A $6.3 billion solution hiding in plain sight
Picture this: you're watching the NSW Treasurer deliver a budget that cuts transport spending by 34 per cent, slashes education infrastructure by 41 per cent, and offers zero additional cost of living relief to struggling families. Meanwhile, sitting in government reservoirs across the state is something that could change everything – 450 gigalitres of surplus water worth a potential $6.3 billion.
Proposed Yanchep development transport impact assessment
The April 2025 Yanchep Central – commercial development transport impact assessment prepared for FRP Capital says the proposed development on the western side of Kakadu Rd and north of Morwell St will include a fastfood outlet, showrooms and a gym along with two medical centres and an automotive unit.
Japanese delegates take in the best of Australian horticulture: Hort Innovation
In June, three delegates from Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) visited Australia to understand counter-seasonal horticulture export opportunities and interview Australian growers and horticulture experts to assess feasibility of future export opportunities and collaboration between our two countries. Â
Forestry Australia welcomes Timber Fibre Strategy as a science-led vision for forests and the future: Forestry Australia
Forestry Australia has welcomed the release of the Federal Government’s Timber Fibre Strategy ... The Strategy recognises the critical role of science, innovation, and active forest management in ensuring that Australia’s forests can continue to deliver environmental, economic, cultural and social outcomes for generations to come.
Backing our farmers through the drought: Tierney
The Drought Response Taskforce has been listening directly to farmers and regional communities across Victoria – making sure their voices shape the support they need to get through tough times ... the Labor Government is investing an additional $75 million to help farmers through the drought, bringing the total support package to $144 million.
Regional landholders under threat from Labor’s transmission takeover: Cleeland
The Nationals' Member for Euroa, Annabelle Cleeland, has slammed new legislation proposed by the Allan Labor Government that would allow government officials and transmission companies to enter private farmland without consent, and hit landholders with steep fines if they object.
Australian Conservation Foundation disingenuous at best
Lloyd Hick. Queensland's peak representative body for rural producers has condemned the Australian Conservation Foundation for its latest misleading campaign against Australian cattle producers. AgForce Cattle President Lloyd Hick says AgForce has thrown its support behind Property Rights Australia's calls for ACF's tax free status as a registered charity to be withdrawn in response to its deceptive "Bulldozing the Bush" campaign.
Merger will not restore deleted emergency capability
Victorian Fisheries Media Centre. On May 20, 2025, the fisheries authority (VFA) finalised an organisational restructure, under which it has since shed 30 (44 per cent) of the state's 69 Fisheries Officers; leaving just 39 officers to patrol Victoria's 2,512 km coastline, 10,000 square km of ocean waters and 170,000 km of inland water frontage along 85,000 km of rivers and creeks. Then in a separate decision, on Friday, June 13, 2025, the VFA stripped the remaining officers of their duties to "respond to any emergency" by deleting these duties from their Position Descriptions ...
Monash Uni students join the Cactus Warriors
Last weekend an enthusiastic group of Monash University students made their annual field trip to Maldon to help win our war against Wheel Cactus ... Other comments from the students were: "I didn't expect to see anything this bad!", "It is pretty scary to imagine what the area would look like if your group did not exist,"...
More opportunities for deer hunting in Victoria: Dimopoulos
The Allan Labor Government is expanding recreational hunting in East Gippsland – boosting tourism, supporting local jobs and helping control wild deer. Minister for Outdoor Recreation Steve Dimopoulos today announced that the National Parks Act will be amended to allow seasonal deer hunting in Errinundra and Snowy River National Park.Â
Government must act to stop South West spread of shot hole borer: Eatts
The Shadow Minister for Forestry and Member for Warren Blackwood, Bevan Eatts MLA, has called on the Cook Labor Government to urgently invest in public awareness and collaborative monitoring efforts to prevent the spread of the Polyphagous Shot Hole Borer (PSHB) beyond the Perth metropolitan area and into the South West.
The first in, now the first out: why farmers are leading the retreat from net zero
Come 2025, after a couple of wars, a new US president, a cost of living crisis, power blackouts and the hard economics finally catching up to lofty promises, the world seems to have quietly lost interest in the net zero game ... Just this week, the Red Meat Advisory Council formally dumped its 2030 carbon neutral target, swiftly followed by Meat & Livestock Australia.
New fire ant failure detected: NSW Farmers Association
Farmers are calling for a government crackdown to stamp out fire ants in NSW after the pests were discovered in Tweed Heads this week. On Wednesday the NSW Government confirmed an immature Red Imported Fire Ant nest was detected on a property in NSW, where it was later destroyed by authorities.
Outdated career myths holding Ag back, says TasFarmers
TasFarmers is calling on all political parties in the upcoming state election to support a $500,000 investment into funding an independent Agricultural Career Coach, designed to connect young Tasmanians with fulfilling careers in agriculture regardless of their background.
Report shows benefits of sustainable wood harvesting in native forests: ABARES
A new ABARES report, Australia’s native forests and wood production, highlights the important role Australia’s diverse native forests play in helping to combat climate change, providing a home to many flora and fauna species, and providing high quality wood products.
VNI West completion dates pushed back
Transmission Company Victoria ... advised landholders that the expected completion date for the VNI West transmission project was extending from 2028 to late 2030. TCV Spokesperson, Claire Cass, said the updated timeline reflects revised planning, design and construction assumptions for one of Victoria’s most significant energy infrastructure projects ... The controversial project's timeline extension showed the landholders deserved more respect, according to Member for Mallee Dr Anne Webster.
UniSQ to turn dairy waste and duckweed into sustainable biofuels
A collaborative project led by the University of Southern Queensland (UniSQ) is aiming to accelerate Australia's transition to net-zero by transforming dairy waste and duckweed into scalable, sustainable biofuels ... The project is being led by Dr Peter Harris and Professor Bernadette McCabe from UniSQ's Centre for Agricultural Engineering...
New sports precinct plan endorsed
Toowoomba Regional Council (TRC) recently endorsed an updated Toowoomba Region Sports Precinct (TRSP) Master Plan for the Charlton site, on the north-eastern side of the Toowoomba Bypass and Warrego Highway intersection.
Coppicing reform: A win for native species and farming families
Member for Cootamundra, Steph Cooke has introduced the Biodiversity Conservation and Local Land Services Legislation Amendment (Broombush and Blue Mallee Coppicing) Bill 2025 to the NSW Parliament. The bill seeks to amend the Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016 and the Local Land Services Act 2013 to enable the lawful coppicing of broombush and blue mallee in the Bland Shire...
Mayor disappointed as NSW Budget ignores critical needs in Narrandera
Narrandera Shire Council Mayor Cr Neville Kschenka has expressed disappointment following the release of the 2025-26 NSW Budget, which failed to deliver any new funding for vital infrastructure and services in Narrandera. "While we welcome ongoing investment in regional health infrastructure in parts of the electorate, Narrandera Shire has once again been overlooked in this budget," Mayor Kschenka said.
Geoscientific breakthrough could spark new gold rush in WA: Michael
Experts from the Geological Survey of Western Australia, part of the newly formed WA Department of Mines, Petroleum and Exploration, have identified a distinctive chemical fingerprint that signals where gold is most likely to be found ... a major step forward for mineral exploration on a global scale.
Rates rort hurting farmers: VFF reveals five biggest farm rate rise offenders
The Victorian Farmers Federation (VFF) says evidence of some Victorian local government councils slugging huge rate rises on farmers shows the Victorian Government’s local government rate capping policy isn’t working. VFF President Brett Hosking said farmers continue to get the raw end of the stick with rate capping failing to deter unfair rate hikes in some regions.
