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.
With only $9m spent of $700m in first round, Premier says no second round yet
Federal MP Kevin Hogan isn’t holding back in his criticism of the State Government halving the number of buybacks of Northern Rivers flooded homes. The decision to drastically cut the Northern Rivers homes buybacks was made even worse by an announcement that the Federal Government would be boosting buybacks in Queensland by an additional 300 homes, Mr Hogan said.
SA River Murray allocations open at 100 per cent for third consecutive year: Close
For the third consecutive year, South Australian River Murray irrigators will start the 2023-24 financial year with 100 per cent of their water allocation. The floods have contributed to high River Murray system storages, with the major dams at 90 per cent capacity - 26 per cent above the long-term average for the end of June.
The clout of the Voice
Promotors of the Voice like to emphasise its benign nature: “We just want to be listened to. We have no veto rights.” A more robust approach has emerged at last week’s writers festival in Alice Springs ... Mr Mayo made it clear that the Voice not only expected to be heard, but that advice given would be carried out by the Parliament and the Executive.
Farmers take fight to Canberra
The farmers invited by Member for Mallee, Dr. Anne Webster, met with the Nationals leader David Littleproud, shadow ministers and senators, with Dr. Webster saying Mallee communities were being railroaded into accepting the $3.3 billion VNI West project. "I am deeply concerned for the region and fear Labor is railroading the community over thousands of kilometres of prime farmland and irrigation districts for a project that will have an enormous cost blow-out and detrimental consequences," Dr. Webster said.
Barkly Council represents at Parliament House
Barkly Regional Council Mayor and Councillors were in Canberra earlier this week to attend the Australian Local Government Associations annual National General Assembly. Mayor Jeffrey McLaughlin, Deputy Mayor Russell O’Donnell, Councillor Pam Corbett and Acting CEO Russell Anderson attended the conference which this year incorporated the Regional and Development Forum.
Commercial kangaroo shooting
This year, the State Government - as part of its Kangaroo Harvesting Program (KHP) - has set the quota for commercial shooting of kangaroos in the central region of Victoria at 65,100 grey kangaroos. The total 2023 KHP quota for the entire state is 166,750. This means that a significant percentage (around 40 per cent) of kangaroos culled in Victoria will be coming from the central region.
Roadmap to the 2026 Basin Plan Review announced: MDBA
The Roadmap to the 2026 Basin Plan Review was launched by the Murray–Darling Basin Authority with a commitment to work with communities throughout the 3-year journey.
Queensland communities welcome first PNG aged care workers to Australia: Conroy, Wells
The first group of workers from Papua New Guinea to be employed in Australia’s aged care sector under the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme has arrived in regional Queensland. The eight workers from PNG provinces including Western Highlands, New Ireland and Morobe will be employed by Southern Cross Care at aged care facilities at Chinchilla, Murgon and Taroom in Southeast Queensland, where local aged care staff have been hard to find.
“It’s time for action” Productivity Commission told
Last week’s round of Productivity Commission meetings on the impacts of the Murray-Darling Basin Plan had an overwhelming response ... It was reported the commissioners were surprised by the attendance, which gave them a stark lesson in the passion of local communities and the frustration at a failing Murray-Darling Basin Plan and governments which refuse to address its shortcomings ... The Speak Up Campaign ... was represented by chair Shelley Scoullar ... Also at the hearing was Wakool River Assocation chair John Lolicato ... Southern Riverina Irrigators CEO Sophie Baldwin said the large turnout at the meeting was an indication of just how badly the basin plan has impacted our region ...
Recovery delays cause concern
A number of Cudgewa North residents, concerned about the delays in rehabilitating the Bluff Falls tourism area following the 2019-20 Black Summer bushfires, claim that Parks Victoria is not doing enough to get the recovery project underway. They say that there has been a lack of communication about the works.
Lessons in water management across the Pacific: MDBA
A renowned sustainable river ecologist has identified water management in the Murray–Darling Basin as a model for other countries seeking to support communities and healthy rivers into the future. Addressing the MDBA's annual River reflections regional water conference in Narrabri, Professor N LeRoy Poff from the University of Canberra and Colorado State University said the Murray–Darling Basin Plan was a beacon for other nations on how integrated water management at the Basin scale can work.
