Politics

Tarrengower Prison is celebrating the rehabilitation of its 500th foster greyhound, ‘Boston’, who was trained through the Greyhound Adoption Program (GAP), which is designed to give four-legged companions and prisoners a new lease on life.

“Unfortunately there’s a lack of available trained lifeguards in the region, which is also reflected in the wider aquatic and recreation industry at the moment": Karen Evennett, Mount Alexander Shire Council.

Tracy Jones, Desert Knowledge Australia. A group of local organisations and independent parties have joined forces in Alice Springs, NT, with the support of the Northern Territory Government, to address the town’s water future. The Talking Water Collective delivered a short, intense campaign during October-November 2021 to prompt awareness and build stewardship around the town’s water security, sharing key facts about water resources and consumption, and contributing to the NT's Strategic Water Plan.

After being nearly empty in early 2020, there’s been a remarkable turnaround in Murray–Darling Basin water storages following widespread rain throughout 2021, resulting in better water availability for towns, industries and the environment, and good cropping prospects in 2022.

The Nationals leader and Member for Murray Plains has condemned a move by the Andrews Labor Government to suck a significant slice of revenue out of the pockets of regional newspapers. Mr Walsh said the Nationals strenuously opposed the Regulatory Legislation Amendment (Reform) Bill 2021, which means more than 400 requirements in Victoria that must be published in print media could potentially be pushed online to a central government website.

Koala habitat will be increased and water quality improved with the planting of 153,000 trees along Wivenhoe Dam to rehabilitate former grazing land ... The trees have been planted at seven sites on former grazing land and include eucalypts like Queensland blue gum, ironbarks, bloodwoods and grey gums, as well as rough-barked apple, river she-oak, and black tea-tree.

WA companies Aviair and HeliSpirit have partnered with global company Eve Air Mobility, part of the Embraer Group, to bring new zero-emission electric aircraft to WA within the next four years.

I plan to attend the Richmond Valley Council meetings every month so you don’t have to ... Mayor Robert Mustow opened the meeting ... IPART sets how much council can increase rates. They recently set the peg at 0.7% which is very low. Mayor Mustow said this move meant metropolitan councils would receive more money because of their population ...

The inequalities faced by regional Australians with mobile signal and internet connection need to be fixed. The National Farmers Federation telecommunications committee member and farmer Peter Thompson said far from being a luxury, mobile phone coverage and internet connectivity were essentials in the bush, much like power and water.

Geoff Helisma. Volunteer environmental organisation, Clarence Valley Environment Centre (CEC – established 1989), has released the results of a survey it commissioned, “to undertake koala scat detection [using a specifically trained] dog … in the Shannondale area, [in order] to assess koala presence/absence after the droughts, fires and floods”.

There have been increased reports of stable flies in the Shire of Gingin and other areas due to unseasonably wet conditions over winter and spring that enabled larval developmental sites to stay active for longer. Stable fly is primarily a pest of livestock, especially cattle and horses but it also affects humans, dogs and other animal pets.

WA Forestry Minister Dave Kelly has launched the Farm Forestry Assist program for 2022, supporting farmers and other landowners wishing to plant pine trees on their land. Established in 2018, successful applicants receive free high-quality radiata pine seedlings from the Forest Products Commission's West Manjimup Nursery to establish 20 to 50 hectare pine plantations on their properties.

Two localities in the Shire of Gingin have been added to the list of restricted movement zones to contain the spread of European house borer, which is a serious pest of pinewood.

Weipa will get its own general manager again after the sudden resignation of Michelle Elvy paved the way for Rio Tinto to shuffle the deckchairs on its bauxite business ... Shona Markham will take the reins at Weipa, moving from Rio Tinto’s Bell Bay Aluminium operations in Tasmania.

The LNP is calling on the state government to do its bit for north Queensland insurance prices by dropping stamp duty on insurance policies ... “The ACCC reports that the state government raked in $65 million in 2018-19 from North Queensland alone in stamp duty, which adds between 9 and 10 per cent to premiums”: Senator Susan McDonald.

Young artists are being encouraged to showcase their talents on one of the busiest weekends in Port Fairy for the chance to win some great prizes – including a spot on the 2023 Port Fairy Folk Festival Program.

The Morrison Government has released a new five-year Action Plan to underpin the Threatened Species Strategy. This plan aims to coordinate effort for the recovery of 100 priority species and 20 priority places over the next five years with key targets to drive action.

The Phillip Island Pro was held over the weekend of 10 to 13 February at Cape Woolamai, home to some of the best beach break waves in Australia. This year’s event saw 88 Qualifying Series surfers, 33 Open competitors and eight Indigenous Invitational competitors take part.