Media Release

A drone has successfully established an ecological planned burn in the Grampians National Park, saving time and reducing the risk to firefighters, as part of a trial carried out by Forest Fire Management Victoria (FFMVic) crews in the Wimmera.

WA Forestry Minister Dave Kelly has introduced a Bill to amend the Forest Products Act 2000, which will allow the Forest Products Commission (FPC) to trade in carbon assets ... Carbon capture or sequestration in trees such as renewable pine plantations, is one of the most effective ways to remove carbon dioxide, one of the main greenhouse gases causing climate change, from the atmosphere.

Paroo Shire Council would like to invite you on behalf of the Royal Flying Doctors Service (Wellbeing Out West) to the “Your Story Roadshow”.

A new project to bolster water sustainability in northern Australia is about to start, gathering the insights Northern Territory producers  need for greater crop yields while reducing water usage ... Minister for Northern Australia David Littleproud said the water productivity trial will set the scene for future water planning and decision-making.

Australia’s most trusted rural charity, Rural Aid, is helping fill the agricultural worker shortage created by border closures and travel restrictions.    Rural Aid’s Farm Army  website provides a platform  where volunteers and workers apply for jobs that are listed by farmers needing a hand.

Globally, as the aquaculture sector moves operations further offshore, the sector is encountering new challenges to access clean and reliable energy ... Carnegie’s wave-powered barge concept, MoorPowerâ„¢  offers a solution to this energy challenge – providing clean, reliable, predictable energy to support the growth of a diverse sustainable blue economy.

Australia is set for a second consecutive bumper winter harvest, with total production forecast to come in just five per cent shy of last year’s near-record crop, according to Rabobank. In its just-released Australian Winter Crop 2021/22 Production, Price and Inputs Forecast, the specialist agribusiness bank estimates the nation will harvest 52.87 million tonnes of winter grains, oilseeds and pulses this season. While down five per cent on last year’s crop, this is still a hefty 25 per cent above the five-year average.

A project is getting underway on Kangaroo Island to provide producers with the tools, skills, and management options to ensure ewe fertility and lamb survival is not compromised because of the bushfires impacting on pasture composition.

The Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman (TIO) published its submission to the Regional Telecommunications Review 2021. The submission highlighted the concerns of telco consumers living outside Australia’s metropolitan centres and provides insight into phone and internet complaint trends.

The Ballarat West Employment Zone (BWEZ) is going from strength-to-strength with five new tenants bringing more than 150 new jobs to the precinct – cementing BWEZ as an engine room for growth in regional Victoria. Minister for Regional Development Mary-Anne Thomas visited the BWEZ headquarters of Office Vision, which is expanding its operations to the manufacturing hub.

Despite the snap lock down in Hobart affecting the show slightly - with two attractions unable to attend, along with some equestrian, chopping and kennel competitors - much to everyone's gratitude, the show still went ahead, one of only four agricultural shows held this year.

The  Abrolhos Island and Mid-West Scallop Trawl Fishery  has achieved certification to the  MSC fisheries standard. It is the first scallop fishery in Australia and the eleventh fishery in Western Australia (WA) to gain this certification.

This exhibition tells the story of mentorship, art and friendship between Margaret Olley (1923–2011) and Ben Quilty (b.1973), two of Australia’s most celebrated artists. At Home  is a sublime collection of recent still life paintings by Ben Quilty alongside still lifes and interiors by Margaret Olley, from the latter half of her extraordinary career.

A new independent report titled 'Decarbonisation Pathways for the Australian Cement and Concrete Sector' confirms the Australian industry's ambition of net zero carbon cement and concrete to Australian society by 2050 is achievable.

The Grass Tree Lookout at Mount Archer is ready for visitors once again, following upgrades completed by Rockhampton Regional Council and Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service (QPWS) ... “In addition to the amphitheatre and the skywalk, we are really pleased that residents and visitors can once again enjoy this beautiful vantage point, taking in the incredible views Mount Archer has to offer."

Another successful haul from the Scenic Rim Carp Cup in September at the II Bogan Lagoon near Beaudesert has supported Council's efforts to protect the biodiversity and health of local waterways by targeting two invasive fish species, the Carp and Tilapia. In November, the long-established Scenic Rim environmental group, the Logan and Albert Fish Management Association, is hosting a similar family-friendly education-focused event, called the 'Carp & Tilapia Eradication Competition' at Wyaralong Dam.

Tennis SA  has launched a striking art mural at  Memorial Park Tennis Complex  in Bordertown  as part of a collaborative project with Tennis Australia which has seen the reimagining of hitting walls across the country, an initiative designed to increase community participation and engagement in tennis.