Media Release

Leader of the Opposition and Shadow Minister for Transport Shane Love MLA has strongly condemned the State Labor Government for its continued unlawful use of traffic monitoring devices throughout WA. An Auditor General Report has exposed Main Roads WA for utilising 180 vehicle monitoring devices on local roads, despite being fully aware since 2016 that such usage is strictly limited to highways and main roads under the Surveillance Devices Regulations 1999.

A renowned sustainable river ecologist has identified water management in the Murray–Darling Basin as a model for other countries seeking to support communities and healthy rivers into the future. Addressing the MDBA's annual  River reflections  regional water conference in Narrabri, Professor N LeRoy Poff from the University of Canberra and Colorado State University said the Murray–Darling Basin Plan was a beacon for other nations on how integrated water management at the Basin scale can work.

Dozens of concerned farmers have descended on Canberra, urging Federal Labor to rethink its plan to build hundreds of kilometres of poles and wires through regional Victoria. The farmers met with The Nationals leader David Littleproud and Federal Member for Mallee Dr Anne Webster, who echoed the group’s concerns.

Leader of the NSW Nationals Dugald Saunders and the Member for Clarence Richie Williamson have called on the NSW Government to be more transparent about the support being provided to the Northern Rivers prawn industry. Shadow Minister for Agriculture Dugald Saunders said a last-minute ban has been dropped on the industry without any certainty about the future.

Startling findings from two different surveys have highlighted the devastating impact the proposed live sheep export ban is having in Western Australia, according to the country’s peak farm body. Data released from Rabobank shows that while confidence edged higher nationally, WA bucked the trend recording a further dip into negative territory.

Byron Writers Festival 2023 (11-13 August)  opens an exciting new chapter at the Bangalow Showground on Bundjalung Country. The 2023 festival will feature compelling and diverse voices, familiar names and new talents guaranteed to entertain  and  inspire.

Victorian hobby farmers are sharing how they are safeguarding the state against emergency animal diseases by implementing biosecurity measures in their backyards. Minister for Agriculture Gayle Tierney launched the Andrews Labor Government’s ‘Biosecurity - it’s up to all of us’ campaign, which features a series of videos from four small-scale landholders, demonstrating the critical role everyone has in protecting Victoria’s biodiversity from disease threats.

The NSW Government has rolled out 80 new four-wheel drive ambulances across the state, which will allow paramedics to access patients in challenging terrain, the NSW Minister for Health Ryan Park announced on 13 June 2023. These purpose built 4WD ambulance vehicles are used to access patients in situations where standard ambulances would not be able to, particularly in regional and remote areas.

Not even one month after an uncontrolled fire on Government land triggered Traeger MP Robbie Katter to request an inquiry into the State Government’s aggressive take-up of land without properly resourcing it, several more blazes have broken out. Katter’s Australian Party Leader and Member for Traeger Robbie Katter received complaints that constituents were left to battle two grass fires in about two weeks 30 kilometres east of Hughenden that were likely caused by cattle train activity and nearby high fuel loads.

The Palaszczuk Government is making kindergarten free for all Queensland families from 1 January 2024. The Premier announced the $645 million investment which will help every Queensland child get a great start in life and support parents in their return to work.

Australia’s food systems must change now to remain sustainable in the future according to a new roadmap released by CSIRO, Australia’s national science agency ... The roadmap, Reshaping Australian Food Systems, sets a path for how Australia can secure a more sustainable, productive, and resilient future for its food, environment, and people.

CANEGROWERS is calling on the federal,  state and territory governments to redouble their efforts to halt the march of Red Imported Fire Ants (RIFA), following the release of a damning report on the failure of the current eradication program.  The report, which has been kept under wraps for two years, makes clear that the current strategy will not only fail to eradicate RIFA, but will be unable to stop the global super-pest from spreading beyond south-east Queensland.

Australian farmer confidence has improved marginally thanks to easing concerns about commodity prices and input costs, however it remains in negative territory overall. The latest quarterly Rabobank Rural Confidence Survey, released on 13 June 2023, saw confidence lift nationally from -25 per cent in the first quarter of 2023 (the lowest level since late 2018) to now sit at -22 per cent.

Minister for Environment Ingrid Stitt launched the East and West Victoria Deer Control Plans, which are regional strategies aiming to reduce the threat deer pose to Victoria’s natural environment, Aboriginal cultural heritage and farming. The East and West Deer Control Plans are five-year plans that focus on preventing new populations from establishing, along with measures on how to effectively protect native species, waterways, national parks and reserves from deer.

A fishing season for a high value sea cucumber in the Torres Strait has reopened for the first time in 20 years thanks to a concerted conservation and stock restoration effort ... Torres Strait Islanders will have exclusive access rights to black teatfish, which is estimated to be worth $380,000 to the local economy.

A new barley variety launched by Agriculture and Food Minister Jackie Jarvis is being touted as 'the one' to take Australian barley production to the next level. The high-performance variety named Neo - the Greek word for new - is set to increase yields by 10 per cent, generating a potential $110 million per annum boost to the value of the national barley industry.

As Australia looks towards exploring new export markets, the MENA region presents a wealth of trading and investment potential for Australian regional businesses.

In a “shock” move, Australia’s tallest poppies were snubbed in the announcement of this year’s Bald Archy Prize for caricature portraits. The prize went to a portrait by Marty Steel of the founder of the Bald Archy Prize, Peter Batey who passed away in 2019. The caricature depicts Peter Batey riding aloft the airborne figure of chief judge, cockatoo Maude.

Economic opportunity has been unlocked in Central Queensland with the completion of the second tender for water from the soon-to-be-completed Rookwood Weir, as 21 successful bidders secured a total allocation of 6000 megalitres for productive irrigation use. Strong interest from across the region resulted in 21 successful bids, with 6082 megalitres sold from an available 7500 megalitres.

“For the last four years, the VFF has consistently called for a coordinated approach to transmission infrastructure planning. The government has heeded our call and taken some action in formulating the Victorian Transmission Investment Framework. Disappointingly however, the framework continues to neglect farmer concerns. It does not speak about agricultural land use and the impact on food and fibre production”: VFF President Emma Germano.

Minister for Energy and Resources Lily D’Ambrosio has launched the Victorian Transmission Investment Framework (VTIF) ... The Victorian Government body, VicGrid, will lead transmission project planning and development, and ensure local communities, landholders, Traditional Owners and other key stakeholders are consulted on these major projects from start to finish.