Agriculture coverage
Agriculture
WITH dry seasonal conditions being experienced across the region, Local Land Services is urging producers to act early on feral pig control. As feed and water become limited, feral pigs are concentrating around remaining resources, increasing the risk of damage to crops, pastures and infrastructure, and putting additional pressure on livestock production systems. North West [...]
Federal Budget
NSW Farmers’ president Xavier Martin has urged the Australian Government to embrace primary production following the Treasurer’s Budget speech Tuesday night. Mr Martin said Treasurer Jim Chalmers mentioned “productivity” 19 times as he handed down the 2026-2027 federal budget, talking about making the economy more productive. “Confidence about the year ahead has collapsed among farmers, [...]
Agriculture
THE NSW Liberals and Nationals have condemned the Minns Labor Government for pushing ahead with legislation that will erode the property rights of New South Wales landholders, causing further breakdown in trust with regional communities. The Water Management Amendment (Easements for Inundation) Bill 2025 is proposed NSW legislation that will create a framework for permanent [...]
Federal Budget
AUSTRALIA’S peak farming body has welcomed key measures in last night’s Federal Budget. The National Farmers’ Federation says they will ease pressure on farmers and strengthen the nation’s food and fibre supply chains, with hard fought wins for farmers in the tax reforms, including primary production income being exempt from a minimum tax on discretionary [...]
Compressed Air Light & Power
EVERYTHING is rolling along smoothly – right on schedule, with no hiccups. Road trains are arriving on-farm to be loaded. It’s been a good season, a great season. The place is a hive of activity – then the power fails and everything comes to a grinding, deafening halt. It’s every farmer’s worst nightmare, but Joff [...]
Water Security
THE Murray-Darling Basin Authority has marked the close of the formal public consultation period for the Basin Plan Review. More than 2400 submissions have been received from First Nations people, community members, organisations, local, state and national government agencies. Many were shared in the final days of the consultation period which ended on May 1. [...]
Renewables
NSW Farmers’ is calling on the NSW Government to pause plans to fast-track renewable energy projects in regional New South Wales, warning that rushing approvals will deepen community distress, entrench an unfair power imbalance between large developers and landholders, and generate more objections and conflict. NSW Farmers’ Energy Taskforce chair Reg Kidd called the government’s [...]
Wild Pig Cull
THE NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service, in partnership with government agencies and private landholders, will co-ordinate an aerial shooting program to cull the number of feral pigs across public and private land in the Gwydir River Valley near Bingara next week. The program, starting May 11 and running until May 15, will target the [...]
Fuel Security
NATIONAL Farmers’ Federation president Hamish McIntyre said the announcement of a $10 billion Australian Fuel Security and Resilience package this week is a welcome step toward building the sovereign capability needed to protect the food system. “The package will establish a fuel and fertiliser security facility, and create a government-owned fuel security reserve” Mr McIntyre [...]
Fuel Security
AUSTRALIA’S livestock and rural transporters have welcomed a billion-litre national fuel reserve but warned the measure will only matter if diesel reaches the regions when supply fails. The Australian Livestock and Rural Transporters Association backed the Government’s $10 billion-plus fuel security package, including $3.2 billion for a government-owned reserve and $7.5 billion for a fuel [...]
