NLC supports cave research
Naracoorte Lucindale Council will contribute $60,000 towards a $900,000 Naracoorte Caves research project over three years. But reflecting on councillor training, some elected members are also concerned the state government is “cost-shifting”, forcing ratepayers already paying taxes to fund more and more state responsibilities ... “We are the council with the state's only world heritage site, which is incredible, and we get 100,000 people visiting our district because of the caves,” CEO Kelly Westell said.
World desperate for Queensland resources, LNP Government still says no! : Robbie Katter
The LNP Government in Queensland is blindly holding sticking to their long-held woke position alongside Labor that Queensland’s rich uranium resources should be locked away underground, at a time when Europe is turning back to nuclear ... “Are we going to sit on our collective hands and watch yet another opportunity go by? At current prices alone, we’re talking about an industry worth tens of billions of dollars,” asks Leader of the Katter’s Australian Party (KAP) and state Member for Traeger Robbie Katter.
Panic buying of fuel more of a problem than supply as regional fuel stocks most under threat, government says
The Roundtable of more than 50 industry and government leaders met ... to discuss the fuel issues affecting Australia from the conflict in the Middle East ... While the Federal Government is responsible for Australia’s fuel supply and has advised that national fuel stocks remain secure, the Roundtable agreed to immediate actions by the State Government to address local distribution issues and minimise price impacts for consumers.
Fuel fury
Caitlin Menadue. Yorke Peninsula farmers, businesses and residents are grappling with the ongoing fuel crisis, as prices soar, independent retailers start to run dry and there’s no visible end in sight .... "Tractors, sprayers, seeders and trucks all rely on diesel to operate, and with seeding approaching it is essential that grain producers can access reliable fuel supplies."
Rushworth students build lifeline for wildlife after bushfires: Cleeland
Students at Rushworth P–12 College are helping restore wildlife habitat across fire-affected parts of northern Victoria, building more than 100 nesting boxes for native animals displaced by recent bushfires. Member for Euroa, Annabelle Cleeland MP recently visited the school’s HOPE (Hands-On Practical Education) program to see the project underway and meet students working alongside volunteers from the Rushworth Field & Game Club.
Lessons on Roundtables
When governments start calling emergency roundtables it usually means one thing: The planning should have happened years ago. Last week the Western Australian Government convened a “Fuel Security Roundtable” in response to supply disruptions linked to rising tensions in the Middle East.
Lessons from the US Strategic Petroleum Reserve
This article is a rerun of a piece I first published in these pages back in November 2023 ... Readers may recall the strategic fuel debate that ran hot a few years ago when the BP refinery in Perth was about to close and Australia suddenly realised it only had a couple of weeks of fuel reserves.
Fuel for thought: Roy Butler MP calls out federal failure on regional diesel security
Member for Barwon Roy Butler MP says the fuel supply pressure now being felt across regional New South Wales was foreseeable, avoidable, and made worse by a failure of planning at the federal and state level that he intends to keep pushing back against.
Impact of algal bloom drifts on 12 months since first detection: Cadell
Communities across regional South Australia continue to feel the effects of last year’s devastating algal bloom 12 months after the first detection of the bloom in waters near Victor Harbor. More than 4,500 square kilometres, equating to around 30 per cent of the state’s coastline was affected by the bloom...
Fuel crisis hits timber towns — FWCA says cities will feel it next: FWCA
A fifth-generation family operation in Bulahdelah is absorbing a $7,800 weekly fuel surge to keep hardwood moving to Australia's cities. Federal Parliament is now asking why. Forest and Wood Communities Australia is warning that soaring regional fuel prices are threatening the hardwood supply chain that feeds building sites, mine shafts, vineyards, Australia's first green steel facility...
Fertiliser shock could push Australia “towards the gates of a recession”, farmers warn: TasFarmers
TasFarmers has warned that just as farmers grapple with a fuel supply crisis, alarm is now growing over surging farm fertiliser prices that could push food costs higher and deepen economic pressure ... TasFarmers President, Ian Sauer, said the impact would be felt across the core fertilisers farmers rely on to grow crops.
Adult time, adult crime laws expanded
Member for Condamine and Speaker in the Queensland Parliament, Pat Weir has welcomed the strengthening of the State's Adult Time, Adult Crime legislation. Mr Weir points out that the Queensland Government is expanding its landmark Adult Crime, Adult Time laws to now cover 45 youth crime offences... Since the passing of the Making Queensland Safer Laws, more than 4,000 youth offenders have been charged with over 19,000 Adult Time offences...
Opinion: Diesel and fertiliser – The two essentials powering Western Australia’s economy: Hunter
Right now across regional Western Australia something deeply concerning is unfolding. Farmers are being told their diesel deliveries have stopped. Some have been warned supply may not resume for weeks. Others cannot lock in deliveries at all. In some cases, operations have already ground to a halt simply because there is no fuel to run the machinery. This should alarm every Western Australian.
Shock ‘invasion’ laws rammed through after council meets with Energy Minister
Victorian Minister for Climate Action, Energy and Resources, Lily D’Ambrosio MP has rammed through compulsory acquisition powers for transmission line easements just a week after meeting with Gannawarra Shire Council. A shocked Gannawarra Shire Mayor Garner Smith said that despite meeting with the Minister and VicGrid less than a week ago, nothing was mentioned.
Who will it be? Nine-way race for MacKillop
As voters prepare to shape the future of the region for the next four years, a record nine candidates will contest the seat of MacKillop at the state election on March 21 ... The declaration of nominations and the draw for ballot paper positions were held earlier last week, setting the stage for one of the most crowded contests the electorate has seen.
Panic at the bowser
Hugh Schuitemaker. Pressure on fuel supplies has seen a Mallee area service station frequently used by Riverlanders run dry, and is adding to anxiety being felt by farmers and growers according to the region’s State MP. Karoonda’s independent service station was as of yesterday out of fuel, with shortages sparked by panic buying due to the war in the Middle East.
TasFarmers calls for diesel guarantees as fuel surge threatens food security
TasFarmers has warned “without fuel there is no food”, calling on governments to guarantee diesel supplies for agriculture and freight as global tensions push fuel prices sharply higher. Diesel prices in parts of Tasmania have risen from about $1.87 to more than $2.17 per litre in the past week, creating uncertainty for farmers, contractors and freight operators across the state.
Some servos forced to restrict how much fuel drivers can buy with a 25l limit as prices rise
The news tonight ... was filled with words we didn’t want to hear about the price of fuel. Oil prices skyrocket… Prices scoring… Pain at the petrol pump… Markets in a tailspin. Any driver will see this scenario is starting to play out at country petrol bowsers close to home.
World first glulam made from Aussie blue gum a win for Victoria’s Timber Towns: Timber Towns Victoria
The world’s first glue laminated timber made from Australian Blue Gum (Eucalyptus globulus), processed in Warrnambool, Victoria, has been unveiled at Mount Gambier’s new Forestry Centre of Excellence, marking a major breakthrough for plantation forestry and the communities that depend on it.
Long wait for green mine
An estimated 4 per cent of the world's NdPr, a high-performance rare earth crucial for batteries and electric vehicles, is under the ground a mere 135km north of Alice Springs. Yet a final investment decision has still not been made about a mine that was first proposed 23 years ago, but may be this year.
Council advocates for low-cost renewable electricity for residents
Gannawarra Shire Council has held discussions with the Victorian Minister for Climate Action, Energy and Resources, Lily D’Ambrosio MP and VicGrid representatives about its concerns regarding the construction of VNI West ... the project involves the construction of a 500-kilovolt double circuit transmission line that will connect the Victorian and New South Wales electricity networks.
Rochester flood barrier training exercise a success
Following the successful completion of last week’s flood barrier installation exercise in Rochester, Campaspe Shire Council is reinforcing the importance of maintaining strong flood preparedness measures to protect critical community assets in the town’s civic precinct. The exercise ... involved the full deployment and pack-down of the AquaFence flood barrier system around the Town Hall, Community House, Council service centre and library.
