The popular Feral Photos and Video competition is back and being reignited in a major way with close to $5000 worth of prizes on offer, thanks to our competition collaborators Animal Trap Solutions, CSIRO Publishing and Outdoor Cameras Australia.

Expressions of Interest will soon be open for GLENRAC’s Bushfire Recovery Project, which is funded through the Northern Tablelands Local Land Services and NSW government. The grant aims to assist individuals and community groups within 50km of Glen Innes to complete small on-ground works in the recovery from the 2019/2020 bushfires, as well improving future preparedness of landholders and/or communities in the event of similar circumstances.

A year months on from the bushfires which devastated the region and Northern Tablelands Local Land Services is continuing to provide assistance to impacted landholders, with Minister for Agriculture and State MP Adam Marshall today announcing the launch of Bushfire Recovery Small On-farm Grants.

GLENRAC recently received a delivery of pet food donated by RSPCA NSW Glen Innes Volunteer Branch from Coles Forest Lake Warehouse in Brisbane and organised by Manager of Coles Glen Innes, Natasha Miles and Glen Innes RSPCA volunteer, Brigitte Burridge.

The New England and North West Landcare Awards will return in early 2021 and nominations for the event are now open! Landcare is urgently appealing to farmers, conservationists, volunteers and families to nominate a person or group from the region who is passionate about conserving the natural environment and/or sustainable, regenerative farming systems. 

Northern Tablelands Local Land Services (LLS) has urged farmers to be on the lookout for signs of fall armyworm (FAW) following the detection of multiple moths around Inverell. LLS Pastures Agronomist, Georgie Oakes, said while this is one of the first detections in the Northern Tablelands, it is likely more cases of FAW will be reported over summer. 

Local fishers are in line for free yabby nets as part of a plan to transition the State to open-top nets to protect vulnerable native wildlife. Northern Tablelands MP and Minister for Agriculture Adam Marshall said the State Government was giving away 5,000 yabby nets to recreational fishers as part of the comprehensive program to phase out the use of enclosed yabby traps in NSW from 30 April this year.

Deane Smith has been busy in the years since graduating from Glen Innes High School back in 2010, earning himself a Bachelor of Science (majoring in Zoology and Genetics), and an Honours in Ecology from the University of New England, before commencing a PhD in molecular ecology as part of the Wildlife Research Group at the University of Southern Queensland – a research project that leads Deane to some of the most remote outback landscapes in Australia.

From today, more than a thousand farming families will start receiving a lump sum entitlement to help them meet household costs, as important improvements to the Farm Household Allowance (FHA) take effect. Agriculture Minister Bridget McKenzie said couples whose time on the FHA had expired would receive up to $13,000 and single people would receive up to $7500 – or the equivalent of six months on the payment.

A meeting of all State and Commonwealth Agriculture Ministers in Moree tomorrow will be an important step toward locking in a unified national drought strategy, Northern Tablelands MP and Minister for Agriculture Minister Adam Marshall said today. Mr Marshall called the special AGMIN meeting, the first outside a major city, to provide his counterparts with an opportunity to see first-hand the toll the prolonged dry is taking on local communities and discuss the response to ongoing drought and drought recovery in their jurisdictions.

The Liberal and Nationals Government is committed to supporting Australian farmers and their families doing it tough during the ongoing drought, and to help them be more resilient to deal with the next drought when it comes. Changes to Farm Household Allowance (FHA) passed the Australian Parliament today that build on improvements made by the Liberal and Nationals Government by making sure farmers receive the full rate of payment and a $10,000 training supplement.

Landholders across the New England are being urged to take advantage of rebates now open for new, on-farm water infrastructure. Member for New England, Barnaby Joyce, said farmers can claim up to 25% of their costs from buying and installing new on-farm water infrastructure such as pipes, storages, pumps, de-silting dams and associated power supplies such as generators.

Member for Tamworth Kevin Anderson said he was proud to be involved in obtaining the grant and said the annual gathering is a life-changing event for participants, particularly in times of great stress.

DEER hunting regulations have been lifted across the Northern Tablelands to help licensed hunters assist farmers manage deer numbers, Northern Tablelands MP Adam Marshall announced today.

Originally introduced fromEurope,most probably as a hedge plant, broom species prefer cooler climates and have established in many parts of the NorthernTablelands. Once established, brooms will form very dense thickets which will exclude desirable species in native communities and reduce stocking rates on agricultural land. Additionally, they provide habitat for feral animals including rabbits, foxes and pigs. It is also believed to be toxic to both stock and humans.

The Murray Darling Basin is under threat from invasion by the pest fish Tilapia. Landholders, fishers and river users are encouraged to be on the lookout for Tilapia in the Northern Tablelands region. Tilapia are widespread in many coastal catchments of QLD and parts of northern NSW and are at risk of spreading rapidly.

With reported rabbit numbers around Glen Innes at their highest in 20 years, Northern Tablelands Local Land Services is holding a free event to inform landholders on control methods for the feral pest. Residents are encouraged to come along to the Rabbit Control Field Day on Tuesday 5 December at ‘Naalong’, Glen Innes to learn about strategies they might employ on their properties.

Interested community members in and around Inverell are being encouraged to attend a community briefing session hosted by the National Carp Control Plan (NCCP) and Northern Tablelands Local Land Services.

This November, northern NSW residents can have their say in local wild dog management plans and activities by participating in a targeted survey. NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI) economist, Salahadin Khairo, said the survey was designed to detect areas where wild dogs impact on local communities and identify the best management options.

Local Land Services is conducting a survey to understand the needs of landholders, their access to services and any barriers they face. The survey is part of a statewide program to increase the capacity of landholders to manage pest animals.