Media Release

Lockyer Valley Regional Council says the integrity of the Insurance Council of Australia should be questioned, following months of unanswered correspondence from the region’s Mayor ... “Following the 2022 floods, the Insurance Council advised us they were willing to engage and could encourage insurers to undertake consistent and meaningful assessments for those impacted from flooding, but unfortunately it seems to have been empty promises": Mayor Milligan.

Blink and you’d miss it- the Varroa mite’s minute presence is all but invisible to the naked eye. Yet the tiny mite is the greatest known threat to Australia’s honey bee and pollination industry. For nearly a year and a half the industry has been battling the tiny parasite, cumulating in the largest biosecurity outbreak in the country’s history and initiating a Federal $132 million varroa response plan.

The annual assessment of Commonwealth fish stocks from the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences (ABARES) has found that the majority of stocks assessed were both not overfished and not subject to overfishing. The ABARES Fishery status reports 2023 provides an annual, independent assessment of the biological and economic status of Commonwealth managed fisheries.

Ahead of what may be a final push for the Australia-European Union Free Trade Agreement (A-EU FTA) negotiations, the Australian red meat industry is adamant that the Australian Government maintains its stated objective of securing significant increases in market access for red meat. Industry representatives will travel to Osaka next week to coincide with Trade Minister Farrell meeting with his EU counterpart, and encourage the Minister to continue the mission of ‘levelling the playing field’ for Australian beef and sheepmeat access to the EU.

It’s the Byron Bay Film Festival, so there's always going to be  surf  films ... Topping the bill is Emmy-winning filmmaker Paul Taublieb’s documentary Ground Swell: The Other Side of Fear, which poses the question: what prompts big wave surfers to travel the globe to find absurdly colossal waves to throw themselves into, tackling natural forces in a contest that any rational human would see as insane?

The crucial importance of delivering on biosecurity commitments must not be overlooked in the current debate over sustainable funding, industry body GrainGrowers has warned. In its submission to the public consultation process on the design and implementation of the Biosecurity Protection Levy, GrainGrowers recognised the concept of a shared responsibility for biosecurity, and highlighted that industry, government and community must work together to deliver biosecurity outcomes for Australia.

NSW Farmers is thanking the NSW Government for amendments to the Biosecurity Act that will save the agriculture sector an estimated $2 billion annually through better pest and weed management. On Thursday NSW Agriculture Minister Tara Moriarty introduced amendments to the Biosecurity Act 2015, which would establish the state’s first independent Biosecurity Commissioner, an important step towards improved land management.

The Palaszczuk Labor Government, and in particular Queensland Treasurer Cameron Dick, have in recent days been complicit with Glencore in the signing of an entirely unnecessary “death warrant” for the city of Mount Isa. On behalf of the community of Mount Isa, and the 1,200 jobs that hang in the balance, this needs to be called out.

A Coonawarra cabernet sauvignon has claimed top honours at the Limestone Coast Wine Show, outclassing 443 other entries from 62 exhibitors. Yalumba’s 2021 Sanctum Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon won the Bill Redman Trophy for Best Wine of Show ... Chief of Judges Philip Rich said the winning red, which retails for under $30 a bottle, impressed from the outset.

A concept for young people aged 13-18 to take a leading role in disaster resilience in their local area has taken out the 2023 Disaster Challenge, run by Natural Hazards Research Australia in Melbourne.

In 2018 the Territory Government established a combined oncology and cardio service at Alice Springs Hospital, celebrating 5 years of operations in September this year. Since its opening, the service has treated 12,000 patients, and allowed residents to receive care locally. The service provides culturally appropriate care to Aboriginal patients and their families...

The Australian Hide Skin and Leather Exporters Association (AHSLEA) along with 27 other international leather industry organisations, is calling on the 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) to recognise the positive impact of natural materials such as leather on people, lives, and livelihoods and as a means of directly mitigating climate impact ... AHSLEA Executive Officer Dennis King said over the last four decades Australian leather processors have implemented a range of exciting sustainable initiatives to reduce leather’s carbon footprint including adopting cleaner tanning technologies and practices.

Australia’s agricultural workforce is steadily growing and changing, with more women and young people joining the sector. The ABARES Insights Snapshot of Australia’s agricultural workforce shows the changing state of the agricultural workforce based on data from the 2021 Census of Population and Housing.

The 180MW project, owned by Octopus and developed by RES, created 150 jobs in regional Queensland at its construction peak. State-owned CleanCo has a long-term power purchase agreement with the Dulacca Wind Farm to acquire 70 per cent of the output (or 126MW), meaning that the renewable energy generated here in the Western Downs will support CleanCo to provide affordable, clean energy to its customers.

Reducing planning red tape was on the agenda at the Denmark October Ordinary Council Meeting, with two planning policies proposed to make life easier for building and business in Denmark. The review of the policies was brought forward in response to the community asking for less ‘red tape’ through Denmark’s Strategic Community Plan Our Future 2033, with both newly reviewed policies approved by Council.

Delegates from the Asia-Pacific Forestry Commission have taken part in a field trip hosted by Forestry Corporation looking at sustainable, multi-use forest management in the Watagan Mountains of the Central Coast. The commission is represented by international delegates, who report to the United Nations on forestry matters in the Asia-Pacific region.

Mother Kimberley and daughter Hannah, who attends Kaniva College were among 120 students from across regional and rural Victoria to attend the Annual Biomedical Sciences Day at the University of Melbourne. The local student had the exciting opportunity to experience life as a biomedical scientist at the event presented by the University of Melbourne’s School of Biomedical Sciences and the Gene Technology Access Centre (GTAC).

Meet Lionel Marr, a proud Bunuba man, who always felt a calling to return from the city back to his childhood home of Fitzroy Crossing. He wanted to know more about his country, his people and his culture and became a trainee ranger with the Parks and Wildlife Service, earning a coxswain skippers ticket. Lionel’s efforts during the Kimberley floods of January 2023, despite losing his family home, and his commitment to his job, earned him special recognition.

A ground-breaking replanting program has seen more than 40-million seedlings planted in New South Wales pine forests since the 2019/2020 Black Summer bushfires. Almost three years on from the state’s bushfire emergency and the recovery effort in Forestry Corporation’s softwood plantations continues.    

The Queensland Farmers’ Federation (QFF) has welcomed yesterday’s release of the new Queensland Water Strategy by the Queensland Government. The release of the strategy, which marked the commencement of National Water Week 2023, aims to outline how government will deliver a sustainable and more secure water system for Queensland.

Leader of The Nationals and Shadow Agriculture Minister David Littleproud has welcomed a Senate Inquiry into the spread of red imported fire ants. Mr Littleproud said the inquiry was urgently needed, with Labor losing control of its National Fire Ant Eradication Program and failing to commit to the funding required.