Western Queensland Councils unite – “Don’t mess with the Great Artesian Basin”: WQAC
It’s a resounding no from leaders across Western Queensland to proposed plans to inject industrial waste into the Great Artesian Basin … The 24 member councils of Western Queensland ... unanimously agree in their opposition to the proposal for foreign-owned mining giant Glencore to undertake an injection test of 330,000 tonnes of liquid carbon dioxide (CO2) over three years into the Great Artesian Basin (GAB).
Overwhelming opposition to CCS in the Great Artesian Basin continues to grow with delegation calling on the Queensland Premier to take action: QFF
With an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) decision for Glencore’s proposed carbon capture and storage (CCS) project in the Great Artesian Basin (GAB) expected to be handed down in early May, community, environmental groups and industry remain united in calling on the Queensland government to reject the proposal.
Letters from Home: Battle of the Mynah birds vs Fran
I read in the local Facebook forum that there was this you beaut marvellous bird trap that could catch up to a dozen birds at a time.... As they have been bloody pests in the barbeque area where my husband feeds the dogs - stealing food and pooping copiously everywhere ...
George’s gift to the birds
Brian Lea and David Dore ... The call of the Plains-wanderer is like the moo of a cow. The song metres are programmed to record in the evening and the early mornings ... over a period of time the song metre on George Cullinan’s property picked up a number of calls over a matter of a few weeks ...
Say no to CCS project in the Great Artesian Basin – QFF to lead delegation to Queensland Premier: QFF
The Queensland Farmers' Federation (QFF) will lead a delegation of industry and community leaders to see Queensland Premier the Hon Steven Miles ... with a clear message: reject the proposed carbon capture and storage (CCS) project planned for the Great Artesian Basin (GAB) and put in place regulations to stop future CCS proposals into water aquifers in the GAB.
Will the dominos fall across the country after Victoria and Western Australia ended the harvesting of native forests? : Robert Onfray
When I started as a young forester in the late 1980s, I yearned for the opportunity to work in our native forests. While assessing a coupe to plan for a tree harvesting operation, I knew I was inheriting a forest structure that benefited from silvicultural practices adopted by foresters a few generations before me. Foresters aim to make the forest more productive by applying scientific principles to aid in the regeneration of the next crop of trees and to encourage the best growth of the retained trees. My responsibility was to continue that tradition for foresters a few generations ahead of me.
Fall armyworm sighting at Westbrook
Forage oat growers should be vigilant for the troublesome pest fall armyworm (FAW) as several infestations have been spotted on the Darling Downs.
Council delegate pushes worth of keeping eye on highway progress
Narrandera Shire Council delegate Cr Peter Dawson believes that the council must continue its representation on the Newell Highway Taskforce or the northern end of the highway will continue to be upgraded and very little done at the southern end. However he said it was evident that most of the works along the Newell Highway were being carried out in the northern section and very little in the Southern.
‘There’s trouble at t’mill’
Local CFA brigades attended a fire at Walkers sawmill in Corryong on Friday night which destroyed electrical equipment, necessary for the production of kindling. Two on-site mill workers heard a series of popping noises, similar to gunshots, around 10.30pm before noticing flames coming from the main processing area.
Don’t forget rural roads: NSW Farmers Association
Farmers are urging federal and state governments to drastically increase funding for rural road infrastructure as vital roads remain damaged, restricted or even closed three years on from the first major flooding events in the Northern Rivers. NSW Farmers President Xavier Martin said federal and state roads and bridges were crumbling across NSW, and locals no longer believed repair was on the horizon.
Protestors gather to save the tingles
About 150 people gathered at Nornalup on March 23 to protest about the State Government’s plan to burn 80ha of nearby mostly-unlogged tingle forest. Nornalup community members are angry about the planned burn which environmentalists say is counter-productive to ï¬re mitigation and destructive to the environment.
$2.3m flood resilience works to begin at Wheatvale
Major works are underway on Connells Bridge Road with upcoming works to commence on Wheatvale Plains Road ... Southern Downs Council’s Chief Executive Officer Dave Burges said "Both Connells Bridge Road and Wheatvale Plains Road are susceptible to prolonged closures during floods and they sustained major damage in the 2020, 2021 and 2022 events which left the roads closed for multiple weeks.
Archaeological dig
As part of the weir project Water Infrastructure contracted to an archaeological consulting firm to conduct excavations on a number of sites that may fall with the footprint of the weir and construction zones ... Wilcannia Local Aboriginal Land Council and the Barkindji Native Title Group were consulted and a number of members received training on how to sift the soil from the holes...
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.
