Water inquiry date change
The Committee on Investment, Industry and Regional Development has rescheduled its hearing in Deniliquin from June 11 to July 22.
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The committee is examining the impacts of the Water Amendment (Restoring Our Rivers) Act 2023 on regional communities.
Members of the public interested in the inquiry can follow its progress on the committee’s website, where the details of public hearings will be published as they are finalised.
A livestream of public hearings will also be available on the NSW Parliament website.
If people would like to be informed when the schedule for the hearings is published, they can email the committee at investmentindustry@parliament.nsw.gov.au
Euroa urged to save water
Goulburn Valley Water is calling on Euroa and Violet Town residents to reduce their water use as ongoing dry conditions and declining water storage levels point to the possibility of increased water restrictions in July.
Goulburn Valley Water has determined this measure could be necessary to protect local water storages, which have continued to fall since the introduction of stage two restrictions in May.
Water storages sat at 18 per cent on Friday, June 13, compared to 77 per cent at a similar time last year.
Residents are urged to make changes such as taking shorter showers and only running dishwashers and washing machines with full loads, water customers can significantly lower their water use.
Further information on water restriction stages can be found at gvwater.vic.gov.au/restrictions or customers can call 5832 4800.
Labor ‘sinks’ water register
Victorian Shadow Water Minister Tim McCurdy says the Allan Government has wasted $36 million on a long-promised upgrade to the Victorian Water Register, with the system still no closer to delivery after five years of delays.
Mr McCurdy said when questioned at the Public Accounts and Estimates Committee, Water Minister Gayle Tierney deflected responsibility, saying she had “only been in the job for five months” and refused to commit to a new delivery date.
“Incredibly, following her committee appearance, the minister issued a media release spruiking the government’s achievements in water infrastructure,” he said.
“The minister can’t dodge accountability for a failed project promised in 2020, then turn around and promote supposed progress in the same breath.”
The Victorian Water Register is designed to provide transparent and timely information on water trading prices.
“The current software is nearly 20 years old, water prices are rising, and producers are doing it tough under dry conditions — but Labor still can’t deliver the basics.”
Funding to feed the future
NSW Premier Chris Minns and NSW Agriculture Minister Tara Moriarty announced a $100 million funding boost to the state’s biosecurity system.
NSW Farmers Association president Xavier Martin said practical, long-term funding for biosecurity systems was long overdue, with feral animal species estimated to cost the state $500 million in damages every year.
“Everything from feral pigs and fire ants, to deer and wild dogs, are causing grief everywhere we turn, and soon it won’t just affect our farming — it will affect our way of life,” Mr Martin said.
“From better infrastructure to investment in the next generation, there’s so much to be done to secure a brighter future our farming communities, and we hope this is the start, not the end, of good news out of this year’s state budget.”
Talking about Heathcote
State Member for Euroa Annabelle Cleeland has met with community leaders and industry representatives in Heathcote to discuss the region’s most pressing challenges and opportunities for growth.
The meeting brought together stakeholders from key sectors including tourism, agriculture, emergency services and the wine industry, with a strong focus on delivering practical outcomes for the community.
Among the key issues raised included public transport, small businesses, energy, water and affordability.
“These are the issues that matter to regional communities,” Ms Cleeland said.
“They are not looking for more announcements or layered bureaucracy. Our communities want practical solutions that actually improve their day-to-day lives.”
New flood-sensing tech
With flooding now an ever-present danger for communities in Australia and around the world, Australian researchers have demonstrated the effectiveness of world-first real-time water level and rainfall sensing technology using existing mobile phone networks.
Researchers have completed field trials proving that artificial intelligence-driven processing of data derived from 5G mobile networks with a flood digital twin can deliver unprecedented accuracy in flood monitoring and prediction.
NSW Emergency Services Minister Jihad Dib said the Smart Flood and Storm Intelligence project could help communities access important storm and flood information faster.
“This technology has potential to improve disaster response, mitigating loss of life and enhancing community resilience across NSW.”
The next steps for the technology include increasing reliability and accessibility.