Government’s failed training pledge: Mallee apprenticeship slump
Mallee tradies will be hard pressed to find apprentices to address a skills shortage due to a collapse in trade training under Labor, Member for Mallee Anne Webster says. New data from the National Centre for Vocational Education and Research (NCVER) shows the number of apprenticeships and trainees in training fell by 12.63 per cent in Mallee after the Albanese Labor Government’s first year in office.
Covid jabs, are you up-to-date?
A Supreme Court bombshell in Queensland this week as dozens of police and health workers, including paramedics, won a mammoth legal battle over mandatory vaccination, with the Supreme Court declaring they were unlawful ... It’s been nearly three years since Australian state premiers and chief medical officers forced Australians to choose between a novel Covid-19 vaccine within a phase three trial and feeding their families.
Recent fish deaths reignite management frustration – Part 2
For six generations, the Lunghusen family have farmed on Gunbower Creek. The recent fish deaths have Jason Lunghusen questioning the current management of the creek and how much say the community actually has in these top-down government-run projects.
Government snubs expert advice on biosecurity levy: NFF
Farmers across Australia have been left bamboozled this morning by the Government’s attempt to legislate a new tax on farmers, despite a tidal wave of expert criticism. The Albanese Government this morning tabled new laws to establish the ‘Biosecurity Protection Levy’ - intended to raise $50 million from farmers to bankroll activities that assist importers, airlines and other risk creators.
Trial showcases the future for agricultural traceability: DAFF
Farmers can be confident for the future of strong traceability standards across the board, thanks to the trial of data enabled traceability concepts and a new traceability protocol. As part of the first of three trials, Food Agility partnered with industry to develop the Australian Agricultural Traceability Protocol (AATP).
The government is lost at sea
Why do both sides of federal politics continue to think we need to have a shipbuilding industry as part of our naval defence sector? Every year we spend billions of dollars trying to build ships in Australia when the most cost effective thing to do is import them off the shelf from our allies.
Have your say – rules and regulation for levies legislation: DAFF
Agricultural levy payers and industry bodies have a chance to give their feedback on draft regulations and rules that are part of modernising the agricultural levies legislation. Last year, the Australian Government introduced six bills to make agricultural levies legislation simpler and more consistent.
Prime Minister out of touch with supermarket prices: Littleproud
Leader of The Nationals David Littleproud has hit back at the Prime Minister’s claims that “we are not a Soviet country” amid calls for divestiture powers to bring supermarkets into line ... Mr Littleproud said the Government was obviously never serious about cracking down on supermarket price gouging and was out of touch with Australians doing it tough.
Cairns Group Farm Leaders seek pathway forward on agricultural trade reform at MC13: NFF
The Cairns Group Farm Leaders (Farm Leaders) have reaffirmed their commitment to agricultural trade reform and reinforced the importance of a rules-based trading system at their meeting this month, ahead of the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) Thirteenth Ministerial Conference (MC13). Chair of the Farm Leaders and NFF (Australia) President, David Jochinke, has stressed the importance for MC13 to make much needed progress on key areas of reform such as domestic support, tariff...
Controversial biosecurity levy attracts fresh criticism: NFF
Another independent body has ... raised concerns the Government’s proposed Biosecurity Protection Levy “does not pass critical scrutiny”, validating the claims of Australia’s 85,000 farming families. Independent academics from the Australian National University's Tax and Transfer Policy Institute (TTPI) have backed widespread condemnation of the Government’s proposed policy which is due to come into effect in just a matter of months.
Water options offer hope for farmers: NSW Farmers Association
The state’s peak farming group says the NSW Alternatives to Buybacks Plan clearly puts the onus on the Albanese Government to avoid ruinous water buybacks. The scrapping of important legislative protections – designed to ensure towns and businesses would not be killed off as a result of buybacks under the Murray-Darling Basin Plan...
Darling Downs Independents: A new voice?
With the local government elections looming On Our Selection News presents a media release from a community group called Darling Downs Independents in the interests of political fairness for candidates ... Darling Downs Independents is a dynamic community group dedicated to championing independent candidates for all levels of government in the Darling Downs region, including council, state, and federal elections.
Riverina State Group reaches 800 members
The Riverina State Group has passed the 800-member mark on its way to enrolling 1,500 members and being registered as a political party in time for the next federal election. The group intends to stand candidates in Farrer, Riverina and Eden-Monaro in NSW, and Mallee, Nicholls and possibly Indi in Victoria.
Albo’s backpacker visa changes devastating for regional WA: Love, Kingston
The Opposition has lashed the Federal Government’s proposed changes to the Working Holiday Maker (WHM) program which will come at a cost to regional tourism businesses and the agricultural industry. Leader Shane Love MLA said the proposed changes would significantly reduce the amount of time backpackers could spend in Australia ... and had removed incentives to encourage regional work.
Cattle methane
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.
Managing Varroa Mite “a step forward”
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.
CBD regeneration: don’t mention crime
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.
Utes the end of an era
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.
Government is blind to housing needs
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.
Water buyback framework fails
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.
Weir update
Mark Coulton, speaking to ABC Broken Hill on Monday, said he understood that due to Covid, a flood, etc there had been some unavoidable delays to the new Wilcannia Weir. However he is now at a loss as to why, at 5 minutes to midnight, the NSW government has changed the design of the weir.
Wilcannia’s new health service opens its doors to the community
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.
