New biosecurity regulatory fees and charges take effect on 1 July: DAFF
Deputy Secretary of Biosecurity and Compliance Dr Chris Locke said new fees and charges for importers would better reflect the true cost of delivering Australian biosecurity services. “While some importers will experience slightly larger increases in the prices, the average increase across all importers is around 28 per cent,” said Dr Locke.
Buloke Times editorial: Implications of banning live sheep exports
As reported, the federal Agriculture Minister had the awkward task of confirming that the government intended to phase out sheep exports, but would do so in an orderly way “after consulting the industry”, although no action would be taken during the current term of government. The government has appointed a panel, which is part of the “phasing out”. The result so far of its “consulting the industry” is that the industry, backed up by the 3,000 people and their families dependent on the export, is against the ban.
Little for Naracoorte
There is very little in the federal budget for towns like Naracoorte in regional South Australia. And with the new budget, the government has put the heavy lifting at the feet of the community, with very limited spending in the region to counterbalance the increasing costs. That’s how the shadow minister for finance and tax reform, Heidi Girolamo, has described the new budget, claiming it would only “bring economic hardships”.
Council heads for $2.9m loss
The Tatiara District Council is headed for a $2.9million loss this financial year, thanks to some “extraordinary circumstances”. The loss, which the council administration says is “largely due to grants not received yet,” was discussed at the council’s meeting in Bordertown on June 13.
Monet masterpiece coming to Tweed Regional Gallery
One of a number of treasured works from National Gallery of Australia’s collection to visit. A $174 million masterpiece by French impressionist Claude Monet will be heading to the Tweed later this year, just one of many artworks shared with regional galleries under the Australian Government’s Sharing the National Collection initiative.
Farmer and industry leaders meet with Victorian Water Minister: VFF
Representatives from the farming community and food manufacturers have united to express their concerns about Commonwealth water buybacks meeting with the Victorian Water Minister in Echuca on 28 June 2023. The meeting convened by the Victorian Farmers Federation (VFF) with Minister Harriet Shing included representatives from Northern Victoria’s major food processors...
Governments ignore levee pleas
While communities continue to recover from the 2022 flood event, residents are concerned that at least 30 levee breaches on the lower Loddon remain unrepaired. Emergency services have already been called to respond to a flood risk this month when a recent rise in the Murray River threatened to spill from a levee bank breach in the Benjeroop area.
Ministry of Truth
The government regulator, ACMA, could soon have more powers under a proposed misinformation and disinformation bill put forth by the Albanese Government ... According to the bill, misinformation is defined as information that is false, misleading or deceptive. The devil will be in the detail and how the new laws, if passed, are enacted. During the recent Covid-19 pandemic, governments around the world conspired with tech giants to remove, suppress and even deplatform the accounts of experts whose views differed from the government line.
Senator Lidia Thorpe and the Indigenous-Aboriginal Party of Australia call upon NSW Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Treaty, David Harris MP, to hear the...
Senator Lidia Thorpe and the Indigenous-Aboriginal Party of Australia (IAPA) have joined forces to call on the NSW State Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Treaty, David Harris MP, to listen to the voices of Traditional Custodians, the Guringai, regarding the devastatingly destructive development proposal, by the Local Aboriginal Land Council, for land on Woy Woy Rd Kariong NSW, in the area known as Kariong Sacred Lands ... "Do we want to listen to First Nation’s voices or not? Or is First Nations input only relevant if it comes from a state sanctioned Aboriginal corporation?”
Flood adaptation abandoned – NRRC’s funding uncertainty hinders reconstruction efforts: A Way Forward
Thousands of Northern Rivers residents have been waiting anxiously for 16 months to see whether or not they would receive assistance via home buy-backs, retrofitting or house raising. This week, hundreds are being told they will receive no help from Government ...Members of A Way Forward are calling on the NSW and Federal Governments to urgently provide additional funding to the NRRC to extend their Resilient Homes program.
Flood risk mapping sees buybacks halved
New flood risk mapping released by the Northern Rivers Reconstruction Commission (NRRC) which has seen the number of homes eligible for buyback halved has been slammed by the Nationals as calls come for the second tranche of funding to be released. NRRC Chief Executive David Witherdin said the new mapping will inform the Commonwealth and State Government’s co-funded $700 million program and be used to prioritise home buybacks, raisings and retrofits.
Strong growth for Australian broadacre farmland prices: DAFF
The average price of broadacre farmland per hectare has almost doubled over the last three years, increasing by 93 per cent from 2020 to 2023 ... Median farmland prices have grown most in the high rainfall zone, increasing by 125 per cent over the last 3 years to almost $9,000 per hectare.
Funding boost to tackle the increasing threat of invasive species
The work of the Centre for Invasive Species Solutions will be strengthened by the Federal Government’s recent funding announcement regarding the National Pest Animal Management Coordination Program. The increased funding will advance the activities of the Centre’s National Feral Cat and Fox Management Coordinator Program and the National Wild Dog Action Plan and supports the Centre’s drive to reduce the $25 billion annual cost of invasive species in Australia.
4,100 have their say on phase out of live sheep export by sea: DAFF
The independent panel appointed to consult with stakeholders on the phase out of live sheep exports by sea will complete its public consultations this week. The panel was appointed by Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Senator Murray Watt to provide advice on how and when the Australian Government can give effect to a phase out of live sheep exports by sea.
SFF calls on the federal government to permanently ban importation of uncooked prawns into Australia: Banasiak
From 7th July 2017, a temporary ban on the importation of uncooked prawn products was lifted and replaced with import conditions which have consequently failed and once again threatened our great seafood industry. Recent detections of White Spot Disease (WSD) at three prawn farms on the NSW North Coast have the SFF calling on the Federal Government to slam the door shut and permanently ban the importation of raw, uncooked prawns and decapod crustaceans into Australia.
Art gallery leap forward – in Darwin
Of the two budding NT government art galleries, one is making news: The one in Darwin, because construction is under way. At the opposite end of the Territory, and of government attention, there is no news about the Alice Springs “national” Aboriginal gallery because its senior director, Tracy Puklowski, is not able, not willing, not permitted, not whatever to answer media questions.
Australia leads new collaborating centre in fight against health risks in wildlife: DAFF
In a significant step up in regional One Health and disease prevention capabilities, Wildlife Health Australia has achieved official designation from the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) as a Collaborating Centre for Wildlife Health Risk Management. This new international wildlife collaborating centre based in Australia will ensure wildlife health is integrated into One Health decision-making across the Indo-Pacific region to benefit public health, biosecurity, animal health, food security and biodiversity.
Park recovery works continue
In response to a report in last week’s Corryong Courier about delays in rehabilitating the Bluff Falls tourism area, Parks Victoria has provided an update on works that have been undertaken or that are underway in the Burrowa-Pine Mountain National Park following the 2019-20 Black Summer bushfires.
Withdrawn – departments a no-show at Gunbower Forest flooding meeting
Community engagement is once again in the spotlight after the North Central CMA (NCCMA), the Victorian Environmental Water Holder (VEWH) and the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA) pulled out of a meeting with the Central Murray Environmental Floodplain Group (CMEFG) held in Cohuna on Monday, June 19. The meeting was being held to discuss concerns with the current reporting, management and environmental watering events, such as delivery of environmental water that commenced on June 8 in the Gunbower Forest.
The Voice, your choice
This week, the Federal parliament passed the laws that will allow the national poll to be conducted for the Albanese government’s planned Constitution Alteration Bill. The senate voted 52 votes to 19, yet many questions remain over the details of what Albo has planned ... Concerns have been raised around the lack of details and the fact the politicians appear to want Australians to “trust us” with the biggest constitutional change since Federation.
Paroo Shire Mayor and CEO attend the Australian Local Government Association Conference
Last week, Mayor Suzette Beresford and CEO Ms Cassie White of Paroo Shire Council attended the "Our Communities Our Future" conference hosted by the Australian Local Government Association (ALGA) in Canberra ... Mayor Beresford had the chance to connect with the Hon. Catherine King, Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, and Local Government during the ACLG dinner.
11 MPs and mayors push Minns to make good on $1.5billion promise
Four MPs and seven mayors have sent a letter to the Premier Chris Minns. They are asking the State Government not to forget the Northern Rivers and to deliver the next part of the flood recovery funding for the Resilient Homes program.
