Media Release

A report to be considered by the City of Ballarat Council this month will recommend the commencement of works to extend Ballarat Airport’s north south runway. The report to the 23 June ordinary meeting of Council will also recommend a commercially focused board be appointed to oversee the management of the Airport, with Council retaining ownership of the facility.

Tourism businesses and organisations are invited to come on board to work together to build greater awareness and encourage visitation to the Wagga Wagga + Surrounds region ... “Domestic travel is booming in regional areas as people are exploring a little closer to home, which is a significant opportunity to leverage off.”

Bendigo’s newest food precinct, Lyttle Eat Street, has been launched on the footpaths at Lyttleton Terrace in the city centre to celebrate and indulge in delicious global street food. Fourteen local businesses from Lyttleton Terrace have joined forces to create Lyttle Eat Street, an initiative to create a new ‘street food vibe and neighbourhood’ in the city centre. It is the first in a winter-long series, Slow Smoking Saturdays, to entice more people to visit the area on weekends to enjoy unique dishes and drinks.

Mildura Mayor Jason Modica has welcomed RayGen's plans for a multimillion dollar solar hydro power plant in the Mallee, which he says will further cement the region's reputation as a hotspot for innovative solar technology and stimulate the local economy.

A record-breaking 2020-21 harvest across Australia has been reflected in NAB’s Agribusiness data showing business transactions from grain growers have surged following record production levels.

Rockhampton Regional Council is encouraging residents to report any sightings of feral pigs after some recent activity in the lower Mount Archer, Frenchville Road and Moore’s Creek/First Turkey areas.

Groundbreaking research funded by the NSW Government has today revealed feral pig control programs can save landholders up to $100 per hectare, Minister for Agriculture and Minister for Western NSW Adam Marshall has announced ... “Feral pigs are one of the most wide-spread pests which cause significant economic losses to primary production and other agricultural enterprises in many parts of the State and also damage environmental and cultural sites."

The SunSmart WA Bodyboard Titles presented by Good Earth Surf concluded in spectacular fashion at Clayton’s Beach in Mindarie over the weekend, with WA's first State Champions of the year crowned in exciting high-performance bodyboard waves. After beginning in Mandurah back in March, the SunSmart WA Bodyboard Titles attracted some of the State's most experienced riders who went head-to-head with WA's new generation of bodyboarders, who impressed in the wedging 2-3 feet waves on offer at Clayton's.

Preliminary results from a Western Australian research project suggest some grain growers are under-estimating herbicide resistance levels in cropping system weeds present on their farms.

Global dairy prices continue to trade at elevated levels, despite being “stuck in neutral” for the past three months, as the market slowly returns to normal from the pandemic-led channel distortion, according to the latest Rabobank Global Dairy Quarterly report.

The 2020-21 brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB) season is wrapping up and Australia’s measures have again remained strong against this serious pest ... BMSB is a serious threat for Australia’s agriculture industries and environment, because of the damage it can do to vegetable crops and fruit and ornamental trees.

DNA testing Australian honey can reveal where it was produced and its main floral sources, according to research published today by Australia’s national science agency, CSIRO, and partners at the University of Melbourne and Curtin University. The $100 million Australian honey industry exports 4,500 tonnes of honey every year, and could benefit from the findings, which could be used for a honey certification program to confirm the floral composition and provenance of commercial honey.

Favourable seasonal conditions for the first half of 2021 coupled with a positive outlook will result in a faster national flock rebuild, according to Meat & Livestock Australia’s (MLA) 2021 sheep industry projections half year update.

The Territory is becoming a big player in Australia’s screen and film industry, with the announcement of another large production Barrumbi Kids to be filmed in Beswick and the production expecting to inject $2.8m into the economy.

The Teebar Show, Rodeo and Campdraft is set to come back this weekend bigger and better than ever before. With campdraft and rodeo, ute muster, hall program, kids activities and movie night, live music and various stalls, there is sure to be entertainment for the whole family.

Solar photovoltaics (PV) and wind continue to be the cheapest sources of new electricity generation capacity in Australia, even when the integration costs of renewables are included, according to the final 2020-21 GenCost Report.

As a cold front moves across NSW, bringing with it rain and below average temperatures, Local Land Services is urging livestock producers to prepare for the conditions.

Forestry Corporation had targeted its plantation forests for harvesting over the last 12 months to help keep up with strong demands in the building industry, setting the scene for the record 2021 planting season, said Roading and Plantations Manager, Craig Busby ... The IPCC recognises that sustainably managed production forests that maintain carbon in growing trees while producing an annual yield of timber deliver a large, sustained climate change mitigation benefit.

Environment Minister, Matt Kean has today announced the second largest land acquisition for national parks in the last 10 years with the purchase of the neighbouring Langidoon and Metford stations, 65km east of Broken Hill. The plan for the two properties, totaling 60,468 hectares, is to create a new outback reserve conserving significant biodiversity and Aboriginal heritage in the region ... The purchase follows on from the recent creation of another outback reserve - Narriearra Caryapundy Swamp National Park which was the largest purchase of private land for the national parks estate.