Federal politics

As the referendum draws closer the tensions are rising. With a constitutional change that many believe will undermine the one person, one vote system, it now seems the very notion of one person one vote is in question. On X (formerly Twitter) a question was posed to the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC). @tickymcgrath wrote: “I voted today. Was asked if I’d voted already. What’s to stop someone from voting at numerous venues?”

The Victorian government has not replied to the RFA Major Event Review 18 months after it was submitted despite its 37 recommendations on forest management after the devastating 2019-20 bushfires ... Dr Tony Bartlett AFSM, as a science adviser to Forestry Australia, took the fight to the National Bushfire Preparedness Summit in Canberra last week.

The third national survey of pests and weeds shows 85 per cent of land managers spent on average around $21,950 in 2022 on pest and weed species management ... “Land managers reported that feral animals continue to cause considerable impacts on their properties in 2022,” Dr Greenville said.

Nazis in the Wheatbelt, hidden nests of white supremacists, who would have known that our sleepy regional country towns are nests of Neo-Nazi racism? ,,, our WA farmer Labor member for the Agricultural Region, Darren West MLC claimed opponents of the Voice were "voting with" Nazis and white supremacists, both during debate on the proposed Indigenous advisory body in Parliament and in an online Facebook post.

Market fairness, environment laws and the state of rural roads have topped the list of concerns in the first National Farmer Priorities Survey ... The survey of more than 1,600 farmers also confirmed falling confidence within the sector, and revealed reservations about the approach of the Albanese Government.

The $2m project being carried out in Grandchester and Flinders Peak will include activities like planting koala-friendly trees, removing weeds that prevent koalas moving between existing koala habitat and are a fire risk, reducing livestock grazing on habitat to facilitate natural regeneration, and protecting existing koala habitat through fire management. The project will be delivered by Healthy Land and Water, and will support landholders to better protect koalas on their land.  

Imagine building half of Perth in three years because that's what's needed to accommodate the nearly one million people that are expected to arrive between 2022 and 2025 ... No doubt, some will trek inland to the smaller country towns but don't expect them to stay long as the Federal government has recently moved to introduce new visa rights making it easier for migrants who have taken one of the regional work visas to bail from the bush and retreat to the big cities, leaving the businesses that sponsored them in the lurch.

Senior Director of River Management Joe Davis said the Murray–Darling Basin Authority (MDBA) had instructed WaterNSW to hold releases from Weir 32 at the current rate of 1,000 megalitres per day while the effects of the forecast rainfall on system flows could be determined.  “Managing river flows and storages in the Basin is complex and requires us to work adaptively to account for changing demands and conditions,” Mr Davis said.

Rex has again been officially recognised as Australia’s most punctual and reliable airline according to Federal Government data for the month of August ... "Besides being consistently Australia’s most reliable airline, we are proud that during COVID we did not de-staff the call centre in a disingenuous attempt to discourage requests for refund," said Rex Deputy Chairman, John Sharp AM.

While many countries around the world look at their handling of the Covid-19 pandemic, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s Covid-19 inquiry appears to be about as effective as a cloth mask for a virus particle size of 50-140 nanometres. The inquiry will not have the same powers as a royal commission and will exclude decisions made solely by state and territory governments during the pandemic response...

Patricia Gill. Noongar Elder Lester Coyne ... spoke at the Six Seasons Dijlba Field Trip on Sunday at Parry Beach ... He believes a Yes result in the referendum would enable his people to design their own programs based on their needs and not on what the Government of the day saw fit. “Many programs are short-term, designed by bureaucracy for the benefit of the Government,” he said.

Applications are now open for 10 new Regional University Study Hubs to be established around Australia, giving more students from the bush access to tertiary education ... In response to the Universities Accord Interim Report, the Government will establish up to 20 additional Regional University Study Hubs, and up to 14 new Suburban University Study Hubs.

Residents in the remote community of Milingimbi in East Arnhem can look forward to improved wellbeing and reduced overcrowding ... A $16 million tender has been awarded to WTD Constructions over 3 years to build 32 new homes and extend a further 32 existing homes for the around 1,200 people living in Milingimbi.

The Murray–Darling Basin Authority (MDBA) will call on water from the Menindee Lakes in the coming week to meet demands in the River Murray system.

New analysis from CSIRO, Australia’s national science agency, has led to the European Commission’s recognition of the Australian canola industry’s low-emissions credentials for the second time, enabling local canola growers continued access to lucrative international markets.  Australia is a major supplier of canola to the European Union (EU) biodiesel market, with over 1.8 million tonnes exported annually to European countries.

The Moah Creek Wind Farm project has recently reached two development milestones. Firstly, it has been granted planning approval from the Queensland State Assessment and Referral Agency ... consent from the Queensland Government under the Planning Act 2016 for the construction of the wind farm and its associated vegetation clearing.

The chief executive of the Australian Banking Association Anna Bligh did not read a single submission to the 2021-2022 Regional Banking Taskforce she was a member of. This astonishing disclosure came out under questioning during a hearing of the Senate inquiry into regional bank closures ... CBA's Matt Comyn was the first to come before the senators and except for dropping the information that CBA will be making its Bankwest brand an entirely digital service he might have snuck through without a mention here.

NSW Farmers says the federal government must force importers to pay for the biosecurity threats they create. The calls came after authorities admitted defeat on eradicating Varroa mite after more than a year of fighting the invasive pest.