State politics

In a major coup for Tasmanian sport fans and the visitor economy, Tasmania is gearing up to host seven major hockey tournaments between 2022 and 2027 in Hobart and Launceston with clinics and training camps held on the North-West Coast. Through its continued partnership with Hockey Australia, the Tasmanian Government is providing $1 million in funding which will support the delivery of six major Australian National Championships and one International Pro League match.

It began with a vision to get Sunshine Coast kids back to nature. Now, Wildlings Forest School is teaching outdoor education around the world with one simple goal: to let kids be kids ... From raft building and archery to wood carving and bush cubby houses, the forest school offers a dose of the outdoors enriching the lives of thousands of children, big and small.

WA Forestry Minister Dave Kelly has announced that the McGowan Government has made an additional 12,000 tonnes of structural pine available over the next three months for the Western Australian timber manufacturing industry and the State's building and construction sector ... In the past, the WA softwood processing industry supplied approximately 65 per cent of pine products to the State's housing and construction market. The remaining demand has been met by timber imported from the Eastern States or overseas.  

The professional association for forest scientists, growers and managers in Australia has expressed its concern at the escalating Victorian forest wars, saying changes are desperately needed in the way the State’s forests are managed. Forestry Australia Vice President Dr Michelle Freeman said the escalating situation in Victoria shows the State’s current approach to forest management is simply not working.

The biggest sporting and cultural event of its kind will come to regional NSW for the very first time when thousands come to see knights and vikings battle it out at the Medieval Faire in Orange next year, thanks to the NSW Government’s Regional Events Acceleration Fund. Deputy Premier and Minister for Regional NSW Paul Toole said a $200,000 grant will deliver the world-class two-day Orange Medieval Faire, where visitors can wander through a historical village featuring viking battles, archery, birds of prey displays and a giant medieval catapult.

Today marks a significant milestone for Phillip Island Nature Park and the very popular little penguins − which were put on the map as a must-see experience 100 years ago today ... Penguin numbers on the island have almost tripled since the mid-1980s − from 12,000 to around 32,000 breeding birds today thanks to extensive conservation work.

Catherine Grimley. With the COVID-19 outbreak facing communities around Katherine and Robinson River, Anyinginyi Health Aboriginal Corporation has ramped up its mobile vaccination clinic in the Barkly in order to keep the community safe.

NSW Farmers is calling for natural disaster declarations to allow relief funds to flow as torrential rains continue to soak vast parts of the state, causing widespread flood damage. State and federal leaders had pledged to make disaster assistance available to affected communities after flooding in the Lachlan Valley last week, but since then farming regions right across the state had been inundated, with predictions of further flooding in already-drenched areas.

Mines and Petroleum Minister Bill Johnston has opened the expanded Joe Lord Core Library in Kalgoorlie ... The completed 2,100 square metre extension has tripled the storage capacity of the world-class core sample library. The improved facility provides geoscientists, explorers and mining companies with greater access to view and analyse the drillcores containing a wealth of geoscientific information.

Construction has begun on a new home for the Albany State Emergency Service (SES), which will also serve as a Level 3 Incident Control Centre to manage large-scale emergencies in the region.

Victorian Minister for Water Lisa Neville has released the Barre Warre Yulluk Action Plan, identifying seven directions and 30 actions to protect the region’s waterways ... Barre Warre Yulluk – the Rivers of Barwon – includes the whole network of creeks and rivers from the Barwon (Parwan), Moorabool (Murrabul), Yarrowee (Yarowee) and Leigh (Waywatcurtan) rivers and their tributaries.

Regional Queenslanders will soon benefit from improved air service frequencies between Charleville, Roma, and Brisbane and coach services with stronger route connections following the signing of new regional transport service contracts starting in December and January.

The immediate need for the development of a Desalination Plant on the Eyre Peninsula was fully supported by the District Council of Cleve at its November Council meeting. However, the Council also decided that it does not support SA Water’s proposed location of Billy Light’s Point in Boston Bay, Port Lincoln.

The  Imparja  Cup will draw Aboriginal cricketers to Alice Springs to celebrate cricket, country and culture from 13-18 February 2022. The format of the 2022  tournament will be consistent with previous Imparja Cup events.

NSW Minister for Agriculture Adam Marshall has today taken aim at the Animal Justice Party (AJP) for recklessly threatening the future of the state’s invaluable fishing industry. Mr Marshall said he would not entertain the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Amendment (Aquatic Animal Recognition) Bill 2021 tabled before Parliament by the radical group.

A petition of more than 1150 signatures has been tabled in the Victorian Parliament requesting the Government abandon aerial and ground shooting of wild horses.    The Government wants to remove 560 brumbies from the Bogong High Plains and Eastern Alps this year.  Petitioners argue that the population counts, and the environmental damage apportioned to the horses, are wildly exaggerated.   Member for Western Victoria Bev McArthur, tabled the petition.

The National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) has welcomed the timely arrival of a new state-of-the-art helicopter to boost its capacity and help frontline firefighters prepare for and defend against bushfires. The new Airbus H125 helicopter, with its customised avionics, winch, radios and other specialised operational and safety equipment, joins four similar machines operated by the NPWS air wing known as ParkAir.

The Tasmanian Government will today lodge its official funding submission with the Australian Government to initiate the Tasmanian Green Hydrogen Hub Project at Bell Bay confirming it as one of Australia’s strategically important locations for the development of the emerging green hydrogen industry.