About time government reps speak up on GAB CO2 project: WQAC
The 24 councils of Western Queensland have welcomed recent public comment from state and federal representatives which add a boost to the growing call to shut down Glencore’s proposed injection of industrial waste into the Great Artesian Basin. The Western Queensland Alliance of Councils (WQAC) is encouraged by responses from Premier Steven Miles, Senator Murray Watt and earlier Minister Glenn Butcher regarding the Glencore-owned carbon capture and storage project.
Australian agriculture passes vote of no confidence in the Albanese Government: NFF
The National Farmers’ Federation’s Members Council, comprising Australia’s state and commodity agricultural organisations, has today carried three motions: 1. That the NFF no longer has confidence in the Albanese Government to act in the interests of Australian agriculture ... “Farmers, fishers and foresters feel they are being treated with contempt as this Government pursues its single-minded policy agenda": David Jochinke.
Barmah Choke trade opportunity for new irrigation year: MDBA
The Barmah Choke water trade balance to start the 2024–25 water year will deliver trade opportunity for irrigators. The Murray–Darling Basin Authority (MDBA) Acting Executive Director of River Management Angus Paton said approximately 56 gigalitres (GL) of water would be available to trade downstream of the Barmah Choke on 1 July 2024. “This projected figure is 4 GL less than the 60 GL made available for the 2023–24 season…
Coalition legacy delivers for Bordertown
Charlotte Edmunds. Member for Barker Tony Pasin MP has joined the Tatiara District Council to officially open the new worker accommodation at Bordertown. The $680,000 project has built two, four-unit accommodation blocks at the Bordertown Caravan Park to help address the need to accommodate the local workforce.
Federal Budget ignores Mallee again
The Albanese Government has yet again ignored Mallee in last night’s Federal Budget, delaying local infrastructure projects, failing to provide new money for Mallee programs and refusing to fix Labor’s self-made cost-of-living crisis, Member for Mallee Dr Anne Webster says. “The Prime Minister said when he was elected two years ago, ‘no one would be held back, no one would be left behind’, but that’s only if you live in a capital city and not in Mallee,” Dr Webster said. “I have pored through the budget and found no references to any projects or benefits for Mallee, Wimmera, Sunraysia or the Grampians.
Murray Watt is a wounded Minister
Yesterday in Canberra, the WAFarmers and the National Farmers' Federation (NFF) joined a walk out of the federal Agriculture Minister Murray Watt during the budget breakfast, with industry leaders wearing a ‘Keep the Sheep’ tee shirt. The Minister was not impressed ... The farmers might be irrelevant to the ALP, but the voting public are suspicious of governments that are seen to sell out the farmers that grow the grain used to breed the geese that feed the workers that mine the gold that the government uses to buy votes.
Investment to deliver a future made in Australia: King, McBain, Brown, Chisholm
The Albanese Government’s reforms to the Infrastructure Investment Program, to make it more sustainable, mean we can invest in new projects around the nation. This Budget provides $16.5 billion for new and existing projects across Australia over ten years to improve productivity, liveability, and sustainability.
Securing Australia’s critical minerals, exploration and processing industries: King
The 2024-25 Budget supports the further development of Australia’s rich endowment in critical minerals, while investing in programs for downstream processing and manufacturing technologies needed to help the world lower emissions ... A Future Made in Australia needs critical minerals. The Albanese Government is committed to ensuring we can capitalise on the great opportunity provided by critical minerals and the global clean energy transition.
Budget draws mixed reaction
Federal Member for Indi, Helen Haines, has welcomed much needed cost of living relief in Tuesday’s federal budget and a huge boost for the Flying Fruit Fly Circus School on the Border. Dr Haines’ key priorities in the Indi Budget Submission included cost of living relief, investment in regional housing, health care and regional development ... Dr Haines expressed disappointment and concern that the budget delivered no increased funding for the Growing Regions Program and regional Precincts and Partnerships Program.
Federal budget a missed opportunity: GrainGrowers
The federal budget is another missed opportunity to increase regional support through targeted agricultural investments directed at boosting the long-term profitability of grain farming communities. GrainGrowers Chair Rhys Turton said while the budget delivers some positive initiatives, rural industry was looking for a “cost of production” budget to address some of the underlying pressures now being felt across the rural sector.
Federal budget under fire: TasFarmers calls for strategic investments
TasFarmers, Tasmania’s peak agricultural organisation has expressed disappointment in this year's federal budget saying it was underwhelming, lacked strategic vision, and failed to grasp the economic opportunity presented by agriculture and even going so far as to suppress it. The President of TasFarmers, Ian Sauer, said the government had failed to grasp several opportunities in water, education and getting rid of the proposed biosecurity tax.
2024-25 Budget analysis: Waterfind
On 14 May 2024, the Treasurer delivered the Federal Budget. The key themes of the Budget were addressing cost of living pressures and a ‘future made in Australia.’ ... Waterfind has analysed the May 2024 Budget, and has provided commentary from a ‘water’ perspective on the key initiatives, funding and changes from previous budgets.
Trust is something that is hard to win but easy to lose
If there was ever a time to take a close look at the relationship Australia’s major banks have with the word “trust” it is now. After more than a year of hearings nationwide and an unprecedented 600-plus submissions, the Federal Senate Inquiry into Regional Bank Closures concludes and the committee will table its final report on May 24 (postponed from May 16. No reasons given).
2024-2025 Federal Budget – What it means for regional and agribusiness: NAB
Overnight, NAB’s team of leading economists has analysed the 2024-2025 Federal Budget, looking at what it means for regional Australia and agribusiness. The government is allocating $519.1 million from the Future Drought Fund over the next eight years from 2024-25...
Budget breakfast walkout – Agriculture sector protests sheep trade shut down: NFF
In an unprecedented move at today's Agricultural Industry Budget Breakfast, the National Farmers' Federation and multiple peak agricultural bodies walked out during the Minister for Agriculture Murray Watt's address. Together they demonstrated to the Minister he had crossed a line by announcing a radical 4-year timeline to banning live sheep exports on Saturday.
Senate inquiry search for solutions to fire ant threat unearths overlooked local answer right under our noses
The man who developed ANTagonistPRO rapid response large-area treatment, David Priddy, says he is perplexed that used and proven Australian solutions, formulated for Australian conditions, have been largely overlooked to date within the National Fire Ant Eradication programme in favour of slower imported solutions ... David Priddy speaks to Australian Rural & Regional News.
A positive future for the Murray Darling Basin Plan: Shing
The prospectus has been developed following extensive and meaningful engagement by, with, and for Victoria’s Basin communities. It details the next steps Victoria will take following the Commonwealth Government’s decision to buy back up to 450 GL of additional water.
Farmers wiped out by live sheep ban: VFF
The Victorian Farmers Federation (VFF) says the federal Labor government’s decision to ban live sheep sea exports could have dire consequences for Victorian farmers and demonstrates a complete lack of understanding of the entire agricultural industry. VFF President Emma Germano said the move has sent shockwaves across the industry and has left many local farmers questioning the motive of our decision makers.
$107 million to support phase out of live sheep exports by sea: Watt
The export of live sheep by sea from Australia will end on 1 May 2028, with legislation enacting the phase out to be introduced in this term of Parliament ... While the live sheep export industry has been in decline for many years, down from $415m in 2002-03 to $77m in 2022-23, the demand for processed sheepmeat both here and overseas has been rapidly expanding. This presents an opportunity for more processing to occur onshore in WA ...
NFF condemns Government’s shock timeline for live sheep phase-out
The National Farmers' Federation (NFF) says farmers have been left shocked after Agriculture Minister Murray Watt announced a radical 4-year timeline to phase out live sheep exports ... "I’d say to farmers – stand tall and don’t lose hope. We’re proud of the vital role we play in feeding and clothing people all around the world. We will not allow this Government's sucking up to activists rob us of that pride": Tony Mahar, NFF CEO.
Coalition will reinstate live sheep exports, as Labor’s shutdown timeframe revealed: Littleproud
Leader of The Nationals David Littleproud said a future Coalition Government will maintain the live sheep trade if it wins the next election, after Labor announced its live sheep export shutdown timeframe, with Agriculture Minister Murray Watt revealing a $107 million plan to ‘transition’ the industry by May 1, 2028 ... Warranine park farmer Ellen Walker from Brookton, WA, went to two meetings with the independent panel in Kondinin and York and said she was devastated by Minister Watt’s announcement today.
Misleading biosecurity tax ‘consultation’ called out: GPA
Grain Producers Australia says continued references to the consultations held with farmers on the Federal Government’s proposed Biosecurity Tax are grossly misleading and need to be called out. A Senate Inquiry report was handed down on Friday and delivered a brutal assessment of the levy/tax policy.
