Land & environment

Greater Shepparton City Council says the interim report into the 2022 flood event in Victoria, tabled at the regional sitting of the Victorian Parliament in Echuca last week, highlights the need for a more efficient support system for community members and a faster transition to recovery following a major emergency.

Shaun Hollis. A ground-breaking study into the movement of coastal sand dunes paints a picture of what will likely happen to Yorke Peninsula’s extensive dune systems across coming decades, according to a leading global coastal studies expert. Flinders University Professor Patrick Hesp said, as rising sea levels and less rainfall impact coastlines, dunes will increasingly migrate back from beaches and encroach on properties behind them.

In this webinar, you will hear about three PhD research projects covering bushfire smoke and eye health, remote sensing and machine learning to predict forest fire spread, and collaborative and adaptive fire risk-reduction.

Radial Timber in Yarram, with a strategy already in place for its mainstream timber operation, has embarked on a new approach to using its wood waste that takes the company deeper into the heart of the sustainable, circular economy. Radial has installed a pilot plant that uses pyrolysis technology; organic material, in this case wood residues, is burnt at high temperatures without oxygen to produce biochar, a stable solid that is rich in carbon and can fertilise and endure in soil for thousands of years.

“The frightening thing is that if fire ants get up above the Great Dividing Range, it could potentially get into the Murray Darling Basin and that could effectively see the fire ants go right down to Adelaide. It would impact the whole country and have devastating consequences. Labor now needs to urgently respond to the inquiry and eradication must continue to be the focus”: David Littleproud.

A free family event was held at the Federation Botanic Reserve on Sunday. Sixteen sites were set amongst the regenerated ground, which was a bare paddock not long ago … Attendees stood among 130 native species of ground cover, shrubs and trees that have thrived on the site and had the opportunity to listen, sharing the opportunities and experiences of people connecting with their natural environment.  

Toowoomba Region Mayor Geoff McDonald and Deputy Mayor Cr Rebecca Vonhoff last week stepped up the call for external funding for the $270 million Cressbrook Dam Safety Improvement Project ... Without grant funding, Council’s submission to the State Government said the full cost of the dam wall upgrade will be transferred to ratepayers through increased water charges.

Patricia Gill. Forests and reserves around Denmark have been hit by a ‘forest collapse’ event as the region struggles through a dry six months and feed for farms is depleting. Murdoch University fire and plant ecologist Dr Joe Fontaine says Denmark and South Coast regions may not be having the driest spell on record but the ecology was suffering due to an unusually long summer.

Alasdair Millar. Naval surgeon Dr T.B. Wilson explored the Denmark area in 1829 and named several landmarks. These included the Denmark River, after Alexander Denmark, another naval surgeon, and the brooding hill to our north, after Sir Patrick Lindesay (1778-1839) ‘in compliment to the officers of the 39th regiment’.

Key updates are: Australia’s first national independent Environment Protection Agency with strong new powers and penalties to better protect nature. More accountability and transparency with a new body called Environment Information Australia ... Faster environmental approval decisions on projects ...

Hundreds of native seedlings are set to be planted on flood-affected land, helping to bolster native habitat and reduce future flood damage. The project area, adjacent to and including Lions Park, Lower Tenthill, consists of two recently acquired lots which were bought back under the Voluntary Home Buy-Back (VHBB) program.

More than 100 senior leaders will meet under one roof today for a 2-day summit hosted by the Murray–Darling Basin Authority (MDBA) to collaborate, listen and share the diverse points of view on current and future management of the Basin ... the summit continues the conversation with First Nations people, industry, environmental, science and community leaders collaborating on the future of the Basin.  

Buloke Shire Council is set to bolster its flood management capabilities with the support of Victorian Government funding. The Donald Flood Protection Demountable Levee Project ... will play a pivotal role in safeguarding residents from flooding and optimising the deployment of Council resources during emergency situations.

The State Government’s record-breaking fish stocking program has again hit a high-water mark with 10 million fish stocked this year, so more recreational fishers can wet a line close to home across the state. Minister for Outdoor Recreation Steve Dimopoulos, last week stocked more brown trout at Lake Wendouree in Ballarat and announced the major milestone for Victorians.

Shaun Hollis. A trio of majestic wedge-tailed eagles rises out of the paddock stubble as our farm ute approaches ... Honiton farmer Matt Smith said he likes the huge birds living in the scrub beyond the bottom paddock because they help clean up the remains of any lambs which have become too weak to survive on their own. He said he has never seen an eagle kill a healthy lamb on his farm.

Mike Berry. It is with sadness that members of Dunoon RFS acknowledge the recent passing of past member Neville Watts age 98 ... In 2023, the brigade introduced a new annual training award posthumously named in honour of past member, Aline Feebrey. ... Our inaugural winner is Alison Wilson.

“After nearly two years of our home repair work being privately funded by local organisations and philanthropists we are very grateful that the NSW Reconstruction Authority is providing this additional funding so that we can continue to help people return to safe and secure homes”: Resilient Lismore Executive Director Elly Bird.

The Victorian Farmers Federation (VFF) is relieved the Commonwealth Government has finally stopped blackmailing Victoria and agreed to fund environmental projects that will ensure floodplains are watered. VFF President Emma Germano said it’s pleasing to see that Victoria will no longer be short-changed for key Basin Plan projects.

Betheney A’Vard. The Department of Transport provides an update on the upgrades to the Two Rocks marina, including those due to be undertaken in phase two. Reporter Betheney A’Vard spoke to Cameron Smith from the Department of Transport’s maritime section who said the marina mainly catered to the fishing and boat servicing industries but also the charter industry and recreational boating.

The green that surrounds you is buffel, as far as the eye can see, a malicious plant predator that has overwhelmed much of The Centre, and is continuing its relentless advance. Renowned Central Australian botanist Peter Latz, who has studied the introduced plant for decades, likens the magnitude of impact on the country of buffel with the megafauna’s extinction.