Politics

New forecasting showing record Australian grain production numbers – despite impacts of severe weather and flooding during a delayed and disrupted harvest – makes good news for today’s papers. However, Grain Producers Australia says the headline numbers mask some serious structural issues faced by growers on the ground, which impact productivity and need to be urgently addressed.

Patricia Gill. The Denmark Environment Centre and long-standing member Geoff Evans were awarded last month for their commitment to WA’s environment ... Geoff tells how in 1994 he turned up to a meeting run by the late Alex Syme to save Denmark’s forests and was surprised to see 30 people gathered. Geoff looked around and said: “Where have you buggers been for the past 25 years?”

Two of the world’s leading palaeontologists along with scientific researchers and educators have gathered to discuss the importance of the Bass Coast Dinosaurs Trail in Inverloch ... "It is a true legacy project for Council to be at the forefront of creating a world class tourism experience that celebrates the work of scientists, volunteers and the international significance of polar dinosaurs to the Australian Continent": Bass Coast Mayor Michael Whelan.

Fraser Coast residents will now be able to opt for a natural burial at the new Nikenbah Natural Cemetery. A natural burial is a funeral that seeks to make as little impact upon the environment as possible and to return a body to the earth in as natural a way as possible.

A Kindness Wall was revealed at the Casino Neighbourhood Centre. The wall provides clothes for the people who need them and was set up by Momentum Collective ... “With the perfect motto,  Leave one if you can. Take one if you need, the wall provides an opportunity for people who can help and a great way for people in need to have some essential items”: Fiona Miller, Momentum Collective.

Peak industry body for Queensland horticulture, Growcom is calling on the federal government to engage in genuine and meaningful discussion after the passing of the new Fair Work Legislation Amendment (Secure Jobs, Better Pay) Bill 2022 so industry can understand how it will be implemented. Growcom CEO Rachel Chambers said when discussing a Bill called ‘secure jobs, better pay’ you need to have the business owners, the people who create the jobs for employees, around the table. Without employers there is no employment.

Council has last week voted to continue operations of the popular refuse facility known as the Bowerbird ... “People can conveniently drop off items on their way to the tip, and these products are then given a second life in homes where they are needed most": Greater Geraldton Mayor Shane Van Styn.

“Crops in Western Australia and South Australia benefitted the most from spring conditions, with total production in both states forecast to reach new record levels. Total production in Queensland is forecast to reach the second highest on record, despite parts of the Darling Downs missing out on plantings after being impacted by the floods. In other parts of the country, the results are mixed with both flooding and water-logging impacting winter crop production": Jared Greenvillle, ABARES.

Thousands of generations of shared history across Cape York and the Torres Strait has been formally recognised by the Federal Court of Australia. Celebrations were held on Thursday Island as Justice Debbie Mortimer announced the historic Native Title consent determination, which covers about 65,000 square kilometres of land and sea.

Providing rooming accommodation will now be easier after the Palaszczuk Government lifted a requirement for local government planning approval under certain conditions. Deputy Premier and Minister for Planning Steven Miles said the change to the Planning Regulation would provide more housing options in lower density residential zones.

This year the theme of World Soil Day is ‘Soil: Where food begins’, highlighting the importance of healthy soil as a crucial element of food production ... “Soil in good condition is more productive. It has higher water-holding capacity, supports biological activities and resists erosion during extreme climate and weather events": Lisa Nitschke, DAFF.

The addition of two Large Air Tankers (LATs) will significantly strengthen Western Australia's firefighting capability as emergency services prepare for a busy bushfire season. A C130 Hercules LAT, which will remain in WA for the high threat fire season, was unveiled on 5 December 2022.

The Glenreagh Bridge is back to its former glory following the completion of painting on the 104-year-old structure. Clarence Nationals MP Chris Gulaptis said the steel truss bridge was built at the end of World War I and is unusual for a bridge of its time.

Chris Oldfield. Humour, youth and a passion for rural and regional people were hallmarks of SA’s Shadow Cabinet who last week gathered in the clubrooms of the Naracoorte showgrounds. Member for MacKillop Nick McBride welcomed his Liberal colleagues and local constituents to the forum, which was part of an intense three-day tour of the region.

As we head to the end of another year, 2023 will herald exciting times for the Barkly Regional Council (BRC), says CEO Emma Bradbury. After a tough year of staffing shortages and financial struggles, Ms Bradbury says Council has experienced a turnaround of its financial position to a new standing of excellence, with an external auditor citing BRC as one of the strongest in the NT.

Bendigo West MP Maree Edwards has been elected for a fourth term with a comfortable majority ... Back in 2010, when Ms Edwards was first elected, Bendigo West was considered to be a marginal seat.  “It’s now one of the safest seats,” she said.  “On Sunday morning, it was the ninth safest seat in Victoria; this figure may very well change as counting continues.”

The Shire of Coolgardie’s independently run Meals on Wheels service was recognised on a National stage this week, after winning the Meals On Wheels Australia Service Excellence Award for 2022 ... The program not only provides residents with free and nutritious meals, but it also became a welfare check on clients in our regional towns throughout the Shire.

It’s been an egg-cellent start to the Sunshine Coast turtle nesting season, with six nests laid in seven days. At sunrise on Friday, November 25, expert citizen scientist and Turtle Care volunteer Lesley Dimmock spotted the first turtle tracks on Buddina beach.

Boosting Defence Force presence in Central Queensland would provide maximum capability gains for Australia’s Defence Forces while remaining substantially out of range for the most likely enemy long-range weapon systems. That’s the finding of a compelling submission to the Federal Government’s Defence Strategic Review compiled by independent defence consultants commissioned by key local government and regional development authorities in Central Queensland.

David Landini, Riverina State Group. The Victorian election, with the re-election of the Daniel Andrews’ Labor government, and the election of seven Greens Members of Parliament, ensures that the suppression of natural resource-based industries such as irrigated agriculture and timber harvesting will not only continue, but actually accelerate and expand. That these Members of Parliament are all urban-based, while the industries being suppressed are all in the country, demonstrates the cultural and economic division existing between the urban and country populations.