Water management killing the Darling-Baaka
New research published by the University of NSW confirms that it is the over extraction and mismanagement of water that is causing most of the damage to the Darling-Baaka River, not climate change. NSW Nature Conservation Council calls for the Federal Water Minister to stand firm on the timelines for water recovery in the Basin Plan, and restore the voluntary, open tender water buy back process.
Tackling the growing food security issue: NSW Farmers
Food security is a growing problem for Australian families, according to a new state government report, with remote communities the worst affected. The Food production and supply in NSW report, from the NSW Legislative Assembly’s Committee on Environment and Planning, found food supply disruption was a driver of food insecurity, and that remote communities were unfairly burdened by the problem.
Hume Dam releases increased to manage airspace: MDBA
Releases from Hume Dam have today increased to 75 gigalitres (GL) per day, up from 50 GL per day yesterday in response to overnight inflows that peaked at 100 GL a day. Further increases are likely with a renewed inflow peak expected later today. Combined with inflows from the Kiewa River – downstream of Hume Dam – the Murray River is expected to approach or possibly exceed the major flood level at Albury in coming days.
Aboriginal working group for cultural fire management: Anderson, Cooke, Franklin
The NSW Government will support an Aboriginal-led working group to develop an Aboriginal cultural fire management strategy ... Minister for Aboriginal Affairs Ben Franklin said that cultural burning is an important practice to Aboriginal communities and wider communities across the State.
Scrapping global agricultural subsidies and tariffs reduces emissions, improves food security: ABARES
Improving food security, promoting global growth and cutting emissions can be achieved through the removal of agricultural subsidies and tariffs, according to the latest ABARES Insights report. Executive Director of ABARES Dr Jared Greenville said the global community needed to find a way for agriculture to reduce emissions while also feeding the world’s population.
Government cracks down on firebugs: Maher, Szakacs
Tough new measures to allow authorities to better monitor the movements of convicted bushfire offenders during the fire danger season will be introduced to State Parliament this week. The Bill delivers on an election commitment to help keep the community safe from firebugs.
8,200ha near Charleville added to Queensland protected areas, great lifestyle: Scanlon
More than 8,200 hectares of former sheep station in Queensland’s south west will become a protected area, the Palaszczuk Government has announced. Environment Minister Meaghan Scanlon said in an agreement struck between the Palaszczuk Government and Paniri Ventures, the addition of Ardgour Station Nature Refuge, 120km south of Charleville would protect important wetlands and ecosystems that form part of the Wyandra-Cunnamulla Claypans Aggregation.
Archer disaster
A major miscalculation has put the Archer River bridge project back a year and there are fears that Cape residents could face at least two more wet seasons without it. What’s worse, there is also some concern that unfinished civil works on the roads around the Archer River Roadhouse could cut off motorists for months when the rain arrives.
Great Western Highway upgrade
The Hartley District Progress Association (HDPA) and the community of Hartley welcome the Federal Government’s decision to pause funding on the NSW State Government’s proposed Great Western Highway “upgrade” from Katoomba to Lithgow. Stopping the “upgrade” provides a critical opportunity to reconsider how best to improve travel times across the Blue Mountains and how best to direct infrastructure funding.
Flood damaged culvert replaced with concrete bridge
Lismore City Mayor Steve Krieg and Parliamentary Secretary to the Deputy Premier Gurmesh Singh have opened the new Keerrong Road Bridge ... specialist Bridge Crew replaced the damaged culvert with a new 16.1m x 7.2m single span concrete structure. This new structure founded on steel driven piles has been designed and constructed to achieve a 100-year design life while improving its flood immunity and safety for local farmers and truck drivers.
Sandsational project a first for the Sunshine Coast
A trial will soon begin to see if a technique never before seen on the Sunshine Coast could be used to help replenish Maroochydore Beach ... It involves importing sand from Moreton Bay and placing it in the water, about 300m off the beach. Waves, currents and tides will then deposit the sand onto our beaches providing an additional buffer against future storms and coastal erosion.
Business Information Paper – mobile phone tower
Suzie Christensen. Lord Howe Island is not currently serviced by a mobile phone network due to its remoteness. In recognition, Telstra has identified a need to provide coverage to the Island and granted funding as part of the Federal Government’s Mobile Blackspot program round 5 ... While the granting of owner’s consent for this development does not require a Development Application, nor public notification, the Board is aware that there is a diverse range of views regarding the proposal, and is therefore putting the paper on public exhibition and inviting feedback over a 4-week period.
Mystery cuttlefish washes up
This month something particularly exciting washed up on Lagoon beach in the Lord Howe Island Marine Park (LHIMP) – a small cuttlefish which had died in recent storms. It was found by visiting researcher Sally Montgomery, and represents the first animal of a Lord Howe Island cuttlefish ever studied.
First ever native stubble quail count in Victoria finds only 101 birds: Regional Victorians Opposed to Duck Shooting
RVOTDS. Game Management Authority (GMA) (Vic) arranged a first-ever count of Stubble Quails in Victoria early this year, and the resultant report it assisted in drafting, has recently been published. The report’s authors have admitted only 101 birds were counted, yet the figure was extrapolated via complex methodologies up to an extraordinary estimate of 3.1 million.
A vision splendid for the Central West and Western Tablelands: from a Bells Expressway
From a Concerned Citizen: Messers Toole and Farraway are vocal proponents of the so-called “upgrade” of the Great Western Highway from Katoomba to Lithgow. ... The project does not deliver an expressway to Sydney - it leaves the Central West and Western Tablelands the only region in NSW without an expressway to Sydney ... The vision that should be adopted and made a reality is a standalone expressway between Western Sydney and Lithgow: the Bells Expressway.
Floods – The road to recovery
In our immediate area, we are lucky: the floods have been and gone while others across the State and beyond are still living with the uncertainty and dangers of rising river levels. For our region, it’s on to the recovery stage. The Times visited the Baringhup Caravan Park last weekend to view the damage following a massive release of water from Cairn Curran reservoir.
Politically correct fire management
Elders of Australian forestry temporarily reinstated sustainable fire management more than half a century ago, before a new generation of ecologists dismantled it. These new experts employ the Climate Cop-Out to explain the inevitable resurgence of pestilence and megafires. Now Forestry Australia is collaborating with them to ‘reimagine’ our future. To achieve this, they have to reinvent our past.
Premature peak?
Somebody better tell mother nature to get with the program as Koondrook-Barham’s peak was exceeded seven days early. The expected peak for Koondrook-Barham remains unchanged on official channels at an expected 6.2m. Mother nature had other ideas with a rainfall event on Monday, October 24 pushing the river to an eye watering 6.210m just one centimetre short of the highest recorded on NSW Water, the 1917 flood reaching 6.223m.
200 flock to Q&A
Chris Oldfield. Almost 200 people crowded into the Town Hall last week to ask questions and learn more about the two mayoral candidates, and 12 of the 16 candidates standing for Naracoorte Lucindale Council. In order of their positions on the ballot paper, esteemed MC Glen Hamlyn asked the first question of the Q&A event organiser and mayoral candidate Patrick Ross, then Erika Vickery. “Having not been a councillor before, do you feel you understand the system enough to take on the mayoral role?” Mr Hamlyn asked.
APRA’s clean-up of bank data errors leaves statistics in chaos
Australia's banking regulator has been significantly over-stating regional branch numbers for decades due to false reporting by banking institutions. The Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) became aware of the errors in May 2021 and has been quietly correcting the hundreds of instances where banks have claimed they are providing full branch services – including the face-to-face provision of cash – but have not been.
Gondwana Link sends letter of warning
A Letter from Gondwana Link to Premier Mark McGowan warns of the impact of mountain bike trails on the connectivity and integrity of the bush. It also warns of the increasing fragmentation of ecologically valuable habitat. Mountain bike trails (and other high intensity trail networks) are described as fundamentally incompatible with the aims and goals of conservation.
Lifeline for trails
Patricia Gill. The Denmark Mountain Bike Club intends to negotiate a bigger presence in the long term on Mt Hallowell in keeping with a plan to develop a trails network on 68ha of the reserve ... Denmark Mountain Bike Club president Brad Drummond said it was unfortunate that there was a view in the community that mountain bikers were ‘environmental animals’.
