New President launches national campaign against anti-farming policies: NFF
An unprecedented campaign against anti-farming policies has been launched by new NFF President David Jochinke in his first day in the role. Speaking in Canberra at the National Farmers’ Federation National Conference, Mr Jochinke called on parliamentarians to stand up against policies which threaten to slash billions from farm production.
Trade deal a cheap photo opp: NSW Farmers Association
A rotten free trade deal with Europe would be a cheap photo opportunity that sells out farmers and rural communities, a peak body warns. Murray River farmer and NSW Farmers Board member Chris Stillard said there were grave concerns the Albanese Government would ignore the agriculture sector and sign up to a bad trade deal with Europe...
A Basin con
Who would have thought that politics would breed dishonesty and half-truths? The latest push by Federal Labor water minister, Tanya Plibersek, is a perfect example ... Plibersek’s Bill passed the Lower House last week, with a potential vote in the Senate on November 9 ... no appetite to wait for the outcome of the Productivity Commission’s Interim Report due in December, shock horror.
Calls to remove fuel tax
Remove the fuel tax and allow our families to save money at the pumps. That’s the call from Member of Barker and shadow transport minister Tony Pasin, claiming the Labor Government’s “cost of living crisis was out of control” and one just needed to look at the high fuel prices. Mr Pasin said Australians were paying record-high prices for their fuel when they could least afford it...
Telstra secrets
Telstra expects the SA Government will announce during its Country Cabinet meeting in Naracoorte a commitment to partially fund 27 mobile phone towers ... Telstra pushed for secrecy and closed doors during a presentation which rolled on for almost an hour at the October 13 meeting of the Limestone Coast Local Government Association (LCLGA) in Kingston.
Calls for Labor to come clean on live sheep export ban: Littleproud
Leader of The Nationals and Shadow Agriculture Minister David Littleproud is calling on Labor to release the findings of an Independent Panel Report into the ban of live sheep exports ... “Minister Watt didn’t have the courage to travel with the panel and look farmers in the eye himself to say he was stopping the trade – so the least he can do is release the report”: Leader of The Nationals and Shadow Agriculture Minister David Littleproud.
Landmark legislation protects Queensland energy workers and public ownership: de Brenni
The Palaszczuk Government has taken the next steps to enshrine the Queensland Energy and Jobs Plan into law, with a commitment to legislate renewable energy targets, and guarantee the financial security of workers. Following months of consultation, the Energy (Renewable Transformation and Jobs) Bill 2023 was introduced to Parliament after receiving overwhelming support from the community and industry.
A puzzle in the night sky
The Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) will not comment on multiple observations by several people of a brightly lit object in the controlled airspace of Alice Springs, over a period of several months ... The sightings are always to the east of Alice Springs, at various heights in the night sky and usually still visible when all the stars are already gone from view at dawn.
Calls for citizen scientists to spring into action on conservation efforts: MDBA
Citizen scientists are being called to swap their backyards for a local waterway by joining a wave of volunteers across the Murray–Darling Basin to help with conservation efforts. The spring sampling season of the Great Australian Wildlife Search, delivered by Odonata Foundation, has started.
Australian Government must stay firm on securing a substantial increase in EU market access for beef: ALFA
The Australian Lot Feeders’ Association is urging the Australian Government to stay firm on securing a substantial increase in market access for beef via the Australia-European Union Free Trade Agreement (A-EU FTA) negotiations ... “We need the Australian Government to correct the imbalance of our meat trade with Europe and secure comparable FTA outcomes achieved by our competitors”: ALFA President, Barb Madden.
A major initiative to uplift the Australian farm-to-retail agriculture industry: AgriFutures
AgriFutures Australia and leading sustainability consultancy, Lifecycles are excited to announce their joint project Equipping Australian agriculture with sustainability metrics ... The primary objective of the project is to comprehensively revamp and broaden the Australian Life Cycle Inventory (AusLCI) database to cater to the ever-growing national and global demand for sustainability metrics generated with product Life Cycle Assessment (LCA).
Report provides insights into fish stocks: ABARES
The annual assessment of Commonwealth fish stocks from the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences (ABARES) has found that the majority of stocks assessed were both not overfished and not subject to overfishing. The ABARES Fishery status reports 2023 provides an annual, independent assessment of the biological and economic status of Commonwealth managed fisheries.
Farmers fearful of 11th hour dud deal with EU: NFF
Farmers are urging the Australian Government not to sign an impending trade deal with the European Union unless major improvements are put on the table for Aussie farmers. Preliminary negotiations are underway in Brussels this week ahead of a meeting on the sidelines of the G7 Trade Ministers’ meeting in Osaka next week. NFF President Fiona Simson said farmers were fearful of being sold out at the 11th hour.
A-EU FTA negotiations must deliver for red meat: MLA
Ahead of what may be a final push for the Australia-European Union Free Trade Agreement (A-EU FTA) negotiations, the Australian red meat industry is adamant that the Australian Government maintains its stated objective of securing significant increases in market access for red meat. Industry representatives will travel to Osaka next week to coincide with Trade Minister Farrell meeting with his EU counterpart, and encourage the Minister to continue the mission of ‘levelling the playing field’ for Australian beef and sheepmeat access to the EU.
Better biosecurity outcomes supported by GrainGrowers
The crucial importance of delivering on biosecurity commitments must not be overlooked in the current debate over sustainable funding, industry body GrainGrowers has warned. In its submission to the public consultation process on the design and implementation of the Biosecurity Protection Levy, GrainGrowers recognised the concept of a shared responsibility for biosecurity, and highlighted that industry, government and community must work together to deliver biosecurity outcomes for Australia.
No Voice, no Treaty: McArthur
Mrs McArthur said, “it seems the starkest dividing line in Australia is not between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people but between the inner-city elites of the eastern states and the rest of the country ... The no vote was not a vote for the status quo or against any action; in fact it has highlighted the failures of the status quo. I hope it will prove the catalyst for a full audit of the expenditure directed to Aboriginal issues across Australia so that taxpayer money can be effectively spent to close the gap without permanently constitutionally entrenching new experimental, ineffective and unnecessary division.”
Census snapshot shows changes in agricultural workforce: ABARES
Australia’s agricultural workforce is steadily growing and changing, with more women and young people joining the sector. The ABARES Insights Snapshot of Australia’s agricultural workforce shows the changing state of the agricultural workforce based on data from the 2021 Census of Population and Housing.
Fuel tax bite
Motorists in the South East are paying eye-watering fuel prices at bowsers as the end of the 22c per litre discount excise bites ... The cost of fuel rose 9 per cent in August compared to the month before, and prices are now 14 per cent higher than a year ago. Average weekly fuel prices in regional towns like Naracoorte, Keith, and Bordertown have been hitting $2.08 for the past 12 weeks.
Leeton Council says no to Murray-Darling Water Amendment Bill 2023
Leeton Shire Mayor Tony Reneker said the Federal Government’s Bill to rewrite the 2012 Murray-Darling Basin Plan endangers the future of businesses and communities in the Murrumbidgee Valley ... Leeton Shire Council, along with Murray Darling Association Region 9 members and key commodity groups in the MIA (such as citrus and rice), urge Murray Darling Association (MDA) members to oppose expanded buybacks and removal of socio-economic protections.
Senate inquiry into spread of red imported fire ants: Littleproud
Leader of The Nationals and Shadow Agriculture Minister David Littleproud has welcomed a Senate Inquiry into the spread of red imported fire ants. Mr Littleproud said the inquiry was urgently needed, with Labor losing control of its National Fire Ant Eradication Program and failing to commit to the funding required.
Regulation of digital and crypto assets: Chalmers, Jones
The Albanese Government is outlining the next steps in its approach to regulating crypto and digital assets to protect consumers, support innovation and provide industry certainty. We are releasing a proposal paper that recommends making crypto exchanges and digital asset platforms subject to existing Australian financial services laws and requiring platform operators to obtain an Australian Financial Services Licence.
Call for accountability after Voice fails could snare the Opposition
The Voice to Parliament referendum has failed with voters in Pearce and Durack following the state and national trend of voting No ... Senator Cash did not say if the National Indigenous Australians Agency (NIAA) established by the Morrison government in 2019 should be part of that accountability.
