Labor axes successful agriculture program against its own advice: Hunter
Shadow Minister for Agriculture Lachlan Hunter MLA has slammed the Cook Labor Government for ignoring its own independent review into the Grower Group Alliance (GGA) and DPIRD Collaboration. Mr Hunter said the review, commissioned by the Labor Government, clearly recommended increased investment into the program, yet the Minister for Agriculture instead chose to axe the program entirely.
Australia’s food security at risk as farmers consider quitting: Littleproud
Leader of The Nationals David Littleproud said the latest 2025 AUSVEG Industry Sentiment Report shows Australia’s food security is at risk, as two in five growers consider leaving the industry. Mr Littleproud said the decision to walk away is being affected by Labor’s anti-agriculture policies, including red tape impacting productivity and profitability...
Cascading, compounding and concurrent – National Climate Risk Assessment shows why climate action is so important: Bowen, Wilson, Thwaites
...The National Climate Risk Assessment (NCRA) finds that no Australian community will be immune from climate risks that will be cascading, compounding and concurrent ... Today the National Climate Risk Assessment is clear: while we can no longer avoid climate impacts, every action we take today towards our goal of net zero by 2050 will help avoid the worst impacts on Australian communities and businesses.
The Pacific solution: How does it work?
Omika Upadhayay. Being a recent migrant myself, hailing from Nepal, I’ve had more than a little to do with the Australian immigration system ... One way farmers are cutting through this bureaucratic headache is by working with an approved employment provider and sourcing workers through the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) Scheme.
The great Australian skills black hole: Why the bush can’t find a mechanic, builder or plumber
Australia has not just a skills shortage but a worker shortage of any skill when it comes to finding people in the bush who actually want to work. Out there in the real world there is no longer a shortage of mechanics or tractor drivers — it’s the whole backbone of the trades. Builders, sparkies, plumbers: the people who keep farms, houses and small towns from grinding to a halt.
Warhol heading to Mudgee as Sharing the National Collection celebrates one million: Burke
Over a million people have experienced the wonder of the national collection closer to home since it launched in 2023, and now it’s Mudgee’s turn. A collection of works by some of the 20th century’s most notable artists will travel to Mudgee Arts Precinct as part of the Albanese Labor Government’s Sharing the National Collection program.
Shot-hole borer threat requires urgent national action: Hunter
The WA Opposition has called for an urgent, nationally coordinated response to the spread of the destructive polyphagous shot-hole borer, following revelations that Western Australia has abandoned efforts to eradicate the pest after more than 5,000 trees were lost in the Perth metropolitan area.
Flow-on effect – a decade of science, smarter watering, healthier Basin: Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder
A report released in partnership with Australia’s national science agency CSIRO, Commonwealth environmental water sustaining Murray–Darling Basin ecosystems: 10-year (2014–24) retrospective, outlines how a decade of monitoring, evaluation and reporting is optimising management of Commonwealth environmental water holdings – a public asset with a market value approaching $10 billion.
Victorian Farmers Federation statement: In response to Victoria’s Statewide Treaty Agreement
The VFF acknowledges the Victorian Government announcement that it has reached an in-principle agreement on Australia’s first Treaty. “The introduction of this legislation today will be the first time it’s been seen by many stakeholders."
New test flight facility lets drone operators test tech in extreme conditions: CDU
A new drone test flight facility in the Northern Territory will give manufacturers the chance to test their technology in some of the most diverse terrain and extreme weather conditions in the world. The North Australia Centre for Autonomous Systems (NACAS), based out of Charles Darwin University (CDU), has launched its Airspace Integration Research Facility (AIR-F), the only purpose-designed and built Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) test flight facility based in northern Australia.
Algal bloom delegation meets PM
Yorke Peninsula Council has taken its algal bloom advocacy all the way to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. Acting Mayor Richard Carruthers was part of a delegation of SA mayors, industry leaders and marine experts that travelled to Canberra to seek more bloom support ...
The Great Koala National Park announcement: Vic Jurskis
Premier Chris Minns says it’s unthinkable that koalas are at risk of extinction. He’s spot on. Koalas are not now and never have been at risk of extinction ... Environment Minister Penny Sharpe says the Great Koala National Park has been a dream for more than a decade. Indeed. The Great Koala Park is the culmination of a campaign by NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service to extend their empire ... Agriculture Minister Tara Moriarty says the Government is committed to a sustainable forestry industry in NSW. I think her ministerial title gives the lie to that.
Labor’s koala park announcement a massive kick in the guts for regional jobs: Williamson
Clarence Nationals MP Richie Williamson has slammed the Minns Labor Government’s announcement of the 476,000-hectare Great Koala National Park, describing it as “a massive kick in the guts” for regional communities across the Richmond and Clarence valleys and the wider North Coast region.
Forestry Australia: Koala Park ignores the science, risks worse outcomes for koalas and community
Forestry Australia, the nation’s leading body representing forest scientists, managers and growers, expresses its dismay at the New South Wales State Government’s decision to create a Great Koala National Park without a clear, science-led plan to deliver measurable outcomes and avoid negative flow on consequences.
The Great Koala National Park: Minns, Sharpe, Moriarty, Saffin
The Minns Labor Government has confirmed the next major step delivering on an election commitment to protect koalas in the wild, announcing the proposed boundary for the Great Koala National Park, alongside a comprehensive plan to support workers, industry and local communities ... The park will reserve 176,000 hectares of state forest and connect with existing national parks to create a 476,000-hectare reserve – one of the largest in NSW.
Regional Australia continues to attract metro movers amid national slowdown: RAI, CBA
NSW border town of Albury experienced a 16-fold increase in net migration from capitals in the year to June 2025. Regional Australia remains a strong draw for city dwellers, with 26 per cent more people relocating from capital cities to regional areas than vice versa, according to the June Quarter Regional Mover Index (RMI).
Bill shock for farmers on renewables: NSW Farmers Association
NSW Farmers is calling for urgent protections for farmers who host renewables after the former Energy Infrastructure Commissioner warned farmers could be on the hook for millions in the future. In an interview published on Wednesday, former Energy Infrastructure Commissioner Andrew Dyer warned farmers could be left “on the hook” for the costs of decommissioning old renewable installations on their farms, if contracts were unclear on “who pays what”.
Producer data cannot be compromised
With calls this week from green groups for supermarket chains to have access to our national traceability system, AgForce Cattle President Lloyd Hick reassures members that AgForce resolutely stands against this or any proposal for broader access to producer data. This comes after Coles announcing its move to source deforestation-free beef by the end of the year…
Funding vital for Haydays
Haydays retirement hostel is facing an imminent crisis, due to the building’s ageing infrastructure. The centre, which first opened in 1968, is just two or three years away from closing, unless vital refurbishments can be undertaken, to ensure the facility is compliant with all Aged Care Commission regulations, according to the Haydays Management Board.
Blown tyres and scam
Have you ever driven the stretch between Naracoorte and Bordertown and feared the next bump might leave you with a blown tyre or bent rim? If so, you’re not alone. Locals say the road has become notorious for sudden drop-offs, crumbling shoulders, and dangerous edges—some as deep as 15 centimetres—that have left motorists with costly repair bills and a lingering sense of frustration.
Record highs as ag, fish and forestry sectors crack $100 billion: ABARES
Australia’s agriculture, fisheries and forestry production is expected to hit a record combined value of $101.6 billion in 2025-2026, according to the latest ABARES forecasts released today. ABARES Executive Director Dr Jared Greenville said the new record value was mostly down to livestock.
Indigenous community and Bendigo’s last remote bank on hit list
Bendigo Bank closed its last remaining banking service in an Aboriginal community 27 days before celebrating the launch of its Aboriginal Reconciliation Action Plan. The Aurukun agency in far north Queensland was one of 27 to be closed in 2022-2023 under the eye of the bank’s now chief executive Richard Fennell when he was in charge of the consumer banking division.
