Media Release

The Cook Labor Government has introduced the  Reserves Bill 2023  to the WA Parliament to enable 145,000 hectares of land to be added to the Helena and Aurora Ranges National Park. The protection of the Helena and Aurora Ranges is a strategic priority under the Cook Government's Plan for Our Parks initiative which aims to add five million hectares to the State's conservation estate.

Australia's most promising young alpaca judges have been announced by Agricultural Shows Australia as eligible to compete in the national finals of the prestigious annual competition to be judged in October ... Grace Nesbitt, 18, from Illawong will be representing New South Wales in the alpaca young judges competition.  

Known for its soothing fragrance and myriad of applications, lavender has emerged as a versatile and sought-after plant that is thriving across Australia.

With the global insect market expected to be worth more than US$6.8 billion by 2032, AgriFutures Australia has released a new five-year plan to accelerate the growth of the emerging Australian industry.

We have just confirmed that acclaimed Sydney-based wildlife photographer Leila Jeffreys will be visiting Ballarat later this month for the launch of her work on the new Art Screen in Alfred Deakin Place. Join her as she discusses her career and experiences working with birds with Gallery Curator Julie McLaren.

Following the cancellation of Shenhua’s plans to mine on the Liverpool Plains, work is underway to regenerate the land for the benefit of the community and the environment ... While some land has been sold to farmers, a 6,300ha parcel of land has been kept in public hands and is being managed by Local Land Services under a biodiversity project known as The Waratah Project.

Shitbox Rally Spring 2023 – Port Douglas, Qld to Adelaide, SA via Birdsville. 500 people in teams of two will leave Port Douglas on  Saturday 14th  October 2023  in the morning. Then after 7 days of driving over 3,000kms on dusty, mostly unsealed roads they will cross the finish line in Adelaide, SA on Friday 20th  October…..however, some cars simply won’t make it.

Lockyer Valley Regional Council has welcomed announcement by Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk on plans for a new desalinisation plant, saying it could free up existing infrastructure and water supplies for industrial and agricultural use and provide water security for our population growth. Lockyer Valley Regional Council Mayor, Cr Tanya Milligan said while the Premier’s announcement wasn’t specifically about water security for the Lockyer Valley and Somerset regions, the overall SEQ water plan put the local project in a favourable light.

Solutions to the nation’s growing energy crisis, which has seen Australian electricity bills rise by up to 20 per cent over the past 12 months, were debated by energy experts, industry leaders and rural and regional representatives in a first-of-its-kind outback energy forum in Mount Isa ... Katter’s Australian Party (KAP) Leader and Traeger MP Robbie Katter’s Mount Isa Nuclear Power Forum saw dozens converge in the industrial city that is surrounded by “legally un-mineable” uranium deposits.  

Excitement is building for this year’s Dunolly Gold Rush Festival to be held on Saturday 21 and Sunday 22 October. The weekend will kick off on Saturday 21 October with the Dunolly Gold Rush Music Festival ... There will be a variety of stalls, prizes, great music in the Rotunda, the favourite “Hold the Gold” competition, Festival merchandise sales, displays of classic cars ...

Queensland’s 2023 sugarcane harvest has finally hit the halfway mark with over 50% of the estimated 30.1 million tonne crop now cut and crushed at the state’s 19 sugar mills ... Tableland district, which kicked off this year’s crush on 21 May, is now on the home stretch, as is Bundaberg, with both districts having crushed more than 75% of their crop.

The Sunshine Coast faces one of its most threatening fire seasons but now has a world-leading tool to help safeguard people, properties, and our natural assets. Developed by local company exci (formerly Fireball International), this AI-assisted program analyses satellite images and on-ground cameras to swiftly spot heat and smoke.

Spotlight on Byron – a long-standing highlight of the Byron Bay Film Festival – hails the work of Northern Rivers filmmakers in a showcase of nine films to be screened at the iconic Brunswick Picture House. The diverse talent on display never fails to amaze BBFF’s audiences, and Spotlight on Byron provides an opportunity for filmmakers to have their work shown on the big screen for friends, family, and the whole community.

The Wallaby Creek Festival 2023, held from September 22 to 24 at Shipton’s Flat Road in Rossville, Tropical North Queensland, proved to be an overwhelming success, marking its 21st anniversary in grand style. Festival Director Jen Midgely expressed her delight, saying, “This year’s Wallaby Creek Festival has been a phenomenal celebration of music, art, and community.

Transmission Company Victoria (TCV) has ... released the draft corridor for the Victorian component of the VNI West transmission line project. TCV has narrowed the area of interest for the proposed transmission line to width of about 2km.

In response to the urea shortage currently being experienced in Australia’s northern and southern regions, the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) has published new resources for growers. To support growers and advisers considering on-farm storage, GRDC has published ‘Investing in fertiliser storage infrastructure’, available online to read and download.

The Queensland Farmers’ Federation (QFF) are pleased to announce the expansion of their free energy saving program, Energy Southern Queensland (EnergySQ), to the Toowoomba and Western Downs regional council areas ... The expansion of the program will now give access to farms in all four regional councils areas supported to develop an Energy and Carbon Action Plan specific to their operation.

After 2 record years, broadacre farm incomes are forecast to fall significantly in 2023–24 due to drier conditions and lower prices for agricultural commodities, especially livestock. ABARES Executive Director Dr Jared Greenville said that, at a national level, average farm cash income for broadacre farms is expected to decrease 41 per cent to $197,000 per farm in 2023–24, representing a fall in incomes back to levels seen 3 years ago.

The new South Australian Wild Dog Management Strategy 2023-2033 has just been released! The Strategy aims to eradicate wild dogs inside the dog fence, stop incursions through the Dog Fence and maintain dingoes for their ecological and cultural roles outside the Dog Fence (whilst protecting the cattle industry and the public).

The Rockliff Liberal Government is a proud supporter of Legacy and this week we proudly welcomed the Legacy Centenary Torch Relay to Tasmania ... “It was an honour to be in Pozieres, France, as part of the Frank MacDonald Memorial Prize Tour when the Legacy Centenary Torch Relay began on April 23": Minister for Veterans’ Affairs, Guy Barnett.

The third national survey of pests and weeds shows 85 per cent of land managers spent on average around $21,950 in 2022 on pest and weed species management ... “Land managers reported that feral animals continue to cause considerable impacts on their properties in 2022,” Dr Greenville said.