CATEGORY

NSW

Driven to help local farmers

Emma Pritchard. Aussie Hay Runners have partnered with Feed for Friends and the Rotary Club of Melton to transport 1000 bales of hay and several pallets of hard feed from rural Victoria to the Clarence Valley in support of local producers and small hobby farmers who have been adversely affected by the unprecedented flooding which devastated communities throughout Northern NSW earlier this year. A convoy of 31 trucks arrived in Grafton over the weekend.

Stop making excuses on biosecurity: NSW Farmers

NSW Farmers President James Jackson has slammed government officials for being wishy-washy on biosecurity controls such as foot baths ... “The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry says they can’t have antiseptic foot baths at airports because a child might fall in them,” Mr Jackson said.

Water projects deliver off-farm savings: Davey

“I commend the new Water Minister for getting on with business, but the truth is, these projects were well on their way to being signed off before the change of Government ... What we really need now is a Basin Management Plan rather than a water recovery plan. There are plenty of ideas about ways to achieve good environmental outcomes without the need for further water recovery and they should all be on the table as a way to offset any further water recovery,” Senator Davey said.

Government gets to work delivering on Basin commitments: Plibersek and Shing

The Australian Government has announced $37.9 million towards the Lower Murray Water Efficiency project to better equip the Sunraysia water delivery network to combat a changing climate. This project delivers 2.5 Gigalitres (GL) of water savings back to the environment, First Nations Peoples and securing urban water supply.

Recycled stormwater projects will help future-proof iconic Basin sites: Plibersek and Close

The Australian and South Australian governments have announced $2.7 million to improve water infrastructure in South Australia, while delivering 126 ML of water savings to the environment. The Marion Water Efficiency Project will enable the City of Marion to reduce water use from the main Adelaide water supplies, which are often pumped from the Murray–Darling Basin, and help future-proof iconic sites like the Coorong and Lower Lakes.

The madness continues…

Australia’s $13 billion Murray-Darling Basin Plan is in its tenth year. The plan had key objectives to save the Murray, restore the balance and do so in an adaptive way based on best available science ... The sheer insanity of the basin’s direction can be demonstrated by the huge almond plantations adjacent to the Murray. What were dryland farms 20 years ago are now intensive irrigation areas often using more water than rice or cotton per hectare with no regulation on salinity.

High voltage highway

Gannawarra Shire Council and Murray River Council Local Government Areas have been earmarked by the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) for the development of 500kV high voltage transmission lines and terminal stations. KerangLink, also known as Victoria New South Wales Interconnector West (VNI West) is planned to proceed “as urgently as possible” after the government’s plan to close Australia’s main energy source, coal fired power generation, faster than expected.

Three million pine seedling replanting program kicks off in Bathurst

Forestry Corporation of NSW has started its 2022 replanting program, with three million seedlings set to be replanted into 2,400 hectares of Bathurst pine plantations previously harvested. ... “Through their efforts we are rebuilding plantations previously harvested for timber, including Mount David, Canobolas and Vulcan State Forests.” Forestry Corporation’s Silviculture Manager Mike Freeman

Narrandera set to showcase the best of country racing

Jeff Hanson. Narrandera Race Club is gearing up for one of their biggest ever meetings. Racing on Sunday July 17, Narrandera will host their first Showcase race day, with each of their eight races carrying a minimum $30,000 in prize money.

NAIDOC Lifetime Achievement Award for local man

Narrandera's Dr Stanley Grant Senior AM has won the NAIDOC Lifetime Achievement Award for 2022. Dr Grant is an elder and a warrior of the Wiradjuri people who grew up in Griffith and spent time with his grandfather Wilfred Johnson (known as Budyaan) who spoke seven languages and taught Dr Grant the Wiradjuri language.

Population going backwards

The Census results for Narrandera have been released, showing a slight decrease of 155 in population. Conducted in August last year, the Census recorded 5698 people in Narrandera, down from 5853 residents recorded in the 2016 Census. The results revealed that Narrandera was home to 12.7 per cent of people who identified as Indigenous. This figure came in at four times higher than the national average of 3.2 per cent ... “This accurate and valuable data reveals who we are as a nation and how we have changed.”

The Grainger connection

Joan de Bondt. Percy Grainger was a composer and pianist born in 1882 whose legacy is generally associated with his piano arrangement of the folk dance tune ‘Country Gardens’ ... Percy Grainger was a cousin to Bruce’s great grandfather. A wedding photo of Bruce’s grandfather, Stewart Hamilton Grainger, is attached to a photo of Percy at about the same age and the resemblance is unmistakable.

Flooded hobby farmers need feed too

Sarah Booth is heartbroken about the small hobby farmers who don’t have enough feed for their animals since the floods. “I don’t have cattle but all I could see was heartbreak,” the Wyrallah woman said. Ms Booth has 60 families waiting for animal feed for cows, horses, pigs, goats and sheep.

Huge gap in State funding for roads and flood recovery

Last week’s council meeting was a big one. The last for the financial year so it included the budget. The State Government’s lack of action on flood recovery was a theme throughout the meeting. Here’s the summary of the Richmond Valley Council meeting on June 28.

Growers ready to lead industry down new road

Peak industry organisation CANEGROWERS is ready and willing to lead the way to a more profitable and diversified future for sugarcane outlined in a new roadmap. “This document has been two and a half years in the making. It is exciting as a cane grower to be at the starting point of a new chapter in our sugarcane industry’s story,” CANEGROWERS Chairman Owen Menkens said. “We are ready to lead the transition, working with existing and new investors.”

Australian sugarcane industry to form working groups to drive bioeconomy boom

Organisations representing the Australian sugarcane industry will form a series of working groups to implement their first whole-of-industry vision and roadmap. The Sugar Plus vision released at the Developing Northern Australia Conference, positions the industry as Fuelling the Future of Food, Energy and Fabrication.

Plan unveiled for sugarcane industry to drive bioeconomy boom

“The sugarcane industry has identified an exciting and transformational future of sustainably producing sugar and bioproducts at the heart of regional communities. The roadmap outlines opportunities for a substantially larger industry. A growing bioeconomy industry will enable Australia to become increasingly self-sufficient, improving economic resilience and national security”: Anne Stünzner, CRCNA CEO.

Biosecurity failures risk billions: NSW Farmers

The state’s peak agricultural body says the Varroa mite outbreak is a stark example of the failures in the national biosecurity system. NSW Farmers Biosecurity Chair Ian McColl said it was clear biosecurity screening protocols at our borders were clearly not at the standard required, and it was time for the federal government to urgently fix the system before it was too late.

Three different figures equal confusion

Emma Pritchard. When Member for Clarence Chris Gulaptis recently announced the promised redevelopment of Grafton Base Hospital (GBH) will become a reality following the unveiling of the NSW Budget for 2022/23, members of the Grafton Base Hospital Community Committee (GBHCC) reacted with confusion ... Speaking with the Clarence Valley Independent last week, members of the GBHCC, including Ron Bell, Des Harvey and Phil Belletty, revealed none of the announcements made by the NSW Government make sense.

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