State politics

One of the north coast’s largest beekeepers, Clarenza based Bee Services owner Steve Fuller says transitioning from eradicating Varroa mite to managing the problem was the best solution for the industry, but the full impact of the insect might not be known for two or three years.

Northern Rivers residents impacted by the devastating 2022 floods have been left short-changed following last week’s state budget claim Nationals MPs with no sign that the Resilient Homes Program RHP will be fully funded. Member for Clarence Richie Williamson and Member for Tweed Geoff Provest said the budget provides little certainty forward and was a cruel blow to the flood impacted residents still trying to rebuild their lives.

Residents in the remote community of Milingimbi in East Arnhem can look forward to improved wellbeing and reduced overcrowding ... A $16 million tender has been awarded to WTD Constructions over 3 years to build 32 new homes and extend a further 32 existing homes for the around 1,200 people living in Milingimbi.

Forestry Corporation has taken delivery of three new fire tankers to ensure New South Wales communities are safeguarded from bushfires. The state-of-the-art category one tankers have been supplied by the Rural Fire Service, as part of its new build program, to bolster the state’s firefighting arsenal.

Michelle Daw. General practitioners warn a move by the state government to enforce payroll tax on GPs who are not employees could make their practices unviable and force them to close. Revenue SA announced the proposed imposition of payroll tax on South Australian GPs in June...

Western Australia's prized western rock lobsters will be even more readily available to WA seafood lovers, with a major boost approved for direct Back-of-Boat lobster sales this 2023-24 fishing season. The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development has increased the landing limit for back-of-boat sales from 200 to 999 lobsters per fishing trip.

Brace yourselves for the triumphant return of the Indigenous Australian Datathon (IAD) as it gears up for its third consecutive year in Cairns, from the 3rd to the 5th of November 2023. Spearheaded by KJR in collaboration with James Cook University (JCU), tech pioneers and communities, IAD is set to create waves of innovation uniting Traditional Owners, technologists, data professionals, start-ups, and students in an extraordinary quest to revolutionise the future of Australian communities.

Construction of the new Legana Primary School is well underway, with steel and timber framing for the general learning area buildings largely completed and preparation of the slab for the administration building now in progress ... “The new school is expected to open its doors in 2025 to students from the Legana and Grindelwald areas": Minister for Education, Children and Youth, Roger Jaensch.

The Moah Creek Wind Farm project has recently reached two development milestones. Firstly, it has been granted planning approval from the Queensland State Assessment and Referral Agency ... consent from the Queensland Government under the Planning Act 2016 for the construction of the wind farm and its associated vegetation clearing.

“The Australian Musical Theatre Festival was developed to bring a cultural festival to our state’s north during winter, and it is now an established feature of our annual events calendar,” Minister  Street said.

The Cook Government announced the appointment of 10 Aboriginal people to the State's first system-level Aboriginal Advisory Body to advise on the Department's progress towards reconciliation and creating a culturally responsive education system. The Aboriginal Advisory Body will provide independent advice to the Minister for Education and Director General…

The National Management Group (NMG), of which Melons Australia represents industry on, confirmed at its meeting on 19 September 2023 that eradication of Varroa destructor (varroa mite) is no longer feasible based on technical grounds, following advice from the Consultative Committee on Emergency Plant Pests (CCEPP). The response will now enter a transition to management phase.

In a major boost for domestic tourism,  Bonza  has revealed Darwin and Alice Springs as the airline’s newest destinations. The airline will add 12 new flights per week to and from the NT with three new routes - Sunshine Coast to Darwin, Gold Coast to Darwin and Melbourne to Alice Springs.

The Clarence Valley timber industry is still uncertain how many jobs could be lost due to the suspension of logging in the proposed Great Koala National Park as the NSW Government assesses the impact on the endangered marsupials and timber industry jobs ... “They still haven’t actually said what the areas are that they are going to not harvest in and where the actual koala hubs are, so it’s really hard to work out what the ramifications are going to be”: Donna Layton, Marshall Notaras Hardwoods GM and VP of Timber NSW.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk, Transport and Main Roads Minister Mark Bailey and Member for Caloundra Jason Hunt officially opened the eight kilometre extension of Bells Creek Arterial Road, completing the 11.9km link between the Bruce Highway and Caloundra Road.

Gamblers playing the pokies in Alice Springs clubs and pubs lost almost $14m in 2022-23. This doesn’t include the poker machines in Lasseters Casino whose data “cannot be provided due to commercial-in-confidence,” according to the  Department of Industry, Tourism and Trade. That is clearly a huge multiple of the disclosed figure.

A concept design to extend the dual carriageway of Wanneroo Rd to include the Pipidinny Rd intersection has been completed, according to Main Roads WA. “Main Roads completed a concept design for the extension of the dual carriageway of  Wanneroo Rd just south of Bernard Rd North to just north of Pipidinny Rd in 2021 however, this is not currently funded for construction,’’ a Main Roads spokesperson said.