Managing Varroa Mite “a step forward”
The battle to prevent Varroa Mite has entered a new phase with the National Management Group approving the Transition to Management plan to manage the invasive pest, a move one of the region’s largest beekeepers says is a step in the right direction ... “There’s been a lot more going on in the industry than just Varroa,” Steve Fuller said.
Lockyer Valley Art Gallery to welcome ‘Paint the Town’ exhibition
Lockyer Valley audiences will be treated to an award-winning selection of regional Queensland talent with the showing of Paint the Town at the Lockyer Valley Art Gallery ... An initiative of Flying Arts Alliance, Paint the Town is the touring exhibition of the 2021 Queensland Regional Art Awards and showcases the works of 28 talented emerging and established artists from across regional Queensland.
NSW Government leaving feral pigs with nowhere to hide: Moriarty
The NSW Government’s feral pig control program has culled 33,277 feral pigs in just 4 months, making it one of the largest feral pig programs in the nation’s history. Already 2,035 property owners have participated in the Government’s $13 million Feral Pig Program, working with Local Land Services to target pest populations.
Victorians pay price for failure of power supplies
Widespread power blackouts affecting thousands of households and businesses across Victoria again highlight the vulnerability of the state’s energy supplies under the State Government. “Energy Minister Lily D’Ambrosio has been repeatedly warned about outages yet has sat idle. We have now seen the consequences of Labor’s incompetence and Victorians are paying the price as they go without power,” said Member for Southern Metropolitan Region, David Davis.
Govt must support blackout affected businesses
“The State Government must provide financial assistance to thousands of Victorian businesses impacted by mass power outages,” writes the Opposition ... Half-a-million homes and businesses suffered power outages on Tuesday and thousands are still waiting to have their power restored.
CBD regeneration: don’t mention crime
Public safety was mentioned frequently during the public consultation about “regenerating” the Alice Springs town centre but the resulting report provides little of value. In the Town Council’s latest Mall initiative the final presentation, now up for public comment, does not contain the words CPTED, vandalism, anti-social nor crime.
Firearm buyback to support historic Cook Government reform: Cook, Papalia
Western Australia's firearm buyback compensation scheme will commence on Wednesday, 21 February 2024 ... "There are more than 360,000 licensed firearms owned by fewer than 90,000 Western Australians, and the new legislation will impact all of them in a responsible way": Premier Roger Cook.
Digging for cultural heritage: McArthur
Registered Aboriginal Parties (RAPs) are significantly delaying building projects while charging higher prices for their Cultural Heritage Management Plans (CHMPs), a compulsory requirement for land development under the Aboriginal Heritage Act 2006. Member for Western Victoria, Bev McArthur, called on the Minister for Treaty and First Peoples in Parliament to immediately and comprehensively review the legislation. “The Cultural Heritage Management Plan sees cash end up in bank vaults and indigenous artefacts in storerooms."
Govt deer cull: “Lives at risk”
Roaring helicopters armed with military grade thermal imaging and semi-automatic shotguns aim to destroy any deer in their path ... Sometimes people on the ground fear for their lives and the welfare of their livestock ... "Someone is going to get shot," several feared.
Tennant Creek pensioner suffers over 110 home invasions by young thugs
A Tennant Creek pensioner who has endured 117 burglaries over six years has estimated he has lost $20,000 worth of cash and property. Tony Jeffs lives in the Haddock Street Pensioner flats, and it was just over a week since the town’s rampaging youth hit his home again.
Trading shots over WA firearms reforms
The debate between the gun lobby and the Minister for Police Paul Papalia has recently reignited following the announcement of the state government's firearms buyback program. Mind you, it's a pretty one-sided debate, with the gun lobby launching ads at the Minister and missing badly, while the opposition remains hunkered down in a safe house up on the hill, hoping not to get caught up in the firefight.
DPLH versus Maddox
Remember the Toodyay Boygerring Brook case that fired up the Aboriginal Heritage debate in March 2023? Tony Maddox will see his day in court with the trial starting on 22 February ... The outcome of the case will be pivotal in how farmers approach Aboriginal cultural heritage going forward. Mr Maddox has engaged Christian Porter as his barrister ...
Creating certainty around water usage: Worden
The Surface Water Intake – Wet Season Flows Policy ... sets clear guidance to industry about access to wet season flows, and a pathway for responsible and sustainable economic development. The policy is highly precautionary, reducing the volume of water otherwise available under existing policy from 20 per cent to less than 5 per cent of wet season flows in Top End rivers.
Who’s getting the Twelve Apostles?: McArthur
Questions have been raised about the future ownership of 32 hectares of Twelve Apostles land at the centre of the Labor Government’s compulsory acquisition campaign. Despite the current owners being willing and able to develop and privately fund a magnificent visitor centre, the state government is proceeding with its plan to waste at least $108 million of taxpayers’ money on a publicly funded precinct.
Water buyback framework fails
There is not much Wakool mixed farmer John Lolicato doesn’t know about water ... The recent release of the Restoring our Rivers draft framework has once again left him shaking his head ... John said this buyback is disastrous for the region environmentally, economically and socially.
Kimberley land transfer to support development by Aboriginal business: Carey
The Cook Government has approved a 420-hectare land transfer to support a proposed pivot irrigation development delivering benefits for the Yawuru people. The land will be transferred to NBY in conditional freehold. The pivot irrigation development will create local jobs and supply fodder to support the Kimberley pastoral industry.
Liam Holland in top 25 high achievers for 2023
On the 26th January Liam Holland had the opportunity to wine, dine and mingle with the Governor of Victoria, Her Excellency Margaret Gardner and several hundred other people from all over Victoria. These invitees were all handpicked for the Australia Day Reception at Government House for being high achievers in their careers or education.
Weir update
Mark Coulton, speaking to ABC Broken Hill on Monday, said he understood that due to Covid, a flood, etc there had been some unavoidable delays to the new Wilcannia Weir. However he is now at a loss as to why, at 5 minutes to midnight, the NSW government has changed the design of the weir.
Wilcannia’s new health service opens its doors to the community
Services are now being provided from Wilcannia’s Health and Wellbeing Centre in Bonney St, off Ross Street, following a move to the new facility over the past three days ... Services provided at the Wilcannia Health and Wellbeing Centre will be the same as those provided at the previous health service.
No new paramedics for Clarence
Member for Clarence, Richie Williamson will continue to advocate for more paramedics for the Clarence despite NSW Ambulance informing him that we will receive no additional local paramedics in the latest rollout. Last month the Minns NSW Government announced regional areas in NSW will get 500 new paramedics under a plan to strengthen the NSW Ambulance workforce...
Pier pressure fishing for a jetty solution
Patrick Goldsmith. Yorke Peninsula Council deputy mayor Richard Carruthers has joined the increasingly loud chorus calling for the state government to take greater action on much-needed regional jetty maintenance. Mr Carruthers, of Ardrossan, said he has been approached by roughly 50 locals concerned about the future of the jetty within the past few months.
Implementing Australia’s National Biosecurity Strategy: DAFF
The implementation plan to assist in delivery of Australia’s first National Biosecurity Strategy (NBS), a collaborative, national approach to protecting Australia from exotic pests and diseases backed by all government agriculture ministers, has been released.
