Binna Burra marks milestone on road to recovery
A milestone in the long road to recovery for a leading Scenic Rim visitor destination following the 2019 Black Summer bushfires has been marked with the opening of new facilities at Binna Burra Lodge ... the bushfire ... not only destroyed the heritage-listed Binna Burra Lodge and pioneer cabins but also the jobs of some 60 staff, who had to be retrenched after the cancellation of 4000 bookings including 15 weddings.
Toowoomba Regional Council seeks funding for koala mapping
Toowoomba Regional Council (TRC) will explore funding options to undertake koala population mapping within the Toowoomba Region ...“While it’s believed the koala is prevalent throughout the Toowoomba Region, the reality is the total extent of the numbers and their exact locations are not known": TRC Environment and Community Committee Portfolio Lead Cr Tim McMahon.
Agriculture on a roll, but where to next?: ABARES
A two-part ABARES Insights series on Australian agriculture draws attention to how changes in the sector over past decades have led to its current success and what will shape its future performance. ABARES Executive Director Dr Jared Greenville said farmers have made the most of exceptional growing seasons and high global prices to achieve unprecedented industry production and export values over the last three years.
Flinders Shire exploring project to convert ‘cane toads of the plant world’ into renewable fuel
Flinders Shire Council in North Queensland has announced it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Frontier Impact Group to investigate a project to harvest and convert woody weeds into renewable fuel and other valuable byproducts. Flinders Shire CEO, Mr Hari Boppudi said he was thrilled that Flinders Shire Council had signed the MOU to conduct a feasibility study on such an innovative project because landholders across the region had struggled with millions of hectares of good grazing land infested with woody weeds, such as Chinee Apple, Prickly Acacia, and Leucaena.
No secret pact for water buybacks: Anderson
The NSW Government has reaffirmed its opposition to non-strategic water buybacks being used to meet water recovery targets as part of the Murray Darling Basin Plan ... Mr Anderson said the NSW Government welcomes the Commonwealth correcting the record and reaffirming there is no open round of buybacks being undertaken. “We have seen first-hand the negative long-term impact non-strategic buybacks have had on our communities and we want to avoid this,” Mr Anderson said.
Playing for sheep stations
Farmers in Australia are watching the New Zealand Government with growing horror as they move from the announced 10 per cent cut in methane emissions to actual regulatory rules mandating these cuts take place, starting 2025. The climate change game was great fun while everyone played with monopoly money and they could afford to outbid each other with their virtue, but now that that we are moving to playing with real money and going from targets to taxes, it is clear the virtue signalling has ended and the targeting of who pays has begun.
Labor cuts Ag Shows funding
Labor has confirmed it is scrapping funding for the Agriculture Shows Development Grants Program. In Estimates week, Agriculture Minister Murray Watt said $14 million in funding for Ag shows was being “reprioritised”. Maranoa MP David Littleproud said Estimates had sadly proved Labor was taking even more money out of regional and rural Australia, with infrastructure funding for Ag shows now gone, including in the electorate of Maranoa.
North Queensland flood warning infrastructure project complete: Miles
An $8 million project to upgrade North Queensland’s flood warning network is now complete with 180 new flood warning assets installed across 28 council areas in the Far North, North and North West of the state.
Greens to introduce Bill to prohibit forestry operations in koala habitat – saying it’s time: Higginson
“This bill is a signal to the Government that this is an essential step to saving koalas from extinction and is as simple as an amendment to the Forestry Act. We could save money, protect jobs and stimulate the economy while also taking immediate action to slow the extinction crisis in NSW": NSW Greens MP Sue Higginson ... Sue Higginson responded to a question from ARR.News.
Maranoa mining projects at risk: Littleproud
The Nationals Leader and Maranoa MP David Littleproud said revelations Labor would call in 18 resource projects – two of which were in Maranoa - for further environmental assessments would cost jobs for no further environmental gain. He said the mining industry was now facing another tough hurdle, at a time when Labor was also threatening resource companies with more intervention.
Undera update – the water recedes, the community hopes to future proof
Daryl Wiltshire from Undera reports that while the floodwaters are receding, the community is waiting and hoping that the rain that is forecast will not affect the region too much. Undera people are "hoping for a show of resolve from the authorities who control levees to future flood proof the farming area."
Feds slash country funding programs
Chris Oldfield. Member for Barker Tony Pasin has slammed the Albanese Government for axing the Building Better Regions funding program for country people and their organisations ... “Hundreds of organisations across the country, including more than 30 in Barker, have spent countless hours and expended significant sums preparing applications for round six of the Building Better Regions Fund”: Member for Barker Tony Pasin.
Hume Dam releases to increase further ahead of weekend rain: MDBA
The Murray–Darling Basin Authority will increase the release of water from Hume Dam [Friday 11 November] morning ahead of potentially heavy rainfall from Sunday 13 November as forecast by the Bureau of Meteorology. Releases from Hume Dam will increase from 85 gigalitres (GL) per day to 95 GL per day.
Governments urged to withdraw from Basin Plan
UGRCA. The Victorian and NSW Governments need to withdraw from the Murray-Darling Basin Plan, according to an advocacy group. Upper Goulburn River Catchment Management Association representative, Jan Beer, says there appears no other option, with zero appetite from the Albanese Government to listen to and understand the implications of its Basin Plan proposals. Mrs Beer said it has become impossible to reason with new federal Water Minister, Tanya Plibersek, so it will be left up to the respective state governments to protect their communities.
Gingin given deadline to finalise a Lancelin foreshore project
The Shire of Gingin has been given a deadline to finalise a Lancelin foreshore re-development with the Albanese Government confirming it has closed a grant program, which the former government used to promise the shire funding for the project. Former Pearce MHR Christian Porter promised the Shire of Gingin $250,000 towards a redevelopment of Cunliffe St.
DAFF program encourages innovators to ‘sniff out’ biosecurity pests: AgriFutures
Australian engineers from global company RingIR will visit the US Department of Agriculture in Boston next month, to test whether their revolutionary technology can be used to ‘sniff out’ pests that attach themselves to containers or other cargo (known as hitchhiker pests).
Work starts on Tamar Estuary health project: King, Ferguson, Barnett, Gibson
Work has begun to improve the health of Kanamaluka/Tamar estuary by reducing the frequency and volume of overflow events. As part of the Tamar Estuary River Health Action Plan (TERHAP), a new underground diversion chamber will be sunk deep into the ground at the Margaret Street pump station.
Federal Minister talks with locals at skills and jobs forum
Federal Minister for Skills and Training Brendan O’Connor visited Tennant Creek last week to meet local employers, service providers and learners at a jobs and skills forum. The forum was hosted by Member for Lingiari Marion Scrymgour and Charles Darwin University.
Ag Speak – Budget must grow and protect agriculture
Kristin Murdock. NFF President Fiona Simson said the 43 recommendations in the peak farming body’s Pre-Budget Submission were built around its 2030 Roadmap and high on the list was the missing link in Australia’s defence against looming and existing biosecurity threats like Foot and Mouth Disease, Lumpy Skin Disease and Varroa Mite.
Infrastructure Australia releases its independent evaluation of nine proposals
Infrastructure Australia has released its independent evaluation of the business cases for the following proposals in line with the Infrastructure Australia Assessment Framework ... Great Western Highway (Katoomba to Lithgow) Upgrade Program – East & West Sections (NSW) ...
The good and bad of the budget
Last week’s Federal Budget held a few incentives for Narrandera and other centres covered by the Narrandera Argus, including funding for key health worker accommodation across the Murrumbidgee Local Health District, a Leeton hospital upgrade, Griffith Hospital redevelopment plus Stronger Country Communities funding for Lockhart and The Rock swimming pools and continuation of the NSW Koala Strategy aimed at doubling koala numbers in NSW by 2050 ... However ...
Murray Crayfish rescue operation
A rescue and relocation operation is currently underway by NSW DPI Fisheries to save Murray Crayfish impacted by poor water quality following flooding along the Murray River. The rescued crayfish will be transported to Narrandera Fisheries Centre for safekeeping until conditions improve and they can be returned to the river safely.
