Property

As Australians were stocking fridges and checking gas bottles before Australia Day, local farmers were receiving word that the towering transmission lines would carve through their properties. One farmer said it was the first contact they had from the company, stating “no personal contact” before receiving the news that left them feeling “side swiped.”

After an incredible almost 100 years in the same family, the historic Gunbower Estate has been sold ... The Gunbower run of 180,000 acres was originally taken up by James Rowan in 1845...

Many will have heard of the popular memoir,  A Fortunate Life,  which follows the story of Albert B. Facey (1894 -1982), and his experiences growing up and farming in the Wheatbelt, a book that has sold over half a million copies ... As an Australian history buff, I’m always on the lookout for stories of our farming pioneers, unfortunately, they are few and far between.

Recent heavy rain has impacted the treatment of fire ants in and around Murwillumbah ... treatment program will resume in Murwillumbah when the ground dries out ... treatment can only be applied with the written consent of the property owner.

The NSW Valuer General has published land values for the Murray Region. The land values reflect the value of land only, as at July 1, 2023 ... The new land values will be used by Revenue NSW to calculate land tax for the 2024 land tax year for landowners that are subject to land tax.

If the property market is any indicator, our local area is among many in regional Queensland becoming more popular with people looking for a better quality of life. The latest data from the PropTrack Home Price Index, released last week, shows the property market in regional Queensland is booming.

A Gulmarrad wildlife corridor that is one of the last remnants of habitat for the endangered Glossy Black Cockatoo in the Clarence Valley which is at risk due to a nine-lot subdivision determined in 2007 has seen a new approach, bringing together the landholder and conservationists to attempt to preserve the habitat and wildlife.

In 1894 the Monbulla School was opened 7km West of Penola on Clay Wells Rd ... Monbulla Hall was built as an addition to the site in the 1950s and would become the primary meeting place for the Monbulla community.

A Charles Sturt University legal academic has successfully represented First Nations people of the Pilbara region of Western Australia before a United Nations tribunal ... “The decision concerns the Wunna Nyiyaparli people of the Pilbara region of Western Australia, an area rich in minerals such as iron ore, and basically concerns a miscarriage of justice in the Federal Court in determining their native title rights": Dr Scott Calnan.

The Australian Government signed the “30 x 30” target at COP15 of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity in December 2022, with a commitment to ensure that 30 per cent of the earth’s land and sea is protected through the establishment of Protected Areas (PAs) and Other Area-based Conservation Measures (OECMs) ... The WWF has urged the Australian Government to set up a $5B Green Fund to acquire forests, productive land and reforest wheat fields.   The land needed to meet the 30:30 objective has to be “high biodiversity value” land in accordance with the Global Biodiversity Framework.

Bill Moore. As you walk along the verandah of the 1960s brick building that was the former Shire of Maldon offices, have you noticed the two round metal plaques attached to the wall near the main door? These plaques are a part of Maldon’s recent history...

The Victorian Farmers Federation (VFF) is concerned not enough is being done to protect the rights of landholders when it comes to the development and operation of transmission lines across farmland … newly released Land Access Code of Practice falls short of offering farmers the protections they need.

Relocation, demolition and site rectification works are powering ahead on Lockyer Valley properties purchased under the Voluntary Home Buy-Back (VHBB) program ... 21 contracts of sale have now been settled in the Lockyer Valley, with more to come, allowing families to move on with their lives out of high-risk flood zones.

Leader of The Nationals and Shadow Agriculture Minister David Littleproud has warned farmers face greater costs, more complexities and lengthy delays, if Labor’s push to abolish Commonwealth-funded legal advice for landholders in native title claims is passed. The Native Title Respondent Scheme provided financial support to pastoralists and other landowners for native title claims.

The stunning landscapes and unique environments of Curtis Island will be further protected and celebrated under a new Queensland-first partnership. The Palaszczuk Government has purchased the island’s Spadely Station from  Bakara Investments Pty Ltd to add the land to Queensland’s protected areas estate, with the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service to partner with the company to boost eco-tourism and visitor numbers on the island.

A house on Woodburn-Evans Head Road that flooded in February-March 2022 needs to be raised by 2.6metres and this would put it above the permitted height limit ... This decision impacts other properties where owners are wanting to raise homes above existing maximum heights so they can reduce risks in flooding ...

Kyogle Council released its 2022/2023 Annual Report and it makes for interesting reading ... The numbers in the report tell a story about the council and the community it serves...

Over the past 45 years, Australia has lost over 15 per cent of its pastoral and farming estate ... The data shows a consistent trend of diminishing agricultural land since 1976 when Australia boasted nearly 490 million hectares that was either arable, dedicated to permanent crops or suitable for grazing. So where did the "agricultural" land go?