Flood damaged culvert replaced with concrete bridge
Lismore City Mayor Steve Krieg and Parliamentary Secretary to the Deputy Premier Gurmesh Singh have opened the new Keerrong Road Bridge ... specialist Bridge Crew replaced the damaged culvert with a new 16.1m x 7.2m single span concrete structure. This new structure founded on steel driven piles has been designed and constructed to achieve a 100-year design life while improving its flood immunity and safety for local farmers and truck drivers.
Business Information Paper – mobile phone tower
Suzie Christensen. Lord Howe Island is not currently serviced by a mobile phone network due to its remoteness. In recognition, Telstra has identified a need to provide coverage to the Island and granted funding as part of the Federal Government’s Mobile Blackspot program round 5 ... While the granting of owner’s consent for this development does not require a Development Application, nor public notification, the Board is aware that there is a diverse range of views regarding the proposal, and is therefore putting the paper on public exhibition and inviting feedback over a 4-week period.
Mystery cuttlefish washes up
This month something particularly exciting washed up on Lagoon beach in the Lord Howe Island Marine Park (LHIMP) – a small cuttlefish which had died in recent storms. It was found by visiting researcher Sally Montgomery, and represents the first animal of a Lord Howe Island cuttlefish ever studied.
First ever native stubble quail count in Victoria finds only 101 birds: Regional Victorians Opposed to Duck Shooting
RVOTDS. Game Management Authority (GMA) (Vic) arranged a first-ever count of Stubble Quails in Victoria early this year, and the resultant report it assisted in drafting, has recently been published. The report’s authors have admitted only 101 birds were counted, yet the figure was extrapolated via complex methodologies up to an extraordinary estimate of 3.1 million.
A vision splendid for the Central West and Western Tablelands: from a Bells Expressway
From a Concerned Citizen: Messers Toole and Farraway are vocal proponents of the so-called “upgrade” of the Great Western Highway from Katoomba to Lithgow. ... The project does not deliver an expressway to Sydney - it leaves the Central West and Western Tablelands the only region in NSW without an expressway to Sydney ... The vision that should be adopted and made a reality is a standalone expressway between Western Sydney and Lithgow: the Bells Expressway.
Gondwana Link sends letter of warning
A Letter from Gondwana Link to Premier Mark McGowan warns of the impact of mountain bike trails on the connectivity and integrity of the bush. It also warns of the increasing fragmentation of ecologically valuable habitat. Mountain bike trails (and other high intensity trail networks) are described as fundamentally incompatible with the aims and goals of conservation.
Calls to raise dams walls
Recent rainfall and flooding has resulted in further calls to raise the Wyangala and Burrinjuck Dams walls. Federal Member for Riverina Michael McCormack has reaffirmed his support for raising the Wyangala Dam wall after the Prime Minister and NSW Premier visited Forbes last week.
Albanese and King – throwing rural communities down the drain – literally
For rural and regional communities, especially those crying out for dams for flood and drought mitigation for decades, Budget Paper Number 2 from the Commonwealth 2022-2023 Budget makes depressing reading.
Citizen scientists find 60 endangered gliders in forest slated for logging: Kinglake Friends of the Forest
On the night of October 2nd, 66 citizen scientists surveyed for endangered Greater Gliders in native forest across Victoria. The state government has either released these areas of forest for logging in the current Timber Release Plan or plans to release them under the proposed Timber Release Plan (TRP). Surveys were carried out in six locations across the state: Toolangi, Black Range (near Taggerty), Warburton, Wombat, Alberton West, and Colquhuon forest, East Gippsland ... ARR.News ask KFF a few questions.
‘I’m back home’: Flood displaced people move into pods at Coraki
The first 40 flood displaced residents to move into temporary housing at the Coraki pod village were officially handed the keys by the Minister for Flood Recovery Steph Cooke on Friday, October 21. There are 56 units at the Spring St site with the capacity to house up to 240 people.
Shovelling cash into potholes: Funding for road repair
No one needs the government to tell them the roads are bad. Especially after the floods earlier this year and the continuing wet weather. The good news is the State Government is offering $50 million specifically for fixing potholes.
Undera – the community left to take responsibility
As at 26 October, the flooding continues at Undera and, with no authority prepared to take responsibility for the levees, it's left to the community - somehow, sometime - to repair the multiple levee breaks.
When Green idealism fails to yield
In 1971 the United States Secretary of Agriculture, Earl Butz spoke wisely and bluntly about the perils of organic farming. “Before we go back to organic agriculture in this country, somebody must decide which 50 million Americans we are going to let starve or go hungry.”
Latest River Murray flow info now accessible in one easy location: Close
New inundation maps and a comprehensive list of frequently asked questions have been created as part of dedicated webpage on the highest River Murray flows in almost 50 years. Flood awareness, infrastructure and projected flow maps allow residents to look at potential inundation and check if their property is likely to be affected.
Australia’s first benefit sharing scheme for landowners hosting new transmission lines: Toole, Kean
NSW landowners who host electricity transmission lines are set to benefit from a new Strategic Benefit Payments Scheme designed by the NSW Government to support the rollout of a modern electricity grid. Under the scheme, private landowners in NSW will receive $200,000 per kilometre of new transmission infrastructure hosted on their land, paid out in annual instalments over 20 years, indexed to CPI.
A statement from Campaspe Shire Council regarding the Echuca levee
Emergency Management Victoria, the lead agency in Victoria during an emergency event, made the decision on Monday, 17 October that a levee needed to be constructed in Echuca to protect as much of the township as possible. Based on the flood modelling available in the Incident Control Centre in Bendigo, Emergency Management Victoria had 48 hours to put the levee in place
Bigger regional towns can help ease pressure: Scott
Samuel Davis. A growing regional centre can double in population, easing Cape York’s housing burden while creating new business opportunities, Cook Shire mayor Peter Scott says ... Among the suggestions raised at the event, Cr Scott proposed changes to zoning laws that would allow for more medium density developments to be built in places like Cooktown.
Securing Tasmania’s renewable energy future through historic partnership: Rockliff, Barnett
The Tasmanian Government has signed a Partnership with the Australian Government under its Rewiring the Nation initiative to take the next steps in a Tasmanian energy package comprising of Marinus Link, the North West Transmission Development and Battery of the Nation.
The tractors are ready to roll: TFGA
“It is the fight of the fundamental industries – food and power. We should never plan for one to miss out over another. If the past few years have taught us anything - pandemics, geopolitical unrest and floods, it is we don’t know what is around the corner. Uncertain times call for brave infrastructure investment decisions": Tasmanian Farmers and Graziers CEO Hugh Christie.
Last chance for Qld to lead way on seafood laws: Katter
Ahead of National Barramundi Day, Queensland fishers, restaurateurs and pro-Aussie politicians are imploring the Palaszczuk Labor Government to lead the way on Country-of-Original-Labelling (CoOL) labelling laws. A bill currently before the Queensland Parliament, known as the Food (Labelling of Seafood) Amendment Bill 2021, will go to a vote next Tuesday 25 October.
Real time traffic info arrives in the regions: Farraway
Real time traffic information is now available to motorists using local roads across 22 Local Government Areas (LGAs) in regional NSW. Minister for Regional Transport and Roads Sam Farraway welcomed the launch of the first expansion to the Live Traffic NSW website, which will see the addition of local road information alongside any impacts on the state-managed road network.
Opposition pressure achieves regional power: Rundle, Honey, Love
Regional West Australian’s pleas for equitable access to the energy supply may soon be answered after relentless pressure placed on the McGowan Labor Government by the Opposition. Member for Roe Peter Rundle used Question Time in Parliament to ask the Minister about his commitment to upgrading the network to increase supply allocation for regional communities.
