Chilean needle grass,named for its sharp pointed seed,is regarded as one of the worst weeds in Australia. Chilean needle grass is a perennial tussock grass which grows in dense clumps up to 1m in height. It is highly drought resistant, relatively un‐ palatable, can cause injury to livestock, contaminates wool and reduces biodiversity by outcompeting native species.

Northern Tablelands MP Adam Marshall is encouraging the community to help shape the direction of the NSW Government’s state-wide koala strategy, which aims to secure and increase NSW koala numbers. Mr Marshall said government would embark on a whole-of-government koala strategy and spend $10 million over five years to acquire vital koala habitat, following the release of the NSW Chief Scientist and Engineer Professor Mary O’Kane AC’s Report of the Independent Review into the Decline of Koala Populations in Key Areas of NSW.

The FeralScan community pest animal monitoring and mapping program has been recognised with one of Australia’s top environmental honours, receiving the Minister’s award for a cleaner environment in the field of research and science excellence. The award, sponsored by the Australian Government Department of Environment and Energy, was announced last night during the 2016 Banksia Foundation Awards ceremony in Sydney.

The Rummerys Hill Landcare group combined with GLENRAC are holding a ProGraze course early in 2016. ProGraze is a NSW Department of Primary Industries course designed to foster skills in assessing pasture and animal production, and to develop pasture and livestock management plans.

Twenty four landholders from the Wellington Vale area attended GLENRAC’s field day at the Tent Hill Hall on Wednesday 18th of November. The day comprised of discussions on both weeds and pest animals.

GLENRAC will host a short field day for landholders in the Wellington Vale district next Wednesday 18th November at the Tent Hill Hall. The field day will launch GLENRAC’s 25thAnniversary Landcare Grant project targeting weed control on private and public land to reduce threats to biodiversity from the spread on invasive weeds.

GLENRAC will host a bus trip to Derek & Fiona Smith’s property ‘Kennilworth’ located just outside of Guyra to ‘get the dirt’ on soil health on Thursday 19th November. Derek Smith has presented at a number of GLENRAC events in the last seven years and is well known for his innovative but practical approach to managing soils, pastures and livestock.

In a move to improve roadside weed management, Glen Innes Severn Council and the Glen Innes Natural Resources Advisory Committee (GLENRAC) are working together with landholders to manage noxious and environmental weeds. The aim of the project is to establish a buffer zone between Council and privately owned land, for more coordinated and effective weed management.

Federal Member for New England and Minister for Agriculture, Barnaby Joyce said 21 projects throughout the New England Electorate will enjoy a share of more $364,000 under the Australian Government’s National Landcare Programme.

Landholders around Little Llangothlin Lagoon are rolling out on-ground works to improve wetland health and farm management, with the help of WetlandCare Australia and the Northern Tablelands Local Land Services (LLS). This project has provided funding to assist farmers around the internationally significantly Little Llangothlin Lagoon wetland to install farm infrastructure including fencing and alternate watering arrangements to improve farm productivity whilst protecting valuable wetland habitats in the region.

The Glen Innes Natural Resource Advisory Committee (GLENRAC) is finishing the year on a high, celebrating the announcement made yesterday on the federal governments 20 Million Trees programme. GLENRAC submitted two funding applications worth a total of $170,550.30 (including GST) for revegetation in the Glen Innes district, and were successful in both.  

Deputy Premier Andrew Stoner and Minister for Primary Industries Katrina Hodgkinson today announced additional assistance measures for drought-stricken farmers in NSW.

The Federal Minister for Agriculture has announced the Community Landcare Grants which are the small grants component of the Sustainable Agriculture stream of the Australian Government’s Caring for our Country initiative.

Wild dog, feral pig and fox control will be the topic of a Feral Animal Field Day held at the Glen Innes Showground from 9:30am to 3:30pm, on Friday 8th  February 2013.

GLENRAC’s Honey Locust control project is underway. This project is funded through the Australian Government’s Biodiversity Fund for the control of Honey Locust on the Mann & Severn Rivers. The project will include on ground chemical control of Honey Locust plants on these riparian zones over the next two years. The project will cover an area of 110km of river frontage on private and public lands.

Nominations are being called for the 2013 Regional Landcare Awards across the New England North West region. Innovative farmers, dedicated individuals and hardworking community organisations are just some of those being encouraged to enter the Awards.

Local producers Greg and Sally Chappell, in conjunction with GLENRAC and the Soils for Life Organisation hosted a hugely successful field day last Wednesday 21st November at Shannon Vale Station. The field day was attended by 130 interested participants, mainly producers from across the New England and North West, with some visitors travelling from as far afield as Goondiwindi, Barraba, Grafton and the Northern Territory.

A group of 20 local landowners recently enjoyed some hands-on wildlife encounters at Rummerys Hill, 20 kilometres north of Glen Innes. They got to see and handle a snake, spiders, lizards, frogs, bats, possums and even a mouse-sized dunnart.

GLENRAC is now calling for Expressions of Interest from landholders to control Blackberry or Lantana along the Mann River.

A group of enthusiastic livestock producers from across the New England attended a field day focused on the positive benefits of dung beetles, challenges presented by foxes and their impact on cattle producers.  The half day session was held at the Glen Innes Agricultural Research & Advisory Station with dung beetle expert Dr Bernard Doube from South Australia as key note speaker.