Media Release

The Albanese Labor Government continues to secure essential fuel and fertiliser to keep Australian agriculture moving, with around 80,250 tonnes of additional urea now locked in through the Government’s $7.5 billion Fuel and Fertiliser Security Facility. Through Export Finance Australia, the Government has partnered with Incitec Pivot to support the purchase of two shipments of urea from Indonesia.

Council has now lodged its submission with the Department of Planning on the State Significant Development application for a proposed residential flat building development at Sanderling Avenue, Hawks Nest. The proposal involves the construction of three residential flat buildings up to four storeys, strata subdivision, and upgrades to the golf club parking area ... Council’s submission does not support the proposal in its current form.

Boxthorn Blitz workshops are returning this year with a new addition aimed at strengthening the fight against the invasive African boxthorn. Following a recent partnership between the City of Greater Geraldton and the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), the first Boxthorn Blitz workshop will include a demonstration of the new African boxthorn biocontrol program.

More renewable energy flowing into the system is helping place downward pressure on electricity prices, with the Default Market Offer in NSW set to fall from July. The Australian Energy Regulator (AER) has determined the cap on default electricity prices for NSW households will drop by between 3.4 and 7.7 per cent from July, reflecting lower wholesale electricity costs as more renewable generation and storage enters the market.

The mayors of two neighbouring Victorian municipalities are calling on the Murray Darling Basin Authority to recognise the efforts of improved irrigation systems across the region when conducting its 2026 Basin Plan review.

Australia is set to plant a reduced winter crop this year, as the nation’s grain growers contend with mixed weather conditions and the impacts of significantly-higher farm input costs, Rabobank says in its 2026/27 Australian Winter Crop Forecast. The specialist agribusiness bank estimates Australia’s winter cropping area will come in at 23.1 million hectares for the season – down eight per cent on last year and 4.3 per cent below the five-year average.

The Bundaberg-based LifeFlight crew has completed a complex 13-hour offshore rescue after an injured fisherman broke his leg on a trawler about 110 nautical miles off the Rockhampton coast. The mission, tasked by Retrieval Services Queensland at 8.37am yesterday, required multiple refuels, almost 950 kilometres of travel and maritime winch operations in rough sea conditions.

Flinders Shire Council is taking a leaf out of the Texas playbook to supercharge its economic future, welcoming a high-profile delegation of USA wind energy experts to the region this week as part of a tour of the state. The strategic visit aims to showcase how Flinders Shire is championing a pragmatic, economically driven approach to renewable energy development...

Bass Coast Shire Council has officially opened the Sunset Strip Bike Jump Park delivering an exciting new space for riders of all ages and abilities on Phillip Island. The track was officially opened today, with local students, Councillors, members of the Bass Coast Mountain Bike Association, contractors and Council staff coming together to celebrate the milestone...

The Living Arts Space is delighted to present Brick by Brick: 10 Years of Building Bendigo, a new exhibition celebrating a decade of creativity from the Bendigo LEGO® User Group. Founded in 2014, the Bendigo LEGO® User Group has grown to more than 100 members across central Victoria.

The Ivanhoe painted water tower project has been completed and it is already capturing the imagination of local residents and visitors to the region. The artist, Krimsone, has been working hard over several weeks to successfully create the stand-out project.

The results of BirdLife Australia’s Aussie Bird Count are in with a record breaking 5 million birds counted during the week-long national bird counting frenzy held in October last year. 64,000 Australians took part in the Count in the 12th year running ... Galahs came in at number 6...

NSW beaches continue to be far too dangerous for coastal activities, with lifesavers issuing a warning to rock fishers, swimmers and boaters to stay away from the coastline.

New bushfire research to review fire behaviour during major bushfires in western Victoria in February 2024 has identified important learnings for future bushfire preparedness and management. Bushfire scientists from CFA and Forest Fire Management Victoria (FFMVic), through the Safer Together program, have reconstructed five bushfires from the 2023-24 fire season, including the Bayindeen – Rocky Road, Mt Stapylton, Bellfield, Staffordshire Reef and Dereel bushfires.

Public claims that timber harvesting increases bushfire risk are based on narrow and contested evidence, and should not be generalised across Australia's diverse forests, according to a new evidence review released by Forestry Australia. The review, Contested Evidence About Timber Harvesting and Bushfire Risk in Australian Landscapes, examines claims that timber harvesting increases forest flammability and bushfire risk.

Murrindindi Shire Council has released a video highlighting the scale of devastation from the January 2026 bushfires, reinforcing its call for a more equitable and impact-based disaster recovery funding model that better reflects the needs of affected communities.

Just 54 Northern Rivers homes have accessed house-raises and retrofits to protect against floods, despite promises of 4,400 house-raises and retrofits made in the aftermath of the 2022 flood catastrophe - a 1 per cent completion rate in 4 years. The NSW Auditor General ... released a report criticising the design and establishment of the Resilient Homes Program...

Lismore City Council has reaffirmed its commitment to delivering the Northern Rivers Rail Trail through Lismore, despite this week’s unsuccessful federal funding outcome. The $42 million application was submitted in 2024, in partnership with Byron Shire Council, to progress the rail trail section from Lismore to Bexhill.

South Australian farmers received $4.7 million in tag discounts and rebates during the first year of mandatory electronic identification (eID) for sheep and farmed goats. The state’s farmers continue to implement a national roll-out of individual eID tags for sheep and goats to strengthen our world-leading livestock traceability systems and support rapid responses to biosecurity threats.

Residents looking to clear out unwanted household items are being reminded that there are practical alternatives to illegal dumping, with the annual Garage Sale Trail continuing to provide Whyalla households with an opportunity to reuse, recycle and earn extra money from pre-loved goods each year.