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31 May 2007 | Some hope with rain in SA
The forecast for rain across most areas of South Australia over the next week is looking good. ...... FULL STORY
31 May 2007 | Green war heats up
The federal Coalition and Labor parties are duelling over who has the better policy on reducing greenhouse gas emissions. ...... FULL STORY
31 May 2007 | Lead levels cost job
Following the discovery of high lead levels in the Esperance Port area the head of the Port Authority has stepped down. ...... FULL STORY
30 May 2007 | Quarantine under fire
The World Trade Organisation's head, Dr Gretchen Stanton has said "There is a perception that Australia is way too defensive in its approach to quarantine" ...... FULL STORY
30 May 2007 | Future unclear for agribusiness schemes
Tax-effective forestry schemes have been given the go-ahead to proceed indefinitely, but other schemes involved in primary production will change from 1 July 2008. ...... FULL STORY
29 May 2007 | Saved by beer
The effect of the drought has been tempered by increased demands for Asian beer drinkers for barley marketer ABB Grain. ...... FULL STORY
29 May 2007 | Roo cull farce
The proposed cull of kangaroos at Defence Department sites in the ACT has been hit with a series of hurdles. ...... FULL STORY
29 May 2007 | Rain too patchy for relief
Rain that fell in parts of West Australia through Sunday night was not enough to get water flowing into dams. ...... FULL STORY
28 May 2007 | Victoria still not convinced about water
The Victorian Premier, Steve Bracks, has warned that a follow-up meeting with Prime Minister John Howard will only be productive if more details about the proposed $10 billion water plan are provided. ...... FULL STORY
28 May 2007 | New water planning committee
The federal government has set up a committee to look at contingency planning for domestic water supplies and will probably look at assistance for irrigators. ...... FULL STORY
28 May 2007 | Grape over-supply may return
The under-supply of wine grapes caused by the drought may only be temporary. ...... FULL STORY
25 May 2007 | Drought a bonus for wool
The drought is constricting wool supply and driving prices up. ...... FULL STORY
25 May 2007 | Legal threat to federal plans
The federal government plan to take over control of water in the Murray-Darling basin could be under threat from a legal challenge by a group of irrigators who claim that the state and federal governments have stripped them ... ...... FULL STORY
25 May 2007 | Coonan reconsiders funding
Communications Minister Helen Coonan has been forced to acknowledge that factors such as rural funding had to be considered in a submission from Telstra over a $4.1 billion fibre network. ...... FULL STORY
24 May 2007 | Concerns over kangaroo meat
Animal lobby groups such as Animal Liberation and Wildlife Protection of Australia have claimed that kangaroo meat is potentially dangerous and that the 'roo meat industry should be shut down. ...... FULL STORY
24 May 2007 | Questions over carbon offset schemes
Research released by the Total Environment Centre (TEC) questions the value of people paying to have trees planted on their behalf to clean up greenhouse gas pollution. ...... FULL STORY
24 May 2007 | Irrigators unhappy with compensation
Irrigators in NSW say that the $100 million in compensation offered by the state and federal governments for water licence reductions is not sufficient and four class actions against the state government are under way. ...... FULL STORY
23 May 2007 | Victoria reconsiders GM crops
Victorian premier Steve Bracks has recently returned from the world's largest biotechnology conference and is thought to oppose the current moratorium on genetically modified crops in that state. ...... FULL STORY
23 May 2007 | Reform opportunity missed
The government has failed to deregulate the wheat marketing system in its announcement of reform following the oil-for-food kickbacks scandal. ...... FULL STORY
23 May 2007 | National symbol now a pet
Red kangaroos are being bred in the US for sale as pets. ...... FULL STORY
22 May 2007 | Counter-offer for Queensland Cotton
Dreyfus, a French commodity house, must declare its intention to make an offer or withdraw its bid for Queensland Cotton Holdings by today. ...... FULL STORY
22 May 2007 | No drugs in sheds
The WA Shearing Contractors Association has said that they support the implementation of random drug tests in shearing sheds. ...... FULL STORY
21 May 2007 | AWB increases pressure
AWB is funding a website about "Grain Industry Reform" which claims its aim is to provide the latest developments in the wheat industry. ...... FULL STORY
21 May 2007 | More rain needed soon
Farmers have taken advantage of the recent rain to sow winter crops but now have to see if there are much needed follow-up falls. ...... FULL STORY
21 May 2007 | No ethanol support from Howard
The NSW government has mandated a 2 per cent ethanol content for fuel that will take effect from September. ...... FULL STORY
21 May 2007 | Waterbird wetland cleared
A Moree farmer has cleared between 500 and 750 hectares of wetland that is an important breeding area for waterbirds. ...... FULL STORY
18 May 2007 | Murray-Darling not quite so dry
Claims that inflows to the Murray-Darling have been over-estimated by as much as 40 per cent have been denied by the Federal Water Minister, Malcolm Turnbull. ...... FULL STORY
18 May 2007 | Rain falls just in time
Yesterday Rain fell across much of South Australia, Victoria and western NSW. ...... FULL STORY
18 May 2007 | Turning saltbush into a positive
Dryland salinity is a problem that affects about five million hectares of land across Australia. ...... FULL STORY
17 May 2007 | More buybacks on the cards
Following the revelation that flows into the Murray-Darling basin may have been over-estimated by 40 per cent, the Federal Government could be forced to buy back more than the previously planned $3 billion in ground water licences. ...... FULL STORY
17 May 2007 | Decision on grain marketing soon
Both business and farmers have expressed concerns about the compromise that seems to be the future of grain marketing which will be proposed by the government on 22nd May. ...... FULL STORY
17 May 2007 | Wheat changes may breach FTA
Any changes to Australia's wheat marketing arrangements may breach its free trade agreement with the US. ...... FULL STORY
17 May 2007 | Coalition conflict over Cubbie
The Cubbie Group cotton company is to be granted a licence to harvest up to 469 billion litres of water every time it floods in the Murray Darling system. ...... FULL STORY
16 May 2007 | Record low rainfall for Melbourne
Melbourne has just recorded its driest 365 day period on record according to data from the Bureau of Meteorology. ...... FULL STORY
16 May 2007 | Water shortage under-estimated
$10 billion of agricultural production is under threat as the volume of water flowing into the Murray-Darling system may have been over-estimated by as much as 40 per cent due to surface water and ground water being treated as separate systems. ...... FULL STORY
16 May 2007 | Bananas going back up
Banana prices are on the rise again. ...... FULL STORY
16 May 2007 | Second desalination plant for WA
Australia’s first desalination plant was opened only six months ago in West Australia and already the state government has announced plans for a second plant. ...... FULL STORY
15 May 2007 | Funding for water analysis unsure
Plans for a water measuring and monitoring network costing $417 million over 10 years are dependent on the federal government gaining control of the Murray Darling Basin. ...... FULL STORY
15 May 2007 | Roo cull to go ahead
The RSPCA says that proposed kangaroo culls at Majura and Belconnen in the ACT are a result of the Defence Department which owns the land failing to control numbers adequately. ...... FULL STORY
15 May 2007 | Farmers go underground
For one farmer mining may be the answer which allows him to supplement his income and keep the farm. ...... FULL STORY
15 May 2007 | Drought impact increases in Murray Darling
There are fears that rural industries in the southern Murray-Darling basin area will be severely affected by Federal Government plans to introduce level 4 water restrictions in the area by July. ...... FULL STORY
14 May 2007 | GM crops back on the table
The Victorian Agriculture Minister, Joe Helper, has insisted that the future of the moratorium on genetically modified crops in that state was not decided. ...... FULL STORY
14 May 2007 | Decision on AWB soon
Prime Minister John Howard will be presenting the government's decision on the future of AWB on 22nd May. ...... FULL STORY
11 May 2007 | Wheat-desk warning
West Australian Liberal Judi Moylan, who represents more than 600 wheat growers, has said there will be terrible political ramifications if there is a move by the government to adopt a "Clayton's" single desk wheat marketing system. ...... FULL STORY
11 May 2007 | Farmers still optimistic despite the drought
Despite the continuing drought, farmers and food manufacturers in Victoria are increasingly upbeat and have not cut capital spending, according to the March quarter Westpac and Charles Sturt University agribusiness index. ...... FULL STORY
11 May 2007 | Minister refuses compensation payout
Planning and Infrastructure Minister Alannah MacTiernan has refused to commit the Government to compensating Esperance residents exposed to lead dust from exports through the town's port. ...... FULL STORY
10 May 2007 | Ute’s a culprit in the spread of weeds
Ute cabins and four wheel drives have emerged as one of the biggest culprits in the spread of highly invasive and costly weeds. ...... FULL STORY
10 May 2007 | WA wines sent east as drought hits vintage
WA wine producers have sent a significant portion of their annual vintage east to boost supplies after drought and frosts reduced the national harvest by a third. ...... FULL STORY
10 May 2007 | Wine production in east may fall further
New ABARE figures show Australia's national vintage fell to 1.26 million tonnes with premium red wine grape production the hardest hit, falling by 40 per cent. ...... FULL STORY
10 May 2007 | Cloud seeding investigated
A national taskforce will be set up to coordinate research into the controversial strategy of cloud seeding after a special conference brought the issue into mainstream science. ...... FULL STORY
10 May 2007 | Growers need sweeter merger
Mulgrave Central Mill shareholder growers have told their board they would vote down a merger proposal from Bundaberg Sugar unless directors consider a rival offer from Maryborough Sugar Factory. ...... FULL STORY
9 May 2007 | Wheat solution won't please all
Prime Minister John Howard has warned Coalition MPs that a compromise plan to reform wheat export marketing arrangements would "not please all". ...... FULL STORY
9 May 2007 | Tasmania fruit fly identified
The live fruit fly larvae that sparked a biosecurity alert in Tasmania has been identified as Queensland fruit fly. ...... FULL STORY
9 May 2007 | Crop breakthrough
Victorian scientists have developed a technology that could double crop yields by delaying the ageing process of leaves. ...... FULL STORY
9 May 2007 | Toad jump due to global warming
Global warming is allowing cane toads to penetrate inland Australia for the first time and experts believe that their march towards Sydney is unstoppable. ...... FULL STORY
9 May 2007 | Fodder crisis continues
Farmer groups and governments are struggling to find a solution to southeast Australia's fodder crisis. ...... FULL STORY
8 May 2007 | Record wine exports
Australian wine exports have set new value and volume records in the 12 months to the end of April. ...... FULL STORY
8 May 2007 | More wheat talks
The Prime Minister's office will hold more meetings with farm leaders and bulk handling companies this week as it tries to create a compromise on the future of the Australian wheat marketing system. ...... FULL STORY
8 May 2007 | Desperate measures taken as no rain falls
Queensland grazier Bob Morrish is desperately trying to hold on to 350 cows – the last of his breeders, which numbered 4,000 when drought started to cripple his Windorah district property. ...... FULL STORY
8 May 2007 | Port clean up costs rising
The cost of the Esperance contamination scandal is rising and the Esperance Port Authority will be forced to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars cleaning lead and nickel from backyard water tanks. ...... FULL STORY
7 May 2007 | Weather bureau to get massive funding increase
The Bureau of Meteorology is set to get the biggest funding increase in its 100 year history tomorrow when the federal government announces the budget. ...... FULL STORY
7 May 2007 | Growers lose $1 million in water saga
Internal State Government documents report that damage to vegetables during the "yellow lettuce" saga in Werribee cost growers $1 million last year. ...... FULL STORY
7 May 2007 | Drought ending rain on the horizon
Drought breaking rain could fall in Queensland in the next few weeks according to the predictions of a top Australian climatologist. ...... FULL STORY
4 May 2007 | Grazier’s lose feed in $1 million fire
Drought stricken farmers in Adelaide have lost desperately needed feed in what is believed to have been a deliberately lit $1 million shed fire. ...... FULL STORY
4 May 2007 | Farmers tell Turnbull he's on his own
Water Resources Minister Malcolm Turnbull has lost the support of the Victorian Farmers Federation. ...... FULL STORY
4 May 2007 | Skilled migrant intake to increase
Australia will accept an extra 5,000 permanent skilled migrant workers next financial year and provide new funding of more than $100 million over four years to help humanitarian migrants integrate, learn English and find work. ...... FULL STORY
3 May 2007 | Wine growers set ambitious target
After unveiling a new industry blueprint aimed at raising the quality and value of Australian wine consumed overseas, the Australian wine industry has set itself the target of boosting exports by an extra $2 billion per year by 2011. ...... FULL STORY
3 May 2007 | Perth’s food most expensive
The full impact of the drought is hitting supermarket shelves in Perth, with new figures showing prices of everyday foods have jumped 40 per cent over the past year. ...... FULL STORY
3 May 2007 | Lack of healthy sheep sees dog trials cancelled
The Seymour Dog Trials, scheduled for May 10-12, have been cancelled due to a lack of healthy sheep. ...... FULL STORY
3 May 2007 | Footrot trials begin
Footrot vaccine trials will begin at the end of the year after the completion of ground-breaking research. ...... FULL STORY
2 May 2007 | Farming families welcome free holiday
More than 40 Australian farming families on drought affected properties will take a free holiday in New Zealand. ...... FULL STORY
2 May 2007 | Appeal to banks on recovery
Agriculture Minister Peter McGauran is calling on banks to keep supporting farmers after the drought breaks. ...... FULL STORY
2 May 2007 | Taskforce to shift food bowl north
Prime Minister John Howard has created a task force to examine how to shift the nation’s food bowl from the drought ravaged south to northern Australia. ...... FULL STORY
2 May 2007 | Overhaul of skilled migrant scheme
Under proposed reforms to the skilled migration system, employers who want to import foreign workers would be required to give apprenticeships to Australians or contribute money to approved training funds. ...... FULL STORY
2 May 2007 | CSIRO gets an extra $36 million
CSIRO will receive an extra $36.2 million over the next four years in the federal budget. ...... FULL STORY
1 May 2007 | Lead enquiry begins
Senior bureaucrats from the Department of Environment and Conservation and Department for Planning and Infrastructure will face heavy scrutiny today as a parliamentary inquiry into the Esperance lead scandal holds its first public hearing. ...... FULL STORY
1 May 2007 | $3 billion hint to sway Victorian farmers
John Howard has told Victorian farmers they could benefit from up to $3 billion dollars from measures to cut water losses from irrigation channels if the state signs his takeover of the Murray-Darling basin system. ...... FULL STORY
1 May 2007 | Orchard charged over parrot deaths
Select Harvests, Australia’s biggest almond grower, has been charged over the shooting of threatened regent parrots near its orchards in north-west Victoria. ...... FULL STORY
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