Media Release

The SA Opposition is calling for additional biosecurity officers to be stationed at Adelaide Airport as fears grow over foot and mouth disease (FMD) potentially getting into South Australia which would have devastating consequences for the economy, jobs and cost of living. An urgent biosecurity staffing boost would allow for the luggage of every traveller from Indonesia to be individually inspected, creating an extra ring of protection for SA’s livestock industry while Labor governments sluggishly roll out disinfectant mats.

A delicate overnight operation recently saw 17 Eastern Bristlebirds successfully translocated from Booderee National Park and Jervis Bay National Park in south-eastern New South Wales to the most southern tip of Australia’s mainland - Wilson’s Promontory National Park in Victoria. The Eastern Bristlebird’s population stronghold in New South Wales was used as a launchpad for establishing Victoria’s second population at Wilsons Promontory.

The Repco Supercars championship returns to The Bend (July 29 – 31) with event organisers promising the biggest weekend of racing and entertainment yet in the OTR Supersprint’s five-year history. The jam-packed, three-day event is South Australia’s largest ticketed regional sporting event with all ticket holders getting paddock access to enjoy the once in a lifetime experience.

The current lack of affordable and diverse housing for buyers and renters is a crisis which is confronting all levels of government. A move to regional areas, limited government investment in social housing, a boom in short terms rentals, Covid-19, the recent floods and inflation have put great pressures on the property market.

What the heck is 'placemaking anyway'? - that's the hot topic on the table when Scenic Rim Regional Council hosts its third Arts Dinner of 2022 on Tuesday 2 August. Set against the backdrop of the Life in Focus exhibition, which includes the Scenic Rim Story Marker Trails project, the dinner explores the concept of how public art connects people with places, builds community pride and reflects the space in which it resides.

Amid Australia’s first Varroa Destructor Mite outbreak, the grower-owned research and development corporation Hort Innovation has joined forces with the University of Sydney to develop a world-first hormone-based pesticide that is safe for honey bees but fatal to Varroa mite. As part of the $1.2M initiative, scientists will create molecules that selectively bind to and interfere with the hormone receptors of Varroa mite and fellow honey bee pest, small hive beetle, interfering with reproduction, development, and behaviour.

The Commonwealth Government has established Biosecurity Response Zones at international airports, another strong measure in response to the Indonesian outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) ... “These zones strengthen and widen the powers of biosecurity officers to direct passengers to use foot mats and other biosecurity control measures such as the cleaning of shoes ... I also announced the deployment of sanitisation foot mats at all international airports as an additional layer of protection for returning travellers from Indonesia" : Minister Watt.

Members of the state’s peak agricultural body have voted to support the development of a national electronic tagging system ... NSW Farmers Biosecurity Chair Ian McColl said while electronic tagging could be helpful, it would not be a silver bullet for the threat posed by FMD.

Following the release, the Victorian Regional Forest Agreements (RFA) - Major Event Review of the 2019- 2020 bushfires, the peak national organisation representing over 1,000 forest scientists and professionals have called for active and adaptive forest management to be implemented as a matter of urgency. President of Forestry Australia, Bob Gordon said the organisation has been calling on all governments to prioritise and invest in a year-round active and adaptive management approach to forest management, regardless of tenure.

“The Mulloon Institute heartily welcomes the Environment and Water Minister Tanya Plibersek’s calls for structural reform and new environmental legislation,” said Mr Gary Nairn AO, Chairman of the Mulloon Institute and former Federal Liberal MP. The Institute restores degraded landscapes across Australia for improved agricultural productivity, enhanced environmental outcomes, improved biodiversity including habitat for threatened species, and greater community resilience to drought, bushfire and flood.

The Australian livestock industry will work with Indonesian feedlots to help protect their facilities from disease incursions and subsequent trade disruption via a biosecurity support project jointly funded by the Australian Government and Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA) ... MLA responded to a question from ARR.News about border closures.

The DAFF statement regarding the interception of items containing fragments of Foot and Mouth Disease brings home the urgent need to ramp up the resourcing of Australia's biosecurity systems and implement 100% screening of passengers returning from high-risk areas ... Fiona Simson responded to a question from ARR.News about border closures.

The latest State of the Environment Report paints a dire picture for the ongoing survival of Australia’s threatened species under ever increasing pressure from feral animals and weeds ... “Invasive species are the common denominator: foxes and feral cats fuelled by rabbits are the major driver of mammal extinctions while foreign plants are a source of major weed problems impacting landscapes throughout Australia. :Andreas Glanznig, Chief Executive of the Centre for Invasive Species Solutions.

The Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman (TIO) has released a report highlighting the key drivers behind complaints about mobile services. The report is in response to a shift in complaint trends, with mobile services becoming the dominant complaint type. Between July 2020 and March 2022, the TIO received over 63,000 complaints about mobile services.  

The NSW Government is backing growing industry calls for the urgent development of a national mandatory sheep and goat electronic identification system in light of the serious threat of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) entering Australia ... “Individual traceability for sheep and goats will be crucial during an emergency disease outbreak and deliver benefits across the supply chain" : Dugald Saunders, NSW Agriculture Minister.

Following the release of the State of the Environment report, the peak national organisation representing over 1,000 forest scientists and professionals in Australia has joined in supporting Federal Environment Minister, Tanya Plibersek’s calls for more reform in the area of environmental law ... “The current approaches to management of Australia’s forests are not working – we believe we need to reform our philosophy of land management, our approach to conservation and how we manage our forests,” Forestry Australia President Bob Gordon.

Sea Swift is delighted to announce that Dwayne Freeman has been appointed as the new CEO of Northern Australia’s largest shipping company ... “Over the coming months I’m looking forward to getting to know the Sea Swift team, our customers, and building high-quality relationships with all levels of government, industry, and the community.” Mr Freeman ... will be primarily based in the company's Cairns office.

The Victorian Farmers Federation (VFF) has written to Victorian Minister Lily D ‘Ambrosio, Minister for Environment and Climate Action calling for an immediate suspension of the rules that allow camping on riverside farmland due to the biosecurity risks posed by both Lumpy Skin Disease (LSD) and Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD). VFF President Emma Germano said both LSD and FMD pose a very real risk to the agriculture industry and the Victorian Government must take swift action to prevent disaster.