Media Release

From the refreshing bursts of sweet-tart juice in the pomegranate’s jewel-like arils to the juicy, flavorful flesh of the red bayberry, these fruits are true treasures, packed with antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. Despite their delightful flavour and immense health benefits, both industries are still in their infancy.

On the back of last week’s storms, Powercor has announced a plan to strengthen the power network against more frequent and extreme weather events ... A $3.3 billion plan to deliver a stronger power network to better withstand extreme weather, support more electric vehicles and enhance reliability in regional areas has been unveiled by electricity distributor Powercor...

Please be aware the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) has issued an immediate cancellation of the registration and use of all products containing chlorthal dimethyl, also known as Dacthal or DCPA. Please refer to the APVMA’s notice ... APVMA Special Gazette ... for further information.

Grain handlers at Graincorp sites across NSW will vote on whether to take industrial action after negotiations broke down with the company, said the union which represents the workers. The 200 workers may decide to refuse to load or unload grain trucks and trains after an application was made to the Fair Work Commission to hold a ‘protected action ballot’ application on Tuesday.

Following the passage of the Treasury Laws Amendment (Better Targeted Superannuation Concessions and Other Measures) Bill 2023 through the House of Representatives, the National Farmers’ Federation (NFF) is once again warning Parliamentarians of the Bill’s consequences on thousands of family farms and small businesses.  

An international airline has entered an enforceable undertaking with the Australian Government after it failed to declare two dogs’ arrival to the country, breaching Australian biosecurity measures. The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, which has regulatory powers for Australia’s biosecurity as part of the Biosecurity Act 2015, found United Airlines had breached its reporting requirements twice...

In an effort to raise much needed funds, the Guy Fawkes Heritage Association is opening its doors at the Ebor Sports and Recreation Grounds for their 20th anniversary on Saturday 12 October ... The Open Day will commence at 10am and see activities such as camp oven cooking by Ranger Nick, who will also facilitate a hands-on damper making workshop for the kids. There will be market stalls, whip cracking, Guy Fawkes Heritage Horse Challenge and conclude with a concert, featuring country music singer James Blundell.

Virtual reality is set to revolutionise Australia’s $24 billion forestry industry by training workers risk-free, remotely, and much faster. A VR immersive training tool developed by the University of South Australia with the support of the Green Triangle Forest Industry Hub is also expected to save the industry millions of dollars in the long term.

Following the adoption of the Central Goldfields Food Systems Roadmap in September, the Central Goldfields Food Network will reconvene to lead its implementation.

Thousands of grain producers  will be put under unnecessary pressure to rethink  sustainable farming practices that benefit  the environment if proposed changes to the use of two key herbicides are approved. This is according to Grain Producers Australia Southern Region Director Mark Schilling,  who is just one of thousands of grain producers who rely  on timed applications of paraquat and diquat  in their programs to ensure a strong harvest result.

Victoria's once-thriving business events sector is in crisis, with recent data from Tourism Research Australia showing a dramatic drop in market share from 36 per cent in 2014 to just 21 per cent in 2024. Victoria was once the leader in business events, far ahead of New South Wales (27 per cent) and Queensland (15 per cent) in 2014.

The vehicles are part of a fleet of 29 ultra heavy tankers rolling out across regional Victoria ... The new tankers will provide a valuable boost to the capability of the brigades ahead of the upcoming fire season. Valued at $440,000 each, the ultra heavy tankers have a 10,000-litre water tank, improving the ability to fight fires in rural areas with open grasslands…

National preparedness to manage future incursions of Asian black-spined toads into Australia has been strengthened with today’s launch of the National Preparedness Plan: Asian Black-Spined Toad by the Centre for Invasive Species Solutions. Andreas Glanznig, CEO of the Centre for Invasive Species Solutions, said the Plan provides a valuable roadmap for governments to prevent, plan and respond to a possible Asian black-spined toad incursion.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is here to stay - so how should Australia's agrifood industry embrace it? Do we 'let it rip', or should we 'maintain control'? We, the organisers of the Digital Agrifood Summit, are the first to admit we don't have the answer to that. So we've enlisted two teams to explore this question in greater detail through a good old fashioned debate.

Greater Shepparton Youth Fest 2024 wrapped up ... with a day full of action at the Shepparton Skate Park, marking the successful conclusion of a month-long celebration dedicated to youth. The day included a learn-to-skate workshop and an exciting BMX, Skate, and Scoot competition, judged by international expert Renton Millar.

To celebrate Greater Geraldton becoming an “Owl Friendly City” a free viewing of Boyd Wykes’ ‘Night Calling’ will be on show, which documents how the movement began. The short film explains the story on how it all started including the negative impacts that Second Generation Anticoagulant Rodenticides have on local wildlife and tips on how to be Owl Friendly.

Lismore City Council through Lismore Regional Gallery and the Quadrangle are proud to present a new First Nations-led creative wellbeing program launching with multi-sensory exhibition ‘Grounded’ this October … an innovative exhibition featuring the works of Widjabul-Wiabul/Yaegl sound and performance artist Mitch King and socially engaged artist and filmmaker Karenza Ebejer.

The CLP Government will deliver on its promise to introduce Declan’s Law in the first sittings of Parliament, commencing next Tuesday. Under Declan’s Law, Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro said there would be a presumption against bail for youth and adult serious violent offenders, regardless of whether a weapon is involved.  

Part of the Government’s  Better Connectivity Plan for Regional and Rural Australia, the audit will test around 180,000 km of regional and rural roads across the country, capturing data to better determine coverage and capacity of the mobile network signals ... Australia Post will host mobile-measurement devices on delivery vans and long-haul delivery vehicles. They will cover a significant portion of the regional and rural roads to be tested through the audit.

The Victorian Farmers Federation (VFF) says more needs to be done now to prepare Victorian farmers for the potential arrival of the H5N1 strain of avian influenza, which has the ability to devastate Victoria’s poultry industry and native wildlife … additional urgent action to bolster biosecurity measures to protect the state's poultry farmers and broader agricultural sector is required and everyone has a role to play.