News

Australian Year of the Farmer celebrates the hard work of everyone involved in producing, processing, handling and selling products from 136,000 farms across the country.

Livestock owners in South Australia are being urged to prepare for the threat of bushfires as the weather heats up.

A spray contracting company operating in south west Victoria, its director and five employees are thousands of dollars worse off after pleading guilty to charges of using a herbicide spray inappropriately.

Aerial pictures taken by Department of Primary Industries (DPI) showed extensive damage caused when the contractors ignored instructions on the labels and sprayed a long lasting herbicide on a wet day at Mirranatwa, north of Hamilton.

DPI prosecutors told the court the contractors, hired by the company, had sprayed several properties when the ground was saturated.

Livestock producers interested in how guardian animals can be an effective strategy in wild dog control are urged to particulate in a series of informative webinars in December.

Three Guardian Animal webinars will be held on 12 December (Maremmas), 14 December (Donkeys) and 16 December (Alpacas). The webinars are an initiative of Leading Sheep and delivered by Queensland Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation (DEEDI) officers.

Presentations include:

Farm manager is an app designed by a farmer for farmers. It allows small farmers to record cropping, livestock, machinery procedures and access this information with ease.

The Regional Relocation (Home Buyers Grant) Act 2011 will operate for four years, commencing 1 July 2011. The scheme will provide applicants with a one-off payment of $7,000 to assist them with the cost of relocating from their metropolitan home to a regional home.

The metropolitan area means the local government areas of the Sydney metropolitan area, Blue Mountains, Hawkesbury, Gosford, Wyong, Wollondilly, Wollongong and Newcastle.

The regional areas are participating local government areas which are located outside of the metropolitan area.