3.7 million research project … investigates how to better utilise existing and emerging ag technologies to improve drought resilience for grain farmers.

Approximately 250 people gathered on Friday evening for the Corryong Spirit event at the Upper Murray Events Centre to support one another and those who have suffered loss and hardships since the 2019-20 bushfires. "Community is something Corryong does really well," said Caz Pitman, secretary of the Corryong Spirit.