West Yamba rezoning motion defeated
A motion to rezone land at West Yamba not already subject to development applications from residential to conservation and rural status has been defeated, with many Clarence Valley Councillors indicating they want to wait for the latest flood modelling to be released before deciding on the issue ... Prior to the CVC meeting, councillors heard deputations supporting the rezoning from Greens MLC and Environmental Lawyer Sue Higginson, Lynne Cairns from Yamba CAN, Engineer Peter Maslen and Yamba Local Craigh McNeill.
Regional innovations, global connections
As Australia looks towards exploring new export markets, the MENA region presents a wealth of trading and investment potential for Australian regional businesses ... This inaugural event on 4 May 2023 will be co-hosted by the Australia Arab Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and Regional Development Australia in Central Coast, with a guest speaker and participants joining from the MENA region and Australia.
Keeping young people out of the criminal justice system: Symes
Victoria will be the first state to raise the minimum age of criminal responsibility from 10 years old to 12, and to 14 years old by 2027 – bolstering the Victorian Government’s work to avoid young people entering the criminal justice system early and keeping the community safe. Medical evidence indicates very young children are at a critical stage of cognitive development and may be incapable of understanding their behaviour is seriously wrong.
Council supports farmers in transmission fight
Northern Grampians Shire Council has issued a harsh rebuke of the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO), citing its abject failure to answer local landowners' questions about controversial power transmission infrastructure. Mayor, Cr Kevin Erwin said there was absolutely no justification whatsoever that the legitimate concerns of landowners remained unanswered at this stage of the project. “We are talking about one of the biggest rural energy infrastructure projects built in the past 60 years, and the government’s planner can’t confirm how it will operate on the easement,” Cr Erwin said.
We need ‘critical minerals’
If the Northern Territory wants to achieve a 50% renewable energy target by 2030 and net zero emissions by 2050, as it says it does, it seems we will need to make a choice between two types of mineral extraction: Good Mining and Bad Mining. “Good Mines” would get out of the ground the dozen-plus materials needed to make batteries and solar panels, known as critical minerals, needed for clean energy technologies, including copper, nickel, manganese, cobalt, chromium, molybdenum and zinc.
New animal welfare and farm trespass legislation comes into operation: Quigley, Jarvis
The maximum penalty for individuals charged with illegally entering a premise used for commercial animal farming or slaughter has been doubled and the availability of misconduct restraining orders expanded under the McGowan Government's new animal welfare and trespass laws. Offenders will now face a maximum of two years' imprisonment and a fine of $24,000 if found guilty of the new offence of aggravated trespass.
WA’s resources sector has record-busting year: Johnston
Western Australia's resources industry achieved record sales of $246 billion in 2022 and delivered more jobs than ever before, underlining our State's role as the driving force behind the national economy. Resources sales for 2022 were up an impressive $15 billion from 2021 based on the latest annual data released by the Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety (DMIRS).
NT the place to be for mining: Minister at Alice conference
NT Mining Minister Nicole Manison was addressing more than 300 industry people attending the Annual Geoscience Exploration Seminar (AGES) in Alice Springs ... She said the NT has 15 of the critical minerals the world needs, “and we have lots of copper as well, and 13 prospective critical minerals” ... Minister Manison said the government will change the royalty system to ad valorem, including petroleum.
Police Watch House to undergo $11.5m redevelopment
The Tennant Creek Watch House will undergo a $11.5 million redevelopment as part of the Territory Labor Government’s investment to improve police resources in Budget 2023. The Territory Government committed $3.4 million to redevelop the Watch House in 2019 as part of the Barkly Regional Deal, however it was subsequently deemed that a full replacement of the facility was required.
Will ratepayers fund North Parklands purchase?
When it comes to the North Parklands, Naracoorte Lucindale Council ought to be “on the front foot”, according to Cr Damien Ross ... But Mayor Ross seemed suspicious it could be “government speak” for councils and their ratepayers to carry some financial burden and responsibility.
Australia’s largest wind farm is coming to Victoria: D’Ambrosio
Australia‘s largest wind farm will soon be under construction in the Golden Plains Shire just 60 kilometres north-west of Geelong ... Once complete the wind farm will generate 9 per cent of Victoria’s total electricity demand, enough clean energy to power more than 765,000 homes, equivalent to every home in regional Victoria.
Early childcare workforce set to increase as enrolments rise: Boyer
The Malinauskas Labor Government’s return of early childhood courses to TAFE has seen an almost doubling of uptake in just 12 months ... Enrolments in Semester 1 for 2023 for both courses are currently at 456 – almost double the same time last year with 276 enrolments.
White spot order crippling Clarence fishermen
The Clarence River Fishermen’s Co-Operative faces losing one third of its annual income due to the ban on commercial fishing in the Clarence River following the detection of the white spot virus at Palmers Island prawn farms ... On Monday April 17, Federal Member for Page, Kevin Hogan and State Member for Clarence, Richie Williamson called on the Federal and State Labor Governments to provide immediate financial assistance to the Clarence commercial fishing and aquaculture industry.
Concerns for giants brings logging to a halt
For months protesters have been fighting for logging to be halted in Doubleduke State Forest in Bungawalbin. NSW Environmental Authority announced the decision to stop logging on April 16 ... “The inspection identified that Forestry Corporation of NSW had not mapped two giant trees in accordance with the Coastal Integrated Forestry Operations Approval and Protocols,” EPA regulatory operations director Steve Orr said.
New WA facility to demonstrate turning waste into fuel: Bowen, Punch, Hanns
An innovative solution to waste management that will see household rubbish and biomass turned into useful products instead of ending up in landfill is set to be demonstrated in Western Australia ... The plant, which was built using a patented design and uses technology developed in WA by Renergi, is the first of its kind and positions Collie as a pioneer in the negative-emission bio-based circular economy.
Queensland’s new largest gold mine officially opens: Stewart
Works have finished and production has ramped up at Queensland’s new largest gold mine, creating nearly 400 good jobs and supporting 1000 contractors in the process. Resources Minister Scott Stewart congratulated Ravenswood Gold on the $350 million expansion of their mine about 130 km southwest of Townsville.
Out of control burns spark enquiry calls: Robbie Katter
Katter’s Australian Party leader and Traeger MP Robbie Katter is calling on the state government to lodge an enquiry into their aggressive reach to obtain more land for under resourced national parks. This comes following a blaze that became out of control on White Mountains National Park in recent days, destroying valuable pastures on adjoining stations ... “These national parks are quite literally out of control."
Ecological thinning – WA Government manages to wedge itself: Gavin Butcher
Gavin Butcher. When the WA Premier announced it was changing direction in the management of native forests to one guided by improving forest health and climate resilience he was on a potential winner ... Here was a unique opportunity to end the forest wars and set up a sustainable future for all. Alas the government has fluffed it.
Solving air travel’s emissions dilemma: Canegrowers
CANEGROWERS has welcomed Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk’s recent public vote of confidence in the sugarcane industry’s ability to supply the feedstock for a biofuels revolution in Queensland ... “With more than 1500 domestic flights in Australia every day, the aviation industry burns through an awful lot of highly polluting jet fuel”: CANEGROWERS Chairman Owen Menkens.
Eyes in the skies – what it’s like to be a spotter pilot
Helping spot fires is the job of dreams for Parks and Wildlife Service Senior Spotter Pilot Bronwen Prinsloo. This Manjimup-based pilot loves taking to the skies to spot and report on fires, monitor prescribed burns and do her bit to help keep our communities safe.
Delivering for the region
Which projects will benefit communities outside Tennant Creek? A number of initiatives are designed to benefit communities outside of Tennant Creek including the Student Boarding Facility which will see a 40-bed boarding school built next to the Tennant Creek High School ... The Alliance has positions on the Governance Table and contributes to decision-making about the implementation of the Deal initiatives.
Northern Grampians Shire Council submits a firm response to energy transmission report
Northern Grampians Shire Council has called on governments and energy agencies to respond directly to the concerns of farmers and local landowners before it develops new power transmission infrastructure ... "At the forum most of these questions were left unanswered. Rather than decide and defend, the government needs to ensure that meaningful consultation and direct negotiation is offered": Cr Kevin Erwin.
