Fire ant protections welcomed: NSW Farmers Association
The state’s peak farming group has welcomed a fresh crackdown on biosecurity controls in the wake of ex-tropical Cyclone Alfred. On Friday NSW Agriculture Minister Tara Moriarty announced measures to keep Red Imported Fire Ants out, with a temporary ban on soil and hay coming into the state from infested areas in southeast Queensland.
Farmers slam activist attacks: NSW Farmers Association
The state’s peak farm body has condemned activist attacks targeting livestock carriers across southern NSW. At least two livestock trailers have been vandalised in Wagga Wagga and Goulburn in recent days, with an underground international activist group allegedly responsible for the attacks.
Five councils form alliance
Councillors and CEOs from Buloke, Gannawarra, Loddon, Northern Grampians and Yarriambiack Shire Councils, along with representatives from the Municipal Association of Victoria and Rural Councils Victoria, met in Charlton last week to discuss the ongoing impact of transmission lines, renewable energy developments and mining.
Labor’s kangaroo court on incorrect population count: McArthur
The Labor Government’s kangaroo harvesting quotas have been significantly reduced for 2025, exacerbating the escalating overpopulation crisis in Western Victoria. Peter Riddle, a professional kangaroo harvester with 10 years of experience, was allocated just 50 tags for the first quarter of 2025 ... Bev McArthur remarked that it is “barely enough to cover one and a half nights of work.
Councils vow to fight on
Despite the Victorian Minister for Health, Mary-Anne Thomas, turning a deaf ear to their pleas, regional councils and medical workers will continue their campaign for a greenfield site for a new Albury Wodonga hospital, which would service outlying areas including the Upper Murray.
Varroa mite detected in Lockyer Valley
Biosecurity Queensland is advising of the preliminary identification of varroa mite (Varroa destructor) for the first time in Queensland, in the Lockyer Valley. Initial samples from a recreational apiary in the Lockyer Valley have returned a positive diagnostic result for Varroa destructor.
Lifesavers on alert as heatwave and tropical cyclone create perfect storm: Surf Life Saving NSW
As flood relief efforts in the aftermath of Tropical Cyclone Alfred remain ongoing, volunteer surf lifesavers and lifeguards are imploring the public to take safety seriously, with the use of rescue water craft likely to be significantly hampered ahead of the weekend.
Decision flattens festival-goers
It’s an event which, annually, has drawn lovers of the Great Outdoors to a location in Victoria’s Buloke Shire. From within the State, and from far beyond, they have travelled to enjoy the music and mateship of Donald’s Esoteric Festival ... Instead, they were walking the streets of the town, prior to leaving to return home without having as much as set foot on their Victorian countryside destination.
Water debate continues to flow
Hugh Schuitemaker. The Federal Government says it is reaching new milestones in recovering environmental water, however senior Riverland politicians claim a focus on fulfilling the Murray-Darling Basin Plan is harming local growers and irrigators. Statistics released last week by the Federal Government show 286GL of water for the environment has been recovered under the Murray-Darling Basin Plan.
Regions unite to tackle childcare desert
Michelle Daw. Families, employers, and representatives from 23 council areas gathered in Port Broughton last week to launch a project advocating for fairer access to childcare across the vast federal electorate of Grey.
Opposition calls for Parliamentary Inquiry into State Election conduct: Love
Opposition Leader Shane Love MLA has called for a Parliamentary Inquiry into the conduct of 2025 State Election, following serious concerns about the performance of the Western Australian Electoral Commission (WAEC). Mr Love said the widespread issues reported during the election demanded a full, independent investigation through a bipartisan Upper House Committee.
Clarke wins Butler while Winton and Love retain their seats
Lorna Clarke has won the seat of Butler for WA Labor despite a 17.6 per cent swing to the WA Liberals, according to the ABC’s Western Australia election 2025 results ... Despite the swing away from Labor, on Monday, March 10 about noon with 63.8 per cent of the votes counted, the ALP had won 41 seats, the Liberals five and The Nationals four.
Barwon MP calls for review on weirs
Member for Barwon Roy Butler MP has moved a notice of motion at the most recent sitting of NSW Parliament. In a statement made on social media Mr Barwon said weirs are integral in Western NSW.
Union asks Police Commissioner to resign
The entire executive board of the NT Police Association (NTPA) is calling upon Police Commissioner Michael Murphy to tender his resignation. This follows his outing himself as the senior executive public officer found by ICAC to have displayed unsatisfactory conduct in relation to the management of a conflict of interest in a recruitment process.
Superintendent Scott Tanner is new recovery coordinator for our region
Rain is expected to continue today, Monday, March 10 with severe thunderstorms predicted for west of the range. As a pre-emptive step to boost recovery efforts for impacted communities, the State Government has appointed NSW Police Superintendent Scott Tanner as the recovery coordinator for the region.
Protecting the right to protest
There was plenty of colour and movement in Bendigo last Thursday when protestors gathered outside Premier and Bendigo East MP Jacinta Allan’s electoral office. They had assembled to send her a message regarding the proposed ‘social cohesion’ laws which are under State parliamentary consideration.
Huge milestone proves Murray-Darling Basin Plan is back on track: Plibersek
The Albanese Government is delivering over 100 times more additional environmental water in one term than the previous Liberal National Government delivered in a decade. This is a huge win for South Australia.
Water plans walked back: NSW Farmers Association
Farmer hopes for water security have been buoyed by new changes to water sharing plans for six NSW rivers. NSW Farmers Water Taskforce Chair Richard Bootle said the revised wetland maps released by the state government this week were a sign of positive progress for many farmers, who were concerned land and water would be unfairly locked away by new water sharing plans.
Rideshare gets the nod to operate state-wide
The state government has removed restrictions on metropolitan rideshare and chauffeur drivers, allowing them to operate statewide. Changes were expected to be gazetted last week, with rideshare and chauffeur drivers no longer required to apply for a separate accreditation to operate outside of the metropolitan boundary.
A case study in folly #4: The price of ignoring fire risks
The day started rather innocuously on 18 March 2018 at Tathra, a serene coastal town nestled amidst the forested hills of southern New South Wales, renowned for its natural beauty near the sea. Yet, by 5 pm, this picturesque setting became the backdrop for a disaster that laid bare systemic failures in firefighting coordination, urban planning and bushfire preparedness.
Councils take hospital fight to the streets
Towong Shire Councillors and members of the community, along with representation from other northern rural councils, assembled at a rally on the steps of Parliament House in Melbourne yesterday to push for a greenfield site for a new Albury-Wodonga hospital. The current proposal for the new Albury Wodonga regional hospital is simply inadequate, according to Towong Shire mayor, Cr Andrew Whitehead.
Cohuna community turns a negative into a positive
The Nationals Member for Murray Plains, Peter Walsh, says the Allan Labor government has unleashed a bureaucratic blitz which will destroy community events across regional Victoria. “The first victim has been Cohuna’s Bridge to Bridge fundraiser, which has seen its traffic management charges jump from $2000 in 2024 to a crippling $22,000 in 2025,” Mr Walsh said.
