Federal politics

As the Middle Eastern wars plunge the world's oil industry into chaos, Central Australia could be sitting pretty. The Mereenie oilfield, 250 kms west of Alice Springs, produces 300 barrels a day (a barrel is 159 litres), of a purity that allows the crude to be used in many diesel engines without refining.

Member for Barwon Roy Butler MP says the fuel supply pressure now being felt across regional New South Wales was foreseeable, avoidable, and made worse by a failure of planning at the federal and state level that he intends to keep pushing back against.

A fifth-generation family operation in Bulahdelah is absorbing a $7,800 weekly fuel surge to keep hardwood moving to Australia's cities. Federal Parliament is now asking why. Forest and Wood Communities Australia is warning that soaring regional fuel prices are threatening the hardwood supply chain that feeds building sites, mine shafts, vineyards, Australia's first green steel facility...

TasFarmers has warned that just as farmers grapple with a fuel supply crisis, alarm is now growing over surging farm fertiliser prices that could push food costs higher and deepen economic pressure ... TasFarmers President, Ian Sauer, said the impact would be felt across the core fertilisers farmers rely on to grow crops.

There's been spirited debate and productive discussion about the Murray–Darling Basin Plan Review (the Review) at the 2026 Basin Leadership Summit. Nearly 200 senior leaders from across communities, agriculture and tourism industries, environmental groups, First Nations, government and science converged in Brisbane over two days to discuss the future management of the Murray–Darling Basin.

Statements from the Hon. Chris Bowen, Minister for Climate Change and Energy, regarding releasing up to 20 per cent of the baseline Minimum Stockholding Obligation for petrol and diesel and temporarily amending Australia's fuel quality standards to allow higher sulfur levels for the next 60 days.

The Housing Industry Association (HIA) has lodged a major submission calling for a comprehensive overhaul of the National Construction Code (NCC), warning that excessive regulation and complexity is slowing the delivery of new homes across Australia.

The Farrer by-election is set for May 9, and two more candidates have been confirmed: Brad Robertson for the Nationals and David Farley for One Nation. One Nation shocked the polls this week with a clear majority at 28.7 per cent according to the AusPoll, closely followed by independent candidate Michelle Milthorpe on 23.3 per cent.

The Nationals are today taking another major step toward preserving Australia’s food security with the tabling of proposed laws to ban federal funding of projects that diminish prime agricultural land, or place it under foreign ownership.

TasFarmers has warned “without fuel there is no food”, calling on governments to guarantee diesel supplies for agriculture and freight as global tensions push fuel prices sharply higher. Diesel prices in parts of Tasmania have risen from about $1.87 to more than $2.17 per litre in the past week, creating uncertainty for farmers, contractors and freight operators across the state.

The news tonight ... was filled with words we didn’t want to hear about the price of fuel. Oil prices skyrocket… Prices scoring… Pain at the petrol pump… Markets in a tailspin. Any driver will see this scenario is starting to play out at country petrol bowsers close to home.

“There is fuel, but it is being kept for the city, a short-sighted approach that will have huge flow-on effects throughout regional areas and right back into the city. Planting is about to start across the electorate of Parkes and elsewhere but without diesel, it won’t happen. And how do farmers get their livestock to market?": Jamie Chaffey.

Gannawarra Shire Council has held discussions with the Victorian Minister for Climate Action, Energy and Resources, Lily D’Ambrosio MP and VicGrid representatives about its concerns regarding the construction of VNI West ... the project involves the construction of a 500-kilovolt double circuit transmission line that will connect the Victorian and New South Wales electricity networks.

Following the successful completion of last week’s flood barrier installation exercise in Rochester, Campaspe Shire Council is reinforcing the importance of maintaining strong flood preparedness measures to protect critical community assets in the town’s civic precinct. The exercise ... involved the full deployment and pack-down of the AquaFence flood barrier system around the Town Hall, Community House, Council service centre and library.

A controversial proposal from an anti-farming environmental group risks handing control of private land to government under the guise of conservation. NSW Farmers’ Conservation and Resource Management Committee Chair Bronwyn Petrie said the Wentworth Group of Scientists’ “Blueprint for a Healthy Country and Thriving Regions” to farmers was deeply disingenuous.

Four years on from one of the biggest floods in living memory across the Northern Rivers region that was also Australia’s biggest natural disaster, people, homes and businesses are still feeling the impact ... On the four-year anniversary of the floods, Deputy Leader of the Federal Nationals, Member for Page Kevin Hogan slammed what had been done to help Lismore recover and rebuild.

The Albanese Government has ... tabled the annual Murray–Darling Basin First Nations water report for 2024–25. This report provides an overview of the progress made in 2024–25 by the Albanese Government to strengthen First Nations peoples’ leadership, knowledge and self determination in water management and planning decisions across the Murray–Darling Basin...

After coming within 0.19 per cent of turning Farrer into a marginal seat at the last election, and delivering significant swings across the electorate, including winning all booths in Albury and securing strong support with wins in Jindera, Corowa, Deniliquin and Leeton, Mrs Milthorpe said the message from voters is clear: "our region is ready for change".