Media Release

Members of the public will have an opportunity to look inside the Royal Australian Navy’s newest ship HMAS Stalwart III when it arrives in Geraldton later this month. It is the first time the ship will visit its Ceremonial Homeport and a number of free events are happening over the weekend to celebrate including a Public Personal Training Session, Freedom of Entry March and Ship Open Day.

The peak national organisation representing forest scientists and professionals has refuted claims that native forest harvesting in Tasmania has impacted negatively on the climate. Forestry Australia President Bob Gordon said on the contrary, the carbon sequestering power of growing trees meant sustainable forestry played a key role in reducing the state’s carbon emissions.

The cuttlefish have arrived, which means it’s time to celebrate with Cuttlefest 2022! Cuttlefest is a three month festival of events and activations happening in and around Whyalla to celebrate the annual congregation of the Giant Australian Cuttlefish.

Promoting export opportunities across the Middle East & North Africa (MENA) to regional Victoria producers and exporters. Australia Arab Chamber of Commerce and Industry (AACCI) is the proud partner of the Global Victoria Trade Alliance Program being delivered across five regional centres in Victoria.

The Tweed’s first flood-free industrial land swap project is one step closer to fruition with construction works planned to begin at South Murwillumbah in August. The innovative plan will see eligible business landowners swap their flood prone land with Council owned, flood free land at Industry Central, located in Lundberg Drive, South Murwillumbah.

Results of the quarter two Rabobank Rural Confidence Survey, reveal optimism about high agricultural commodity prices and the prospect of a third consecutive bumper grains harvest has been reined in by the increasing cost of vital farm inputs such as fertiliser, fuel, freight and machinery and broader inflationary pressures in the Australian economy.

Freight operators and farmers will benefit from the completion of upgrade works on three freight lines in north-west Victoria. Minister for Ports and Freight Melissa Horne said the works have been carried out on the Mildura, Sea Lake and Manangatang lines to improve the condition of the track and reduce the risk of infrastructure faults which can delay grain loading.

In true outback spirit, an iconic Alice Springs arts hub has bounced back from the COVID-19 pandemic, with a huge jump in visitor numbers and an impressive calendar of events.

A Katherine company has been selected to build 20 new homes on a new subdivision at Beswick ... around the corner to the remote community of Gapuwiyak, an $18.2 million investment will yield 28 new homes ... The northeast Arnhem Land community has helped to plan the new homes, and will be involved in all aspects of construction.

Celebrating inspirational women of the adventure world, Adventure Reels returns to Margaret River with their annual sell out event, the Gutsy Girls Adventure Film Tour 2022. Showcasing a unique selection of films produced by independent filmmakers from around the globe, the two and a half hour program offers something for all ages and genders.

The NSW Government is making a major investment to better prepare communities and respond to bush fires, by committing $315.2 million over the next four years to complete the recommendations of the NSW Bushfire Inquiry in the 2022-23 NSW Budget. Premier Dominic Perrottet said $191 million has been allocated to the Rural Fire Service (RFS) to help keep NSW communities safe through vital hazard reduction works, maintenance of strategic fire trails and the procurement of new fleet ... ARR.News asked the Ministers a few questions and received a response from a NSW RFS spokesperson.

Three state of the art High Clearance Vehicles are now in permanent operation for the NSW State Emergency Service (SES), expanding flood rescue capability by helping volunteers get to hard to reach places. The vehicles, known as Unimogs, have been handed over to the SES by the Australian Defence Force (ADF) after being used on deployment in military operations.

While global milk production is set to have decreased for at least four consecutive quarters from Q3 2021 to the current quarter Q2 2022 expectations of weakening demand are creating a scenario for moderate price declines in dairy commodities during the second half of 2022, Rabobank says in its latest global Dairy Quarterly report.

Minister for Environment James Griffin said Bush Heritage Australia and South Endeavour Trust have signed permanent conservation agreements for Naree Station and Yantabulla Station ... “The wetlands form part of the Paroo River catchment, which is the last free-flowing river of the Murray Darling Basin. It’s considered among the top 20 sites for waterbirds in Australia." ARR.News has some questions for the Minister.

First-mover companies around the world are taking the next steps to meet their emissions reduction goals and beginning to release climate-neutral beef products on to shelves, Rabobank says in its latest global Beef Quarterly report.

New research by Australia’s national science agency, CSIRO, shows Australian coastal plastic pollution has decreased by 29 per cent, the surprise discovery revealed as part of a broader project assessing waste reduction efforts.

Delegates at the  River reflections  annual water conference heard about the challenges we all face due to climate change and how we must work together to make the Murray–Darling Basin ready for a more variable, drier and hotter future. In his address,  The future of the Murray–Darling Basin,  Murray–Darling Basin Authority Chair Sir Angus Houston said we must adjust our approach based on what we have learnt and continue in partnership with experts, communities and First Nations People.

The Liberal Member for Northern Victoria Wendy Lovell says an elected Matthew Guy Coalition Government will immediately cease the shooting of brumbies in both the Barmah and Alpine national parks. Ms Lovell has been a strong advocate against the shooting of the brumbies, particularly in the Barmah Forest, on many occasions calling on the Andrews Labor Government to stop the culling and focus on trapping the horses for rehoming.

A series of NASA rockets will be launched into space from the Northern Territory later this month, with the Australian Government signing off on a history making moment for the local space sector. Three scientific suborbital sounding rockets will be launched between 26 June and 12 July 2022 from the Arnhem Space Centre, which is owned and run by Equatorial Launch Australia.

The latest Government figures show agricultural exports reaching a record $64.9 billion in 2022-23, but National Farmers’ Federation President Fiona Simson says these positive numbers conceal the "cost of farming" crunch impacting farmers and consumers.