Media Release

With the 2023 harvest now underway truck drivers are being urged to slow down to 70km/h to help preserve the condition of unsealed rural roads in the Midwest. Corrugations, or washboard effect, caused by acceleration and deceleration pose the greatest risk to drivers and their vehicles.

Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA) has published new analysis of the broader market conditions and economic contribution of the red meat industry in the latest State of the Industry Report 2023. The report produced by MLA provides an overview of Australia’s red meat and livestock industry from the prior calendar year.

Peer-reviewed research published in the Australian Forestry journal has confirmed something that forest firefighters have long known: if forests are left unburned for many years, they still carry heavy bushfire fuels, making firefighting difficult and dangerous. The new research demolishes the theory that if forests are left unburnt, they become non-flammable ... the scientists measured and analysed fuels in karri forests that ranged from 1 to 92 years since last being burned.

A new bike library will link Orelia Primary School students with unclaimed bikes from WA Police to encourage physical activity. An exciting new bike library concept aims to leave a positive legacy in Kwinana by linking unclaimed or donated bikes with students at Orelia Primary School.

The Rural Bank Australian Farmland Values Report has tracked every farmland sale annually for almost three decades and is the longest running analysis of the farmland market in Australia.  This special edition, supplemented by farmland sales data from DAS (Digital Agriculture Services), is a mid-year market update to inform vendors and purchasers about movements in transaction volumes and sale prices around Australia since the issue of the annual edition in May 2023.

After three consecutive strong harvests, Australian grain and oilseed production is set to return to more modest totals for the current season as drier growing conditions ‘hit home’, Rabobank says in its just-released 2023/24 Australian Winter Crop Forecast. The bank says Australia is on track to harvest a total winter crop of 48.72 million tonnes for the current season.

The 22nd Limestone Coast Wine Show ... a panel of 16 expert critics led by new chief of judges Philip Rich will begin tasting nearly 450 of the Limestone Coast’s best wines in the heart of terra rossa country at the Coonawarra Soldiers Memorial Hall. This year’s guest international judge, Sweden-based wine consultant Madeleine Stenwreth, is among those relishing the role of sampling so many quality entries over the coming days.

Australian grain producers have delivered another firm message to Canberra about their unambiguous opposition to paying the Federal Government’s proposed 10 per cent biosecurity levy ... “GPA understands the Federal Government’s intent to deliver a sustainable funding model for biosecurity, but the proposed policy fails to deliver this outcome on multiple levels”: GPA Chair and WA grain producer, Barry Large.

One hundred homes have been built in one hundred days as the Territory Labor Government’s remote housing program reaches a new milestone of 1200 new builds ... Several major construction contracts have powered a building blitz with a pipeline of works rolling out across dozens of remote communities throughout the Territory, such as a $26.5 million tender recently released in Gunbalanya to build 24 new homes and upgrade another 18, $5.2 million for 11 homes in Beswick, and $6.8 million for more homes in Maningrida.

Australian sugar, barley and feed grain prices were stronger in September, in contrast to cattle prices which have reached their lowest levels since late 2014, according to NAB’s October Rural Commodities Wrap ... the Wrap reports the NAB Rural Commodities Index* fell 4.6% in September and is now 34% below the peak in rural prices back in June 2022.

Seen our new celebrity bird of the year the Swift Parrot flapping around? Now it’s time to celebrate our feathered friends by participating in the Aussie Bird Count ... This year celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Aussie Bird Count, BirdLife Australia is proud to be the voice for Australia's birds for over a century.

The Northern Territory Government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Kerala State Government, India to develop further economic, social and cultural relationships between our two regions. This is the first MOU the Northern Territory Government has entered into with an Indian state, and formalises and reinforces the relationships between the two jurisdictions.

The National Farmers’ Federation (NFF) has told the Federal Government it opposes a new biosecurity levy on farmers, saying the proposed levy may erode farmer confidence in the entire levy system. In the NFF’s submission to the Introduction of the Biosecurity Protection Levy: Consultation Paper, Chief Executive Tony Mahar said while the peak farming body supports ongoing efforts to ensure Australia’s biosecurity system is well resourced, it does not support this policy.

South Australia’s lucrative renewable hydrogen and defence industries will be championed across Europe, following the appointment of a new trade and investment manager in Germany ... Having a presence in Frankfurt – Germany’s financial hub – will help South Australia establish stronger ties across continental Europe and take advantage of changing trade and investment opportunities when the Australia-European Union Free Trade Agreement is finalised.

The current housing crisis is not just a statistic or a news headline, it's a current reality that affects countless individuals and families in Lismore and beyond ... In response to this crisis, Lismore City Council has developed the Lismore Housing Expo, demonstrating Council's commitment to providing access to the knowledge and resources needed to find a safe and secure place to live.

The Murray–Darling Basin Authority (MDBA) met on 11 October in person on Ngunnawal Country (Canberra) ... Having returned from a 4-day listening tour of the lower Murray across South Australia and Victoria, Sir Angus shared reflections from farmers, local governments, First Nations, and communities impacted by the 2022 and 2023 floods who now face the prospect of hot and drying conditions.

The National Farmers’ Federation (NFF) has sent a clear message to the Albanese Government: The Closing Loopholes Bill is fraught with issues that will make it harder and more expensive than ever to create employment opportunities in farming. The NFF Workforce Committee Chair Tony York told the Senate Committee responsible for the Fair Work Legislation Amendment (Closing Loopholes) Bill would only add layers of complexity to the industrial relations system, push up costs and make doing business more difficult than ever before.

Forest Fire Management Victoria (FFMVic) is stronger than ever ahead of the upcoming bushfire season with a significant boost to its workforce and rapid response capability.  Minister for Environment Steve Dimopoulos announced the Allan Labor Government has bolstered crew numbers to combat bushfires – investing $21.7 million to create 100 ongoing and 54 fixed term Forest Fire Operations Officer positions, adding to the 550 seasonal firefighters recruited to work with FFMVic this season.

Minister for Water Harriet Shing announced that Southern Rural Water has issued Gunaikurnai Land and Water Aboriginal Corporation (GLaWAC) two licences for cultural water use – one of 200 megalitres at Buchan Munji, as well as 500 megalitres of water for the Tambo River ... The Labor Government is working with Traditional Owners to improve their access to water and their involvement in water management, benefiting  Traditional Owners and all Victorians through the release of  Water is Life: Traditional Owner Access to Water Roadmap.