CLP delivers finalised Buffel Grass Weed Management Plan: Burgoyne
The Finocchiaro CLP Government has finalised the Northern Territory Buffel Grass Weed Management Plan 2026-36, which provides certainty for pastoralists and outlines a strategic path forward to manage its impact on the environment into the future ... “Buffel grass creates significant challenges relating to fire and environmental management and is also an important feed source for pastoralists and their cattle,” said Mr Burgoyne.
Securing Australia’s fuel sovereignty: Bowen
In 2025, Viva in Geelong and Ampol in Brisbane produced 12 billion litres of petrol, diesel and jet fuel, or about 20 per cent of our annual needs. Following more than six months of detailed review, the Government will amend the Fuel Security Services Payment. The payment cap will remain at 1.8 cents per litre, but the trigger mechanism will be adjusted so it better reflects the market conditions they operate in.
Simplified crabbing rules proposed for West Coast bioregion
Public consultation is now open on proposed changes to blue swimmer crab rules in the West Coast bioregion to make the rules easier to understand and to provide better fishing experiences for recreational fishers. The proposed changes would bring in one set of bag and boat limit rules in the West Coast bioregion, which runs from Black Point east of Augusta to the Zuytdorp Cliffs north of Kalbarri.
Bluesfest in liquidation, 2026 cancelled
Thousands of music fans have had their Easter plans thrown into chaos after Australia’s most awarded music festival Bluesfest announced the 2026 event at the Byron Events Farm at Tyagarah won’t go ahead, just three weeks out from its scheduled start.
Walking in Two Worlds – Narrandera’s first Aboriginal Debutante Ball in 15 years
After 15 years, the Narrungdera Yulang Committee proudly brought back a powerful community tradition, hosting the Aboriginal Debutante Ball "Walking in Two Worlds" last week. The evening was a remarkable celebration of culture, family and community, marking a moment many had been waiting years to see return.
No plans to privatise national parks
Minister for the Central Coast, Member for Wyong David Harris has hit back at suggestions made by the State Liberal Party's Shadow Minister Jacqui Munro that there is something sinister about plans to allow some campgrounds in national parks to be set aside for private operators to manage.
How to create a fuel shortage without running out of fuel
Yet drive through Perth and the metropolitan fuel system appears to be operating normally. No ration notices. No capped pumps. No anxious motorists sneaking jerry-cans into the back of Hiluxes ... something more curious is emerging: selective rationing.
Fuel shortages: Improve capacity for deliveries by rail in regional NSW
Recent reports of fuel supply concerns and diesel shortages for trucks highlight a serious vulnerability in Australia’s transport system … This situation is a reminder that relying almost entirely on diesel-powered road transport is risky ... Regional railway lines could play an important role in strengthening supply chains.
Roundtables won’t keep the diesel flowing
There was also something about prioritising regional areas. What there was not was anything resembling a system to track where fuel shortages are actually occurring, or to require distributors to send fuel where it is most needed.
WA diesel crisis spirals as Cook Government fails to act: Love, Hunter
The Nationals WA Leader Shane Love MLA has blasted the Cook Labor Government as impotent in the face of Western Australia’s escalating diesel crisis, accusing it of failing to use the powers available to ensure fuel reaches the industries and communities that keep the State running.
Baaka Cultural & Arts Centre – Getting close to opening
The Baaka Cultural & Arts Centre is moving into its final stages, and the team is very excited to share they are on track to open in the second half of this year ... The building architect David Kaunitz was also out visiting the Centre on his annual trip with students from the University of Sydney.
Coalition reunion shelved in Chaffey
Hugh Schuitemaker. The Coalition’s recent reunion has failed to reach Chaffey. In this weekend’s SA Election, The Nationals are again running a candidate against Liberal MP Tim Whetstone. The sitting member has returned the favour by preferencing Nationals contender Imelda Adamson Agars fifth in the nine-candidate field.
New report reveals regional airports running at a loss while delivering critical national services: Regional Capitals Australia
A new national report has revealed many regional airports across Australia are operating at a financial loss, with local councils increasingly forced to subsidise infrastructure that regional communities rely on every day ... The survey of regional airports found more than half are operating at a loss, with a median annual deficit of $192,000.
NLC supports cave research
Naracoorte Lucindale Council will contribute $60,000 towards a $900,000 Naracoorte Caves research project over three years. But reflecting on councillor training, some elected members are also concerned the state government is “cost-shifting”, forcing ratepayers already paying taxes to fund more and more state responsibilities ... “We are the council with the state's only world heritage site, which is incredible, and we get 100,000 people visiting our district because of the caves,” CEO Kelly Westell said.
World desperate for Queensland resources, LNP Government still says no! : Robbie Katter
The LNP Government in Queensland is blindly holding sticking to their long-held woke position alongside Labor that Queensland’s rich uranium resources should be locked away underground, at a time when Europe is turning back to nuclear ... “Are we going to sit on our collective hands and watch yet another opportunity go by? At current prices alone, we’re talking about an industry worth tens of billions of dollars,” asks Leader of the Katter’s Australian Party (KAP) and state Member for Traeger Robbie Katter.
Panic buying of fuel more of a problem than supply as regional fuel stocks most under threat, government says
The Roundtable of more than 50 industry and government leaders met ... to discuss the fuel issues affecting Australia from the conflict in the Middle East ... While the Federal Government is responsible for Australia’s fuel supply and has advised that national fuel stocks remain secure, the Roundtable agreed to immediate actions by the State Government to address local distribution issues and minimise price impacts for consumers.
Fuel fury
Caitlin Menadue. Yorke Peninsula farmers, businesses and residents are grappling with the ongoing fuel crisis, as prices soar, independent retailers start to run dry and there’s no visible end in sight .... "Tractors, sprayers, seeders and trucks all rely on diesel to operate, and with seeding approaching it is essential that grain producers can access reliable fuel supplies."
Rushworth students build lifeline for wildlife after bushfires: Cleeland
Students at Rushworth P–12 College are helping restore wildlife habitat across fire-affected parts of northern Victoria, building more than 100 nesting boxes for native animals displaced by recent bushfires. Member for Euroa, Annabelle Cleeland MP recently visited the school’s HOPE (Hands-On Practical Education) program to see the project underway and meet students working alongside volunteers from the Rushworth Field & Game Club.
New-look Disaster Dashboard now live!
Lockyer Valley Regional Council’s Disaster Dashboard is now even better equipped to help the community handle whatever Mother Nature throws our way. Council’s Disaster Management team has launched a brand-new Flood Cameras page on the Disaster Dashboard – further bolstering our preparedness in times of disaster.
Lessons on Roundtables
When governments start calling emergency roundtables it usually means one thing: The planning should have happened years ago. Last week the Western Australian Government convened a “Fuel Security Roundtable” in response to supply disruptions linked to rising tensions in the Middle East.
Lessons from the US Strategic Petroleum Reserve
This article is a rerun of a piece I first published in these pages back in November 2023 ... Readers may recall the strategic fuel debate that ran hot a few years ago when the BP refinery in Perth was about to close and Australia suddenly realised it only had a couple of weeks of fuel reserves.
Centre’s answer to fuel chaos?
As the Middle Eastern wars plunge the world's oil industry into chaos, Central Australia could be sitting pretty. The Mereenie oilfield, 250 kms west of Alice Springs, produces 300 barrels a day (a barrel is 159 litres), of a purity that allows the crude to be used in many diesel engines without refining.
