NSW

The Friends of Lord Howe Island ran their 93rd weeding ecotour 20 to 27 August. Twenty-two people came from Sydney, Brisbane and Victoria to participate. On this trip, the Friends again assisted the Lord Howe Island Board weed team with projects. One was a visit to Blackburn Island to plant out more small trees as part of the revegetation program there.

Vincent Savolainen. Professor Vincent Savolainen has come back to Lord Howe Island to set up new research about the role that underground fungi may play in generating and maintaining plant diversity ... Our understanding of how species originate has changed considerably since Darwin's seminal work. One aspect, however, that has been totally ignored is the role that microbes can play in driving plant and animal diversity.

Suzie Christensen. Meet Willow, the newest potential recruit to the LHIB’s Biosecurity detection dog team. Arriving on island from Perth at 13 weeks old, this little Cocker Spaniel is being evaluated for her suitability to island life, and if all goes well she will begin her training in detecting invasive species.

Robert Johnston’s dogs wait for their master’s call – all 20 of them. Every afternoon, Robert would take the dogs on a run across the paddocks of his Tatham property. He’d be on the quad bike and the dogs would run behind, tongues hanging out as they followed their master ... The dogs are waiting for their run. Waiting for Robert. There’s no way to tell them he isn’t coming.

Rodney Stevens. 'Don't drown our town...Stop the fill'. Those were the chants that echoed across Ford Park and the Yamba Markets on Sunday as more than 100 concerned residents donned red and held up 'Stop the fill' signs to protest against the continual parade of b-doubles dumping fill for floodplain developments ... "They've written to council, they've contacted council over the years about the drainage, about the floodwater in their homes, about the lack of an overall plan and nothing happens."

Emma Pritchard. Oliver Waite from Grafton was thrilled to win first place in the Quilts Across Australia section at EKKA earlier this month with a stunning creation he has been working on for the past eight months. Measuring 180cm x 200cm, the perfect size for his single bed, Oliver’s award-winning masterpiece encapsulates the bright colours of fire and heat and caught the attention of the judges with his precision and skill.

Out now!

Out now!

This year Forestry Corporation will plant around 14.7 million seedlings to grow timber that builds the homes, houses and infrastructure of Australia in forests. That’s the equivalent of 28 trees planted every single minute of every day throughout 2022 and a substantial contribution to the state’s communities, economy, building industry and carbon sequestration: Forestry Corp NSW CEO, Anshul Chaudhary. 

Cudal Show Society

The presence of White Spot has been confirmed in an enclosed prawn facility in the north of NSW by NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI) and the Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness. White Spot is a highly contagious viral infection that affects crustaceans and can cause major mortalities in farmed prawns ... “The detection is within an enclosed prawn facility and was identified during routine testing carried out by our DPI Biosecurity Team.: Minister for Agriculture Dugald Saunders

Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) crews across the State are being trained to use state-of-the-art drone technology to assist in firefighting operations and other emergencies ... The RPAS are equipped with thermal imaging cameras and laser technology that can detect variable heat temperatures, identify people or animals under threat in a fire zone and measure the size of an area impacted by fire.

Celebrate the amazing environment, biodiversity and threatened species that call the Gloucester region home this September as part of the Gloucester Wild Festival. Australia is home to more than 500,000 animal and plant species, many of which are found nowhere else in the world. In NSW there are close to 1000 species at risk of extinction, 116 of which are located in the Gloucester region.

Record-breaking cotton production in Australia in 2021-22 is being reflected in the business cash inflows of NAB’s cotton growing customers, the July NAB Economics Data Insights: Agriculture report shows. The report shows business cash inflows for the bank’s agriculture, forestry and fishing customers continue to grow at a rapid pace, underpinned by a monster winter crop, strong commodity prices, and more recently, a record-breaking cotton bonanza.

Dog owners are being cautioned to keep an eye on their animals this spring to ensure a simple frolic does not end with a trip to the veterinarian. Charles Sturt University academics are leading the country in research that could provide widespread benefits for dog owners and veterinarians across the globe.

Despite resuming from a spell since scoring at the track last April, Miss Santorini is poised for a successful return in the Club North Haven Camden Haven Cup at Port Macquarie on Saturday. After breaking her maiden status with a commanding victory over Father’s Day at Mudgee earlier in the year, the daughter of Eurozone was sent to the spelling paddock after accounting for Luminoso at the Port circuit four months ago.

Mr Beasley’s divisive and abrasive approach to the River Murray is illustrated in his 2021 book, Dead In The Water ... "A successful advocacy role in the Murray-Darling Basin requires having the confidence of the Basin communities – which include irrigators, other businesses, and the public. I’m not convinced that appointing a Sydney lawyer, who believes water buybacks are the only way forward, will wash with these communities" : Opposition Minister for Water Resources and the River Murray Nicola Centofanti.

Prominent barrister and author, Richard Beasley SC, has been appointed South Australia’s Commissioner for the River Murray ... "Having a Commissioner for the River Murray sends a clear message to upstream states that South Australia is serious about defending its water rights, including the 450 gigalitres promised but not delivered": SA Minister for Climate, Environment and Water, Susan Close MP

Mayors converged on Temora Shire last Friday, to discuss health related matters. The heads of both Hilltops Region, Mayor Margaret Roles and Narrandera Shire, Mayor Neville Kschenka met with Mayor Rick Firman of Temora Shire. The leaders discussed the issue of lack of dialysis services in their communities.

The Narrandera District Garden Club’s 2022 Camellia Show at the weekend was one of the best ever, with 960 blooms of exceptional quality on display in the Narrandera Ex-servicemen’s Club auditorium. Garden Club Secretary Denise di Dalvia said it was one of the best shows she had seen in years and attracted a very high quality of blooms from visiting and local exhibitors.