Over 130 street trees planted
Planting has finished with round one of Maitland City Council’s Community Street Tree Planting Program seeing 136 trees installed during February. Expressions of interest were called from residents in September 2020, and the positive level of response received highlighted people’s interest in environmentally driven projects and green spaces in Maitland.
Lack of consultation on new Koala SEPP a concern for farmers
NSW Farmers is concerned by a lack of consultation with landholders around new koala regulations and what they will mean for farmers. NSW Farmers’ President James Jackson said it was disappointing the agreement made with the Premier last year to protect koalas and farms had been torn up.
NSW Government delivers Koala SEPP 2021
“This is a win for regional NSW and balances the interests of farmers and the protection of koalas and their habitat,” Mr Barilaro said. “Land zoned for primary production or forestry in regional NSW will not be subject to the new SEPP, which means farmers will not be strangled by red tape."
Worker plan food for thought, no panacea
The NFF say today’s release of the much-anticipated National Agriculture Workforce Strategy comes as farmers seek immediate and longer-term answers to crippling worker shortages. NFF CEO Tony Mahar said the strategy unfortunately did not provide a silver bullet but outlined wide-ranging practical measures that if implemented, could increase agriculture's labour pool for the future.
Opportunity missed for our fruit and veg farmers
In yet another blow to the state’s intensifying harvest labour crisis, NSW has missed an opportunity to be part of a DFAT-run program that enables seasonal workers from Fiji and Vanuatu to work on local farms. National fruit and vegetable crop losses resulting from the workforce conundrum now exceed $50 million, and the outcomes of today’s National Cabinet meeting confirm NSW is lagging behind other states and territories in developing a short-term solution.
ALRTA has called on farmers to obtain class 3 livestock permit pre-approvals before transport is arranged
“In the past, land-owners needed vehicle registration details to apply for a pre-approved class 3 livestock permit. They usually don’t know vehicle registration details before engaging a carrier so it was always the carrier’s job to obtain the permit. It can take up to 28 days to obtain a permit that could only be used by one carrier on one job. We don’t have time to wait and it is pointless gathering dozens of single use permits,” Mr Beer said.
Weipa community voices its concerns to Cook MP
Member for Cook Cynthia Lui says last week’s trip to Weipa was a “positive experience” and that she left with a better grasp of issues facing the Western Cape. It was the MP’s first trip to the area after more than 550 days and constituents were happy to have face time with the elected member.
Extraordinary community response to emergency evacuation
Roper Gulf Regional Council would like to thank everyone who was involved in the emergency evacuation of the Jilkminggan community on Thursday 25 February 2021. The decision was made by the Local Emergency Committee to evacuate 211 people from Jilkminggan as flood waters continued to rise and surround the community.
Certainty flows from basin plan reform
NSW Farmers welcomes steps from Federal Water Minister Keith Pitt to end the Water Efficiency Program and the recovery of consumptive water from on-farm sources. The Federal Government committed to move away from on-farm water recovery in the Murray Darling Basin Plan (MDBP) in September 2020. Minister Pitt’s announcement to end the Water Efficiency Program formalises this commitment.
Water Minister Keith Pitt meets with Northern Victorian mayors
Hon Keith Pitt MP joined local member for Mallee Dr Anne Webster and Senator Hon Bridget McKenzie, in Mildura today to talk water with the Murray River Group of Councils. Mayors of the six member councils welcomed the opportunity to directly raise their concerns about the impacts of the Basin Plan on the region on behalf of northern Victorian communities.
NSW lifts ban on GM crops
Adam Marshall, Minister for Agriculture and Minister for Western NSW, Media Release, 5 March 2021
The NSW Government will lift the ban on the use...
Great asset for Barellan
The place where an Australian tennis legend was born, the Barellan Tennis Club courts, was renamed to honour the local Goolagong family in a moving ceremony on Saturday.
Rail study to see light of day
Nicholas Rapulo. The National Party’s efforts to suppress the release of a $500,000 feasibility study into the revival of the Narrandera to Tocumwal rail line has failed with the report set to see the light of day. A motion put forward by the Shooters, Fishers, Farmers Party in New South Wales parliament passed the upper house last month meaning the report, which has been hidden away, will be released to the public.
NSW Farmers backs move to lift ban on GM crops
NSW Farmers supports a decision to lift the moratorium on Genetically Modified (GM) crops, provided farmers have a choice and that any genetically modified organism has been approved by an independent, science-based Australian regulator. The NSW Government will lift the ban on the use of GM crops by allowing an 18-year moratorium to lapse when the Gene Technology (GM Crop Moratorium) Act 2003 is due to expire on 1 July 2021.
Water guaranteed for Mount Morgan
Rockhampton Regional Council and Fitzroy River Water have today reaffirmed their commitment that the residents of Mount Morgan will not be left without access to water as the dry weather continues. Rockhampton Region Mayor, Tony Williams, said the water remaining in the dam is expected to provide water for another three to six months but that Council was now trialling contingency plans.
Rail lovers rally to save Casino-Bentley link
There are two ideas on how to use the rail corridor between Casino and Bentley. The newly formed Northern Rivers Rail Ltd wants to see trains on the track with a bike path alongside.
The new form of science or just bad government
New South Wales Government Minister Kean, Minister for the Environment, constantly says he "follows the science". A noble ideal, but only if what he is sprouting is science.
Hogan: airport still commercially viable
Geoff Helisma. Federal Member for Page Kevin Hogan says he believes that the Clarence Valley Regional and Lismore airports are “still commercially viable”. The Independent emailed an enquiry to Mr Hogan’s office, asking for comment about Rex withdrawing from its Grafton and Lismore routes.
The Rexit affair
Geoff Helisma. Clarence Valley Council is hoping that Page MP Kevin Hogan can help fill the hole left by Rex regional airline’s announcement that it will cease operating its Sydney to Grafton and Lismore routes as of Friday March 26.
Kookaburra Calling- is it time for the ASX of water?
In a lively panel session held at the ABARES Outlook 2021 virtual conference, entitled 'Improving water market outcomes in the southern Murray-Darling Basin', Mick Keogh, the Deputy Chairman of the ACCC responsible for small business and agriculture, and lead author of a report on the water market recently handed to the Federal Treasurer, alluded to the idea of establishing a water market in Australia akin to the regulatory environment of the Australian Stock Exchange (ASX).
ABARES Outlook 2021 – Littleproud spruiks government’s ag credentials
The ABARES Outlook 2021 Conference, the annual conference held by the Australian Bureau of Agricultural Economics, being held virtually for the first time this year, is taking place between March 2nd and 4th.
Western Sydney infrastructure gets $7 billion, regional Australia not a high priority
National Farmers' Federation. Today, Infrastructure Australia released its 2021 Infrastructure Priority List, and regional Australia is once again the poor cousin. Of the identified ‘High Priority Projects’, not a single one is in a regional area – with only Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane rating a mention.
