Water wars continue
It’s said “when you’re a hammer, everything is a nail,” and the blunt political instrument of the Murray-Darling Basin Plan is a jumbo hammer that swings with the force of the political party who wields it at the time ... Neglecting private environment and ecosystem function holds a certain irony as the plan has been for the environment with no consideration for the social and economic aspects of Australians who live and work within the basin.
UK space companies touch down in South Australia to fuel trade opportunities: Close, Champion
Space companies from the United Kingdom have landed in Adelaide on a mission to explore why more global companies are investing in South Australia’s cutting-edge space sector ... The contingent follows recent announcements that global companies Airbus, SSTL and Equatorial Launch Australia will all establish bases in South Australia.
Council not liable if West Yamba rezoned
Legal advice received by Clarence Valley Council indicates it would not be liable to pay compensation to landowners at West Yamba if their properties were rezoned preventing development. At the December 13 CVC meeting, Deputy Mayor Greg Clancy put forward a motion to investigate whether council would be liable when and if the NSW Planning Minister was to rezone vacant lands that have not had DA approval for development on the Yamba floodplain (WYURA) from R1 General Residential to RU2 Rural landscape and C2 Environmental Conservation zonings at Council’s request.
Largest ever acquisition for NSW national park estate: Perrottet, Griffin
Premier Dominic Perrottet said the 437,394 hectare site between Tibooburra and Bourke will become the third largest national park in NSW and a major new tourism drawcard for the region. “This is the largest ever single parcel of land to be acquired for the national park estate in NSW,” Mr Perrottet said.
Cost cutting increases bushfire threat: NSW Farmers
NSW Farmers Energy Transition Working Group chair Reg Kidd said the Government had to explain why it was allowing Transgrid to build more overhead power lines when there was compelling evidence they increased the risk of bushfires.
Council honours classical singer Siobhan Stagg with Key to the City
Mildura Rural City Council has bestowed one of its highest honours upon a locally-born and trained performing artist who is now one of the most sought after classical singers on the international stage. Councillor Stefano de Pieri announced Siobhan Stagg as Mildura’s latest Key to the City recipient in Melbourne on Saturday afternoon after her latest appearance with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra.
Payment for power lines
Farmers for Climate Action has welcomed the Victorian Government’s move to pay landholders $8,000 a year for each kilometre of high voltage power line on their land, for 25 years. Farmers for Climate Action, an organisation representing 7,500 farmers Australia-wide, had been calling for such a policy, and it was a key plank of its Victorian election campaign.
Plans for rural water supply gather momentum
A crowd of 94 people attended a public information session at the Natte Yallock Recreation Reserve on Wednesday 22 February to learn more about the Southern Wimmera and Northeast Pyrenees Rural Water Supply Project. The proposed pipeline is designed to provide a fit for purpose sustainable rural water supply across almost 354,000 hectares spanning parts of the Central Goldfields, Northern Grampians and Pyrenees Shires.
Durack MHR says detail on the Voice to Parliament necessary
Melissa Price. Support for an enshrined Voice in the Constitution is not a left or right-wing political issue. Although the Liberal Party is often painted by the left, unfairly so, as a party which doesn’t care about Indigenous issues, the record of history tells a different story.
More choice and health services for soon-to-be mums in the Snowy Monaro: Taylor
Families from across the Snowy Monaro will benefit from enhanced maternity facilities with the Minister for Regional Health and Women Bronnie Taylor and Member for Monaro Nichole Overall joining local health workers to officially open the new Maternity Department at Cooma Hospital ... “The new maternity unit boasts high-quality, modern facilities in well-equipped rooms, filled with natural light. One of the two new birthing rooms includes a new birthing bath which will provide women with more choice during the delivery of their baby”: Mrs Taylor.
Koala conservation in Queensland – interview with Australian Wildlife Conservancy
Australia Rural & Regional News asks some questions about AWC's koala conservation projects and koala monitoring, and land and fire management of Andrew Howe, Australian Wildlife Conservancy Senior Field Ecologist and Peter Stanton, Australian Wildlife Conservancy Senior Ecologist.
Federal grant to fund koala conservation in Queensland: AWC
Australian Wildlife Conservancy (AWC) has secured $179,211 in new federal funding to assist in a three-part Koala conservation project at Curramore and Mount Zero-Taravale Wildlife Sanctuaries in Queensland ... Tim White, AWC Chief Operations Officer, welcomed the grant, saying it will help improve habitat, data and knowledge on Koala populations at both sanctuaries.
Thousands more hectares of koala habitat protected forever: Griffin
Another 3,157 hectares of high quality koala habitat has been secured for the State’s national park estate ... Minister for Environment James Griffin said seven more properties spanning from near Tenterfield in the north, to near Cooma in the south have been protected in perpetuity ... Since 2019, the NSW Liberal and Nationals Government has secured more than 600,000 hectares for addition to the national park estate.
Bank body silent on disabled access breach of its Code
Today we learned three things: the Banking Code of Practice isn’t worth the paper it is written on, the format for emailing Westpac executives directly and that Anna Bligh’s Australian Banking Association will only engage with journalists who give them an easy run.
Five out of five – Illawarra REZ declared: Kean
The NSW Liberal and Nationals Government has declared the fifth Renewable Energy Zone (REZ) in the Illawarra ... The Illawarra REZ runs down the coastline from Wollongong to Shellharbour and around to Dapto capturing existing infrastructure such as Port Kembla, Dapto Substation and the Tallawarra Power Station.
Healthy Loddon Campaspe announces partnership with Grow It Local with free seeds to grow-along with costa from patch-to-plate
Healthy Loddon Campaspe has partnered with Grow It Local to encourage and educate residents across the region about healthy eating, cooking and growing local food. To celebrate the partnership, Grow It Local, Healthy Loddon Campaspe and Central Goldfields Shire Council have launched the Autumn 2023 edition of the Grow It Local Seed Service – a patch-to-plate adventure that makes free heirloom seeds and instructional content available to local residents.
Bridging the Gap under the Murray-Darling Basin Plan: Plibersek
The Government is beginning the process to buy water to Bridge the Gap under the Murray–Darling Basin Plan. These water purchases are voluntary. This water purchase is only for the remaining 49GL of the Bridging the Gap target. ‘Bridging the Gap’ is the largest pool of water to be recovered under the Murray-Darling Basin Plan – a total of 2,075GL. Around 49GL remains to be recovered: Tanya Plibersek.
Economic Contribution Study of the NSW hardwood timber industry
The North East NSW Forestry Hub has posted a report prepared by Ernst & Young into the economic significance of the NSW hardwood industry to the NSW and Commonwealth economies ... the report shows the critical importance of the industry to the Northern NSW economy, contributing $1.8 billion in revenue, adding $700 million to NSW GDP and employing 5,700 people in the region.
Statement on water buybacks: NFF
Reports are that these buybacks will not be used to progress the 450GL or 605GL recovery targets. However, it’s important this proposal doesn’t become a stalking horse to open up broader buybacks. We need open consultation and transparency in decision making and we’re looking to Minister Plibersek to lead that approach. We have recently written to water ministers seeking openness and transparency – both from the Ministerial Council and their advisory body the Basin Officials Committee: Malcolm Holm, NFF.
Partnership expands iconic Gold Coast Hinterland national parks: Scanlon
Two of Queensland’s most popular national parks have expanded thanks to a partnership worth more than $600,000 between the Department of Environment and Science (DES) and the Foundation of National Parks and Wildlife (FNPW). More than 185 hectares of undisturbed forest habitat has been added to the Gondwana Rainforests of Australia World Heritage listed Lamington and Main Range National Parks.
Campaspe mayor applauds ministerial announcement on Lake Eppalock
Campaspe Shire Mayor Cr Rob Amos has applauded Minister for Water Harriet Shing’s announcement that the Victorian Government will conduct an assessment of operating and infrastructure arrangements at Lake Eppalock to find opportunities to reduce the impact of flooding ... “The spilling of Lake Eppalock in 2011 and 2022 caused catastrophic damage to the Campaspe Valley, particularly Rochester”: Cr Amos.
Aboriginal jobs: Time for action, not talk, says Cr Marli Banks
More than a third of the Alice Springs population, some 10,000 people, identify as Indigenous but less than 5% of the Town Council workforce of about 300 is Aboriginal, according to Cr Marli Banks. This makes a mockery of commitments such as the council’s Reflect Reconciliation Action Plan.
