Wetlands stage nears finish
Stage one of the Corryong Wetlands project is getting closer to finalisation as local contractor Greg Hillier puts the finishing touches on the two creek crossings. “We are really happy with the survival rate of our tree and shrub plantings and working in with Corryong College who have had eight official visits to the wetlands in the last two years,” said co-president, John Murphy.
An oar-some announcement
Hugh Schuitemaker. Collaboration between Renmark Paringa Council, the State Government and a local rowing club is set to support a $1.7m infrastructure upgrade ... "The project will result in a 70m long wharf with 6m ramps down on either side to allow the Renmark Rowing Club to host large meets and become a premier destination for rowers statewide": Tim Tol.
Dalton: “Rogue operators must be held to account”
Independent Member for Murray, Helen Dalton has responded to The Riverine Grazier’s story last week regarding reports of a fuel spill at a district property. "The allegations are incredibly serious and must not be swept under the carpet," Mrs Dalton said. "We cannot have a situation where foreign - owned agricultural enterprises act as if Australian laws do not apply to them."
Council resolves to trade surplus water
Future surplus water will be traded by Hay Shire Council with revenue to be returned to Council’s Water fund for further water projects. A Sale (Trade) of Water policy was unanimously adopted by Council at its recent monthly meeting in a bid to generate additional revenue for the Water Fund as well as improve the efficiency of water usage.
BOM working on ongoing Grafton radar issues
The recent wet weather that has seen the eyes of Clarence Valley residents looking to the Bureau of Meteorology’s Grafton radar for approaching weather conditions has raised more questions than answers about what is going on in the atmosphere. Last week the CV Independent received reports for the second time this year that the Grafton radar was malfunctioning … weather being displayed on radar images did not correlate with the conditions on the ground.
Locals evidence to Land and Environment Court
Six local community members presented evidence to a Land and Environment Court conciliation conference between Yamba developer Clifton and Clarence Valley Council ... Mr Cousins said recent reports identified that by the year 2030, there is a chance between 50 and 80 per cent of the houses in Yamba will be uninsurable and before any development on the floodplain is allowed to proceed, developers should "get the fundamentals right".
Dozens of boats unable to take part in rally event
Christine Webster. The owners of about 30 boats found themselves moored around Renmark after a build-up of silt and low River Murray levels in two areas prevented them from travelling to Wentworth, in south-west NSW, for a popular rally. Owners of the PB Curlew, Jim and Heather Maywald, from Good Hope Landing, east of Waikerie, said it was disappointing for the boat owners ...
Buybacks to ‘damage’ local communities
Hugh Schuitemaker. Federal Government water buybacks will increase the price of temporary water for Riverland irrigators and the cost of food production, according to senior local politicians ... Chaffey MP Tim Whetstone said Riverland communities and councils were “extremely concerned about what these open slather buybacks will do to their towns, businesses, and local environment.”
Devastating water buybacks on the way for Northern Victoria: Lovell
The Commonwealth government has betrayed Northern Victoria by announcing further water buybacks from irrigation districts that will drive up costs for irrigators and devastate farming communities. Federal Water Minister Tanya Plibersek announced on 4 July that as part of the plan to recover 450GL of water in the Murray-Darling Basin, the Government will put out an open tender to purchase 70GL of water from the southern Basin ... latest plan does not apportion additional recovery fairly between states, but merely seeks to buy the cheapest water wherever it is, which could hurt Victoria further.
Reconstruction Authority identifies 370 homes for retrofit or house raising – but where are these homes?
The NSW Reconstruction Authority announced that 370 homes have been identified as eligible for house raising or retrofit. These 370 homes are across seven council areas. IndyNR.com has asked the Authority if any of these 370 homes are in Coraki, Broadwater, Woodburn or nearby. We are waiting on an answer.
Labor’s unfair water buybacks system means South Australia will do the heavy lifting: Centofanti
South Australia is at risk of being taken advantage of as Labor prepares to open tenders for water buybacks to meet the recovery target of 450GL for the Murray-Darling Basin. The Albanese Labor Government has mounted its recovery goal on the destructive model of water buybacks, but there is no fixed volume to be recovered from each state, or each catchment or each water right type, which puts South Australia in the firing line.
Aboriginal rangers share rich cultural heritage in the ruggedly beautiful Pilbara
When a group of Midwest Traditional Owners visited the Pilbara recently they gained a whole lot more than a training experience. The Yamatji, Jidi Jidi and Nanda groups from the Midwest were hosted by the Yindjibarndi group at Millstream Chichester National Park, south of Karratha.
Investing in water security across the Northern Territory: Plibersek, Worden
A joint investment of $8 million is being made to the Community Infrastructure Assessment project which will allow for water services in 55 remote communities to be assessed ... The Federal Government is also investing $2.3 million to develop a detailed business case for the expansion of the Ord Irrigation Expansion project.
Voluntary water purchase in the Basin kicks off soon: Plibersek
The Government is progressively returning 450 gigalitres of water to the environment by 2027, with voluntary purchase just one of the ways that water will be recovered. Under the Voluntary Water Purchase Program opening the week of 15 July, the Commonwealth will launch its first tender to buy up to 70 gigalitres of water entitlements from willing sellers in parts of the southern Basin.
Buffel grass declared a weed
Buffel grass has been declared a weed and a management plan will now be formalised towards reducing its impact in Central Australia, according to Environment Minister Kate Worden ... The Arid Lands Environment Centre says it welcomes "this historic decision" following "a decades long struggle to confront one of the greatest threats to the arid and semiarid lands."
Knuth blasts government for blocking Crocodile Control and Conservation Bill: Knuth
State Member for Hill, Shane Knuth, has unleashed his fury at the Queensland Government for the forced withdrawal of his Crocodile Control and Conservation Bill from the Health, Environment, and Agriculture Committee ... "In my 20 years in parliament, I have never been forced to withdraw a private member's bill on what I would call a technicality. This is another example of how broken our parliamentary system is in Queensland": Shane Knuth.
Buffel grass declared a weed: Worden
The Lawler Labor Government has declared buffel grass a weed and will now move towards reducing its impact in Central Australia by formalising a weed management plan. The recommendation to make the declaration under the Weeds Management Act 2001 was informed by the work of both the Technical Working Group, and the Buffel Grass Management Strategy 2024-2030, as developed by the Buffel Grass Weed Advisory Committee.
No bushfire expert on panel
The Howitt Society has condemned the state government for not including bushfire expertise on the panel that is investigating the future of Gippsland's native forest ... The Howitt Society's bushfire fears come as a cross-section of bush users, miners and prospectors are rebelling against the possibility that several hundred thousand extra hectares of forest could be included in a Great Forest National Park.
Region’s historic water significance in the spotlight
Coliban Water recently hosted representatives from Heritage Victoria as part of a bid to have the Victorian Goldfields listed on the World Heritage List. Adam Crameri, General Manager Water and Climate Strategy at Coliban Water, highlighted the significance of the region, noting that its inclusion would make it the 21st site in Australia to achieve this status.
Minister for Water visits and listens
Minister for Water, Housing, Homelessness, Mental Health, Youth and the North Coast, the Hon. Rose Jackson, MLC, visited Wilcannia on Wednesday 26th June to hear residents’ thoughts on the process taken in changing the design of the proposed new weir. Walking freely and looking comfortable, the Minister made herself known to each person she came across gathered around the Memorial in Baker Park.
Make’n it happen
There are people whose dreams remain a concept of the mind, and then there are the likes of Kale Makeham, who push them into reality. When a video of Bob Correll, an American daredevil famous for his long-distance jumps on his infamous kite cycle popped up on Kale’s phone, a flight across the Murray became his next challenge.
When will they sea the light
The breeze was blowing up small waves as the unmistakable taste of salt lingered on my lips. Standing before me, a concrete wall battling the force of the Southern Ocean. All up, 7.6 kilometres of barrages were constructed by South Australia in a crude attempt to turn an estuary into freshwater lakes, with water solely supplied by the Murray River...
