Growers ready to lead industry down new road
Peak industry organisation CANEGROWERS is ready and willing to lead the way to a more profitable and diversified future for sugarcane outlined in a new roadmap. “This document has been two and a half years in the making. It is exciting as a cane grower to be at the starting point of a new chapter in our sugarcane industry’s story,” CANEGROWERS Chairman Owen Menkens said. “We are ready to lead the transition, working with existing and new investors.”
Australian sugarcane industry to form working groups to drive bioeconomy boom
Organisations representing the Australian sugarcane industry will form a series of working groups to implement their first whole-of-industry vision and roadmap. The Sugar Plus vision released at the Developing Northern Australia Conference, positions the industry as Fuelling the Future of Food, Energy and Fabrication.
Plan unveiled for sugarcane industry to drive bioeconomy boom
“The sugarcane industry has identified an exciting and transformational future of sustainably producing sugar and bioproducts at the heart of regional communities. The roadmap outlines opportunities for a substantially larger industry. A growing bioeconomy industry will enable Australia to become increasingly self-sufficient, improving economic resilience and national security”: Anne Stünzner, CRCNA CEO.
Biosecurity failures risk billions: NSW Farmers
The state’s peak agricultural body says the Varroa mite outbreak is a stark example of the failures in the national biosecurity system. NSW Farmers Biosecurity Chair Ian McColl said it was clear biosecurity screening protocols at our borders were clearly not at the standard required, and it was time for the federal government to urgently fix the system before it was too late.
Fresh flooding to impact food supply chain
Farmers across the state are once again being hit by wild weather creating fresh concerns about food supply chains ... The impacts of the torrential rain are being felt out into the central west, and vegetable growers in the Hunter Valley have had paddocks drowned for a third time this year.
Airport airside upgrades
Works on a major airside upgrade to the Whyalla Airport are nearing completion, with all but the resurfacing of the secondary runway and additional electrical work to be completed ... Mayor Clare McLaughlin said the works including the installation of the new taxi way have been constructed to allow for the landing and departure of larger aircraft.
New kitchen for Moreton Bay
Chris Oldfield. Meals of “mashed mush” and “baby food”, people left on toilets, others often feeling cold and rooms not cleaned properly are some of the sad tales from residents and their families of Moreton Bay House ... The News has now spoken to several people - residents and their families and friends - about a raft of problems which saw the aged care facility fall into disrepute, failing 19 of 42 requirements listed under eight Commonwealth standards.
Australians open to using genetic technology to manage feral cats
A recent CSIRO study has found that Australians are more likely to support the use of gene drive technology for feral cat management if there was a perceived problem of invasive species in one’s local neighbourhood ... "Feral cats are an ideal candidate for gene drive research given that their reproductive rates are up to three litters a year, which greatly outpaces conventional measures" : Dr Owain Edwards.
Koala research team visits
The National Parks and Wildlife Service has a team visiting Narrandera this week to conduct aspects of koala research in the Narrandera Reserve ... Dr Joanne Connolly from Charles Sturt University's proposed research will involve further steps in the research proposal to establish a koala research centre in Narrandera and will complement and build further on the data being collected by the team from the Koalas Biodiversity and Ecological Health Branch of NPWS.
Council’s concerns raised at National General Assembly
Rodney Stevens. As Clarence Valley Council's only delegate to attend this month's National General Assembly in Canberra, Councillor Allison Whaites ensured the valley's concerns were heard, while inviting Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to visit ... "I invited Minister Watt and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to come to the Clarence Valley to see what we are actually talking about."
Export restrictions contribute to global food price pressure
Moves by governments to restrict exports only exacerbate price rises and increase food insecurity, according to the latest Insights report from ABARES. Executive Director of ABARES Dr Jared Greenville said there were lessons to be learnt from the 2007-08 food crisis.
Moreton Bay: Minister and McBride seek updates
Chris Oldfield. State health and wellbeing minister Chris Picton is seeking regular updates on the care and safety standards at Moreton Bay House, as well as its staffing. His intervention follows Commonwealth sanctions placed against the 41 bed aged care facility.
Male youths lose their support crew
Funding has ended for two male youth worker positions in Evans Head. The positions were funded by the Federal Government’s Safer Communities program ... “Unfortunately, we have had to say goodbye to Josh, Toby and the Mobile Youth Van service, this decision was not ours, the program was sadly no longer funded.”
Hand to mouth biosecurity funding must end, as farmers stare down Foot and Mouth Disease and Lumpy Skin Disease: NFF
A long term, sustainable biosecurity funding pipeline to help protect agriculture, communities, the economy and the environment must be a top priority for the new Federal Government. This was the message delivered by the NFF to new Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Minister, Senator Murray Watt at the first industry Ministerial roundtable in Canberra.
Farm finances boom but costs forecast to bite : ABARES
Good rainfall and high commodity prices have driven strong farm financial performance for 2021-22. Executive Director of ABARES Dr Jared Greenville said cropping farms had reported higher than average cash incomes over the last year.
WAFarmers, CEO update
Trevor Whittington. The new Leader of the Federal National Party and Shadow Minister for Agriculture, Hon David Littleproud met with WAFarmers President, John Hassell and Livestock Council President, Geoff Pearson ... area of discussion was the huge amount of effort and funding invested by the federal government into biosecurity aimed to keep out pests and diseases like lumpy skin (LSD) and foot and mouth (FMD) ... from what we heard in the meeting, it is concerning that the state governments including WA have failed to follow suit on increasing biosecurity funding ...
Key food industry associations join forces to address Australia’s domestic food security issues
An alliance between food industry associations across the food supply chain, from paddock to plate, has been formed to address key issues associated with ensuring reliable and affordable access to food for all Australians during this unprecedented time of supply chain disruption ... The Alliance includes: Independent Food Distributors Australia (IFDA), The National Farmers Federation (NFF), Australian Meat Industry Council, (AMIC), Master Grocers Australia (MGA) & Australian Association of Convenience Stores (AACS).
Pasin praises safety commission for elderly
Chris Oldfield. Member for Barker Tony Pasin has praised the federal authority that sanctioned the Limestone Coast Local Health Network (LCLHN) over its management of Naracoorte’s Moreton Bay House. The Commonwealth Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission ruled on May 24 “there is an immediate and severe risk to the safety, health or wellbeing” of residents as reported last week by The News.
River Murray water allocations open at 100 per cent: Close
South Australian River Murray water users will start the water year with 100 per cent of their allocation due to good inflows over the past three months ... "I also look forward to working with the Albanese Government to deliver the Murray Darling Basin Plan in full, including delivering the final 450GL which federal Labor has also committed to" : Susan Close, SA Minister for Climate, Environment and Water.
Commonwealth sanctions against Moreton Bay House
Chris Oldfield. The Commonwealth Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission has imposed sanctions on Naracoorte’s Moreton Bay House stating “there is an immediate and severe risk to the safety, health or wellbeing” of residents. Following an audit, Moreton Bay House failed 19 of 42 requirements listed under the Commonwealth’s eight industry standards for aged care and safety.
Provider fails 19 requirements for Moreton Bay residents
Chris Oldfield. The Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission found 19 failures as its reasons to impose a “sanction or notice to agree” against the provider of care for Moreton Bay House.
We must meet our climate challenges head on, together: MDBA
Delegates at the River reflections annual water conference heard about the challenges we all face due to climate change and how we must work together to make the Murray–Darling Basin ready for a more variable, drier and hotter future. In his address, The future of the Murray–Darling Basin, Murray–Darling Basin Authority Chair Sir Angus Houston said we must adjust our approach based on what we have learnt and continue in partnership with experts, communities and First Nations People.
