State politics

Central Queensland workers stand to benefit with a number of jobs soon to be up for grabs as part of the $367.2 million Rookwood Weir project ... Water from the weir will be available for sale later this year as part of the second stage of the tender process.

Toowoomba Regional Council moved a motion on 14 March to ensure Emu Creek Dam is firmly on the State Government’s radar as an option for future water. With the State Government undertaking work on a Regional Water Assessment, Toowoomba Regional Council Mayor Paul Antonio said it was vital Emu Creek Dam was considered as part of this assessment.

Housing Minister John Carey has announced the second tranche of homes to be delivered through the McGowan Government's social housing Modular Build Program. 21 homes will be delivered in the second tranche with contracts worth $9 million signed with multiple modular building companies.

“Book 7 focuses on the impact, expression, diagnosis and management of water repellence in agricultural soil, supported by evidence-based case studies and farmer experiences”: SoilsWest co-director and Murdoch University Associate Professor Frances Hoyle.

The state’s peak farming body is calling on the state government to clearly set out rules around productivity of agricultural land. NSW Farmers President James Jackson said increasing urban sprawl and new developments were eating away at the state’s farming land, which will ultimately reduce the amount of food we can grow.

“The Circular Plastics Australia joint venture between Pact Group Holdings Ltd, Cleanaway Waste Management Ltd, Asahi Beverages and Coca-Cola Europacific Partners was born out of our first ever national plastics summit, and it is wonderful to see it come to fruition in Albury today”: Minister Ley.

Sheryl Lowe. Member for MacKillop Nick McBride MP is seeking re-election when South Australians head to the polls this month. “The Marshall government needs another term in government to continue to improve the lives of South Australians and so do I,” Mr MacKillop told The News. “After 16 years in opposition, it takes more than one term to reach some of the goals we had when we came to government.”

“They refused to vote down dodgy National Party law changes that allowed for excessive water take in the Northern Basin. These law changes really disadvantaged Lower Darling communities and Murray River irrigators” : Helen Dalton ... “This disallowance motion is a political game from a green Independent looking for relevance that undermines years of hard work by the SFF to see floodplain harvesting regulated”: Mark Banasiak, SFF MLC and Deputy Chair of the Select Committee on Floodplain Harvesting.

Innovative research at the Botanic Gardens and Parks Authority has produced a world-first blue kangaroo paw (anigozanthos masquerade) that is now available to be purchased by Western Australians at local retailers.

WA Minister for Forestry Dave Kelly has announced that implementation of the packages for native forestry workers to assist them to transition to a new industry before native forest logging ends in Western Australia in 2024 has commenced.

“We know the people of Mount Morgan have been wanting a pipeline for a long time, but we can’t just go out and build a pipeline; unfortunately it’s not that easy" : Mayor Williams ... “It will be one year this month since the Mount Morgan community have been in Level 6 (emergency supply) restrictions. During this time, we have continued to cart water from Gracemere to Mount Morgan, which has cost Council around $4.5 million so far" : Cr Kirkland.

The start of the popular salmon run along the State's west and south coasts this month is hotly anticipated by Western Australian fishers but carries with it an increased risk of shark encounter, with ocean users reminded to put safety first.

Last week, I supported a motion by the Liberal Democrats’ David Limbrick to end COVID-19 mandates in Victoria, sending the matter to the new ALP-fortified ‘independent’ body to review Pandemic Bill impacts. Quite simply, it went to the heart of freedom of choice, liberty and the right of individuals to be individuals.

The mosquito-borne disease Japanese encephalitis (JE) virus has been detected in a commercial South Australian piggery. The disease has also been confirmed in piggeries in Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland.

The Game Management Authority (GMA) has announced the arrangements for the 2022 duck season, including changes to the start times, daily bag limit and hunted species ... State Member for Bendigo, Maree Edwards told the Times that she has read the GMA’s release regarding the decision to open duck hunting this year and feels it is imperative that the Government takes significant advice from the GMA.

Gabrielle Duykers. The unveiling of a long-awaited phone tower in Keilira last week should have seen the community celebrating, but some residents remain concerned about a lack of coverage ... "There has been concern from the community, particularly those that were affected by the fire, that their coverage hadn't really improved all that much or they're not getting any coverage at all”: Kay Rasheed, Kingston DC Mayor.

There are approximately 7.5 million hectares of forest in Victoria, and 94 per cent of Victoria’s native forests are in protected areas that cannot be harvested or are unsuitable. Of this amount, VicForests has access to 417,000 hectares and we only harvest 2500-3000 hectares annually. This is nominally equivalent to 0.04% of all forested areas ... Thorough preparation is undertaken prior to harvesting, and VicForests puts special protections in place for priority habitat and species of concern if found in coupes.

Mark Knowles. The future of Bramwell Station’s famous tourist park and roadhouse is up in the air after the state government purchased the property last week. The two Cape York hot spots will remain open this year but their longer-term future could be on shaky ground.