Wilcannia Weir – the residents are weary
After limited local advertising, a meeting took place last Wednesday at the Hall. Forty people attended ... Representatives from Water Infrastructure once again asked residents to listen to them and they would explain why the town was not getting the weir shown in the previous plan, that was the result of several years community consultation.
IPART inquiry into dam safety levy
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.
National spotlight on Yamba developments
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.”
Have your say on the future of our forests: Dimopoulos
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 welcomes Strathbogie decision
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.
Ember survives, then dies as koala volunteers try to save her
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.
Was summer 2023/2024 the hottest for Lord Howe Island?
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: Pretty in pink
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.
St. Arnaud’s “almost””ˆBird-of-Paradise
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.
Some practical tips for being prepared
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.
Weather radar a step closer after BOM lodges development application
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.
Community update on Newstead solar farm
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.
Wild dog program could close
"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."
Art trio showcase our natural beauty
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.
Funding flows 17 months after floods
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 sham of the Great Koala National Park Community Consultative Committee established by the NSW State Labor Government
"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.
Jane Bunn to attend the airshow!
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.
New legislation to strengthen financial system and boost investment in cleaner cheaper, energy: Chalmers
The Albanese Government will ... introduce legislation to maximise the economic opportunities of cleaner, cheaper and more reliable energy and strengthen Australia’s financial system ... The Treasury Laws Amendment (Financial Market Infrastructure and other measures) Bill ... will implement two important reforms – new mandatory climate reporting requirements for big companies and a new regime to protect our financial market infrastructure in the event of a crisis.
Farmers attack energy fast-track
The state government’s new policy to fast-track renewable energy projects by accelerating planning approvals has been strongly attacked by Victoria’s peak farming body and one of the state’s leading planning experts. The Victorian Farmers Federation (VFF) said the policy was a slap in the face after years of sham consultation with farming communities, while the RMIT Emeritus Professor of Environment and Planning, Michael Buxton, said it would lead to “terrible decisions”, with wind and solar farms being “placed in the wrong location".
VicGrid study area released
VicGrid has released its study area for the new transmission infrastructure through South Gippsland that will transport energy from offshore wind into the Latrobe Valley (LV) electricity grid. The study area starts about six kilometres from the coast near Giffard and travels north-west past Stradbroke West, to Willung, across to Flynns Creek and on to the Loy Yang power station.
Interstate farmers unite in the face of transmission lines
Victorian and Tasmanian farmer peak bodies have produced a policy for developers who want to build infrastructure, such as transmission lines for renewable energy, across their farmland. They warned that since the year 2000, Australia’s available arable land had been reduced by 15 per cent, much of it lost to infrastructure development and urban sprawl. The policy has been released as Gippsland farmers face plans for pipelines and transmission lines across their land as part of the state government’s energy policy, which aims to link offshore wind farms to the Latrobe Valley energy network.
Boaties sailing close to the wind
Shaun Hollis. One third of South Australian boats checked by marine authorities across the summer did not comply with safety regulations, seemingly throwing caution to the wind. Marine Safety SA conducted close to 2200 checks across the state in December, January and February, including more than 400 in Yorke Peninsula coastal waters.
