Taking action on buffel: Moss
The Northern Territory Government has announced the establishment of a technical working group to assess the impacts of, and approaches to buffel grass management in Central Australia, which will include consideration of declaring buffel grass a weed under the Weeds Management Act 2001. While buffel grass has provided valuable fodder as well as dust suppression and erosion control in desert areas since the 1960s, there is increasing concern about its role in heightening wildfire intensity, and associated impacts on biodiversity.
Science debunks McGowan’s forestry populism: Gavin Butcher
Gavin Butcher. Analysis of publicly available data by respected scientist Dr Lachie McCaw has shown that claims by Premier McGowan and his coterie of Forestry Ministers, Jarvis and Kelly, to be without substance. The WA government had stated that one of the reasons the timber industry had been axed was because the trees are no longer growing. Dr McCaw has used published data on the long-term forest monitoring plots called ForestCheck to demonstrate that the harvested forest is growing and the uncut forest is in decline.
Richie it is!
Richie Williamson has retained the seat of Clarence for the Nationals following the 2023 State Election. As he celebrated his success surrounded by his friends, family, and loyal supporters at his Grafton Campaign Office on March 25, Mr Williamson said he felt proud and honoured to be elected as the incoming Member for Clarence following the retirement of Chris Gulaptis, who served in the role for 11 years.
Lismore Labor landslide with big swing to Saffin
Janelle Saffin and her campaign crew can celebrate a big swing to Labor — and to Ms Saffin in the State Election. By 7.20pm, ABC was announcing the seat of Lismore for Labor ... Ms Saffin said what she wanted most was good communication.
Stamping out knife crime: Fyles, Paech
Chief Minister Natasha Fyles announced urgent bail legislation will be introduced to parliament which will see a new presumption against bail for violent offences involving a weapon. There will also be a presumption against bail for co-offenders who participate in violent offences involving a weapon, even if they do not possess the weapon themselves.
Historic native title for Eastern Maar: Williams
Eastern Maar peoples in Victoria’s south-west have gained formal recognition of their land rights in the first Victorian native title determination in a decade, with support from the Andrews Labor Government. Minister for Treaty and First People Gabrielle Williams joined the Eastern Maar Country at a hearing on Country at Logans Beach to hear the Federal Court’s consent determination - which will formally recognise the groups native title rights.
Singapore and WA strengthen emergency services partnership: Dawson
The Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) has strengthened ties with its Singaporean counterparts, signing a new Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that will extend a long-standing relationship beyond two decades ... DFES and SCDF have shared a fruitful interagency relationship since 2005, swapping firefighting tactics and techniques, exchanging staff for personal and professional development and collaborating on research programs.
Environmental benefits of River Murray flood are beginning to emerge: Close
The sound of the musical eastern banjo frog ringing out across the Pike floodplain is among the incredible sights and sounds ecologists are observing as floodwaters recede throughout the Murraylands, Riverland and Lower Lakes ... "We will eventually go back into a drier period and that is when the 450 gigalitres promised SA under the Murray Darling Basin Plan but not delivered will be of the utmost importance to maintaining the health of the river system": Susan Close.
Public Health Alert: Northern Territory in peak risk period for mosquito-borne diseases
NT Health is urging Northern Territory (NT) residents and visitors to protect themselves from mosquito bites, following detection of the potentially fatal Murray Valley encephalitis (MVE) and Japanese encephalitis (JE) viruses in mosquitoes. Mosquito numbers are currently high in the Barkly region due to the recent rains, and are expected to increase in the Top End, with numbers already at high levels in areas close to swamps, creeks and wetlands.
Future of food production will need partnership from new Labor government: NSW Farmers
The state’s peak farming body says Labor will need to make strategic investments in the agricultural sector to pay for election promises and secure the future food supply. NSW Farmers President Xavier Martin said partnering with industry to bolster food and fibre production would be key to Labor’s next four years, which will help drive economic activity to deliver the programs and services the people of NSW need.
Rent-seeking disguised as sacred sites
What is a sacred site? According to the government, sacred sites are places within the landscape that have a special meaning or significance under Aboriginal tradition. Hills rocks, waterholes, trees, plains, lakes, billabongs and other natural features can be sacred sites ... When heritage moves from easily identifiable caves, rock art, convict buildings and federation houses to mythical spaces that are not registered on published maps, widely known and regularly visited, then we face endless abuse of process, as everything everywhere becomes sacred with a price attached to any disturbance.
Major milestone for reform of Local Government Act: Carey
The Legislative Assembly has passed the Local Government Amendment Bill 2023, which will deliver a range of major reforms to the system of local government across Western Australia. Tranche one of the reforms is progressing to allow for key changes to be implemented for the October 2023 Ordinary Elections.
Plea to banks
Shadow Minister for Regional South Australia, Nicola Centofanti, is pleading with banks to not remove their services from Naracoorte and its surrounding townships. Ms Centofanti said while it was unfortunate, the Liberal Party was “seeing an alarming trend” where banks are withdrawing their services from regional centres in South Australia.
A new platform for Alice Springs artists with disability: NTMEC
A new exhibition showcasing works by artists with disability will open in Alice Springs on Saturday, 25 March. Strong Feelings, which will take place at Red Hot Arts, includes a mixture of portraiture and storytelling, using costume, digital art, song, soundscapes, video and photography.
Law makes clear cops’ duties to children
The frequent claim by police that it cannot act on street kids unless they are committing a crime does not seem to hold water for the person in the street when they look at Territory legislation ... These issues have been broadly discussed in Alice Springs for years, including in an ongoing campaign by Tourism Central Australia (TCA), representing the region’s economic lifeblood. “If a child is on the street at 2am or even later, they should come under the care of the Government,” says TCA’s CEO, Danial Rochford.
Candidates sign pledge against mining in Clarence
Five candidates for the seat of Clarence in the March 25 state election have signed a pledge launched by the Clarence Catchment Alliance to oppose and ban mineral mining developments in the Clarence catchment ... The pledge, Ms Fleming said came about after the CCA attended a meet the candidates’ night in Grafton and every one of the local candidates said they were anti mining in the Clarence catchment.
Labor and Nationals candidates build opinions on affordable housing in the Clarence Valley
The ALP candidate for Clarence Leon Ankersmit has declared the election of a Labor Government on March 25 as the first step towards addressing the housing crisis in NSW. Following the announcement of a $3.5 million investment ... as an election promise by Federal Member for Page Kevin Hogan, alongside $3 million contributed by Clarence Village, Mr Hogan reaffirmed his commitment to the project earlier this year, adding "the Labor Government are not going to fund this." CEO of Clarence Village Duncan McKimm ... was keen to uncover if a Labor Government will match their $3 million in funding.
Forest decline, koala plagues and megafires
Vic Jurskis's clear account of the history of the cycle of plagues and crashes of koalas in Australia's eastern states and the circumstances of those plagues and crashes makes one question whether the time frame for assessing the status of koalas should be 200 years, not 20, and whether the public perception about this much-loved animal is fully informed.
Police tight-lipped on death in custody
Police called a media conference on 20 March 2023 to discuss the death in custody at Casino Police Station yesterday, Sunday, March 19. Despite questions from several news outlets at the conference, Assistant Commissioner Peter McKenna did not reveal any new information about the death of the 48 year old man ... On Sunday, the man was taken to the station after reports he had assaulted another man at the Casino Showground.
Covid vax rule change will help revive SES unit
For more than a year, Tabulam has not had an SES unit. Member numbers dwindled during the covid pandemic because the SES policy at the time was that all members had to be vaccinated.
Families left in the dark as Labor fails to raise alarm over cochlear implant issues: Speirs, Hurn
The Opposition is calling on the Malinauskas Labor Government to write to and engage with all families who received cochlear implant care at the Women’s and Children’s Hospital over the past decade ... It comes as more heartbreaking stories of South Australian children who have experienced issues with their cochlear implants come to light...
Forestry Centre of Excellence Strategic Plan launches vision for SA: Scriven
The Strategic Plan for the Forestry Centre of Excellence has been launched by the State Government, laying out the vision behind this $15 million 10-year collaborative project. The Centre, the first of its kind in South Australia, is being developed to create long-term research and development capability to enhance the Green Triangle’s economic prosperity, generating more jobs and investment in the region.
