Media Release

A clever project that makes it easier for people of all abilities to get out and enjoy the Sunshine Coast way of life, is being expanded ... “The project provides a clear solution for those with disabilities to plan and map their routes and is a comfort to travellers and visitors to our region with mobility issues in identifying where they can get to with ease": Sunshine Coast Council Mayor Mark Jamieson.

Despite the public perception that the only way to protect species is to create more conservation reserves, Forestry Australia’s view is that koala recovery can best be achieved through a landscape-wide approach to active management of these populations and their forest habitats across all land tenures. There is considerable evidence that the National Park estate is continuing to be degraded due to unnatural fire regimes, pests and diseases, and a lack of active management to mitigate their impacts.

If Australia is to continue to grow its economy and increase individual prosperity, productivity policy should focus on key emerging trends like the shift towards service industries, according to the final report of the Productivity Commission’s 5-year Productivity Inquiry ... “Concentrating on five key themes can make a real difference”: Productivity Commission Chair, Michael Brennan.

Australian farmers continue to ride the rollercoaster of seasons, commodity prices and economic factors, with rural sentiment at the start of 2023 dipping to its lowest level reported since late 2018. The latest quarterly Rabobank Rural Confidence Survey, released on 16 March 2023, found after rallying late last year, sentiment in the rural sector had fallen again this quarter as farmers continue to navigate a range of economic and financial uncertainties.

Act Belong Commit Darkan Sheepfest is now more than a sheep and wool show. The event is a testament to the cultural and economic value that a show can provide to a community and town.

"Farmers and landholders are keen to regenerate millions of kilometres of eroded and degraded watercourses throughout this country, but environmental and planning regulations are preventing many of them from undertaking this valuable work, due to the time and cost of submitting multiple applications, special reports and detailed designs to multiple government authorities for permission to undertake on-ground works," says Mulloon Institute Chairman Gary Nairn A.O.

Landholders can expect better treatment during the construction of Inland Rail thanks to a landmark agreement between NSW Farmers and the Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC). Inland Rail and NSW Farmers have worked together to develop a joint information pack that acknowledges and addresses issues of concern to property owners...

Rural Bank has released its March 2023 Insights report, with commentary on production and pricing trends for Australian agriculture: cattle, cropping, dairy, horticulture, sheep and wool.

Australia’s leading NDIS online therapy provider, Therapy Connect, is virtually stepping into the classroom, providing early intervention and diagnosis to children in remote communities and slashing years off patient waitlists. It is estimated that around 180,000 children in rural NSW are in desperate need of childhood development services that are not available in their region.

A special commemorative service will be held at Spring Bluff station on Friday, March 17, 2023 to remember the 1000 brave soldiers who left the station at night on their way to serve in World War II. The service marks the 81st anniversary of the historic day the Darling Downs’ 25th Infantry Battalion boarded trains at Spring Bluff station at the start of their journey to New Guinea. 

Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA) has launched an online, web-based greenhouse gas (GHG) calculator based on the Sheep and Beef Greenhouse Accounting Framework (SB-GAF) tool for Australian sheep and beef producers. The digitised version of the SB-GAF tool is based off the freely available excel version of the tool available on the Primary Industries Climate Challenges Centre (PICCC) website to ensure consistency across the sector.

Fancy a writers' festival with a bit of rustic charm and some good old-fashioned country hospitality? This March, head to the historic Avon Valley town of York in Western Australia's Wheatbelt for a unique event: a weekend featuring some of WA's finest authors and poets in conversation with each other, unmediated and unplugged!

A frustrating four-and-a-half-year battle of hide and seek with one elusive fox has finally come to an end within a fenced area safe-haven in north west NSW’s Pilliga State Conservation Area. The final predator, nicknamed ‘Rambo’, was outfoxed by a couple of floods and the project area has now officially been declared feral predator-free.

Cook Shire Mayor, Peter Scott is looking forward to the upcoming festival, stating, "The Cooktown Discovery Festival is a celebration of our community's rich cultural heritage and the special place Cooktown has in Australian history. It is a time for us to come together and celebrate all that makes Cooktown and this region so special."

Delivered through Hort Innovation using industry levies and funds from the Australian Government, some of Australia’s top scientists partnered with the avocado industry to develop phytosanitary data that shows the health and safety of Australian Hass avocados is in line with India’s import requirements.

Australia Post’s future lies in the ability of the public-owned service to diversify and meet the needs of a modern-day nation that is being strangled by grotesque free-marketeers, Katter’s Australian Party Leader and Traeger MP Robbie Katter has said ... Mr Katter said, with its well-established network of branches, an expansion of Australia Post into the personal and business banking space was in the “national interest” and now was a golden opportunity for transformation.

Following a national recruitment campaign, three people have been appointed as ongoing administrators for the District Council of Coober Pedy (Council) in a move expected to fast track the road back to an elected member body. Mr Geoff Sheridan has been appointed as the new principal administrator and will work with two supporting administrators, Ms Erika Vickery OAM and Mr John Moyle to make critical decisions for Coober Pedy’s future.

The latest in cutting edge agritech is catering to a tiny but mighty important customer – bees. US-based company, Beewise brought the world’s first robotic beehive to Australia for the first time, unveiling it at evokeAG 2023.

The latest ABARES Snapshot of Australian agriculture shows the industry continues to grow and perform strongly in a number of key areas including exports, incomes and risk management. Industry production and export values are forecast to hit record levels in 2022-23, with broadacre and dairy farm cash incomes remaining well above historical benchmarks.