NSW

Dr Jennifer Lavers. Since 2007, the Adrift Lab research team based in Tasmania has been fortunate to visit Lord Howe Island in Apr/May to study plastics ingested by two mutton-bird species, Wedge-tailed and Flesh-footed Shearwaters. The database contains a wealth of information on the origin of items (e.g., bottle caps, balloon clips) and amount consumed by each bird species. Over time, it’s become one of the longest-running plastic monitoring programs in the world (certainly in the Southern Hemisphere).

Australia’s oldest organic beef company – OBE Organic – is putting sustainability in the spotlight ahead of World Environment Day this coming Sunday, June 5 with the release of a new report that details industry-leading practices in sustainable agriculture, supply chain management and human resources.

The property known as Kurrumbede was originally part of the Burburgate run, a vast pastoral holding in the 1800s. In 1905, this estate was subdivided into 58 blocks and sold at auction. Two of these blocks were purchased by prominent doctor and politician, Sir Charles Mackellar, Dorothea’s father, who completed building the homestead on the eastern side of the Namoi River in 1908.

Monday's postponed Port Macquarie race meeting has been rescheduled to Thursday (2nd June). Fields remain unchanged with scratchings reinstated ... With two recent victories on the north coast under his belt, Yorikiri is poised to continue his great run of success in the GemLife Rainbow Beach Benchmark 58 Handicap at Port Macquarie.

Farmers and regional communities in the state’s Central West can now readily access detailed, real-time weather observations received by the new Doppler radar at Yeoval. Minister for Agriculture and Western NSW Dugald Saunders said the information provided by the radar will revolutionise how weather-dependent decisions are made, and will enhance the productivity of rural communities.

NSW Farmers is urging Australia’s new Labor government to act on power imbalances in poultry meat supply chains...The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has identified potential unfair contract terms (UCTs) in chicken growing contracts, including terms that allowed processors to vary growers’ supply arrangements or impose additional costs on growers.  

Joan de Bondt. The Nullarbor Links Golf Course opened in 2009 ... an outstanding success, not just in Australia, but internationally... The unique course, an 18-hole par 72, is the longest in the world, spanning 1,365km with one or two holes in each participating town or roadhouse along the Eyre Highway.

Ali Bohn. After five years, two locations and more than 350 print editions, The Koondrook and Barham Bridge Newspaper (The Bridge) is officially for sale. It has been quite the journey for proprietor, Lloyd Polkinghorne and his family, who took over the newspaper in 2016 after making the transition to journalism and reporting from his first passion, farming.

Local electorates of Mallee and Farrer have resisted the urge for change, retaining the Nationals member, Anne Webster, for Mallee and Sussan Ley for Farrer, who both find themselves in opposition. Little is known of what the future holds for our agriculture, forestry, irrigation and rivers with the change of government.

The Narrandera Shire Council has endorsed its urban stormwater upgrade design for Narrandera and will place it on public exhibition until July 1 for the community to review the design and funding options and make submissions to Council ... Deputy General Manager (Infrastructure) Shane Wilson said the ultimate solution was $1,900,000 over the original pre-design estimate, which was never thought to be able to achieve such a substantial mitigation of the urbanised flooding.

Despite the Liberals losing the 2022 Federal Election, Member for Farrer Sussan Ley continued her dominance in the area to retain her seat which is the second largest electorate in New South Wales ... Her first preference votes numbered 46,966 (53.4 percent) while Labor candidate Darren Cameron received 16,683 first preference votes (19 percent).

Narrandera’s Narrungdera Earth Fest has been hailed as a resounding success by locals and visitors ... Mrs Powell was delighted that the program attracted hundreds of people to each event during the three days of festivities.

Food and fibre production has been significantly and catastrophically impacted by rain events from March 2021, not only the flooding of 2022, resulting in significant hardship for town residents and businesses, and particularly the farming community ... NSW Farmers CEO Pete Arkle said the three tiers of government needed to work together with farming and community leaders to look at how to rebuild more resilient businesses, communities and regions.

Beef Week celebrates 40 years this week. Come along to your favourite events, and if you’ve never been before, here are four reasons to go in celebration of every decade of the Casino event: 1. Free steak 2. Brenda in the moke 3. Men in undies 4. Cows ... lots of cows.

Train tracks have been repaired after the floods in March and the XPT service can now run between Casino and Brisbane with buses no longer needed to replace trains.

Kevin Hogan has retained the seat of Page for The Nationals following the 2022 Federal election ... Mr Hogan described his most recent re-election as very humbling, adding this one is personal. While she was unsuccessful in her first Federal election despite polling more than 12000 first preference votes with 86.7 percent of the total vote counted at the time of publication, Independent candidate for the seat of Page Dr Hanabeth Luke spoke positively about the experience, revealing she also plans to run again.

A positive outcome for both the environment and a developer has been successfully negotiated by Clarence Valley Council with the approval of modifications to a proposed subdivision at Lawrence ... Community concerns were first raised in November 2021 when a Development Application for the first house in the subdivision was lodged with Council, which would have impacted on koala habitat and feed trees in the road reserve.

Four years ago, a local group was established to offer support, social interaction, and plenty of fun, laughter and friendship, to Clarence Valley residents living with dementia ... it expanded to include locals affected by memory impairment, and senior citizens with limited opportunities to socialise. Together, they sing, they dance, and they enjoy being in each other’s company.