State politics

The final report of the Trials Review, Information and Genetics (TRIG) project, has been released along with advisory information and updated data. According to TRIG Steering Committee Chair, Dr Kevin Harding, the project sought to leverage the past work of Victoria’s farm forestry sector by accessing legacy information and datasets to ultimately deliver new, updated tools and information for the next generation of farm forestry plantings.

The NSW Government will spend an additional $80 million to protect the state from red imported fire ants, with the invasive and aggressive pest now on the march towards the NSW border. Minister for Agriculture, Tara Moriarty said red imported fire ants cause serious social, economic and environmental harm.

The Supreme Court of Victoria has announced its decision on VicForests appeal of last November’s landmark court decision in Kinglake Friends of the Forest and Environment East Gippsland vs VicForests, known as “The Glider Case”. The panel of three judges upheld Justice Richards’ findings that VicForests’ actions were in breach of environment laws.The orders limiting logging in forests that are home to endangered gliders will remain.

Representatives from the farming community and food manufacturers have united to express their concerns about Commonwealth water buybacks meeting with the Victorian Water Minister in Echuca on 28 June 2023. The meeting convened by the Victorian Farmers Federation (VFF) with Minister Harriet Shing included representatives from Northern Victoria’s major food processors...

What makes our region’s ecosystems precious? The “big picture” answer has been revealed with the launch of a world-first mapping product for all to explore and understand the different services provided by our ecosystems.

While communities continue to recover from the 2022 flood event, residents are concerned that at least 30 levee breaches on the lower Loddon remain unrepaired. Emergency services have already been called to respond to a flood risk this month when a recent rise in the Murray River threatened to spill from a levee bank breach in the Benjeroop area.

The system which protects and manages Aboriginal cultural heritage in Western Australia will be modernised and improved from July 1 to prevent another incident like what occurred at Juukan Gorge. The improvements include new practical exemptions and a simpler, fairer system to manage activities that may harm Aboriginal cultural heritage across WA ... The State Government has also announced the appointment of four new members to the Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Council, including former Federal Indigenous Affairs Minister and respected Yamatji and Wongi Elder Ken Wyatt.

Senator Lidia Thorpe and the Indigenous-Aboriginal Party of Australia (IAPA) have joined forces to call on the NSW State Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Treaty, David Harris MP, to listen to the voices of Traditional Custodians, the Guringai, regarding the devastatingly destructive development proposal, by the Local Aboriginal Land Council, for land on Woy Woy Rd Kariong NSW, in the area known as Kariong Sacred Lands ... "Do we want to listen to First Nation’s voices or not? Or is First Nations input only relevant if it comes from a state sanctioned Aboriginal corporation?”

Thousands of Northern Rivers residents have been waiting anxiously for 16 months to see whether or not they would receive assistance via home buy-backs, retrofitting or house raising. This week, hundreds are being told they will receive no help from Government ...Members of A Way Forward are calling on the NSW and Federal Governments to urgently provide additional funding to the NRRC to extend their Resilient Homes program.

Australia’s largest regional writers festival explores the theme of 'Wild Imagination' - Featuring more than 120 writers, thinkers and commentators ... The festival also offers  writers’ workshops, an engaging program for children and several feature and satellite events in venues across the Northern Rivers.    

It should not take 67 days for Biosecurity Queensland (the lead agency for biosecurity) to respond to a report of Fire ants near Toowoomba. “What is needed is a better resourced Biosecurity Queensland and an urgent overhaul of the existing Fire ant program,” Chairman of Property Rights Australia (PRA) Jim Willmott said.

Surf Life Saving NSW (SLSNSW) is excited for the future after the trial of specialised long-range drones on the state’s Far North Coast provided a glimpse into the enhanced coastal safety and emergency response capability the technology can provide.

New flood risk mapping released by the Northern Rivers Reconstruction Commission (NRRC) which has seen the number of homes eligible for buyback halved has been slammed by the Nationals as calls come for the second tranche of funding to be released. NRRC Chief Executive David Witherdin said the new mapping will inform the Commonwealth and  State Government’s co-funded $700 million program and be used to prioritise home buybacks,  raisings and retrofits.

The NSW Government has declared the Northern Rivers a formal reconstruction area to help support the building of homes after last year’s devastating floods. Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Paul Scully said the declaration allows the NSW Reconstruction Authority (NSWRA) to make prompt decisions to influence reconstruction and aligns with the election commitment to accelerate the approval of new housing...

Fin Hansen. All local hotels could soon be forced to serve meals, pending a review into the Liquor Licensing Act. Moonta Hotel has been the only licensed venue serving regular meals since the Black Rhino Group purchased all three hotels in Moonta last year ... Copper Coast Council elected member Brent Walker says he is incredibly disappointed in the lack of communication from Black Rhino Group.

The updated Barron Water Plan has now been finalised, following a two-year process of rigorous scientific assessment and consultation. The new plan, which replaces the Barron Water Plan 2002, is underpinned by 20 years of scientific data and is the product of more than 30 consultative meetings with water users and stakeholders...

Minister for Environment Ingrid Stitt announced that 19 [Orange-bellied parrots] ... were released at Lake Connewarre ... Zoos Victoria and Deakin University are currently trialing ATLAS (Advanced Tracking and Localisation of Animals in real life Systems) – a new fixed receiver station tracking system that uses tiny radio transmitters and aims to build knowledge about how the birds use Victorian habitats.

Lismore City Mayor Steve Krieg has welcomed the NSW Government’s decision to disband the Lismore Local Planning Panel and return planning powers to councillors. “I would like to thank the Minister for taking on board Council’s resolution at the March Ordinary meeting that councillors did not need assistance in undertaking our role as the consent authority”: Lismore City Mayor Steve Krieg.

The new WA Aboriginal Cultural Heritage laws will have far reaching consequences to the farming community, many of which are only just coming to light as the WA Department of Heritage workshops the changes across the State. This is how WAFarmers responded to one of the workshops in the central Wheatbelt.