Land & environment

Miners and small prospectors fear that the state government's study into the future of Gippsland's forests could lock up swathes of forest and shackle mining as a driver of local economic growth and jobs. Both the Minerals Council of Australia and the Prospectors and Miners Association of Victoria (PMAV) are critical of mining's inability to have a say in the process.

New research on how to treat people with PTSD brought on by the 2022 floods was announced at Southern Cross University in Lismore ... Leading the research is Professor James Bennett-Levy ... The research project has many ‘firsts’ in its approach.

Maureen Donnellon. Do you notice trees and wonder about their history, as I do? Trees can tell us so much about the early settlers, early buildings, the little schools, former church and hall sites, where the original homes were, the sites of the oldest houses, where the birds nest, the best shade ... Birchip has many significant trees in and around the district ...

Glenn Falla. The aftermath of Covid 19 brought with it a lot of self-reflection for many people and an opportunity to look at current lifestyles and determine if there was balance ... Donald and its surrounding wetlands have a long history of supplying wild food for families around the state, and for that matter, for interstate visitors as well.

The peaks body for Tasmanian Farmers today welcomes TasNetworks as the first signatory to the Farm Access Code of Conduct, reaffirming their commitment to collaborating with the Tasmanian Agricultural Community. In February of this year TasFarmers, in partnership with the Victorian Farmers Federation (VFF) launched, the Farm Access Code of Conduct aimed at promoting respectful and sensible access to agricultural land.   

Farmers are calling for more resources to tackle pigs as millions of the pests rampage across the state. NSW Farmers President Xavier Martin said the state’s pig problem was out of control, with official estimates suggesting there could be up to 100 million feral pigs in Australia at present.

Geoff Pearson. Two weeks ago 300 farmers from across the South West convened an urgent drought meeting to address what is one of the driest seasons experienced in living memory across what is traditionally the wettest part of Western Australia. It’s at times like these that the State and Federal governments need to step up and support farmers to rectify where they have made things worse through past policy mistakes.

Robbs coming back to rob you, that’s Robbs jetty for those who weren’t born long enough ago to recall the smell of rotting hides at Cockburn. Those born even longer ago will recall the endless strife of the WA state-run meatworks that were a bastion of union bastardry. Why are they coming back? Well, the Federal government has committed Australia to borrowing billions of dollars off countries that are not handicapping themselves with mad Green left anti-fossil fuel regulations (think China and the Middle East) to invest in the Future Made in Australia program.

Mango growers on the Atherton Tablelands have been facing severe challenges due to the catastrophic effects of Ex Tropical Cyclone Jasper, which occurred in December 2023. The industry has experienced significant setbacks ... necessitating a call for fair disaster recovery support ... The disparity in recovery funding between the agricultural sector and other industries, notably tourism, has sparked significant concern and mistrust among growers.

Patricia Gill. An arsonist is believed to have started a bushfire last Wednesday night igniting up to 13,700ha of the Walpole/Nornalup National Park. The arsonist is believed to have ignited seven fires along Middle Road all of which but one joined up to raze 70 per cent of the park and a small amount of agricultural land ... most of the peat swamps in the northern part of the national park had been burnt.

Frank Batini. I have observed patterns of foliage scorch, some tree deaths and then recovery in the northern jarrah forest for 22 years. These can be readily explained in terms of soil depth, water-holding capacity, winter rainfall and summer drought ... My hypothesis is that this forest has repeatedly shown resilience to drought ... This is the “good news”, as opposed to the alarmism of other commentators.

The time for talking is over! Immediate, large-scale, effective action is what’s required if we’re to have any hope of halting the march of Red Imported Fire Ants, CANEGROWERS Chairman Owen Menkens has said.

Suzie Christensen. LHI has been the latest site to host field trials for a novel detection method, Phytophthora-sniffing dogs. Staff from the Botanic Gardens of Sydney’s Plant Clinic, and Tate Animal Enterprises, visited the Island ... to conduct searches in the PPP and settlement area using Alice, a Springer Spaniel, trained to detect the soil-borne disease.

Mike Gillam. Travelling south, I leave Alice Springs before first light and I’m rewarded and indeed frustrated by a brilliant meteor plummeting to earth in the south west. The heavenly body is primarily bright green with an orange tail and I fail to capture it even though the camera sits on the seat beside me ready for such moments.

The Northern Territory Government’s Saltwater Crocodile Management Program 2024-2034 will allow for the targeted culling of crocodiles in specified areas to ensure the safety of swimmers. The new Program provides a clear direction for the management of the NT’s saltwater crocodile population for the next 10 years.

Graziers are urged to keep an eye out for pasture dieback, which is continuing to spread to new areas of Queensland including in the state’s south. According to the Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (DAF), newly affected regions in southern Queensland are as close as Warwick and Millmerran and include Inglewood, Goondiwindi, Charleville, Chinchilla, Injune, Roma and St. George.

The 2024 Victorian duck season has been nothing short of a success, marked by outstanding hunter compliance and an exhilarating experience for participants. As the season progresses, it is clear that responsible hunting is a positive force, not just for those involved, but for conservation and the environment.  

The results of a new comprehensive independent assessment of the environmental performance of Australia’s cotton industry have been released revealing significant gains, and areas for improvement.

For those who have been following the rewrite of the Firearms Act 1973 (WA), the headlines suggest that farmers have come out well with a provision for Primary Producer Licence holders to possess up to 10 firearms while recreational shooters/hunters are limited to possessing five firearms. As is often the case, the devil is in the detail and the provisions of the proposed Act and the intent of this Government’s Minister warrant further study.

The discovery of fire ants near Oakey has set off alarm bells across the eastern Darling Downs with authorities taking action to treat and maintain monitoring of the activity. A member of the public reported the nests on Tuesday 16 April, with initial surveillance and treatment conducted by the program the next day.