Koala dreaming? Too right!
Vic Jurskis. Koala plagues and megafires go together. Koalas are breeding faster than ever on all the soft young growth generated by Black Summer. The scrub development is unprecedented. Our next extreme fire season will kill more people and animals than ever before. But the koala is in no danger of extinction.
Emergency meeting allays town’s fears
A public meeting called this week by local emergency services served its purpose to allay the town’s fears after the Barkly was declared an emergency situation on Tuesday. More than 300 people packed the Civic Hall ... More than 1,323,300 hectares have been burnt with the fire active for over two weeks.
Mount Isa to host nuclear power forum: Katter
Mount Isa will next month host a first of its kind, community-led event discussing Australia’s energy future, with a particular focus on nuclear power technology. The Mount Isa Nuclear Power Forum: “What if we went nuclear?” is being staged by Katter’s Australian Party Leader (KAP) and Traeger MP Robbie Katter, who has promised a “frank discussion around the possibilities of nuclear power production in outback Australia”.
History etched on coin
Have you ever imagined carrying two big things in your pocket—a giant lobster and a fossil cave? Well, you can definitely do that now. Two of Southeast’s most iconic moneymakers—Kingston’s Larry the Lobster and Naracoorte’s Fossil Mammal Reserves—are officially in mint condition, having received a unique new honour last week.
Farmers call out misinformation on Basin Bill: NFF
Farming groups have come together in Canberra to call out the misinformation peddled in Parliament this week regarding the Government’s rewrite of the Murray Darling Basin Plan. National Farmers’ Federation Chief Executive Tony Mahar said the fact the Government felt the need to stretch the truth just revealed how flawed the proposal is.
Negotiations on
The South Australian Education Union and the state government are still at loggerheads over better pay and conditions for public educators ... If the union members vote for a second strike action, many public schools, including those in Naracoorte and the Limestone Coast region, would close for another day ... Mr Gohl claimed that after nine months of negotiations, the Premier was still standing in the way of better educational outcomes for South Australian students.
NLC tours Frances
The Frances community will soon boast a BMX track ... hopes to sell its Town Hall and pump the proceeds into upgrades at the Frances Recreation Reserve ... Those were some of the items raised by Frances Progress Association chairman Danielle Moore during a visit to the township by Naracoorte Lucindale Council...
Bill will kickstart housing supply
Independent Federal Member for Indi, Helen Haines, introduced a Bill to Parliament this week to increase the amount of government housing funding that will go to regional Australia. The Unlocking Regional Housing Bill specifically addresses the housing crisis in regional, rural and remote Australia, by making funding easier to access and requiring the Minister to look at action so that at least 30 per cent of funding to go to regional, rural and remote Australia.
Downs hosts eastAUSmilk AGM
Dairy farmers from across Queensland and New South Wales converged on Pittsworth a couple of weeks ago for the annual general meeting of the advocacy body eastAUSmilk, which formed in 2021 following the merger of Queensland Dairyfarmers’ Organisation and Dairy Connect.
Holiday homes ‘not to blame’
Serena Kirby. Private homes rented as holiday accommodation are not the cause of Denmark’s housing shortage. The ï¬nding was revealed in Denmark Futures’ research over the past 18 months and presented at a community forum last month.
Community earns president’s praise
Patricia Gill. Shire president Ceinwen Gearon will resign after seven years in the job ï¬rm of the opinion that achievements over the time are not hers but the community’s. Dr Gearon says ‘her’ achievements have been a collaboration between the community, the Denmark Shire Council and Shire administration ofï¬cers.
EPA calls for burning enquiry
The Environmental Protection Authority has recommended an independent scientific enquiry into prescribed burning practices in WA, particularly in the context of climate change. EPA chair Professor Matthew Tonts said an independent review under the 1986 EPA Act would call on the expertise of independent scientists to consider prescribed burning approaches and implementation. This follows Fire and Air Forum: Biodiversity, Environmental Sustainability and Human Health at WA University in May.
Duck hunt for some
A recent inquiry into Victoria’s duck hunting had more than 10,500 submissions, a record for a Victorian parliamentary inquiry. Labor chair Ryan Batchelor said Victoria should end recreational native bird hunting on all public and private land from 2024 ... The report did also recommend transforming hunting reserves into state recreation reserves, and excluding non aboriginals, whilst allowing traditional owners to continue to hunt ducks.
Varroa mite traced to the Coffs Harbour region, further detections near Kempsey: NSW DPI
NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI) tracing has uncovered a new Varroa mite infestation in beehives north of the existing Nana Glen purple zone, at Barcoogere in the Coffs Harbour region. NSW DPI Chief Plant Protection Officer, Shane Hetherington said the infestation was discovered following NSW DPI tracing movements from the Kempsey cluster, in this case undertaken legally six months ago.
The Big Banana is on a gold coin
In July 2022, The Big Banana received an email from the Royal Australian Mint about exploring the unique opportunity for The Big Banana to be featured on an Australian legal tender coin as part of a collection of ten coins celebrating iconic ‘big’ monuments across Australia. The collection was planned to be made available as part of a nationwide collectable coin program, providing the Australian public with access to these coins through their change.
New local laws on short stay rental accommodation take effect
New local laws to better regulate short stay rental accommodation in Bass Coast come into effect, supported by an online portal to streamline applications and approvals for property owners … to better manage short stay rental accommodation across the municipality, paving the way for a more structured, efficient system as visitor numbers surge.
Council seeks more powers to stop pet cats roaming and killing
Here kitty, kitty – here’s the thing – there are almost five million cats in Australia. Research by the Invasive Species Council found that 70% of cat owners let their cats roam freely outdoors. An average roaming cat kills 186 animals a year...
Call for public space to retain the spirit of Two Rocks and Atlantis
Residents who successfully campaigned for heritage listing of King Neptune are calling for the spirit of Two Rocks and Atlantis to be retained … Two Rocks residents told Hannah Beazley, who is Parliamentary Secretary to Planning and Lands Minister John Carey, of their concerns the community could lose the public open space east of King Neptune if RAAFA WA is successful in having the public open space shifted.
Concerns grow around dispensing changes
Michelle Daw. Chemists on Yorke Peninsula are cutting back on opening hours and making other changes to save money in response to the introduction of 60-day dispensing on September 1 ... “The funding cuts as a result of this new model will cost the average pharmacy $180,000 per year in lost gross profit — the profit which pays the bills and keeps the pharmacy open and brings a resident pharmacist to town with pay and accommodation”: Noel Allen.
Saving koalas. Next steps for the Great Koala National Park: Sharpe, Moriarty
The NSW Government has announced the process to establish the Great Koala National Park, as well as a halt to timber harvesting operations in the 106 koala hubs within the area being assessed for the park ... ARR.News asked some questions of the Minister about koala surveys and research indicating that properly conducted forestry does not adversely impact koala numbers. A departmental spokesperson responded.
Lessons from Germany’s industry
Germany's brown coal industry in the famous Rhineland region, which inspired Sir John Monash to build the State Electricity Commission using Latrobe Valley coal, still packs some punch, despite the drive towards more renewables. And the carbon dioxide being produced by the region’s modern brown coal power stations can be redirected into a number of industrial uses.
SES Week celebrates Queensland’s dedicated volunteers: Ryan
From responding to flood emergencies to trekking through bushland on search and rescue operations, SES volunteers do whatever it takes to keep Queenslanders safe. As SES Week celebrations kick off across the state, Queensland’s volunteers in orange are being honoured for their outstanding efforts in helping their communities prepare and respond to emergencies.
