Federal politics

Cattle Australia has urged the federal government to rethink the role of methane in the beef industry in its decisions on how Australia will tackle climate change in the future. CA, which is the peak council for the grassed beef sector, said a single focus on absolute emissions reduction under current carbon dioxide-equivalent accounting frameworks was detrimental for the beef industry.

The battle to prevent Varroa Mite has entered a new phase with the National Management Group approving the Transition to Management plan to manage the invasive pest, a move one of the region’s largest beekeepers says is a step in the right direction ... “There’s been a lot more going on in the industry than just Varroa,” Steve Fuller said.

Public safety was mentioned frequently during the public consultation about “regenerating” the Alice Springs town centre but the resulting report provides little of value. In the Town Council’s latest Mall initiative the final presentation, now up for public comment, does not contain the words CPTED, vandalism, anti-social nor crime.

This week I thought I would join the lack of EV charging stations across regional WA together with the Australian government's adoption of the strict new Euro 6d emissions standards and give you my views on what this is likely to mean politically and its potential to redefine Australia.

Member for Indi, Helen Haines, said governments need to do better when she addressed an audience of local governments, not- for-profits, peak bodies and housing advocates as a keynote speaker at the National Regional Housing Summit in Canberra last Friday.

There is not much Wakool mixed farmer John Lolicato doesn’t know about water ... The recent release of the Restoring our Rivers draft framework has once again left him shaking his head ... John said this buyback is disastrous for the region environmentally, economically and socially.

Services are now being provided from Wilcannia’s Health and Wellbeing Centre in Bonney St, off Ross Street, following a move to the new facility over the past three days ... Services provided at the Wilcannia Health and Wellbeing Centre will be the same as those provided at the previous health service.

The Authority met with the Hon Tanya Plibersek Minister for the Environment and Water, to discuss Basin issues. The Authority noted the Minister’s announcement of 30 January 2024 launching new programs to deliver the Basin Plan in full. Members were further briefed by representatives of the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water.

Bendigo and Adelaide Bank is calling on the Federal Government to quarantine regional Australia’s fair share of the Housing Australia Future Fund (HAFF). We would like to see 40 per cent of the HAFF directed to regional Australia to support population growth, address the regional housing crisis, and unlock the economic potential of Australia’s regional communities.

The implementation plan to assist in delivery of Australia’s first National Biosecurity Strategy (NBS), a collaborative, national approach to protecting Australia from exotic pests and diseases backed by all government agriculture ministers, has been released.

After slashing NAB's regional branches by a third Ross McEwan is bailing before a senate inquiry into the closures reports. Miniscule savings at the cost of trashing the bank's reputation in a critical lending base. What will his legacy be?

The National Farmers’ Federation has flagged the rushed backroom deals that will allow the industrial relations reforms through today, will leave farmers to deal with legislation fraught with problems. NFF Chief Executive Tony Mahar said the suite of measures would deliver more uncertainty for farmers, more power for union bosses, and a less dynamic economy for workers. 

Within a day of supermarkets lodging their submissions to the Senate inquiry established to review their own pricing practices, it’s clear their defences rely more on deflection than fact.

NSW farmers and politicians have been lied to about the state of South Australia’s Lower Lakes, with Independent Member for Murray, Helen Dalton, calling on NSW Premier Chris Minns to visit the area immediately. "We have all been conned and it must stop," Ms Dalton said.

Did anyone notice the announcement dropped just before Christmas of the new emissions rules that will impact sales of most of the popular utes SUVs and 4WDs farmers and tradies rely on? ... For those who know their cars, the days are numbered for the number series 75s, 80s, 300s, 150s,  300s, not to mention the Raptors, Rams or even the bog standard Hilux, Triton and Nivara.

The Reckless Renewables Rally brought to together 116 regional community groups with a message for Federal politicians to suspend their reckless rollout ... ‘People living in our cities are being deceived. Rural and regional communities are being socially fractured, divided up and hollowed out by our own government and their energy corporation’s working in unison with home grown renewables zealots and foreign renewable energy company carpetbaggers’: Chairman of PRA Jim Willmott.

The Australian Government has released the 2024 State of Australia’s Regions report. This new report showcases data and insights on key issues and opportunities impacting Australia’s regions – further building the evidence base that supports our commitment to targeted and coordinated regional investment that works better for people and regions.

Farmers and industry fear Labor’s imminent updates to the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) Scheme could result in workers from nine Pacific Island countries and Timor-Leste permanently receiving better pay conditions in some circumstances than Australian farm workers, placing an undue burden on employers. 

The government agency tasked with looking after the interests of the state’s primary production has undertaken no modelling to understand the possible impact mass water buybacks will have on the South Australian agricultural production, it can be revealed … Dr Nicola Centofanti, said she is appalled with the Malinauskas Labor Government’s “talk first, think later” approach towards the River Murray.

Barry Large. There's an awful lot of noise being made right now about the prices every day Australians are being charged at the checkout, whilst the big supermarkets rake-in record profits. Added to this political rhetoric driven by the cost-of-living crisis is an apparent concern about the need to ensure Australian farmers receive their fair share of the retail dollar.

Yet again another strike on the wharfs ends in a cave in by the stevedores. Last week DP World, which is owned by the Dubai Royal Family, agreed to increase wages by 25 per cent over the next four years to end a rolling series of stoppages that has gone on for months. That works out about double the predicted inflation rate with almost no productivity trade offs ... Welcome back to the thinking of the 1970s.