Weather

The 2024 cotton harvest in the Murrumbidgee Valley is proving to be a bountiful one, bouncing back from the challenges of the previous season. Early concerns surrounding cold snaps, erratic rainfall and storm damage have given way to optimism, with many growers reporting above-average yields.

A natural phenomenon captured the attention of night owls and early birds across southern Australia on the weekend. Aurora Australis, also known as the southern lights, is a natural display of vivid colours in the sky caused by geomagnetic storms.

I was working for the WA Minister for Agriculture Ken Baston back in 2010, during the last big drought and, like Jackie Jarvis with the current dry, he had to deal with calls from industry for the Government to do something. At the time, as Chief of Staff, I asked the Department what the State's legislated responsibilities were when it came to dry seasons and the advice that came back was pretty simple - ‘soils and animal welfare', that’s it. Farmers were on their own when it came to subsidies for fodder or transport.

Farmers have welcomed an announcement by the Prime Minister and Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry in Rockhampton today regarding the next phase of the Future Drought Fund (FDF). National Farmers’ Federation (NFF) President, David Jochinke, said the FDF was central to making producers more resilient in the face of current and future droughts.

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.

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 water reserves in WA farmers' dams are now running dangerously low and farmers are being forced to quit stock at rates that are competitive with the price of a bullet ... What's the trade got to do with the weather? For our farmers, the link is so obvious they remain dumbfounded that the Government has not joined the dots.

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.

Expansion of the NSW State Emergency Services at Narrandera Airport in conjunction with the NSW SES is taking place as a result of co-operation between the state body and the Narrandera Shire Council. As previously announced the Council approved the usage of the southern section of the airport hangar…

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.

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.

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.

Mount Alexander Shire Council is proud to be one of the supporters of a new resource to help people learn how to make their home or property ready for extreme weather events. The Castlemaine Institute and Central Victorian Greenhouse Alliance, in partnership with ADAPT Loddon Mallee, have developed the ‘Home Upgrades for Climate Resilience Workbook,’...

The recent weather conditions in Tennant Creek have led to multiple road closures which may cause concerns about potential food shortages. To address this issue, Tennant Creek IGA is taking proactive measures to ensure that food supplies remain stable.

Just 16 km north of Wujal Wujal, the historic Mount Louis Station is one of the most fertile and picturesque cattle stations in Far North Queensland,   fattening some of the country's finest Brahman and Brangus steers.  But the severe pounding it received from the flooding that followed Cyclone Jasper, has caused a damage bill, estimated by an agronomist recently, of more than $300,000...

Australia’s 1500 cotton growers, 90 per cent of them family farmers, are either starting to pick their 2024 crop or are planning to start in the coming weeks as they contemplate another above average season. This season, close to 480,000 green hectares of cotton has been planted predominantly in New South Wales and Queensland, with the Northern Territory and Western Australia also growing cotton crops.

As Scenic Rim residents continue to repair and rebuild following the devastating Christmas-New Year storms, native animals are re-establishing their homes as green shoots of recovery appear in bushland areas … a survey over three nights of a Council natural area at Tamborine aimed to assess the damage to habitat and its impacts on koalas and greater gliders to assist Scenic Rim Regional Council's efforts in protecting these endangered species.