Federal politics

The Australian Government has announced an additional $15.1 million investment to deliver bushfire-affected softwood to underutilised timber mills, and increase supply of structural timber to the housing and construction industry. Minister for Agriculture and Northern Australia David Littleproud said the government had listened to industry’s concerns to keep product moving.

NSW Farmers told the Senate Inquiry into Definitions of Meat and other Animal Products that alternative proteins will be part of our future, but the word "meat" needs to be protected and that plant-based proteins should be banned from using words like "meat', "beef", "lamb" and "milk".

Minister for Resources and Water, Keith Pitt, has announced that Renascor Resources Ltd has been granted Major Project Status for its $209 million Siviour project, which includes a graphite mine and concentrator located in the Eyre Peninsula and a downstream purified spherical graphite (PSG) manufacturing facility located in Port Adelaide. The Project is now on track to become the first in-country integrated graphite mine and battery anode material operation outside of China, positioning Australia as an important participant in the global battery industry and electric vehicle markets.

“For over a century, CSIRO has been working with farmers and governments to improve life on this great land – but today we’re bringing all of our newest science and technology, from Artificial Intelligence to genetics and smart materials, to bear on overcoming our oldest national challenge – drought,” CSIRO chief executive Dr Larry Marshall said.

Australian researchers have discovered a set of unique and potentially durable resistance genes from exotic barley lines and landraces that breeders can use to develop crops with more stable resistance to powdery mildew.

The agricultural sector is looking at another record-breaking year, with the gross value of production (GVP) forecast to reach $73 billion in 2021-22. ABARES Executive Director Dr Jared Greenville said if the forecast in the  Agricultural Commodities: September Quarter  report proves to be accurate, then it will be the first time the agriculture sector has been valued at over $70 billion."

Mark Knowles. Cape York residents now have unprecedented access to specialist medical care and diagnostics via a new mobile health clinic operated by Heart of Australia. Its new truck, “HEART 4” will see specialists from all over the country unite to give residents in Cooktown and the southern Cape access to cardiology, sonography, cardiac monitoring, sleep diagnostics and respiratory services.

Three major new missions from CSIRO, Australia’s national science agency, will grow Australia’s agriculture and food sectors targeting $20 billion by 2030. The $150 million investment from CSIRO, government and industry will tackle drought, the food export market and growing the protein market.

A flood is coming. The forecast flow downstream of Yarrawonga is estimated to reach 50–60,000 megalitres per day (split between Tuppal and Bullatale Creeks and the Murray River) and the Goulburn has had minor flooding, with flows of 21,000 megalitres a day ... Our food producers now face what is an allocation drought during a flood event.

Blaming bushfires on forestry is just another attempt from those ideologically opposed to forestry to shut down an industry they fundamentally disagree with. There is a constant pattern of behaviour from the those who disagree with the forestry industry of using misinformation and cherry picking from report and science to support their claim. As we currently stand there is no unequivocal or generally accepted evidence that forestry operations increase fire risk.

Australian winter crops are set for another bumper year with favourable conditions and a record amount of land sown to winter crops. ABARES Executive Director Dr Jared Greenville said the Australian Crop Report forecast another harvest well above the historical average.

The Murray-Darling Basin Authority has increased daily releases from Hume Dam to 31GL to manage airspace. The flow rate will keep Murray River levels similar to what they have been in the past few days – a little above channel capacity but well below minor flood level at Albury. The release rate is likely to change in response to changing conditions in the catchment.

Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction Angus Taylor said the 100 millionth ACCU (Australian Carbon Credit Unit) has been issued for the Wilinggin Fire Project, which manages savanna burning in Western Australia’s Kimberley region and is managed by the Ngarinyin people. “The Wilinggin Fire Project is supported and led by the local Indigenous community, and one which returns substantial environmental and economic benefits,” Minister Taylor said ... Savanna fire management projects apply strategic early dry season burning with the aim of reducing the frequency and extent of late dry season fires. This results in fewer greenhouse gas emissions ... ACCUs from savanna fire projects command a premium in the private market.

Australia’s biosecurity detector dog unit has evolved over many years, with the dogs now being trained to detect specific cargo pests and taking part in trials to screen passengers for COVID-19.

Traditional Owner knowledge was shared among land managers in a Cultural Burning workshop held on Kabi Kabi Country at a Sunshine Coast Council environment reserve near Kenilworth recently.

A new exceptional circumstance review for the Department of Health’s Distribution Priority Area (DPA) classification will help regional and rural areas respond to unforeseen workforce and population changes which may be impacting access to local GP services ... “I have heard loud and clear the concerns that the current approach is not capturing current or emerging local pressures, sudden and unexpected changes and unmet demand,” said Federal Regional Health Minister, Dr David Gillespie.

The Greens have introduced a bill to parliament that would ban the export of greyhounds from Australia for commercial purposes including breeding and racing.

Neil J Eagle AO. We now see communities and irrigators questioning why, when dams on the Murrumbidgee and Murray are now pre-releasing or spilling, the allocations remain so low – 30% NSW Murray and 52% Murrumbidgee. The cause dates back to the early 1990s when the anti-irrigation element imbedded in our bureaucracy and, egged on by groups like the ‘Wentworth Group’, began proclaiming our rivers in the Murray-Darling Basin were over-allocated and in dire decline.