Media Release

The Cook Labor Government is entering an agreement to purchase an additional 8 million litres of diesel for Western Australia's strategic stockpile.

The National Irrigators’ Council (NIC) met in Sydney ... to finalise a response to the Murray-Darling Basin Plan Review, issuing a sneak peek. "The balance has been struck when it comes to sharing water, with three-decades of reforms shrinking the share for farmers by one-third," said NIC CEO, Zara Lowien.

Hancock Prospecting. In a move to recognise a national crisis and national disgrace, Gina Rinehart’s Hancock Prospecting is contributing $200m to buy properties to help Australia’s homeless veterans and war heroes, the biggest ever private commitment for Australian veterans. 

An inaugural report from Australia's most comprehensive and detailed fire mapping database has found 2025 to be the second largest fire year in the past decade, driven by severe weather and storm-related ignitions. The North Australia and Rangelands Fire Information (NAFI) service, based out of Charles Darwin University (CDU) recently released its first – and from now annual – Fire Year Summary Report for 2025, detailing fire activity across Australia. 

With a rare combination of extensive oil reserves and local refining capabilities, the small Outback town of Eromanga (population under 50) is emerging as one of the strongest contenders to help ease Australia’s fuel supply issues onshore.

...the Government is releasing draft legislation to regulate the cash distribution sector to ensure it continues to serve the needs of Australians. This is about strengthening the cash distribution system, which is essential for the many Australians and businesses that rely on cash.

Under the Albanese Government’s new Strategic Reserve powers, a further 200 million litres of additional diesel for Australia has been secured, and work has commenced with leading fertiliser companies to secure more supply at this critical time in the growing season.

A free community event in Armidale next month will look at a question becoming increasingly important for regional Australia: what happens to renewable energy infrastructure when it reaches the end of its useful life? The event will explore the recycling, reuse and responsible disposal of renewable energy infrastructure, with a focus on rooftop solar panels, large-scale solar farms and, to a lesser extent, wind farm components.

National Seniors Australia’s campaign to Keep Cash is working and cash is making a comeback as demonstrated by the RBA’s 2025 Consumer Payments Survey that shows cash usage is on the rise. The survey reveals cash usage has increased by number of transactions (15 per cent in 2025 compared to 13 per cent in 2022) and by the total value of transactions.

The global fertiliser market faces a prolonged period of tight supply, weak affordability and heightened price risk and, even if current geopolitical tensions ease soon, "normalisation will be slow", according to a recently-released industry report. In its latest Semi-annual Fertiliser Outlook, global agribusiness banking specialist Rabobank says the international fertiliser market ended the first quarter of the year under severe strain.

Collagen from sheep skin and lungs can support wound closure and tissue regeneration in people, opening the door for new wound care materials made from traditionally underutilised red meat processing byproducts ... "Wound healing is a complex process requiring the coordinated interaction of cells, growth factors and extracellular matrix components.

Clean water will return to Narrandera under a new commitment made by The Nationals’ candidate for Farrer, Brad Robertson, and Liberal candidate, Raissa Butkowski. We will invest $16 million towards the construction of a new water treatment plant to provide a permanent solution to unacceptable water quality outcomes.

Norco, Australia’s oldest and last operating 100 per cent farmer-owned dairy co-operative, has announced a five cent per litre increase to its farmgate milk price from May 2026, while calling on the wider industry to step up and better support farmers as soaring input costs intensify pressure across the sector.

The Finocchiaro CLP Government is delivering stronger, more reliable power for Alice Springs and Katherine, with an $82.1 million investment in battery energy storage. Territory Generation has awarded Pacific Energy a contract to deliver the next phase of the battery energy storage system (BESS) program.

Nationals Member for Central Wheatbelt, Lachlan Hunter MP, has slammed the Cook Labor Government for its lack of understanding of regional Western Australia, as the fuel crisis continues to bite across the Wheatbelt.

Bruny Island, off the coast of southern Tasmania, continues to attract birdwatchers from around the world. Its diverse habitats and rich birdlife offer unique year-round experiences, but winter reveals a quieter, more immersive side.

Victoria’s peak farming body has released a sweeping 20-point plan that demands all major parties commit to the strongest farmland protections in Australia ahead of the Victorian state election in November. The Victorian Farmers Federation (VFF)’s Victorian Farmland Protection Plan calls for a fundamental reset in the way Victoria safeguards its agricultural land.

Today, Australia and the UK have signed an Investment Partnership to further unlock superannuation and pension capital investment between our countries. This new agreement will help to secure more two-way investment in jobs and industries and strong returns for investors from both countries.

The re-elected Malinauskas Labor Government will continue taking decision-making out of Adelaide and into regional South Australia, with Country Cabinet meetings set to remain a key part of how the Government listens, engages and delivers. Country Cabinet ensures regional communities have a direct voice at the Cabinet table, giving locals the opportunity to speak face-to-face with Ministers and senior decision-makers about the issues that matter most to them.