Nearly 1.5 million hectares recognised at historic FNQ native title determinations: Stewart
Cape York Traditional Owners have reconnected with their land, culture and history as part of four historic determinations which saw nearly 1.5 million hectares of land recognised under native title ... “Knowing that elders can go back on country, knowing that it’s theirs and they will be able to live and work on the country. There is a lot of closure in that”: Joanne Nelson ... Native title is recognised over more than 536,000 square kilometres of land in Queensland, with about 305,000 square kilometres currently subject to native title claims.
Opposition slams national airline for failing its regional customers
Shadow Transport Minister, Shane Love, has called on Australia’s major airline to apologise to their WA customers after flights were cancelled across the state ... "this airline, which is borne of regional communities and the tyranny of distance, has shown little concern for the impact its mismanagement had on the regional families and businesses who rely on air travel to function,” he said.
Water projects deliver off-farm savings: Davey
“I commend the new Water Minister for getting on with business, but the truth is, these projects were well on their way to being signed off before the change of Government ... What we really need now is a Basin Management Plan rather than a water recovery plan. There are plenty of ideas about ways to achieve good environmental outcomes without the need for further water recovery and they should all be on the table as a way to offset any further water recovery,” Senator Davey said.
Government gets to work delivering on Basin commitments: Plibersek and Shing
The Australian Government has announced $37.9 million towards the Lower Murray Water Efficiency project to better equip the Sunraysia water delivery network to combat a changing climate. This project delivers 2.5 Gigalitres (GL) of water savings back to the environment, First Nations Peoples and securing urban water supply.
Recycled stormwater projects will help future-proof iconic Basin sites: Plibersek and Close
The Australian and South Australian governments have announced $2.7 million to improve water infrastructure in South Australia, while delivering 126 ML of water savings to the environment. The Marion Water Efficiency Project will enable the City of Marion to reduce water use from the main Adelaide water supplies, which are often pumped from the Murray–Darling Basin, and help future-proof iconic sites like the Coorong and Lower Lakes.
Listening to regional voices: Barkly Regional Deal Governance Table goes to Elliott
The Elliott basketball court was the setting for the Barkly Regional Deal Governance Table meeting recently. This was the first time a Governance Table meeting was held outside of Tennant Creek, following a commitment from the Governance Table to speak with people across the Barkly to hear their priorities for their community and region.
Rehabilitating Carmans Tunnel
In November 2019 Worksafe conducted an audit of Carmans Tunnel which ultimately resulted in the closure of the mine that had been once been a tourist destination ... Recently a small group of Maldon residents, interested in rehabilitating the tunnel, met with DELWP Program Manager Land and Built Environment Gavin Parkes and Program Officer Damian Sharrock, who confirmed that DELWP had commissioned the independent report.
Victorian towns shine at tourism awards
The best of regional Victoria has been recognised at this year’s Top Tourism Town Awards, celebrating some of the state's most attractive tourist destinations ... Accolades were handed to eight towns across the state with Bendigo, Port Fairy and Mount Macedon winning gold in their respective categories, while Echuca, Sorrento and Timboon won silver and Heathcote and Noojee were awarded bronze.
Huge gap in State funding for roads and flood recovery
Last week’s council meeting was a big one. The last for the financial year so it included the budget. The State Government’s lack of action on flood recovery was a theme throughout the meeting. Here’s the summary of the Richmond Valley Council meeting on June 28.
Growers ready to lead industry down new road
Peak industry organisation CANEGROWERS is ready and willing to lead the way to a more profitable and diversified future for sugarcane outlined in a new roadmap. “This document has been two and a half years in the making. It is exciting as a cane grower to be at the starting point of a new chapter in our sugarcane industry’s story,” CANEGROWERS Chairman Owen Menkens said. “We are ready to lead the transition, working with existing and new investors.”
Australian sugarcane industry to form working groups to drive bioeconomy boom
Organisations representing the Australian sugarcane industry will form a series of working groups to implement their first whole-of-industry vision and roadmap. The Sugar Plus vision released at the Developing Northern Australia Conference, positions the industry as Fuelling the Future of Food, Energy and Fabrication.
Plan unveiled for sugarcane industry to drive bioeconomy boom
“The sugarcane industry has identified an exciting and transformational future of sustainably producing sugar and bioproducts at the heart of regional communities. The roadmap outlines opportunities for a substantially larger industry. A growing bioeconomy industry will enable Australia to become increasingly self-sufficient, improving economic resilience and national security”: Anne Stünzner, CRCNA CEO.
Three different figures equal confusion
Emma Pritchard. When Member for Clarence Chris Gulaptis recently announced the promised redevelopment of Grafton Base Hospital (GBH) will become a reality following the unveiling of the NSW Budget for 2022/23, members of the Grafton Base Hospital Community Committee (GBHCC) reacted with confusion ... Speaking with the Clarence Valley Independent last week, members of the GBHCC, including Ron Bell, Des Harvey and Phil Belletty, revealed none of the announcements made by the NSW Government make sense.
Clarence apiarists on alert as first time Varroa mite detected
Rodney Stevens. A tiny insect never before seen in Australia has Clarence Valley apiary businesses and owners lives on hold after Varroa mites that could decimate the industry were first detected in beehives at the Port of Newcastle last week. A state wide emergency biosecurity order has been issued by the Department of Primary Industries DPI to control the movement of bees and stop the spread of Varroa mite.
Three-month search to snap this rare bird
A three-month search for the elusive glossy black cockatoo led to this photo. The splendour of the red panels on the tail of the male glossy black cockatoo can be clearly seen. It was a photo ecologists feared might never be taken after searching for the rare birds for almost three months in the Northern Rivers without success.
Fresh flooding to impact food supply chain
Farmers across the state are once again being hit by wild weather creating fresh concerns about food supply chains ... The impacts of the torrential rain are being felt out into the central west, and vegetable growers in the Hunter Valley have had paddocks drowned for a third time this year.
Tougher penalties on the way for bad behaving councillors with major local government reforms finalised: John Carey
Local Government Minister John Carey has announced the final package of reforms to the Local Government Act 1995, following a review of public submissions. The reforms are based on the findings and recommendations of a number of reports and consultation undertaken over the past five years, and represent the most significant change to local government in Western Australia since the Local Government Act 1995 was introduced more than 25 years ago.
Aboriginal joint management of national parks to expand: NSW Gov’t
Minister for Environment James Griffin said a new model could lead to the handback of title to all NSW national parks, which cover nearly 10 per cent of NSW, over a 15 to 20 year period. “Already, more than 30 per cent of the NSW national parks estate is covered by joint management, but Aboriginal people currently hold title or native title to just over four per cent of it,” Mr Griffin said.
Not cool – a fridge scam dumped at our doors: Bev McArthur
Unwanted fridges have been dumped at local businesses under the Victorian Government’s abysmal net-zero-inspired appliance replacement scheme ... “Can you imagine arriving at your business one morning to see multiple fridges in boxes plonked at your front door? These are fridges you haven’t ordered, don’t want and now have to get rid of. In the meantime, the company dumping them has registered the fridges and received $3,000 for each of them from the Premier, Dan Andrews" : Bev McArthur.
Fresh election to be called for North Ward
The Court of Disputed Returns has declared that the result of the October 2021 Serpentine Jarrahdale Council election for its North Ward to be invalid. The ruling means that from 1 July the two individuals sworn in as Councillors after the election to represent the North Ward, Mr Rob Coales and Mr Gary Singh, no longer hold their positions at the Shire of Serpentine Jarrahdale.
More affordable airfares have landed for Shire of Ashburton residents
Shire of Ashburton residents can now take advantage of capped airfares travelling to and from Perth from July 1, 2022. The first scheme of its kind to be implemented in Australia, the WA State Government has committed $19.8 million to deliver the capped airfare scheme over the next three years.
New appointments for State MPs
Bendigo West MP Maree Edwards has been nominated to take on the role of Speaker of the State Legislative Assembly. She has been representing her electorate since 2010 and has been in the Deputy Speaker’s job for the past five years.
