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Call for local voices on agricultural water use

WATER use efficiency is a key issue for Australia’s agriculture sector, and a House of Representatives inquiry is keen to hear from local voices with opinions on the subject.

The House Agriculture and Water Resources Committee is investigating the adequacy and efficacy of water use efficiency programs in Australian agriculture.

Committee Chair Rick Wilson MP says the Committee is seeking feedback from farmers, irrigators and community leaders around Australia, but is particularly keen to hear from people in South Australia, Victoria and Tasmania.

“Australian farmers are amongst the world’s most efficient irrigators, particularly due to the often harsh Australian climate,” Mr Wilson said.

“Given the challenges of a dry climate, management of water usage is more important than ever.”

The inquiry is looking at how the Government can invest in water infrastructure in order to assist farmers and communities to extract the maximum value out of each drop of water.

Mr Wilson and Committee Deputy Chair Meryl Swanson MP recently joined About the House TV to discuss the inquiry’s findings so far.

Making a submission to the inquiry is easy – visit aph.gov.au/wue and click ‘Upload Submission’, or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for more information.

People interested in the inquiry can also subscribe to the About the House Newsletter, to receive fortnightly news about this and other inquiries conducted by the House of Representatives. 

Interested members of the public may wish to track the committee via the website. 

Click here to watch a video on this topic on YouTube.

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ABS: Trend dwelling approvals rise 0.8pc in March

THE number of dwellings approved in Australia rose 0.8 per cent in March 2017, in trend terms, after falling for nine months, according to data released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) today.
Dwelling approvals increased in March in New South Wales (3.0 per cent), Tasmania (1.6 per cent), Queensland (0.5 per cent) and Victoria (0.3 per cent), but decreased in the Northern Territory (19.1 per cent), Australian Capital Territory (7.1 per cent), Western Australia (1.9 per cent) and South Australia (0.1 per cent) in trend terms.
In trend terms, approvals for private sector houses fell 0.6 per cent in March. Private sector house approvals fell in Queensland (2.0 per cent), South Australia (0.4 per cent) and Victoria (0.3 per cent), but rose in New South Wales (0.3 per cent) and Western Australia (0.1 per cent).
In seasonally adjusted terms, dwelling approvals decreased by 13.4 per cent in March, driven by a fall in total dwellings excluding houses (22.0 per cent) and total house approvals (5.0 per cent).
The value of total buildings approved rose 0.1 per cent in March, in trend terms, after falling for seven months. The value of residential building approved rose 1.0 per cent while non-residential building approved fell 1.9 per cent.
Further information is available in Building Approvals, Australia (cat no. 8731.0) on the ABS website at http://www.abs.gov.au.

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QRC CEO Ian Macfarlane laments the New Acland court decision

THE Queensland Resources Council is "very disappointed" by the Queensland Land Court decision to reject New Hope’s Stage 3 New Acland coal mine expansion project.

That was the statement issued today by Queensland Resources Council (QRC) chief executive Ian Macfarlane.

Given the rigorous government assessment processes the project has already passed, including examination by the Independent Expert Scientific Committee as part of the federal government’s approval earlier this year, the decision today by the Land Court is surprising.

This project is vital to the Darling Downs and would create up to 260 construction jobs and ongoing direct employment of up to 435 jobs and indirectly 2,300, worth about $12 billion in economic benefits over the life of the project.

Such a significant amount of job losses will have devastating flow-on effects to such a small community and the surrounding businesses that rely on the mine.

The New Acland Stage 3 Project has been in limbo for 10 years, including spending the last 18 months in the Land Court, spearheaded by the taxpayer-funded Environmental Defenders Office (EDO).  

www.qrc.org.au

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MDBA to appear at water use efficiency hearing

THE House Agriculture and Water Resources committee will hold a public hearing in Canberra on Thursday, 1 June for its inquiry into water use efficiency in Australian agriculture.

The Committee will hear from the Murray-Darling Basin Authority.

Public hearing details: 12:15pm - 1:30pm, Thursday 1 June, Committee Room 1R2, Parliament House

The hearing will be broadcast live in audio format at aph.gov.au/live

Interested members of the public may wish to track the committee via the website.

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Discussing the future of electricity networks

THE House of Representatives Environment and Energy Committee will hear from Energy Networks Australia on Thursday at a public hearing for the inquiry into modernising Australia’s electricity grid.

The Chair of the Committee, Andrew Broad MP, said the Committee was looking forward to hearing about the changing role of transmission and distribution networks in the grid.

“The Committee is keen to hear how network businesses are adapting to the transition underway in the electricity system, and whether further changes are required to ensure that the system can deliver secure, affordable, and sustainable electricity into the future,” Mr Broad said.

The Deputy Chair of the Committee, Mr Pat Conroy MP, said the Committee would also be interested in hearing about the potential for transmission and distribution networks to reduce costs for consumers.

“The Committee is aware that network costs make up about half of the average electricity bill. The hearing is an opportunity for the Committee to discuss how a modern grid can achieve better outcomes for households and businesses,” Mr Conroy said.

As part of the inquiry, the Committee is encouraging members of the community to share their views on the electricity system via an online questionnaire.

Further information about the inquiry, including a submission from Energy Networks Australia, is available on the inquiry website, at www.aph.gov.au/moderngrid.

 

Public hearing details: 10:00 am – 10:45 am, Thursday 1 June 2017, Parliament House, Canberra

The hearing will be broadcast live at aph.gov.au/live

Interested members of the public may wish to track the committee via the website.

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