The 2024 Animal Health in Australia Report is out now
We’re excited to announce the release of the 2024 Animal Health in Australia (AHiA) Annual Report — your annual summary of key achievements, disease investigations, surveillance activities and updates to policies and programs in Australia’s animal health system.
From whisper to warrant: $4.4 million of illicit tobacco seized: ATO
The Australian Taxation Office (ATO), with support from Victoria Police, has seized and destroyed over 20 tonnes of illicit tobacco from a property North-East of Shepparton, Victoria. On Thursday 5 June a search warrant revealed a mature tobacco crop spanning nearly 6 acres, the equivalent of approximately 456 tennis courts.
Murray Darling Basin update
At its final meeting for 2024, the Condamine Catchment Management Association (CCMA) tackled a big question: how healthy is the water in our rivers? ... Using decades of data, maps, legislation and monitoring reports, Dr Paul Webb explored what we know – and what we don't – about the state of our waterways.
Council rejects VNI West project in its current form
Northern Grampians Shire councillors will call on the State Government to find an alternative to its VNI West transmission line project amid fears for the nation’s food security along with community mental health and wellbeing. Victoria to NSW Interconnector West – known as VNI West – is a proposed new 500kV double circuit transmission line connecting high-voltage electricity grids in New South Wales and Victoria.
Labor risks trading beef industry away in US trade talks: Littleproud
Leader of The Nationals David Littleproud said he feared the Albanese Government was prepared to trade away Australia’s biosecurity advantage to appease the Trump Administration, after reports the Government had put beef imports on the negotiating table. Mr Littleproud said Australia’s strong biosecurity must remain a priority, instead of being used as a bargaining tool by Labor.
New technology for timely identification of foreign pests: DAFF
A breakthrough in how we identify pests entering Australia has now been successfully tried and tested in Sydney. ‘MALDI-TOF’ and ‘MinION’ are new diagnostic systems being adopted in our border biosecurity operations that use protein and DNA profiles to rapidly identify species through automated data matching.
Ag production figures fall as outcomes for some rest on a knife’s edge: ABARES
The gross value of Australia’s agricultural production is expected to fall by 2.8 per cent to $90.7 billion in 2025-26, driven by lower crop and livestock production volumes, according to the June quarter forecasts released by ABARES ...
NFF says wage growth must be matched by productivity gains
“As price takers, farm businesses have limited capacity to absorb higher labour costs without a corresponding uplift in productivity. Without this link, wage growth risks undermining the viability of many small and family-run farm operations”: Troy Williams, NFF.
River flow assessment ‘far from reality’?
Hugh Schuitemaker and Sebastian Calderon. Senior Riverland politicians say a recent assessment praising the impacts of environmental watering fails to acknowledge economic challenges faced by local primary producers. A recent comprehensive assessment of environmental outcomes in South Australia, conducted by the State Government under the Murray Darling Basin Plan, states environmental water is having a positive impact on ecosystems, biodiversity and habitat quality.
Federal drought support falls short, say SA grain producers
Michelle Daw. Grain Producers South Australia says new federal drought support measures will offer limited immediate relief to grain producers facing severe financial pressure across SA.
Australia-Indonesia bird flu partnership takes flight on global stage: CSIRO
A new avian influenza collaboration between CSIRO, Australia’s national science agency, and Indonesia has gained international recognition in Paris overnight, with endorsement from the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) ... The three-year initiative, called BICOLLAB, was formally endorsed at the World Assembly of Delegates during WOAH’s General Session...
Australia Post works behind scenes on Narrandera Post Office location
Australia Post is working to establish ongoing arrangements for its Post Office in Narrandera and is grateful to locals for their patience and understanding.
VNI West loses social license
Despite our vast natural resources, Australia now has some of the highest electricity prices in the world and the road to “renewables” seems bumpier than ever. The Gannawarra Shire Council meeting last week, saw a motion to oppose the VNI West electricity transmission project planned to pass through the municipality, approved. (April fools image)
Irrigated farms, the missing environmental and fodder link
More than 17 years after the Federal Government commenced water buybacks, without a single environmental impact study, a local Victorian dairy farm highlighted the ideal refuge they have with a family of Brolgas visiting this week.
Regional Australia still waiting on bank reforms outlined in senate report
One of the most important Federal Government inquiries into welfare issues specific to regional Australia in decades handed down its final report a year ago this week ... the recommendations are still languishing in a no-man’s-land of neither being accepted or rejected.
Review finds Basin Plan environmental flows boosting River Murray ecosystems, biodiversity: Close
A comprehensive assessment of environmental outcomes in South Australia under the Murray Darling Basin Plan shows environmental water is having a positive impact on ecosystems, biodiversity and habitat quality. Among the findings was that increased freshwater flows through the barrages has increased the resilience of fish species including black bream, greenback flounder and small-mouthed hardyhead.
Council calls for fair share of grant funding
Hay Shire Council has joined other Local Government Areas in their bid for a fair distribution of Financial Assistance Grants (FAGs) from both the Federal and State Governments. General Manager, David Webb said there is a general belief that the current model favours metropolitan regions over rural and remote councils.
Federal Election 2025 – Wilcannia polling place 1st preference results
Bob Wilson of the Indigenous - Aboriginal Party of Australia (IAPA) got the most 1st preference votes in our town.
Barmah Choke trade opportunity for new irrigation year: MDBA
The Murray–Darling Basin Authority (MDBA) Executive Director of River Management Jacqui Hickey said water available to trade downstream of the Narrows (Barmah Choke) on 1 July 2025 would be about 39 gigalitres (GL), around 17 GL less than last season.
Gannawarra Shire Council formalises Emergency Services and Volunteers Fund stance
Gannawarra Shire Council has formalised its opposition to the State Government’s implementation of the Emergency Services and Volunteers Fund. Councillors approved an urgent item motion at last week’s Council meeting opposing the fund, which will come into effect in July to support VICSES, Triple Zero Victoria, the State Control Centre, Forest Fire Management Victoria and Emergency Recovery Victoria, as well as the Country Fire Authority (CFA) and Fire Rescue Victoria (FRV).
REZ map redrawn to zero in on Mallee communities
Member for Mallee, Dr. Anne Webster, says the Victorian Labor government has sharpened its sights on Marnoo, Navarre, Beulah, Warracknabeal, Normanville and Quambatook to bear the brunt of the VNI West transmission line, wind turbine and solar panel burden of their energy targets.
Opinion: The climate of climate change has changed
Something’s shifted. You can feel it in the air — and no, I’m not talking about carbon dioxide, the superfood of plants. I’m talking about the political climate, the social mood, the economic headwinds, and, most importantly, the dawning realisation across much of the Western world that Net Zero isn’t the pathway to the promised land — it’s a mirage.
