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THE Vi ctor ian Fa rm er s Federationhas criticised the state government’s new Victorian Transmission Plan as morelike aroadmap for developers than a fairdeal forregional communities.
One Gippsla nd, which re pre sen ts all Gipp sla nd local governments, is deeply concerned about the possible impact of offshorewind on the region’s fishing industry. One Gippsland has written to the Premier urging the Victorian government to protect the industrywhile progressing offshorewind development.
Gipps land, which will host seven gigawatts of offshorewind and many onshore wind and solar projects,willplayanintegral role in the new transmission plan, which envisagessix renewable energy zones (REZs) throughout the state.
VicGrid’s planhas identifiedan area for additionalonshore wind energygeneration in Gippsland andthe additional transmission infrastructureneeded to support the estimated 7GW of of fshore wind.
This will connect to the Latrobe Valley’ssignificantexistingtransmission infrastructure, built to connect coal-firedpower in the Valley to the rest of the state.
The VFF Pr esid ent, B re tt Hosking ,s aid many far mers believe in deep, economy wide
emission cuts and the industry has already made huge steps forward, but the way the government is going about it is leaving families in the regions facing an uncertain future.
“This plan has beensold as a way to keep the lights on, but it still leaves farmers in the dark,” he said.
“The government has redrawn the Renewable Energy Zones to suit developers, yet we still don’t know how much power will actually be built, what protections far mers will get, or what benefits will flow back into local communities.
“Wekeep seeing the see-sawing cost of these projects and you must wonder whereit will end. How is aplan aplan if it fails to outline even the basic details of how much it will cost?”
Mr Hosking said the plan shows that renewables in the new zones could either double what’s in the groundnow, or grow by more than 10 times by 2040. But the government admits it hasn’t set any firmlimits.
“That means afarming family can wake up and find themselves mapped into azone, but have no idea whether they’ll see afew turbinesorawall ofprojectsbuilt around them,” Mr Hosking said.
Continued -Page6
AGRICULTURE Victoria is urging farmers to be mindful of import requirements and to keep watch for Red imported fireants (RIFA) when sourcing fodder from interstate.
Agriculture Victoria Acting Chief Plant Health Officer,Stephen Dibley, said RIFA or Solenopsis invicta, is one of the worst invasive ant species in Australia.
Native to South America, it was first detected in Brisbanein2001 and while still largely localised to Greater Brisbane,
it hasalsorecentlybeendetectedintwo separate zones in New South Wales.
"RIFAisnot present in Victoria, and we hope collective efforts continue to ensure that this situation remains unchanged,"
Dr Dibley said.
"If RIFAmadeit intoVictoria,it could severely affect the state’s economy, agriculture, the environmentand thewellbeing of people and livestock. RIFAis mostly spread when it hitchhikes on material that
THE state governmenthas fast-tracked two renewable energy projects in Bairnsdale. The Minister for Planning, Sonya Kilkenny, has approved an 85-megawatt solar farm and a70-megawattbattery energystorage system in Bair nsdale through the DevelopmentFacilitation Program (DFP) - a pathway that has already fast-tracked energy projects.
Operated b yE lgin Energy, the ne w Ballantine Solar Farmwhen fully operational can power about 36,000 homes every year,while the 70-megawatt battery energy storagesystemwillhavethe capacity to meet evening peak demand for about 24,000 households. Constructionwill create morethan 170 jobs. The proponent was required to undertake
consultation with neighbouring properties and relevant government agencies including Country FireAuthority and Energy Safe Victoria, with Transportfor Victoriaand WorkSafe also providing feedback.
Since the DFP was expanded to include renewable energy projects last year, more than $4.9 billion worth of investment has been made across 18 projects that will create around 1900 newjobs, most in construction and some in operations.
Oncecompleted, the gover nmentsays these 18 projectswill generate enough power for about574,000 households annually, with battery storage capable of meeting evening peak demand for almost a million households. Victoria has a renewable energy target of 95 per cent by 2035.
is transported out of an infested area."
He said with drought forcing far mers to source hay and fodder from interstate suppliers there was areal risk they may inadvertently import RIFA.
Dr Dibley said farmers should be aware that hay or straw purchased from anywhere outside of Victoria must come from alocation with an accepted RIFAareafreedom certificate.
Fodder purchased fr om the infested zones must meet inspection andtreatment requirements and be certified by an officer responsible for agricultureinthe state or territoryoforigin
When coming from these zones, your
purchasemust also include one of the following types of certificates:
aPlant Health Certificate (PHC); aPlant Health Assurance Certificate; aBiosecureHACCP Biosecurity Certificate (BHBC), and; aPlant Health Declaration (PHD) To furtherprotect Victoria, if yoususpect that you have found RIFA, report them immediately via the Agriculture Victoria Public Online Reporting Format: agriculture.vic.gov.au/biosecurity/pestinsects-and-mites/report-anunusual-plant-insect-pest-or -disease or by calling the Exotic Plant Pest Hotline on 1800 084 881.
Katrina BRANDON
FROMpaddock to board, Loch Primary School is bringing bingo to life as they raise money for the school.
On November 9, from 10am to 2pm, peopleare invitedtovisit the South Gippsland school, wherethey can participate in Cow Pat Bingo, wherelocal cows arereleased onto the school’s oval, which will contain 400 squares that people have purchased.
Those who purchase thesquarescan win different prizes, such as $500.
“I think that it's anovelty, and it brings everyone together,” event organiser Alanna Crew told the Gippsland Far mer
“It's (also) funny, because the first cow, the poos on agrid, and it's your number, you win $500.
MerryPeople, which wasone of many popular activities available.
Ms Crew told the Gippsland Far mer that the idea for the event came from an ABC story she read awhile ago, whereanother school held the same style fundraiser.Ms Crew thought it would be perfect for her school as well.
“We've got alocal farmer who bringsthese cows in atrailer, wherehebrings the pens and the yards and all. It’s abig community event,” she said.
“(Alongside the Cow Pat Bingo) We'rehavingamini market. We will have homemade things that people aredoing around the community. We'realso having acoffee van. We'redoing sausages, the school's doing that. And we've also got Gippsland Jersey coming to do their milkshakes.”
Duringthe event,lotsofother novelty eventswillbehappeningaroundwhile people wait for the businessfrom“the other end”.
Last year was the first year of Cow Pat Bingo, wherethe school had asold-out event, All 400 squares weresold, and this year,250 squares have already been sold by mid-August.
Afterrolling through the market and waiting for their splat, Ms Crew said that therewill also be boot throwing, held by
“Wenoticed last year,because it is on the day of the Loch market. So many people had come and gone to Loch market and had alook at our school.Itisreally nice because it's on the oval and you'reoverlooking the beautiful green rolling hills.”
For moreinformation or tickets, go to: https://www.trybooking.com/events/ landing/1428148
AMILESTONE is being celebrated by somein theemissions reductions race: an Adelaide butcher has become the first retailer in the world to stocklow methane, ‘guilt free’beef throughapartnership with CH4 Global.
Windsor MeatsinMalvern is the first place in the world for consumers to get a
taste of the low emissions product, with wagyu beef already available, ahead of its roll-out to premium South Australian and national retailers and restaurants.
The company has so far met with hatted restaurant Chianti, Barossa Fine Foods and SkyCity Adelaide -which operates seven dining establishments at its North Terrace location -and prominent supermarket chains.
Havingalready secured big international partnerships,the announcementisthe culmination of aconcerted effort by CH4 Global to prioritise full integration into the South Australian economy and community. From growing ponds on the EyrePeninsula to the company’s MethaneTamerproduct feeding cattle at farms across the state, and then onto shelves,menus and plates -the end-to-end process occurs entirely within South Australia.
Its EcoParkatLouth Bay curr ently fe atu re s1 0l ar ge -s cal eA sp ar ag ops is cultivationponds, with work underway for an expansion that would see production increased tenfold -enough to serve 45,000 cattle daily. Asparagopsis -a redseaweed -has scientifically been proven to reduce methaneemissions fromcowsbyupto 90 per cent when used as afeed additive. Methane is primarily abyproduct of human industry, with the livestock industry and the agriculturesector morebroadly key emitters of the greenhouse gas. However, some scientists maintain that methane
from beef, produced when cattle eat grass grown through photosysnthesis, converts back to carbon dioxide in the atmosphere after about 10 years and does not add to greenhouse gas emissions.
CH4 Global’s work to date has seen it featured in the New York Times and Time Magazine,and earlier this year recognised as atop 50 global leader in sustainable development by CNBC. Since its inception, thecompany hasreceived ongoing support and advice from the South Australiangovernment, with co-founder Dr Steve Meller, recently joining Trade and Investment Minister Joe Szakacs on achief executive delegation to World Expo in Japan.
CH4 Globalhas existingpartnerships wit hm aj or in te rn at io na lb us in es se s including Mitsubishi in Japan, Chipotle in the US, Lotte in South Korea and UPL in India.
Premium wagyu products arenow available for purchase at Windsor Meats, while Angus beef products at amoreaffordable price point areset to be on shelvesbynext month.
CH4 Global, founded in 2018, is headquartered in Henderson, Nevada,with facilities to grow AsparagopsisinAustralia at Louth Bay, Arno Bay and at Lonsdale in South Australia, and in Bluffand Bream Bay in New Zealand.
To learn more, visit www.ch4global.com Beef Central
Philip HOPKINS
TREE plantations, including trees on farms, areset to expand in Gippsland through new fundingallocated by the Victorianand federal governments.
Victoria will spend $10 million as part of the Victorian Plantation Support Program to establish new long-rotation timber plantations.This additional fundingwill befor projects approved under select rounds of the Commonwealth’s Support Plantation Establishment Program.
Victoriangrowers lookingtodevelop new plantations can receive up to $1000 per hectareunder the program to assist with plantationestablishmentactivities.
Combined with the Commonwealth program, new plantations of 20 hectaresor moreinVictoria can receive up to $3000 per hectare, with acap of up to $200,000 per project.
About 2.4 million tree seedlings have been planted this yearthroughthe Gippsland Plant ation sI nve stmen tP ro gram by HancockVictorian Plantations. This year’s planting has brought the total number of trees planted to morethan 3.5 million.
The $190 million Victorian plantation program, which largelytargets softwood pine, is designed to replace the hardwood eucalypttimber lost to the Gippsland for estry industr yw hen the Vi ctorian government shut down the state's native forestry industry lastyear
This program involves the planting of up to 16 million trees over a10-year period.
The timber, whenharvestedatabout30 years, will create wood supply that will build Victoria’sfuture homes, create regional jobs, and produce paper and packaging products to replace single use plastics.
The Minister for Agriculture, Ros Spence, said demand for timber was expected to
quadruple globally over the next 50 years.
"We’remaking sureVictoria has asecure supply,” she said.
The Victorian Forest Products Association Chief Execut ive, Andr ew White, said the p lant ing o f2 .4 m illi on tr e e st hi s year through the Gippsland Plantations Investment Program was aclear demonstration of what’s possible when government andindustry work together
“Thisis aterrific newinitiative that will
help overcome the upfront barriers to new plantation establishment," he said.
Ms Spence also launched the Victorian Trees on Far ms Program, whichoffers grants of up to $80,000 for landholders to plant trees on their property. The trees provide long-termfarmproductivity solutions, including boosting shade and shelter for livestock, improving stock and crop production, offsetting carbon emissions or generating income through carboncredits
Landholderswill also be able to generate additional income thr oughtimber production, including from harvested wood products or use the timber for on-farmuses such as firewood and fence posts.
An additional grants program -the Trees onFarms Incubator Program -isoffering plantingserviceproviders and forestry professionalsupto$50,000 to support landowners who mightbecontemplating planting trees on their property.
This service will help landowners develop tailored, implementation-ready project plans to align with their property and planting goals, while providing education, training and upskilling for tree planting and management activities.
The Labor Member for EasternVictoria, TomMcIntosh, said growing trees on farms makes sense in so many ways.
"I encourage people toapplyfor these funds to improve farms, increase hardwood timber supply, and provide additional income to farmers," he said.
Federal ly, 15 new pr ojects worth a combined $19 million and spread across NSW,WesternAustralia, Tasmania,Victoria and the Norther nT erritoryhavebeen announced in Round 3ofthe Support Plantation Establishment Program. It's part of the Albanese government's $300 million investment intothe long-ter mfuture of Australia’s forestry sector
The Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Julie Collins, said the investment boosted future wood supply andhelped grow askilled and sustainable workforce. The funding will bring the total number of new hectaresplanted under the program to around 25,000 hectares. Total funding under the $73 million SPEP is morethan $46 million to date.
From Page 1
THE rules on compensation, community benefits and fair consultation werestill missing.
“Right now, developers aregetting the green light, while far mers aretold to sit tight and that’s completely unacceptable. If you want afast and fair transition, you’ve got to bring communities with you and not just bulldoze past with aplan to have aplan,” he said.
“Th eg ov er nme nt i sf or ge tt in gt hat in the path of these mega-projects are generational far mingfamilies, utilising some of the most productive far mland in the country. They matter and we won’t let the gover nment forget that.”
Mr Hosking said the VFF’s message was simple: the government needs to stop leaving far mers guessing and be transparent.
“Far mers can work with change But we won’t copbeingtreated as second-class citizensonour own land. If thegover nment wants to get this transition done, it needs to put communities at the centre, not at the end of the queue,” Mr Hosking said.
Vi cGrid's Chief Executive, Alastair Pa rke r, sai dd eve lop ers m ust talk to landholders to getper mission to build renewable generationprojects (such as wind turbines, large scale solar far ms or batteries) on their land.
"Landholders can choose whether or not to host aproject. Landholders who do host renewable generation projects will receive financialpayments and benefits that they negotiatewith the developer.Dedicated community benefits will also apply to
projects developed in renewable energy zones. Thisensures the whole community benefits from development," he said.
Acommunity group, Better Transmission Gippsland, said the plan's outdated transmission thinking threatened Victoria’s renewable future. Aspokesperson, Kirra Bott, said the final Transmission Plan was meant to be the roadmap to aclean energy future.
"Instead, it locks us into fragile overhead transmission lines that collapse under theverystormsthat climate change is makingworse.Thismeans afuture of endless outages and bloated maintenance bills, that arepaid for not by gover nment or corporations,but byus-Victorian households and businesses. We all pay," she said.
"All the while, our most reliable renewable resource -offshorewind -isstranded without the moderninfrastructureneeded to carry it securely. You’ve got to wonder just who really benefits from keeping us tied tooutdated technology -with its endless failures and costly maintenance -when underground transmission could secureVictoria’s wind-powered future?"
The pr oposed Gippsland REZ and Gippsland Shoreline REZwillbeplaced onpublicnotice for six weeks to provide the opportunity for comments and submissions. The Minister for Energy and Resources must consider anysubmissions when determining whether the renewable energy zone should be of ficially declared, VicGrid said.
THE boardand senior executives of Bendigo Bank have been challengedtowork with the Yarram and district community to provide a face-to-face banking solution for the town.
In the wake of Bendigo Bank’s decision to close the Yarram branch without any consultation with account holders, Federal Memberfor GippslandDarren Chester raised the issue in Canberra last month.
Speaking in Parliament, Mr Chester said the Bendigo Bank liked to promote itself as the better big bank, “but when it comes to shutting country branches, the Bendigo Bank is proving to be just as badasthe rest of them”.
“This is adisgracefuldecision from a
THE Sheep Sustainability Framework (SSF) has unveiled its 2025-2030 Strategic Plan, outlining aroadmap to strengthen the Australiansheepindustry'sleadershipin sustainability, transparency, and industry accountability.
Since its launch in 2021, the SSF has become acritical tool formeasuring and reporting the sustainability performance of Australia's world-classsheepmeat and wool sectors. Designed by industry for industry, the SSF provides anationally coordinated, evidence-based frameworkthat monitors, measures and reports industry performance against sustainability priorities.
The new five-year plan focuses on three key strategic priorities:stakeholderengagement, robust data collectionand reporting, and responsiveness to industry needs.
According to Independent Chair of the SSF,
bank which pretends to carefor regional customers and then does exactly the same thingasthe ‘big four’ banks,” Mr Chester told Parliament
“In the case of Yarram, the bank is saying it will transfer customer accounts to the Bendigo Bank branch in Traralgon, which is 64 kilometresaway, and takes 50 minutes to drive in good conditions.
“What about older residents, people with disabilities, community groups, or small business people who need access to a branch, cash, and face-to-face service?
“The bank executives who made this decision aredemonstrating their contempt for regional people and their obsession with the
bank’s bottom line. They shouldhang their heads in shame.
“Why should loyal customers have to pay for petrol to access their money in the middle of acost-of-living crisis?”
Mr Chester said the lack of consultation and for mal review process by the bank’s executives had demonstrated alack of respect for local customers.
“Now, the community is calling on the bank’s executives to help them formacommunity bank to ensureaphysical branch remains in Yarram,” Mr Chester said.
“It’s areasonablerequest, and any decent corporation with an ounceofintegrity would work with the community to provide
Angus Gidley-Baird, the new strategy will take the industry from awareness to action.
“The next strategic plan period has agoal of increasing awareness of the framework among producers and stakeholders to accelerate profitable and productive changes in sustainability," he said.
“The plan over the next five years to 2030 is abouttur ning sustainabilityinsight into impact across the entiresheep value chain. Together,these efforts will ensure the SSF continues to be ago-to source for trustworthy information about how the Australian sheep industry is improving its environmental and socialimpact.”
Key features of the new SSF Strategic
Plan include the continued development of the SSF’s digital data dashboardthat makes industry data moreaccessible and understandable
The plan also includes annual check-ins withproducers, processors, industry and customers to ensure the framework stays up to date withthe latest sustainability issuesand expectations
Sheep Producers Australia (SPA) and WoolProducers Australia (WPA), as peak industry bodies for the sheepmeat and wool industries,formthe SSF Boardand have the mandate to take the SSF outputs and use them as supporting evidence to setrelevant industry policy.
aseamless transition to anew model of banking in Yarram.
“If the Bendigo Bank wants to salvage any of its reputation over its appallinghandling of this issue, it will support the community in its efforts to establish acommunity bank to replace the retail outlet which is closing at the end of September,despite the Yarram community’s best efforts.”
Bendigo has also announced it will close its Korumburra branch.
Apush to salvage the presence of aBendigo Bank in town by becomingaBendigo Bank community branch has been unsuccessful
Meat &Livestock Australia (MLA) and Australian Wool Innovation(AWI) fund the SSF and provide strategicand secretariat support.These researchand development corporations use the SFF’s outputs to inform planning and research investments
The Sustainability Steering Group (SSG) is responsible for leading the SSF by setting the strategy and implementation plans and representing and promotingthe SSF in relevant settings.
The SSGfeaturesstrong representation across sheep-producing regions and the wool andsheep meatvaluechain.
View the 2025-2030 Sheep Sustainability FrameworkS trategic Plan on:S heep Sustainability Framework Strategic Plan 2025 -2030
• Buying ALL types of cattle for
and
• Payment on the day
trade
• Animal husbandry and all-round advice
• Extra money for empty cows
• Over 50 years experience
Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday
9am to 3pm
THEVictorianFarmers Federation (VFF) claims Victoria’s record-breakingdrought is far from over,and is warningfarmers arefacing mounting pressures including soaring costs, depleted pastur es and plummeting far mfinancesthatcould spell increased prices at the supermarket checkout.
VFF President Brett Hosking said farmers in every region of the state areunder pressureasthey approach the critical spring growing season.
“Pasturelevels remain critically low, fodder pricesare high, and the cost of getting feed onto farms has never been greater," he said.
"Some areas havebeenexperiencing record-low rainfall since 2023 and even the best-prepared farmers arefeeling the pinch."
The VFF is calling for expanded and longter mfundingfromboth the federal and state government to help ensureincreased support for primary producers, including:
Zeroper cent interest loans with no repayments for two years to give far mers breathing room;
Extending drought support beyond the South West region to the entire state;
Expanded Local Gover nment rate relief for primary producers, and;
Assistance to help bring in fodder
from greater distances and cover associated costs.
Mr Hosking said the impacts of the drought arebeginning to be felt beyond the farmgate.
“If farmers can’t feed livestock or keep herds productive, redmeat prices will rise, milk volumes will fall, and ultimately consumers will feel the price-pinch at the checkout,” he said.
“Even if significant rain arrives soon, the recoverywill last years. This isn’t a quick fix, we need long-termand sustained droughtrecoveryfunding thatsupports farmers and our regional communities.
“This droughthas placed an economic handbrakeonregionalVictoria. Every dollar that is invested into our regional communities returns at least four dollars and that goes an incrediblylong way to keeping us on our feet."
The Victorian agricultureindustry is an economicpowerhouse and indirectly employs mor et han 150,000 people, contributes more than $20 billion to the Australian economy and is responsible for 64 per cent of all milk production in Australia, 46 per cent of national sheep meat production, 19 per centofAustralia’s 1.9 milliontonnes and beef and veal,13per cent of total Australian grain production and 25 per cent of Australia’shorticulture production.
Katrina BRANDON
ANEW network has been launched for farmers in the Latrobe Valley called Valley Farmers.
Valley Farmers is an idea to get far merstogether, from new, old and multigenerational, dairy, beef, pigs, poultry and sheep farmers.
Valley Farmers held their third of ficia ln etw orki ng eve nt las t month with about 40 people in attendance. The event was hosted at the Budgeree Hall, with awarm
firepit lit for far mers to gather around and have achat.
“(It startedasa)phone call a few months ago,” Valley Farmers organi ser,M att Loy d, tol d Gippsland Far mer
“A couple of far merscan get together and make farming better for themselvesand their families, andhave amoreproductive lifestyle.Wehad 12 people turnup, andthenthe nextmeeting was a trivia wherewehad 27turnup.”
Dur ing the even t, far mers
shared awar mmealand ideas about dif ferent far mstrategies and improvements,listened to atalkbyLandcare Yinnar and Yinnar South and held araffle.
Mr Lloyd emphasised that he wa nted to ens ur et hat Va lley Far mers stays with f ar min g families, rather than larger corporations.
“With Valley Farmers, the main pillar that we'retrying to go for is we want productive family farms, and recognising that if you have
FEDE RAL Membe rf or Gippsland, Darren Chester is urging EastGippslandShire Council to ‘get on with the job’ of building the missing links in along-awaitedforeshore walk alongCunninghameArm in Lakes Entrance.
Mr Chestersaid therewas growing frustration in the community that the Krauatungalung Walk project appeared to have stalled, despite the availability of federal government funding.
“I havebeen working on the Krauatungalung Walk project for about six years in partnership with the community, and we have secured enough funding from the previous federal gove rn ment to con cr ete th e path behind the EasternBeach Caravan Park, and also build aboardwalk along the section
near the houses, which is currently impassable at high tide,”
Mr Chester said.
“It’s intended to be an all-abilities accessible circuit on the shores of CunninghameArm,which links existing pathwaysand infrastructurewith new sealed paths and boardwalk sections.
“Pr oviding families pushing prams, people on mobility scooters, or those with disabilities in wheelchairs with ascenic circuit around asmallsection of the Gip ps la nd La k es ,c om pl et e with significant Indigenous art installations, will benefit locals andthe visitor economy.”
Mr Chester said he had raised his concerns with the long delays in the pr oject on numer ous occasions and wouldcontinue to urge council to show greater urgency andget the next stages
of theproject completed.
“At this point $5.8 million has been sec ur ed fr om the Commonweal th gover nment and somepreliminary stages have been completed with others well advanced in ter ms of the planning, consultation and approvals process,” he said.
“Therehas been extensive community consultation by the shire with overwhelming community support for the project.
“The installation of boardwalks is regarded as best practice in terms of reducinghuman foot traffic on coastal vegetation. Now we need to hurry up and get the nextstagesbuilt so localsand visitors of all abilities can enjoy the experience of feredonthe shores of the Gippsland Lakes.”
afamily farm, you need to have a functioning family,” Mr Lloyd told the group.
“That's why we wanted to make tonightopen to partnersand kids, and just really showthatyou really need all that part of your family to run areally tight-knit farm, Isuppose, and aproductive farm.
“Wewant to build our knowledge and capability so we can get moreout of our land. We wantto promote agriculturalcareers to people who arethinking of getting into it, whetherthey're students or they'remiddle-aged or what have you, any time of your life, if you want to get into farming,wewant to make surethat's easy for you, and also focus on the community.”
Bringing the eventto life, the National Centrefor Farmer Health helped cover the eventthrough the F ar mG at eP ro gr am .M r Lloyd thanked the gr oupand highlighted the importanceof the program.Hesaidthatwhile local paddocks may seem green, this is one of the worst years on local records for rainfall, forming a“green drought”.
Mr Lloyd also highlighted that alocal far m, which has rainfall recor ds dating back to 1903, recorded just 224mm between January and June, 2025 -making it the second driest year on record. The driest was 2007, with only 191mm, whichisdevastating when the average annual rainfall should be close to 950mm.
BEEF producers areshowing resilience and strategic patience in the face of market and seasonal challenges, according to the latest Beef Producer Intentions SurveyfromMeat &Livestock Australia (MLA).
Key points are:
The majority of producers have maintained herdsize intentions from the previous survey in April 2025;
Autumn calving slightly exceeded expectations, with 2.43 million calves delivered;
Cattle sales fell short of forecasts, with producers citing weight and price factors, and;
The survey suggests producers areholding cattle in anticipation of stronger prices.
The Pulse survey, conducted between July 1and 17, 2025,providesamid-year update to the full survey conducted in April and capturesproducer sentiment and actual outcomes across herdmanagement, calving, and cattle sales.
The survey received responses from 1295 grass-fed beef producers nationwideand found that 84 per cent of producers indicated their intentions have remained the same since April 2025. Only 16 per cent reported achange from the last survey, with six per cent now planning to reduce their herd, sevenper cent opting to maintain herdsize, and three per cent intending to increase.
MLA’s Market Information Analyst, Emily Tan, said the level of consistency in herd planning reflected acautiousbut deliberate approach from producers.
“Pr oducers ar ewatching the market closelyand making decisions that position them wellgiven the market conditions,” Ms Tansaid.
Autumn calving outcomes slightly exceeded expectations, with producers
reporting2.43million calves delivered. This was up from the April forecast of 2.39 million calves.
While 38 per cent of producers delivered fewer calves than expected,32per cent delivered more, and 29 per cent met their forecast.
However,cattle sales in the first half of 2025 fell short of expectations.Actualsales totalled 4.03 million head, down from the April forecast of 4.82 million. Nearly half of producers (46 per cent) sold fewercattle than planned.
“Many producers areholdingcattleback, either because they didn’t meet weight targets or because they’reanticipating stronger prices later in the year,” Ms Tan said.
“Th is ali gn sw it hb ro ader ind us tr y sentimentthat suggests producersare waiting for theright moment to re-enter the market.”
Among those who sold fewer cattle than expected, 42 per cent cited weight issues and 21 per cent pointed to price forecasts as key reasons.
Conversely,producers who soldmore than expected were driven by strongerthan-anticipated prices (33 per cent), the need for cash flow (29 per cent), andefforts to reduce feeding costs (25 per cent).
“These results show producers arebeing tactical,” Ms Tansaid.
“They’rebalancing short-termpressures with long-termopportunities, and that’s a sign of confidence in the future.”
The Beef ProducerIntentions Surveywas designed by MLA to support the industry with reliabledata,and is used by MLA and the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). It is one of the inputs into the MLAbeef industry forecasting models.
Stefan BRADLEY
BOISDALE stock agent Carley Einsiedel will compete as afinalist in the Australian Livestock and PropertyAgents Association's (ALP A) Vi ctorian Yo ung Auctioneers Competition this month.
Thirty agents from across the state were put through their paces over two days at the WesternVictorian Livestock Exchange (WVLX), being testedontheir auctioneering skills, with their speech, voice, value knowledge, body language and control of the sale all examined.
Ms Einsiedel, who works for stockand real estateagencyAlex Scott &Staff in Sale,was thesole femalecompeting against 29 menatthe auctioneers school at Mortlake and was selected by ALPAas one of Victoria's10bestyoung agents. She is the fir st woman to make the final of the Victorian Young Auctioneers Competition.
The finalists will retur ntoWVLXon Monday,September 15,tocompetefor the top honour.They will sell three lots of cattleand be judged on their auctioneering skills.
Ms Einsiedel joined the Alex Scott &Staff team in Sale two years ago and began selling her first stock 12 months ago.
“I love being astock agent because it’s a really rewarding job. Youwork closelywith clients, help them get the best results for their cattle and build personal connections with them,” she told Gippsland Far mer
“I feel privilegedtobeafinalist. Thereare alot of talented young auctioneers in the competition so it’s an honour to compete against them. As for being the first woman, it doesn’tfeel toodifferent to me. I’ve found the industry is very supportive, regardless of gender."
Her competitorswillbe from Ballarat, Bendigo, Leongatha, Hamilton, Yea, and Kyneton.
Philip HOPKINS
BILL Cleeland, afourthgeneration farmeronPhillip Island, knows that far ming on the island has its own unique challenges-the impact of tourism, urbanisation and the island's unique wildlife.
The drought-hit beef far mer, who runs the farmwith his wife Amanda, has beenactive politically since arates fight with Bass Coast Council 15 years ago. He is now urging another policy innovation -the need for aspecial hay storage reserve to cater for times, like now, when hay is expensive and hardtoobtain.
The current dryperiod is the worst that the 63-year -old has been through. The paddocks look green,but thegrass is not long and the subsoil moistureissolow, it dries within a day or so. Dig a hole for afence post, it’s afoot deep, as dry as in summer
"I vaguelyremember the 1967 drought –myfather put in alot of water infrastructurethen. Mains was new to Phillip Island, but he did the whole farminmains water then. My father got alot of hay from the Goulbur nValley. Hay then was relatively easy to get in Victoria, but it's now hardtoget even in NSW," he told Gippsland Farmer
Why is hay so hardto obtain now?Billcitesthe floods and droughtinNew South Wales,and floods in Queensland.
"The hay supply across eastern Australia is at all-time low as far as storage goes. It’s getting harder and harder,and moreexpensiveto get. The last lot we got, the rounds bales cost about $200 aroll; in an average year,they'reusually worth $40," he said.
"But the quality is becoming an issue.It's poor qualityand low in nutrients. All the good stuffis gone. Youhave to go along way to get decent hay. We arerapidly runningout of time to get paddock run-offtofill dams. We generally fill up in June, July, August, when it’swet,thathas nothappened this year –it’s been soaked up in the ground; that’sgoingtobe a real problem."
Bill says he has mains as abackup, but the first water bill of one farmer last year was $4500.
"So we have mains as back-up but it's expensivewhen cattle start drinking. Thereare farms in Bass Coast that don’t have that luxury. This iswherewewillrun into troublethis year unlessitrains exceptionally from here, "hesaid. The help and co-operation from
fellow farmers, however,remains a powerful force. Bill and his neighbour,Rich Davie, just received a welcome gift -rolls of hay from a Gif fardfar mer,Steve Harrison, who was reciprocating the help they gave him when South Gippsland was doing it tough
Another person, Sean Balchin and his group 'Wecareabout farmers', also generously donated hay and food hampers, which was received with much thanks.
The hay situation has prompted Bill to push the idea of ahay reserve to deal with similar situations in the future. It could be at a state level or at least in Gippsland -a couple of thousand bales in a shed, with grain storage as well, mindful,however, that hay and grain don't last forever
The impact of urban modernity really hit home in 2008/09 when the 'home' 450-acresheep and cattle far m, expandedvia five leased propertiesto about1000 acres, received arate bill of almost $11,000 -analmost 50 per cent increase on the previous $6500.
"Wewerecompletely blown away," he said. His outrage prompted Bill to become active in the Victorian Farmers Federation.
The amount wasbased on the capital improved values that had been severely affected by asale of a property in Sam Remo for a proposed golf course. Theproperty sold for amassively overinflated amount, which translated to the value of farmland on Phillip Island.
"Ours was bad, but some were $15-18,000;one at Inverloch was morethan $20,000,purely based on CIV (Capital Improved Value)," Bill said. "Westarted acampaign to get adif ferential rate put in place. We pushed and pushed."
The bitter fight with Bass Coast Council lasted three-to-four years until aformer dairy farmer,Claire Leserve, became mayor and adifferential land rate was introduced.
"Th at hel pe da ne no rm ous amount. Rate values since then seem to have declined slightly.
The last couple of years have not been too bad. Now, however,we arefaced with the fireservice levy," said Bill.
"The rating system is completely broken. To rate a property on its capital improved value is unfair; it does not reflect yourcapacity to pay – one year could be good, the next, like this, in drought, or with terrible prices. Your land value might increase, but you’re faced withamassive rate bill. The
emergency services levy is based on the same principle, value, which does not reflect capacity to pay."
Bil l' sh as ap ro pe rt yw it ha beautiful view over Swan Bay, so will be valued high.
"Weare going to be slugged with massivelevyontop of ratesas well. The whole rating system needs to becompletely redone," he said.
The danger of the encroachment on farmland was stymied by the state government recently approvingadistinctive arealandscape overlay,after three years of VFF efforts.
"The boundaries arepretty much locked in," said Bill.
"Weneeded to have certainty in the planning scheme."
Anomalies still arise. Recently, a farmwanted to change the zoning to 'commercial' from 'farm' to cater for abig tourism development. The council approved it, some neighbours then successfullyappealed at VCAT,but the Planning Minister overturned that decision. " VCAT should be the final democrat decision maker.Ifaminister can override it, you never have confidence, it's no longer ademocracy," he said.
Bill does not feel threatened by so-called 'hobby farms'.
"Wemanage 100 acres next door for aMelbourne owner.Ithink it’s areally good thing because it’s a natural progression. Traditionally, multi-generation family far ms own ed the is lan d; now quit e abit is owned by peoplefrom Melbour ne and in BassCoast, som ea re owne db yo ver se as companies," he said.
"It does provideemployment opportunities for contractors
These Melbournefarmerstraditionally will not build hayshed or fencing.Itdoes provide employment for contra ctors and management jobs for people like myself to take. As land value
increases,it’s virtually impossible for me to buy out my neighbour; you’reforced to manage or lease it," said Bill,whose family was the second farming family on Phillip Island in the 1870s.
Phillip Island in the 1970s was relatively quiet when you did not have to deal with people and traffic -unlike problems for farmers "that we didnot have earlier". For example, power lines through the farm.
"They've set firetothe farmthree times now, bad fires," he said.
Recently, power line inspections thatwerepreviously done with afour -wheel drive weredone by helicopterflyingata low 20-30 metres-levelabovethe powerline This frightened the cattle,"who went througha fence"."To deal with that is anightmare," he said.
In another incident, cars had accidents on the main Phillip Island road andwent through hisfence.
"Thereis so much traf fic on island,the difference is incredible That then creates problems; our driveway(is)well set up to get trucksinside, but my 'trucky' told me he doesn’t want to come here in Grand Prix time or aSunday. He does not want to be stuck on the road for three or fourhours with atruck full of cattle. We have to plan ahead so we don’t bring in abig BDouble at the wrong time and have dif ficulty getting him into the property," he said.
The human problem gives way to the animal problem.
"Phillip Island NaturePark did afan tasti cjob in eradicating foxes fromthe island,"saidBill, which benefited both wildlife and farmers.
"Wefound 28 dead lambs one morning on one farm. A fox kill is distinct; they eat the tongue and the tail and nothing else. The lamb will have a tongue missing, a tail gone and marks around the neck, but adog or acat will just tear the sheep apart," he said.
"Nature Park also had massive loss of penguins, losing 40 or 50 anight, making abig dent in the numbers. They may have become extinct."
The eradication of foxes -there wer em or et han 35 0o n th e island -has in turnbrought other consequences. Cape Barron geese numbers have exploded and "we now have ahuge feral cat problem and wallabies".
"Butthere ar emor eswamp hens and moreechidnas than thereused to be -a good thing -and they have reintroduced the easternbandicoot," he said.
"For sheep farmers, getting rid of the foxes was ahuge benefit. Foxesmusthavebeenapredator for feral cats and echidnas; we now see them nearly every day."
Bill at one stage had had mobs of up to 400 geese in apaddock.
"Th ey were doi ng e nor mo us damage, the same with the wallabies," he said. Over five or six years, Billhas beenona working group with DEECA (the Department of Environment) and PI NatureParks that has done "a massive amount of work".
"The ya re tryi ng to get the WildlifePlanrecognised by the state government. We arenow getting permits to shoot for biggernumbers -lethal control for geese and wallabies. We aretrying to getper mitsfor egg collection for the geese," Bill said, but the Con se rva ti on Reg ul at or say s under the state Wildlife Act, "the eggs arenot doing the damage to the crop".
"You actuallyhavetodestroy what is doing the damage. You almost need to changethe Wildlife Act to get apermit."
Rab bit sa re ap ro blem t hat comesand goes, It's afar cry from the time 150 years ago when his forebear chose Phillip Island on which to farm, apparently due to its similarity to the Irish coastline.
"If you look at Phillip Island and Bass Coast, it’s safe. We do not getmajor fires,apartfrom the occasional one, and there is no catastrophicflooding,few plagues of mice and locusts, and arelatively temperate climate. It's apretty safe area to farmin," said Bill.
However,nothing is taken for granted.
"TheVFF playsa pivotalrole in all the issues farming families face right across the state and it's absolutely criticalthat it remains strong and united to represent us at state level."
Katrina BRANDON
ASUNNY day arrived just in time for a special celebration for Latrobe Valley local, Maria Dortmans, who celebrated her 100th birthday last month.
While her birthday fell on Tuesday, August 12, family gathered to celebrate the centenarian on Saturday, August 16.
Maria’s journey didn’t start at Latrobe.
“Mum and dadcame out from Holland in 1953 as migrants with nine children,” Maria’s daughter,Sjany Dow, told Gippsland Far mer
“My father lost his first wife and three of his children in the war,sohecame out with four of his own children beforehemet my mother and got married.”
Once she had settled in Australia, Maria
started her Australian life in NarreWarren, whereshe lived on asharefarm, and later moved to aproperty in Jeeralang North, wheresome of her family still resides.
Maria went on to have 12 childrenthroughout her life, and currently, she has more than 200 relatives, including her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
For many years, Maria and her husband ran dairy cattle on their Jeeralang property, and later transitioned to beef cattlewith their children. As years went on, Maria moved to Traralgonaround 1980, after her husband passedaway.
On the far m, Ms Dow said her family became quite self-sufficient as Maria loved to spend time in the garden and they had their own meat supply.
ABAIRNSDALE man thoughthewas dreaming when he checked his Weekday Windfall ticket last month, only to discover he was wide awake and $1 million richer
The East Gippsland resident held the only Division 1winning entry nationally in Weekday Windfall draw 4584, drawn Monday, August 11, 2025.
His winning 50-game QuickPick entry was purchased via The Lott app.
The victorious Victorian was beaming with excitement when an official from The Lott called to confirm the thrilling news.
“I still can’t believe it!” he laughed.
“Thank you very much. Ididn’t know what to think or do!
“I checkedmyticket at 9.30pmlast night andhonestly, Ithought Iwas
dreaming! I’ve probably played for three years, and never thought I’d win the big one. I’ve also always gone with random numbers.
“I called my sister right away and she was very happy and excited for me.
“It’s safe to say, Ihardly slept last night!
“It’s still sinking in.”
Whenasked what heplanstodo now he is anewly-crowned millionaire, the gleeful man shared he was looking forward to finally taking awell-ear ned break.
“I’ll pay offsome bills too. The boring stuff.”
The winning numbers were: 11, 17, 5, 39, 10 and 13, while the supplementary numbers were35and 45.
“My mum had this vegetable garden and the flower gardens and the fruit garden, and we had our meat (from the farm). Everything was just so totally self-sufficient," she said.
“Mum and dadused to say that if they didn't have the far m, they wouldn't have been able to cope with raising 16 children.
“One of my memories is Sunday night tea out on the farm. Sometimes 20 or more people would sit around the table with children and grandchildren, and mum would just dish up enough food to serve everybody.”
Beyond the farm, according to her daughter -inlaw, Gwenda Dortmans, Maria also liked to spend her time volunteering, such as spending time with the Ryder -Cheshire Victorian Homes Foundation Inc. and St Vincent's.
While Ms Dow said that Maria was strict, she also noted that she was fair and welcoming to all.
Ms Dow said thatgrowing up, Maria
treated her step-children as her own. For many years, Ms Dow and her other siblings weren’t awareofthe situation.
“I didn't even know for many years that my older siblings werepart of aseparate family,” she said.
“We'reall just one, and she (Maria) treated them as one, even though they weren't hers. She was strict, but fair.She carried out the strictness, but we always knew we were loved and cared for
“In the winter mornings (beforeschool), when therewas snow outside, our shoes would be in the combustion oven to warm up so we didn’thave cold feet.And then,you come home and you have ameal cooked. She'dbeen picking beans and digging up potatoes, and then cooking cakes and biscuits.”
During tough times, Maria said that her faith was one of the things that kept her going.
DAIRYShelters Australia is helping the Australiandairyfarming community to protecttheirfarms andtheir cows while boosting productivity
Sincetheirintroduction in Australia in 2015,morethan50clear-roofed, deep littered dairysheltershave been built in Victoria, SouthAustralia, southernNew SouthWales andTasmania, including several new structures in Gippsland.
The shelters arewellsuited to theGippsland region, helping farmerstoprotecttheir pastures and better managewet winters, whilst optional vents and shade systems can be incorporated to provide shadeand air movement in summer
They providenatural light and ventilation whileproviding protection from harsh weather conditions.
Loch dairyfarmerIan Hooker introduced the shelters to make things easier and less messyonhis farm.
“I hate mess and Ihate hay being walked
into theground out in thepaddock,”Ian said.
The shelter was erectedlast yearand Ian says it hasbeen better for cow health and saved on feed duringa tough year
“They’renot consuming as much as they normally would because they’renot cold and not walking as much.”
At Foster, Kevin Jones sayshis five-span, clear-roofed, deep littered shelter from DairyShelters Australia helps reduce mud problems.
“Land is expensive so we wanted to make surewhat we have is more efficientand we wanted to easethe burden of the wet winters,” Kevin said.
By providing acomfortable environment, the shelters help to reduce stress on cattle, leadingtoincreased milk production and improved herdhealth.
Theyalso allow for better management of pasturerotation, reducing pressure on paddocksand leading to higher yields.
In therich redsoils of Thorpdale, Gippsland (Victoria) localgrowerGraeme O’Connell recently trialed NutriCharge withimpressive results –proving thateven asmall investment canyieldsignificant returnsand deliver astandout potato crop.
Working with distributor Warren LawryfromAgWarehouse in Korumburra, Graeme trialedNutriCharge in a fresh market potato paddockthat hadrecently come out of pasture.
The crop, planted on December 11th and12thin2024, and harvested April 29, 2025, was grown undertypical conditions forthe region, with afew keydifferences.
•The fertiliser blend was asolid NPKS7.9 –10.5
–10– 6treated with a1.5L/tonne of NutriCharge andapplied at 1tonne/hafor aNutriCharge cost of approximately $120/ha.
•Notably,the crop wasn’ttop-dressed with Urea –a conscious choice to preserveshelflife and avoid overstimulation withnitrogen.
Despite not top-dressing the results speak volumes:
•Yield increased by 5.68t/ha,equating to arevenue gain of $4546/ha.
•Net returnoninvestment reached$4426/ha
•Nocompromise on tuber sizing –infact, sizing appeared moreeven, and thelarger tuber mayhave been slightlybigger than usual
•Specific gravity remained consistent, indication quality was maintained acrosstreatments
Thepaddockwas managed with three blight sprays seven irrigation (Graeme notesitcould’veusedone more)and no desiccation –the crop wasleftin-ground to naturallyfirmupskins,withtops mechanically removed.
Agrowers prospective
Graeme’sconclusion is simple, “I was amazed how
mucha small amount of NutriCharge at an extremely low cost,could have such asignificant impact.
We grew awhole heap morespudswithout sacrificing anysizing, which is great.”
Withstrong returnsand no trade-offinquality, thistrial underscores the powerofNutriCharge in delivering morewith less.
Adistributors take
Warren Lawryhad seenstrong performance for NutriCharge in pastures and wascurioushow it would performinpotatoes.
The results didn’t disappoint.“I’mamazed at the financial return- $120/ha cost with anet return of $4426/ ha. At these rates every potatogrower in Gippslandshould be using NutriCharge.
Katrina BRANDON HAULING support to farmers in truckloads, many transport companies have been sourcing hay supply for local farmers across the country.
Having recently dropped aload at Newry, Frank Morgan Transport is oneofmany companies giving back to their customers, who, as aresult of recent weather events, areexperiencingfood shortages on their farms.
Frank Morgan, owner of Frank Morgan Transport, told Gippsland Farmer thatthey usually get hay from the same state, but recently have had to ventureoutwards.
“Generally,weget some hay fromthe WesternDistrict, maybe around the Horsham area or Swan Hill,those sort of places, they generally have the type of haywith the best quality that these guys prefer,” he said.
“We've got avery small, small but loyal groupof farmersthat uses our services, and they're very great families and are generational farmers. We'rehappy to supply those sort of people, really genuine farmers through and through, if you know what I mean.
“We've got afew dairy farmers that we supply with hay and grain, and one of them wanted us to sort out some open hay and
couldn't find any in Victoria due to the shortage of hay this year and the drought and the bad seasons. So by chance, one of our trucks did aload to WesternAustralia, and we wereabletogothrough another hay supplier.”
Frank Morgan Transport started in 2000 and was predominantly livestock for four to five years beforemoving onto hay.
Bringing in hay from all corners of Australia, driver Brendan has been making the rounds, with the recentload coming from way out west.
"It wasaneight-day round trip, 7800kms, which included a24-hour rest in Perth to comply with fatigueregulations," Brendan said.
Grateful for the delivery, fourth-generation Newry farmer Nathan Berryman said this seasonhas not onlybeen hardfor himself, but for many farmers across the state. He is glad for thehelp he has received from Mr Morgan.
“Wedon't usually buy stufffromthat far away,” Mr Berryman said.
“I've talked to probably four different trucking companies trying to find anything.
My main one's Frank Morgan, and he kept tryingfor me, and we actuallyended up getting some straw from Queensland, probably acouple of weeks beforeFrank
found this one.
“We'redefinitely relieved …definitely relieved that I've got something in the shed Iwas, for awhile there, getting abit nancy, thinking, ‘God, what arewegoing to feed?’
And so we bought the straw originally, so it's got basically no end.”
The delivery of the hay has now relieved some of the stress from the calving season, allowingMr Berryman to keep his cows and calves in the best health, while also staying warmand full.
Alongside the feed search, Mr Berryman
said that even when they have found stock, thereisstill the issue of buying it beforeit gets sold out underthem. He also said that despite the dry season, he was generally lucky with the soil on his farm.
“We'revery lucky whereweare,” he told Gippsland Farmer
“I talked toalot of other farmers, and they're in theexact sameboat, but alot of other farmers can't affordtoget it from WA.They couldn't affordto pay that extra bit to get it.”
Katrina BRANDON
RAISING aglass or two for farmers, the Glengarry Pubparticipated in the national charity, Flannel For A Farmer Day, with the FarmAngels and Travla.
Flannel for AFarmer or Wear a Flanno raises money and awareness for Australian farmers doing it tough, by getting as many people as they can around the countryto chuck on their ‘flannos’.
According to the Travla website, most farmers would give the shirts offtheir backs if it meanthelping someone in need,and they considered it a“small gesture” to do the same for them.
Finding this inspiring,the Glengarry Pub jumped on board.
“My husband and Itry as much as we can to support local businesses or Australianbusinesses,” Glengarry Pub owner,Kathy Voyer said.
“I'd been watching the Travla beerfor awhile,and itpopped up on their pageaboutdoing this -Flannofor aFarmer.All the moneygoestowards Farm Angels,who help farmerswho areinneed, whether it be from
droughts, floods or anything that they need.
“The money raisedgoes towards helping farmers in our area, and most of our locals arefarmers, whether it's dairy farmers, cattle farmers …most of our customers, our locals arefarmers.”
The fundraising night was held on August15, which is Flannel
For AFarmer Day, wherecustomers boughtbeersand parmas throughoutthe nightwith$1 per Travla beer and $5 per parma going to the fundraiser.Donation buckets werealso available at the event.
On the night, MsVoyersaid that they ended up selling 52 classic parma and 126 Travla beers, with
extra donations rolling in on the side, which came to afundraising total of $2218.
“Without farmers, we don't have anything,” Ms Voyer expressed.
“I am originally from Melbourne, but moved up six years ago, preCOVID,but Iwas very awareof that (the importance of farmers).
People from Melbourne don’t realise that.”
Bringing produce to the plate, FarmAngels, the charity running the movement, was established as DroughtAngels in 2014 to respond to the needs of primary producers impacted by prolonged drought, initially in Queensland.
Sincethen,the organisation has expanded to provide financial assistance, food hampers, care packs, and mental wellbeing support to morethan 4700 primary producers affected by all natural disasters (drought, flood, fire, and plagues) in over 1300 communities across Australia.
The frequency and severityof natural disastersmeansmany areatrisk of losing their farmor losing their livelihood.
According to a2021 study, one
farmer commits suicide every 10 days (59 per cent higher than the rate among non-farmers), according to the FarmAngels website.
Wear aFlanno is one of many fundraisers thatMs Voyerhas participated in over the two years her business has been going.
Ms Voyer told Gippsland Farmer that, as alocal company,she likes to help fundraise for many differentcausesthroughout the years, such as Fight MND.
She also said she is grateful for the support from the community, and wants to ensure that she gives thesamesupport back in response.
Whilethe event is “over”, Ms Voyer said that people arestill able to donate to the cause throughout the year,keeping support for farmers rolling in.
For moreinformation, go to: https://travla.com.au/ pages/flanno-for-afar mer -travla-2025? or: https://farmangels.org.au/
Katrina BRANDON
SOLD out and boots kicking, the Australian Rodeo Queen Quest 2025 event at Maffra last month was ahit.
Traralgon local Grace (Gigi) Griffith is in the running to be named Australia'sRodeo Queen.
Morethan 250 people enjoyed agood ole country night at Maffra’s Maffco Brewery and Distillery.
Activities suchasline dancing, barrel racing and ring toss wereplayed.
The event was sparked by Ms Griffith’s selection to represent Traralgon and the wider Gippsland areainthe Australian Rodeo Queen Quest (ARQQ) 2025 -a nationalcompetition celebrating horsemanship, leadership, and the heartofrural Australia.
Within the Quest,MsGriffith chose to fundraise for Rural Aid.
Ms Grif fith, 29, is one of nine young women selected nationally to compete in theRodeo Queen Quest,and one of just two entrants from Victoria.
While Ms Griffith was bornand raised in the High Country, she has apassionfor the local area.
“Saturday night was simply incredible,” Ms Griffith told her Facebook followers after the event.
“When Iset out to do this, Inever dreamed of asell-outevent with 250people.You were all amazing, from our vendors to the venue staff, to our incredible volunteers and our wonderful mix of attendees. This event is exactly what it’s all about -celebrating and supporting our rural communities.”
Beforethe event even started, along list of people began lining up.
Excitement roared as the gates opened, people grabbed their activity passes and werewelcomed by DJ Yeehaw.
Walking into thewar mestablishment, activities jumped up and out at the audience and werehardtomiss.
Officially starting at 6pm, the barrel racing competition sparked the evening, with blow-up horse costumes for participants to wear as they ran the barrel racing course. Up and around, the barrel racing section of the night drew excitement from young children and older adults alike.
As well as it being hardtomiss, it was hardtoavoid beinginthe middleof the excitement of the course,with theroom getting rowdy and tight as morepeople arrived.
Jumping outatpeople next,itwas either the bar or the chance to rope in a“bull”. Those who dared to rope abeast (barrel) gotthe opportunity to learnhow to rope.
Spilling over to 7.30pm, Queens Country &Line DanceEventsteacher Christine Saviane took the stage. Putting allother activities to rest, Ms Saviane sparked excitement with learning how to line dance. A large majority of the crowd joined in with
the boot-scooting and heel-clicking section of the night.
Morecompetitions and activities continued late into the night.
Established in 1992, the ARQQ is the longest running national Rodeo Queen competition in Australia.
It exists to honour the sport of rodeo and elevateambassadorswho can represent rural values and Australian rodeo culture both nationally and internationally.
The wi nn e ri sc ro wn ed M is sR od eo Aust ra lia ,g ain in gt he opp ort un ity to represent the country at events across Australia and inter nationally,including in the United States.
Entrants arejudged across several areas, including horsemanship and riding ability, public speaking and media presentation, community engagementand charity work, rodeo knowledge and rural awareness, as well as personal presentation and leadership skills.
The Quest spans several months of preparation, fundraising, event attendance and public appearances.
For mor einf or mat ion or to sup port Grac e’s camp aig n, visi tG ra ce “Gigi ” Griffith -Australian Rodeo Queen Quest 2025 Entrant on Facebook.
James NASON
ACLIMATE metric developed by Oxford University tocorrect substantial flawsin how the war ming ef fect of emissions is widely calculated has been dismissed as “not credible” science by the Farmers for Climate Action lobby group.
FCA's chief executive,NatalieCollard, made the comment to the ABC in response to news the Australian redmeat industry had dropped its Carbon Neutral 2030 target.
“Weunderstand RMAC dropping the carbon-neutral by 2030 target because most farmers won’t achieve net-zeroemissions by then,” she told the ABC.
“However,we’reascience-based organisation, so we can’t pretend ‘climate neutral’ and ‘GWP*’ [global warming potential] is a credible science.”
The FCA’s view reflects that of scientists Mark Howden and RichardEckard, who told anFCA webinar in November 2023 that the debate over methane emissions metricswas a“distraction” and that the industry needed to reduce methane emissions if Australia is to achieve the Paris agreement goals.
However, in contrast to their position encouraging producers not to challenge existing methane accounting metrics, other scientistshaverevealed whattheyallege areglaring inaccuracies in the existing approach, in ways that can severely and unfairly penalise livestock pr oducers, particularly those with herds that remain relatively stable in size.
Research by Professor Myles Allen from Oxfor dU niversity ,w ho led the team which developed GWP*,has demonstrated that the existingmethod of treatingall greenhouse gases, including methane, as “CO2-equivalent”,leadstoerrors that overstate the warming effect of emissions from stable herds of cattle by 300 to 400 per cent,and understates the emissions from growing herds by asimilar amount. Professor Allen advocates for industries to separate methane and carbon dioxide in emission targets.
On Climate Neutral targets, the United Nations launched the Climate Neutral Now initiative in 2015, which “encourages and supports organisations to act now in order to achieve aclimate neutral world by 2050, as enshrined in the Paris Agreement”. In response to Beef Central’s request for FCA to expand on whyitdoesn’tbelieve Climate Neutral or GWP*isa credible science,MsCollardprovided the following response: “FCA understands RMAC dropping the carbon neutral by 2030 target because most redmeat far merswon’t achieve net zeroby2030.
“As Beef Centralhas previously reported, GWP* is not recognised under international reporting rulesorthe Paris Agreement, which uses GWP 100. Experts say GWP* fails to account for the cumulative warmingimpactofpast methane emissions and
also that one of Australia’s most respected scientists has said: 'The idea that you are cooling theearth if youreduce methane emissions is fundamentally not true'.
“Weunderstand RMACwantstomove to aratio of the weight of the livestock to emissions intensity, but this has never been modelled. Will our tradingpartnerstake us seriously if we argue akilogram of methane from sheepcounts differentlytoakilogram of methane from cattle?
“GWP 100 is the credible measureused by the world, because GWP* only reflects changesin emission rates, not the sustained warming from existing methane. So GWP* is not credible to use as aclimate change impact measurement becauseit does not properly account for the impact of historical emissions, although it does provide insights into methane dynamics.
“Stuffing around withmeasureswhich arenot recognised by the rest of the world hurts far mers. If we move to GWP* red meatfar mers may loseimportant trade markets such as the EU, or be slapped with big tariffs to sell into those markets."
Australian redmeat industry leaders say they believe the FCA is misinterpreting their position. While they believe GWP* is credible science and provides amore accurate accounting of the warming effect of livestock emissions than the existing approach, they point out that no fir m decision hasbeenmade bythe industry to “move to GWP*”.
In recent years critics of livestockproductionhavedepictedclimateneutralityor GWP* as the redmeat industry attempting to develop its own “creative accounting” to let itself offthe climate accounting hook.
Earlier thismonthinanonlinearticle headlined “GWP*:How the livestock lobby’s creative accounting threatens to derail climate action”, Greenpeace contended that “agribusinesslobby groupsare running
“What the science does not tell us, and the IPCC is crystal clear on this, is how to translate this infor mation into national and sector -level targets. These necessarilydepend on many otherfactors as well, including the costs and feasibility of action, historical responsibilities and so on.
"What everyone does agree on is that, in pursuit of aglobal temperaturegoal, we need to indicate separate contributions of methane and carbon dioxide in emission targets,rather than relying on CO2 equivalent emissions whose warming impact are ambiguous.”
Dr Michelle Cain, ascience and policy research associate on the OxfordMartin School’s programme on climatepollutants at the University of Oxford, has also previously has explained in detail why treating allgreenhouse gases as “CO2-equivalent”, which is what happens under the GWP100 metricwidely-adopted decades ago, misrepresents the impact of short-lived climate pollutants, suchasmethane, on futurewarming.
acoordinated global campaign to cripple efforts to reduce agriculturalemissions and allow them to continue polluting”.
Another prominent example occurred in 2021 when aBloomberg journalist wrote that the beef industry was trying to “erase its emissions with fuzzy methane math”.
Termssuch as Climate Neutral and GWP* werecreated not by the livestock industry but ratherbyindependentscientistsin isolation of the industry. Professor Myles Allen from OxfordUniversity was among ateam at University of Oxfor dwhich developed GWP* as asimple way to correct significant errors in the way the widely-used GWP-100 calculates the warming effect of different emissions.
In response to FCA’scomments that GWP* was ‘not acredible science’, Professor Allen from OxfordUniversity provided the following comment to Beef Central: Methane emi ss io ns a re an im po rt an tdrive rof global war ming, and we need to reduce themto meet our climate goals, butas the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) put it in its most recent report, “expressing methane emissions as CO2 equivalent emissions using GWP-100 overstates the effect of constant methane emissions on globalsurface temperature by afactor of 3–4, while understating the effect of anynew methane emission source by afactor of 4–5 over the 20 years following the introduction of the new source.
"All that GWP* does is provide asimple way of correcting for these over -and understatementsbyincluding these factors in the calculationof war ming-equivalent emissions. There are other methods, including using aclimate model to calculate warming impact, that give broadly similar results. So it is simply not true that we don’t understand how methane emissions affect global temperatures: thereare uncertainties, of course, but the big pictureisclear
Air quality specialist Professor Frank Mitloehner from the University of California, Davis, has also written extensively on the science underpinning GWP*. In the article “Putting GWP* to the test”, he explained: “GWP* of fers insight on howmethane warms our climate that can’t be uncovered with GWP100. The older metric, GWP100, converts each greenhouse gas to acarbon dioxide equivalent, but in so doing, it fails to account for the behavior of the flow gas methaneasits impact on temperature wanes over time.
“Conversely long-lived gas such as carbondioxide will influence temperaturefor centuries but the short lived climate pollutantmethane does not. As aresult, many scientists areofthe mind that GWP100 has given us an inaccurate pictureof the climate impacts caused by methane, in somecases overestimatingthe impact of emissions and underestimating in others.
“Thisisimportant, because measuring greenhouse gases with GWP100 would mean we could not accurately anticipate how reducing emissions of either gas will impact our climate, with methane-induced warming rapidly reversed once emissions start to decline but CO2-induced warming persisting for along time even when emissions have ceased.”
Cattle Australia vice-president Adam Coffey said FCA appeared to be misinterpreting what was in Red Meat 2030 and the MLA Strategic Plan.
“No one is suggesting we ‘move to GWP*,” he said. “It is acredible metric and one that we have and will continue to measure against. Idon’t understand why FCA want to argue againstthe peoplethey supposedly represent. As afarmer member I’d be pretty concerned thatthey refuse to acknowledge ametric that gives amuch moreaccurate reflection of livestock’s climate impact.” Beef Central
AMALLEE farmer,StevenRalston, pleaded guilty to 14 charges under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, which included ninecharges of aggravated crueltycomprising of 128 animals in the Bendigo Magistrates Court.
Mr Ralston was sentencedtoasix-month immediate term of imprisonment forthe cruelty offences and further fined $10,000 for failing to comply withthree notices issued by AgricultureVictoria Officers.
At the time of offending, Steven Ralston was the owner and person in charge of about 2400 sheep, located on properties in theChinkapook region, while living in Corack, about 120kilometresaway. The Chinkapook properties weremade up of seven separate parcels of land, allocated to five paddocks,totalling about 3038 acres.
During the relevant time-period between Novem ber 2022 and January 2023 , AgricultureVictoria authorised of ficers responded to reports of dead and dying sheep at several of the Chinkapook properties. Over that period, sheep on Mr Ralston’s propertiessuffered from emaciation, flystrike, grass seed impaction and internal parasites, requiring Agriculture Victoria officers to euthanise morethan 180 sheep.
In early January, AgricultureVictoria executed aseizureof all the remaining animals,where 1567animals werefurther assessed as unfit to travel and were required to be euthanised on site.
Arepeat offender,MrRalston was also fined for failuretoattend court previously, thereforebreaking bailand receivingafine of $250.
Agriculture Victoria Compliance Manager, Daniel Bode,said the weight of thesentencing was significant and would send avery clear message that those who committhese
serious offences against animals will not have the privilege and opportunity to care for them in the future.
Mr Bode added the dedication and professionalism of the AgricultureVictoria officers, plus the outstanding investigative work undertaken by the officers, wasfundamental in ensuring aconclusive result.
"Apart from the obvious pain and suffering of the animals, animal welfarebreaches can jeopardise Victoria’s reputationasa
humane and responsible producer of food, which can in turn affect all producers," he said.
"This is ar em inder to all livestock producers that animal cruelty will not be tolerated by the Victorian government or our community."
Anyone wishing to make aspecific complaint in regardtolivestock welfarecan contactAgricultureVictoriaon136 186 or aw.complaint@agriculture.vic.gov.au
ENVI RONM ENT Pr otect ion Aut hori ty inspections of 43 dairy farms across three Gippsland municipalities have found just eight of them passed the test for appropriate management of dairy effluent.
EPAauthorised officers inspected dairy facilitiesonfar ms in Wellington,South Gippsland and East Gippsland shires for leaks,poorlymanaged ef fluentponds, faulty pumps and pipes, and contamination of nearby waterways and neighbouring farms.
Some of the farms wheredairy effluent was best managed achieved success with conventional maintenance of ponds and equipment, while two stood out with new approaches, one with afully automated dairy system and the other with concrete padsand aporouswallthat sent liquid to storage tanks and avoided the need for ponds altogether
However EPA regional manager Jessica Bandiera said poor management of dairy effluent was still far too common.
“Dairyeffluentis valuable fertiliserfor your pastureif you manage it well, but it becomes apollutant and asource of disease ifit escapes to awaterwayor neighbouring farm,” she said.
“Wecontinue toidentify non-compliant ef fluent management systems on dairy farms, this round of inspections identified risks to human health and the environment from bacteria, algae bloomsfromthe increase in nutrient loads on waterways, and other hazards to the environment, livestock and people's health."
The inspections through February and March this year comprised the region’s fou rth dai ry oper ati on over the past 18 months, with morethan 100 far ms inspected so far
EPAofficers running the latest operation issued six farms with environmental action notices requiring the landholders to take specific actions by aset deadline, and they gave written compliance advice to the operators of 19 morefarms.
Themainissues they identified included too much vegetation growing in ponds, incorrect storageand bunding of farm chemicals, unregistered stockpiles of waste tyres for silage management, and effluent ponds in need of desludging to restoretheir effectiveness.
“Wedid not issue any fines thistime, but mismanageddairy ef fluent is aregular problem right across the region, we have issued fines in past, and anyone running a dairy farmshould take the issue seriously,” Ms Bandiera said.
AFARMER from Mia Mia in Central Victoria farmer has pleaded guilty to seven animal welfare and traceability offences at Kyneton Magistrates’Court. Michael Pryor,an absentee owner and person in charg eo fas mall herd, pleaded guilty to charges which occurred between January2024 and September 2024. The charges sit under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1986,Livestock Disease Control Act 1994 and Livestock Disease Control Regulations 2017.
AgricultureVictoriaanimal health and welfarecompliance manager,Daniel Bode, saidMrPryorwas sentenced without convictionand fined an aggregate amount in the sum of $7000 with an order to pay $454.74 in costs.
AgricultureVictoria officers responded to acomplaint at aproperty in Mia Mia on which cattle owned by Mr Pryor were being kept. ”Of aherdof 12 cattle, the majorityweresuffering from extremely low body condition,” Mr Bode said.
AgricultureVictoria officers also found acow withher leg caughtinawire fence. It had been recumbent for at least 48 hours and was euthanised to prevent further pain and suffering. Through further investigation, it was found there was NationalLivestock Identification System (NLIS) breaches. These breaches involved afailuretosign or provide national vendor declarations, movinglivestock not appropriately identified by way of an NLIS device, failing to apply for apropertyidentification code and failing to provide information about the movement of livestock.
Mr Bode said the NLIS is Australia’s systemfor identifying and tracking livestock for disease control, food safety and market access purposes.
"An ef fective traceabilitysystem is critical to pr otecting Victoria fr om biosecurity risks and ensuring access to international markets," Mr Bode said. For mor ei nfo rm ation on NLIS , including training on how to use the system, visit theNational Livestock Identification System.
Anyone wishing to make aspecific complaint in regardtolivestockwelfare or traceability breaches cancontact AgricultureVictoriaon 136 186or aw.complaint@agriculture.vic.gov.au
Lyric ANDERSON
THE truth is stark.
For LauraO’Neill, losingher son is a nightmareshe can never wake up from.
In 2019, atragicincident on remote farmland in the Deddick Valley, to the east of McKillops Bridge, took the life of her little blonde-haired, blue-eyed, three-year -old.
Crushed by aside-by-side driven by his father,young Flynn didn’t survive, despite the desperate CPR performed by his parents for two hours beforehelp arrived. His baby sister,Hollie, was just two-yearsold and Laura was seven months pregnant with Penelope.
It’s taken six long years for Laura to
be able to say Flynn’s name out loud, but now,in his honour, she has created Flynn’s Legacy, anot-for -profit foundation to financially helpfar ming families who unexpectedly lose achild.
“You think it won’t happen to you, until it does,” Laura said.
“You can’t work, you can’t function.”
Just recently, Laura haswritten, illustrated and self-published abook, Wanda, the story of awombat and awee girl.
It’sbased on the true storyof how her daughter, Hollie,and ayoung wombatshe namedWanda, created astory to tell.
“It was healing for Hollie, sheneeded to have that relationship with Wanda," Laura said.
“They had abeautiful friendship, and she went everywherewith us.
“I also needed to shift my focus, Icould never say hisname,and this has kind of forced me down that avenue, which is probably agood thing.”
Laura was inspiredbyThe Little Jem Foundation, which she found out hadpaid for her son’s funeral costs.
“Lookingback, knowing we didn’t have to make that payment was ahuge burden offour shoulders, everything was basically crumbling, we couldn’t pay the mortgage, it was such arelief because life was completely turned upside down," she said.
Living at Buchan has also been agift for Laura and her family, aplace she says is avery community-oriented country town.
“The people in it, make it, it’s the closest thing to home,” New Zealand-bornLaura said.
“The community hereisanirreplaceable aspect, especially bringing children up -it takes avillage.
“I’mnot okaywithwhat happened to Flynn,” she says, with intense honesty.
“T imedoesn’theal all wounds you just
learnhow to cope in different ways.
“Therecomesa timewhereitjust consumes you less.”
The book, Wanda, doesn’t cover any of that. What it covers is the relationship of the little sister left behind and the baby wombat her mother found for her Wanda the wombat may be roaming the
paddocks now, but the support she gave ayoung girl will be forever remembered. Penelope is quick to remind her mother that she too has been promiseda book, based on Missy Moo theMagnificentpony, who was also Flynn’s pony, and Maggie’s book will be next after that.
Suddendivergence(7)
Strong emotion (7)
Tempting(9)
Coronet (5)
Hark! (6)
Representative (8)
Rue(6)
Newinformation(4)
Atop (4)
Takenillegally(6)
Situation (8)
Traduce(6)
Circular (5)
Evening entertainment(9)
Go before (7)
30 Follow (7)
DOWN
1 Roughs truggle (6) 2 Naturis t(6)
3 Abst ained from (8) 4 Slender shoot(4) 5 Avoidance (10) 6 Disgus t(6) 7 Solit ar y(8) 8 Rubbish
Today’sAim:
9words: Good 13 words: Very good 18 words: Excellent
Using the nine letters in the grid, how many words of four letters or more can you list? Thecentreletter must be included and each letter may only be used once. No colloquial or foreign words. No capitalised nouns, apostrophes or plural nounsendingin“s”. M I O O C A N N P
member of The Gippsland Farmer team, has been an invaluable asset in our advertising journey. Paula’s exceptional professionalism, attention to detail, and regular reminders about advertisingdeadlines have ensured all our promotional campaigns run seamlessly.Her dedication to providing a personalised experience and exceptional customer service has made everyinteraction with The Gippsland Farmer an absolute pleasure
Moreover,I am grateful for Paula’s consideration of TTMI for special advertising features and promotions.She hasgoneabove and beyond to provide us with opportunities to highlight our business and offerings in unique and creative ways. Her keen understanding of our industry and unwavering support havetruly made a difference in the visibilityand success of our advertising efforts.
p p with Farmer,confident the that our needs areinthe best of
Iwould highly recommend The Gippsland Farmer newspaper to any business in the agricultural sector seeking effective advertising solutions. The newspaper’s wide readership, informative content ,and exceptional customer caremakeitanideal platform to connect with the farming communitythroughout Gippsland. We look forwardtoacontinued partnership The Gippsland ,c in knowledge our advertising ar hands.
Silage is thelifeblood of Victorian livestock farmers, especiallyin dairy-rich regions likeGippsland and Bass Coast.
Producinghigh-quality silage, however, is aconstantbattle against unpredictable weather,pests, andthe race to harvestatjust theright moment.
Butnow,a high-tech ally is on your sidedrones
From nimble and compactlightweight drones,toheavy-dutyagricultural drones, this technology is helping farmers work smarter, notharder.
Whether you’remanaging asmall family farm or alarge commercialoperation,drones canhelpyou boost efficiency,cut waste, and maximise productivity acrosseverystageof silage production.
The real powerofdrones lies in theirability to operate in three dimensions, not restricted to theearth’ssurface,a majorbenefit if you have steep, wet, or otherwise inaccessible paddocks.
At thesmall scale, drones give farmers a bird’s-eye view of theircrops in real time.
Instead of walking paddocks or relying on guesswork, farmers can nowmonitor crop health, optimisecutting times, and prevent storage losses with precision
For example, multispectral drones equipped withNDVI sensors candetect subtle changes in plant health,revealing nutrientdeficiencies,water stress,ordisease before they becomevisibletothe naked eye
This is particularly valuable in regions like Gippsland, whereryegrass grows rapidly, andtiming the cutjust beforeflowering is crucial formaximising digestibility.
Moisture controlisanother critical factor in silageproduction, anddronesare making it easierthanevertoget it right.
Toowet,and thesilage spoils; toodry,and it loses nutritional value
Drones equippedwithadvanced moisture sensors can scanmown windrows, identifying wet spots that needextrawilting.
In high-rainfallareas like Gippsland,where drying conditions can be unpredictable, this technology helpsfarmers avoid costly delays andreducethe risk of mould
Forpests and weeds, larger spray drones offeratargetedsolution,applyingchemicals only whereneeded.
This notonly savesonchemicalcosts but alsominimises environmental impact -a win for both farmers and the land.
Once the crop is cutand baled or piled into pits,the nextchallenge is storage.
Poorly stored silage can lose up to 20
percentofits valuetospoilage,but drones arehelping to tacklethis problem too.
Thermal cameras mountedondrones canscanbalesand pits, detecting heat signatures that canindicate poor fermentation.
This technology allows farmers to quickly identify and re-wrap compromised bales beforetheyruin.
Forlarge operations LiDAR-equipped drones create 3D maps of silage pits, revealing areas where compactionis insufficient.
By addressingthese weakspots early, farmers can ensure better fermentation and longer-lasting feed.
Even afterstorage, drones continuetoadd value by optimising feedout.
Regular flightsover silage pits cantrack how much is beingused versuswasted
This helpsfarmersprioritise feeding the bestbalesfirst, ensuring livestockget the mostnutritiousfeedpossible.
Forfarmersconsidering drones, theoptions range from small, affordable models like DJI’sMavic 3for multispectral crop-health and moisture sensing, or Mavic 4for thermal andmapping-ideal for scoutingcrops on smaller farms- to larger,moreadvanced systemslikeDJI’sAgrasT50 andnew
flagship aircraft the Agras T100, which can handle spraying andspreadingduties
As technology evolves, thepossibilitiesare expanding.
Some forward-thinking farmsare already experimenting with autonomous systems like DJI’sDock3, an all-in-one weather-proof drone-in-a-box, that cancharge viasolar stationsand flydaily scanswithminimal human intervention
AI is also being used in conjunction with drone-collected data-setstopredict silage quality beforeharvest,offeringeven more precision in decision-making.
In theend, the questionisn’t whether drones areworth the investment -it’show long farmerscan affordtoignore them.
ForVictorian farmers grapplingwiththe challenges of silage production, drones offer away to cutlosses, save time,and produce higher-quality feed.
Whether youstart with asimple scouting droneordiveinto advancedsystems,Worker Bee Drones has loads of local expertise, readytohelpyou makeaninformed decision and guide you on yourjourney of discovery.
Thefutureoffarming is clearly here, and for those ready to embrace it, therewards- in efficiency,productivity,and profitability -are well within reach.
Silage,particularly wrapped in round or square bales, hasincreased in popularity over recent years
With this year’sbumper winter andspring over many parts of southernAustralia, relatively lowcattlenumbers and high restocker prices, manyproducers are consideringwhattodowith the surplus feed in their paddocks.
Ongoing rain is making fora diceyhay making seasonwhich hasmoreproducers consideringsilage
When harvesting earlytomake high quality silage, temperaturemay be low(20 -22C), possibly overcast andthe ground probably damp
MOWmid-to-late morning,afterthe dew
haslifted, when the weatherforecastoryour own experience indicates 2- 3daysoffine weather approaching.
This ensures aquicker wiltata time when theground is still moist anddrying weather is warmratherthanhot
Mowonlythe area of the crop that you can safely harvested in the next day or so within thelimits of factors such as machinery, labour andweather
SPREAD(ted) thecropimmediately after mowing if you have access to atedderor tedder rake.
This will increasethe rate of wiltingby30to 60 percent.
Travel slowly (5 -6 km/hour) forthis first tedding to ensure allthe mownpastureis
spread evenly and to avoid lumps being formed.
If mown in latespring/early summerand the firstday turns outhot,the grass will wilt very quickly andmay enableyou to beginharvestingonthe sameafternoonas mowing.
EARLYinthe seasonasecondspreading after thedew has lifted, is often required as dryingconditionsatthis time of year arenot conducive to fast wilting.
IF youplan to forage (loader wagon or precision chop) thecrop, startwhen thedry matter percentage of thewiltingpastureis approaching28to30percent DM
Youmay havetostartharvesting before28 per cent DM if the forecast is for ahot day, bad weather is approaching or you have a lot of pastureonthe ground.
As the crop dries, youwill be able to shift up onetotwo gears.
Youmay be able to dispense with the second teddingifthe crop is light,the crop hada good wilt theday beforeorthe dayof harvest is expected to be hot.
If youplan to bale(roundorsquare), start when thedry matter content is approaching 40 percent DM
Thisshouldbeabout mid-day or midafternoon.
Occasionallyyou may need to respreadthe grassathird time andbale later
Thismightoccurifthe weatherturns cloudy,misty and/orthe crop is very heavy.
beDroned’s fleet of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and software offers the newest innovations in agricultural technology
Their mapping drone, equipped with advanced sensing and imaging, generates data driven results providing detailed analysis of crop health, weed burden pest or disease in crops
Their software uses this data to create precise flight paths for their agricultural drones
Precision flight is guided by real time kinematics (RTK) that reduces error in
• Weeds
• Liquid fertilizer
• Pesticides
satellite navigation to mere centimetres
This allows exact targeting of chemical application to crops weeds and pastures thus minimising chemical usage and runoff
Their computer controlled mixing rig ensures batch uniformity and precise chemical application
beDroned Ag drones can reach areas that appear impossible to reach using traditional methods
On some of the jobs they wonder how weeds were ever controlled in some locations
Wet ground is another win for drone technology with no impact on soil structure
beDroned s chief pilot Ian comes from both farming and science backgrounds
The beDroned team understands the language of both farming and agronomy and work personally with clients throughout the entire process to understand their needs and obtain
desired results with a focus on quality
With some winter rain at last the beDroned team is presently focused on fertiliser application seed spreading and broadleaf weed spraying in difficult terrain
For more information on how drone innovation can reduce the workload and improve efficiency in your Ag business visit www bedroned com au
SPREADING
• Fertilizerpellets
• Powder/granules
• Seed
PHOTOGRAMMETRY
• Farm mapping
• Contour maps
• Crop health
• A Aerial photography
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Servicing Budgeree, Boolarra, Mirboo North, Yinnar,Hazelwood North, Thorpdale, Traralgon, surrounding districts and beyond www.bedroned.com.au
contact@bedroned.com.au like us on facebook/ beDRONED2023
Inthe ever-evolving world of land management, technology continues to play avitalrole in helping people work smarter, notharder.
OneGippslandbased business leading the charge is Paramount DroneServices, offering cutting-edge aerial solutions designed to improve efficiency,reduce costs, and protectthe environment.
Founded by Chris and Jarrad,two mates who grew up on farms, ParamountDrone Services wasbornfromasharedpassion for agricultureand adesiretobring smarter toolstothe paddock
Withfirsthand experience of thechallenges landowners face from unpredictable weather to risinginput costs, they’ve built abusiness thatcombines practical knowledge withthe latestdrone technology to deliverreal results.
Their deep roots in the farmingcommunity givethema unique understanding of what matters most to rural producers:reliability, precision, andvalue
Paramount specialises in aerial spraying andbroadcasting of seed, fertiliser,and bait, using afleet of advanced dronesthat offer a cost-effective and highly precise alternative to traditionalground-based methods
Their drones canaccess steepterrain, waterlogged areas, andsensitive zones with ease, allwhileeliminating soil compaction and minimising damage.
This is especially beneficial in regions likeGippsland,wherediverselandscapes and changing conditionsdemand flexible solutions
Their services also include thermal
imaging,propertyand infrastructure inspections, andasset photography,valuable tools acrossagriculture, construction, real estate, sports turf management, and environmental monitoring.
These capabilities allow clientstomake informed decisions using real-timedataand high-resolution imagery, helping to improve productivity andreduce risk.
Whether it’sdetectingheatstress in livestock, inspecting solar panels, assessing storm damage, or sprayingsportsfieldsand golf courses, Paramount’s drones deliver abird’s-eyeview that’s both practical and powerful.
Oneofthe keyadvantagesofdrone spraying is its efficiency
With rapid deploymentand targeted application,Paramount’s dronescan cover large areasquickly ideal fortime-sensitive
treatmentsorwhenweather windows are tight
Theprecisionofaerial spraying alsomeans reduced chemical usage, reduced manual workload, andbetter coverage, making it a smart choice forproperties of allsizes
In many cases, drone spraying has proven to be moreeconomicaland environmentally friendlythanconventional methods
Paramount Drone Services places a strong emphasisonsafety,compliance, and professionalism.
Theteamoperates with full insurance and holds allrelevant certifications, including CASA Remote Pilot Licence (RePL) for sub-25kg drones, DJI T50Type Rating,and aRemote Operator Certificate (ReOC).
In addition, they carrychemical application licences includingACUP, AAOL, and PCRL.
These qualifications arenot just boxes
ticked, they reflect agenuine commitment to doingthingsproperly,ensuring every job is carriedout to thehighest standards of safety, legality,and environmental responsibility
Althoughbased in Gippsland, Paramount services most of Victoria, working withsmall family farms, largecommercialoperations, councils, andprivate landowners.
Their flexibleapproachmeans they can tailor each job to suit thespecific needsof the land, crop type, or projectgoals
No two jobsare the same, andParamount prides itself on deliveringcustomised solutions that make ameasurable difference. Whether you’relooking to improvespraying efficiency,reduce soil impact, or gain better visibility over your property,Paramount DroneServicesoffers areliableand forwardthinkingsolution
Their commitment to quality,safety,and customer satisfaction hasalreadyearned them astrong reputation across theregion and they’rejust gettingstarted.
As industries continue to embrace innovation,businesses like Paramount are proving that drone technology isn’tjustfor big-cityenterprises.
It’sa powerful tool forruralcommunities, local councils, and private operators’alike helping peoplestaycompetitive, sustainable, andincontroloftheir operations
Interested in seeing what dronetechnology candofor your landorbusiness?
ContactParamount Drone Services today foracompetitivequote and personalised advice
Likemany industriesthese days,the ruralsectorisencumbered with plastic waste that is difficult to knowhow it is to be managed.
While theoriginal purpose of the plastic product mayhave served agood purpose, when it comes to theend of its purpose, many arewringing their handsastowhat to do with it.
Theoriginal suppliers don’twant to know about it
Acommonwaste product is the wrap aroundsilage bales
Witheachbale using about 75m of plastic film, the amount of waste can quickly build up
Buryingitinthe ground is not asolution as it will persist for100sofyears andrequire more andmoreholestobedug
Plastic is notamaterial made by nature, so naturehas no waytodealwith it.
Incineratingitonthe farmisnot asolution either as the emissions into the atmosphere aretoxic.
If thematerial can be recycled that is the best solution
Recycling means makingthe used film back into newsilagefilm or similar product than canthenbeused foranother life.
It does not mean diverting thefilmtoa one offapplication to be made into road baseor concrete as such
Recycling to make new film reduces the amount of virginplastic to be used
Diverting into anotherlow gradeuse does not allow this.
The mainissues with recycling are;
•Collection of the film from widely spaced farms
•Findinga processorthat willtakethe used film andprocess it intoa suitable formfor remanufacturing
•Havinga manufacturer that cantake the reprocessed materialand makethe new product
In Australia these can be significant hurdles, buta good option if they can be overcome.
Anew technology that haspotential to help solve this problem is to use atechnology developed in the USAinrecentyears.
By adding anaturallybiodegradable supplement into thepolyethylene at the time of film manufacture,itmakes the film attractive to microbesina modernlandfillto digestitaway.
Thefilmwiththe supplementinitiscalled landfillbiodegradable.
It will biodegrade at agreatly accelerated rate (ten times faster or more)inamodern landfill.
Abenefit of this technologyisthatasitis biodegrading, theembodied energy of the plastic is converted to abiogaswhich can be captured bythe landfill operatorand used to generate electricitydisplacing energy from coal forexample.
Both recycling andusing landfill biodegradablematerials however, require partnerships with regional councils or agenciestobeformed forthe collection of the waste film offthe farmsand takento centrallocations.
Once thereitbecomesmoreeconomicto bulkhaulittothe next stepwhich would be a recycler for recycling if available or amodern landfill if it needs to bedisposed.
Another bigadvantage of making thewrap landfill-biodegradable film is that it doesnot changethe recyclability of thefilm.
The film can still be recycledjustthe same as conventional silage film
Landfill-biodegradable silage wrapoffers thebetteroftwo solutions availablenow It can be recycled wheresuchfacilities and partnerships exist to get it to afacilityorif recycling is notanoptionitcan besent using asimilar partnership collectionagency to a modernlandfill to biodegradeaway.
Formoreinfovisit www.biogone.com.au
ilage is essentially “pickled pasture ” or fodder that’s been fermented to feed cattle or sheep during dry seasons
Silage is stored using plenty of moisture, which allows it to retain a higher percentage of nutrients than a dry storage option
The importance of silage is in its energy
It often serves as a high-energy source
for animals such as cows
Both silage and hay are popular ways for farmers to feed their livestock
They’re both comprised of grass and considered a preservation method of forage
The primary difference between hay and silage is hay is grass that’s cut and dried and silage is fermented and stored in a silo
As a result, they have several distinctions:
• Moisture content:
Hay usually has a moisture content of 12%, whereas silage moisture content is between 40-60%
• Storage methods:
Hay is mowed, dried and stored in bales
Silage is compacted and stored in air-tight conditions without being dried
• Digestive capabilities: Animals do not digest hay Silage is partially and easily digested, offering more nutritious value
• Preservation: Hay is typically kept in a bale, while silage is stored in a bale and covered with tight plastic wrap
Chapman Machinery aregearing up for Silage andHay season2025 Kronehavelistened andare offering attractive financedeals along witha competitiveprice adjustmentonthe VariPack balers.
VariPack balers arethe easiestonmarket to load the net.
Place netrollonchute,which is at waist height from the ground, push roll up chute into cradle, threadnet while on stand. This takesout themuscle work of changing rolls as you no longerlift the heavyrollupinto the cradle.
Customers canthenuse thelargerrolls withlesschange overs
Heavy duty built machine to match Australian conditions Krone engineers have come out to this area over theyears to test new product and get direct feedbackfromcustomersduringthe
season, escaping their German winters Chapman’s team gottooperate/support theVaripackbeforerelease andprovide direct feedback afew years back, seeing improvements beforereleasei.e. stronger pickupwheel frameand reinforcements on holding of thepickuptothe baler
Thepickupisverysimilar to large Krone wagons.
Thehydraulic cylindersthatoperatethe rear doorhavestroke end cushioning for fast unloading cyclesand maximum through puts.
Highest densitiesand outputs arethe outstanding landmarkfeatures of VariPack.
Professional shape and controls on density/coreon hay and silage Bales
Chapman Machineryhaveahuge line up of tedders built readytogo.
KroneVendroTedders: 680, 790, 900
Tedder Fendt LotusTrailing Tedder 10.2 m& 770 3PL.
All Vendrotedders benefitfromthe triedand-tested KRONE OctoLinkfinger clutches.
Therugged units requirenolubrication at all.
This adependableand low-maintenance machine.
Featuring border spreading, manual or hydraulic thesystemspreadsthe material towards the middle of themachinewhen tedding along field boundaries.
This is doneeasily by pulling acableinthe caboroperating thecurtainhydraulically from the cab.
Thenew Vendro standstake theweight off the smallerwheels in storageand secures themachine, safeand well balanced.
ChapmanMachineryhaveplenty of Krone,MasseyFergusonand Fendt stock builtready to goincluding mowers, mower conditioners,3PL or trailing tedders, rakes, andFendt ROTANA 180V XTRA.13 Round Balers.
Thesales teamwillbeout and about demonstrating Valtra T175EV, Kubota
RTV-XG850, Krone EasyWrap andmoreover theseason.
It’s always agoodtimegettingout there andworking these machines
They arealsolooking forwardtothe newly releasedMasseyFerguson 5M series. 4-cylinder4.4L, 95hp to 145hp, 40km/h Dyna-4transmissionwith optional auto shifting and braketoneutral
Oneofthe main new featuresiscustomers can now benefit from the MF Smart Farming package(MF Guide,MFSection Control, MF Rate Control, ISOBUS,MFTask Doc and camera display),available as afactory-fitted optiononthis value for money tractor.
Chapman Machineryare proud to announce their new joint venturewith QuikSpray and greenPRO,stocking units and partsand providingsupport.
The QuikSpray units area greatmatch for theirproducts, Kubota RTVs and tractors. Gav and Tomwill have units on their Utes foronsite demos
Chapman MachineryServicewill be onsite at the Gippsland DairyExpoin Korumburra Wednesday 3rdand Thursday 4thSeptember
SHEEPproducers will have arare opportunity to securemaiden ewes and young siresrankinginthe top one percent of the industry forcarcaseand lamb eating quality at the Pepperton Farms dispersal in October
Pepperton Poll Dorset and White Suffolk stud, Elmore,has been aleading flockfor performance recordeddata for the past30 years,and will hold afinalewe and elite sire dispersalonFriday, October 10, 2025,at 11.30am (online on AuctionsPlus only)
This will be followed bythe finalram sale on Wednesday,October15, 2025,at1pm on propertyand online.
Roger andDianneTrewick have been breedingPoll Dorsets under their prefix Pepperton since 1994 andwereearly adoptersofLAMBPLAN performance recording, concentrating on growth, muscling and moderate fat levels
White Suffolkswereadded in 2004, and Peppertonproduced each year around200 ramsgrazedonlucerne with minimal grain feedingduring drytimes.
Mrs Trewick saidthe dispersal presented seedstockand commercial producers with ararechance to source topend genetics maintaining afocus on structure, type and fertility
She said thecataloguefeatured 2024 spring drop ewes ranking in thetop one percentofthe industry forterminal carcase production (TCP)and lamb eating quality (LEQ),enablingthemtogostraightintoany breedingprogram
Another highlight isfour2024-dropPoll Dorsetand WhiteSuffolkelite siresranked in thetop onepercent of theirbreeds for TCPand LEQ
“These rams have extreme growth, muscling and leanmeatyield with lowto mediumbirthweights,”Mrs Trewicksaid.
“It is an excellent opportunityfor seedstock breeders to increasethe genetics in their flock through 30 yearsof breedingatPeppertonand will be thelast opportunity for peopletopurchase breed leadingewesand rams.
Manyofthe sale ewesare rankedtop one per cent for TCP.”
Thecatalogue comprises 62 Poll Dorset and 44 WhiteSuffolk ewes, allMN3
approved(vaccinates), Ovine Brucellosis accredited, GlaneryB12 vaccinated,and Februaryshorn
Buyers from four states competed at the stageone andtwo ewe dispersalresulting in the top ewepriceinOctober2024of $4600
In February2025, 124 lots sold from204 offered to average $487 andtop at $1350
The finalram sale catalogue will comprise 40 White Suffolkand 40 Poll Dorsetsires. Many of the rams on offer aretrait leaders for TCP,LEQ, LMY(leanmeatyield),post weaning eyemuscledepth,weaning weight andpost weaningweight.
Aselectedstud ram will besoldatthe start of thesalewith the proceeds donated to Bowel Cancer Australia in honour of the late stud stockagent, Michael Glasser,who died on May 19
Mrand MrsTrewick plan to continue farming,runningcommercial sheep and cropping
They recently soldspring-dropmixed sex trade lambs averaging27kgdressed at $10.60kg carcaseweight over the hooks.
“With the lamb market so buoyant,the dispersal is an opportunity for producers to get in on thegroundfloor andpurchasetop quality ewes and reap the benefits of their quick growth, muscling and lean meatyield inthe sucker and trade lamb markets,”Mrs Trewick said
She reflectedonstud milestones including breeding thehighest indexing muscled ram inAustraliain2018, membership of Meat Elite Australia,anAustralia-wide network of progressive breeders andhaving superior carcase genetics quantified by Gundagai Meat Processors.
“It’ssad to be stepping away,especially with the genetics being highlysought after by studs around thecountryinthe past five years andrams sold to everystate in Australia
“Wethank allour clients for their support over the last three decades and the tremendousresults they have achieved in theyards and over the hooks.”
THE Vortex Stud wasstarted in 1989 by Robertand Ellen Hooper as aWhiteSuffolk Studand branchedout into Charollais in 2013, now withDaniel andImogen at thehelm.
Theirobjectiveistobreed stock whichare low maintenance,structurally sound, easy lambing andhardy with ahigh valuecarcass. Their Charollais andWhite Suffolks come from long lines of sheep which have required no assistance with lambing. Tightwool, cleanpoints and breach enable bothbreedstohandle grass seeds and stay clean.
The ramsare producedwith thecommercial producer in mind
CHAROLLAIS area French breedand one of themost popular terminal sires in theUK, Ireland and throughout Europe. Their ease of lambing is unmatched and due to thishave growninpopularity in Australia for their success over maiden ewes, ewe lambs andsome smaller breeds like finewool Merinos and shedding breeds(clean skins)
Their high meatyield whichcan be as high as 50 –55per centhave made them sort after by abattoirsand ideal to sell overthe hooks
Their ability to add meat to anybreed has made them popular over allbreedsand ages. Charollais tend to have high multiplebirths and goodsurvivability resultinginhigh lambing percentages.
They area great option for anyone who wants an easier lambing, less work, more lambs,better carcasses and exceptional hybrid vigour
Charollais lambscan grow quickly andcan be soldatlower live weights duetohigh meat yields
shornlater Shedding breeders,don’t miss outoneasy lambing and hybrid vigour!
WHITE Suffolks areone of the prominent terminal sires in Australia
They area large framed,fast-growing breed
whichproducequality trade and export lambs
Their size,musclingand length being key featuresofthe breed as well as their easy lambingstructure.
It’snowonder White Suffolksired lambs are breaking records in thesale yards!
VORTEX WhiteSuffolks and Charollais
ramsare brucellosis free and foot rotfree. Ramscome fully vaccinatedwith GlanEry 7in1, Footvax, and Gudairand vaccinated withBovilisMHSSRTU as lambsmaking themmorereliable, longer lasting and less likely to become lame, sick or die.
Thispreparesthemtogoanywhere, particularlyfeedlot environments and farms withfoottrouble
WEDNESDAY 15TH OCTOBER AT 1.30PM
ONE of thegreatestthreats facingthe Australiansheepindustrytodayisn’t marketfluctuation or weather–it’s somethingfar more insidious and urgent: drench resistance.
Described by leading expertsas“one of the biggest challengesinour industry’s history,”the resistance of parasiticworms to conventional anthelminticsispushing manysheep producers towardan alarming wall wherenodrenchwillwork to combat wormsintheir sheep due to the over-use of anthelmintics –this is amajor concern.
Years of reliance on drencheshave brought Sheep breeders to this point. Withentireflocks now failing to respond to treatments that once kept worm burdens at bay,the stark reality is setting in—thereis no chemical solution left.
Theindustryisatacrossroads, and unless actionistaken swiftly,the consequences foranimalwelfare, productivity,and profitability could be dire Butamidthe urgency, thereishope— anditcomes from innovation,foresight and apowerfulpartnership between Australia andNew Zealand.
In thevast plainsofSkipton, Victoria, Mount Monmot Perendales maywellbe holding the keytothe futureofsustainable sheep farming.
Forover adecade,thispioneering studhas worked to embed “nil-drench” geneticsintoits Perendalebloodlines
sourced directly from thehighlyrespected Newhaven PerendaleStud in New Zealand
Remarkably,Newhaven has not drenched itslambs or ewesinover 40 years, thanks to its bold genetic programme that prioritised natural resilience overchemicaldependence.
“Weoffer averyunique opportunity for Australian sheep farmers to source low-drenchgeneticsinfusedwith50years of NewZealandgenetic gains,” saysTony Boyer of Mount Monmot
Thefactthatwenow only drenchour lambs once in their lifetimeispretty exciting—and we’reproud to pass this on to our clients.”
ThePerendale isn’t just about worm resilience. With unmatchedstructural soundness, adaptability to harsh and variable feed conditions, andconsistent production even under worm pressure, these sheep offer atriple-threat advantage.
They’remorethan just astopgap— they’reaproven,long-termsolution Trudy Boyer,co-principal of thestud, reflects on thejourney:“Little did we know just how crucial having theability to runsheep that weren’treliantonworm drencheswould be whenwestarted sourcing genetics from NewZealand. This is acriticalcrossroadsfor our sheep industry—there is no wayout of
drench resistance unless youhaveworm resilience genes.”
The demandfor Mount Monmot’s self-replacing Perendale rams speaks volumes.
Australian producers arewakingupto the realitythat wormresistance cannot be ignored—andthey’reacting fast.
If you’reserious aboutsecuring the futureofyourflock, now is thetimetoact Register your interestinthis season’s ramsbycontactingmountmonmot@gmail com or reachingout directly to Trudy Boyer on 0419 565450.
The future of your operation maywell dependonthe genetic choices you make today
Philip HOPKINS
INCREASING governmentfunding, including more paid rangers, is neededto halt biodiversity decline in Victoria's National Parks,whichare beingravaged by invasive pest and animal species,according to a new parliamentary report.
Urgent reformisneeded, aParliamentary InternReport Biodiversity in the National Parks Estate:The EffectivenessofCurrent Systems in Protecting Victoria’s Biodiversity, has found.
The research topic was commissioned by The Nationals’ Gippsland Upper House MP and Shadow Minister for Public Land Management, Melina Bath, thr ough the Victorian Parliamentary Internship Program. The report was completed by University of MelbournestudentAnastasia Scarpaci.
“This compelling report lays barethe reality that our national parks arestruggling to protect the verybiodiversitythey were created to conserve,” Ms Bath said.
“Underfunding, astretchedfrontline workforce, and the retention of volunteers have left our parks vulnerable."
Victoriais home to 139 parks with a total area of four million hectares, with 45 national parks included in this estate, the report says.
The re port found that despite the importance of national parkstomanage biodiversity, biodiversity continuesto declineand is driven by key biological
processes. Key risks to biodiversity include invasivespecies, overabundant native species, tourism, climate change, disease, disruption of Indigenous firemanagement, fragmentation, habitat loss and inappropriate fireregimes.
Key findings include insufficient funding, insufficient monitoring, decreasing 'on-theground' management, and cross-tenure threats/management, which reducethe capacity for key statutory agencies.
Based on these findings, the report made several recommendations:
Funding. Morefunding, greater continuity in grants and funding, the inclusion of amonitoring budget within grants;
Monitoring. Raise the monitoring capacity of statutory agencies and implement an active monitoring framework to respond to biodiversity decline, and;
On-the-ground management.
Increase the paid ranger force and greater continuity in contracts. Support community groups and volunteer organisations to retain and maintain biodiversity.
Regarding invasivespecies, the report found that pest plant species wereobserved in 60 per cent of national parks, while invasive animals arepresent in 79 per cent of Victorian parks and weedsin85per cent of national parks.
Across Australia, feral predators kill about
697 million reptiles, 510 million birds and 1.4 million mammals per year,with these deaths concentrated in south-easter n Australia and south Wester nAustralia, the report says.
Also, feral herbivores such as deerand horses threaten ecosystems,whichhave not evolved to withstandincreasing grazing and hard-hooved animals.
"Species such as rabbits, goats and pigs degrade the landscape and compete with nativeherbivores for food," the report says
Fragmentation -the division ofhabitat intosmalland isolated 'fragments' that areseparated by degraded or humantransformed land -was identified as akey risk to biodiversity in national parks. An Australian study found that fragmentation, habitat loss and degradation is threatening 98 per cent of Australia's threatened ecological communities.
"This is of key concern in Victoria; the Victorian NationalParks estate ishighly fragmented, with decreasing landscape and habitat connectivity," the study says.
Peoplevisitingnationalparks risk biodiversity. Evidence of human disturbance was witnessed at 100 per cent of national parks visited in the study. These included litter,treevandalism, tramplingand illegal bringing of animals into national parks.
In 2023/24, Parks Victoriaissued346 infringement notices and 51 warnings.
The report says the need for morenational park rangers was symbolised by one fact: therewereonly two people, the ranger and his of ficer,in SnowyRiver National Park,which is 75,000hectaresinarea.
Responsible for managing the whole area,
"they didn't have the resources to even keep the roadsand accesstracks open", said one academic.
As well as inadequaterangerforces, short contracts were also identified as a risk for biodiversity management, resulting in environmental responsibilities devolving to community and volunteer organisations.
Ms Bath said the report warned that without proper firemanagement and ecological monitoring, the state's wildlife would face even greater risk.
“Monitoring must be morethan atick-box exercise, we need active frameworks that trigger real action. Our frontline ranger workforce is stretched too thin after successive cuts to Parks Victoria," she said.
“ExpandingVictoria’s rangerforce and ensuring their permanent presence in our parks is an essentialmechanism to protect biodiversity. Community and volunteer groups do incredible work, but they need moresupport.”
Ms Bath congratulated Ms Scarpaci on her report for which she was awarded first class honours.
“This report is well-researched, drawing from academic, government, and community sources -its rigorous methodology brings credibility to its findings," Ms Bath said.
“The practical, evidence-based recommendationsmustbetaken seriouslyby the Allan Labor government.”
THE peak representative body for dairy far mers hopes Colesand Woolworths supermarkets pass arecent 10 cent per litre increase in the price of home brand milk on to dairy farmers.
The increase comes as dairy far mers battle high input costs, drought and flood clean-up, threatening to send some broke.
AustralianDairy Farmers (ADF) noted that after the quiet lift in prices, two litres
of milkateithersupermarket was now priced at $3.20, up from $3 lessthan a fortnight ago.
“With almost half of Australia’s dairy farmers either battling drought or recovering from floods, this is atimely increase, and we hope it’ll flow back to the far mgate,”
ADF president Ben Bennett said.
For morethan adecade,supermarkets have been discounting milk, constraining
the money flowing back through the supply chain.
“Thefactis, when people buy milk, the supermarkets, processors, andeveryone in between take acut -leaving dairy farmers as price takers in thesupply chain," he said
“This season is extra tough, dairy farmers arefacing skyrocketing feed and input costs.Many arelosing money because it
costs moretoproduce the milk than what they’repaid for it.
“So, while the supermarket price increase is modest, that 10c/litrewould be welcomed by farmers.
“Wehope supermarkets and processors will pass it on to help keep our fragile industry afloat, and dairy on the table of every Australian family.”
IN financial year 2024/25,beef production reach an all-time high, lamb slaughter maintainednear -recordlevels, and mutton throughput surged to its highest volume since 2007, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).
Meat & Livestock Australia said this was an historic period for the redmeat sector The results reflect the strength, resilience, and strategicadaptabilityofAustralian producers across diverse seasonal conditions, according to MLA’s Acting Market Information Manager,Erin Lukey.
“These re sultss how that continued adoption of new technology and innovationon-farm,along withinvestments in supply chain efficiency, are continuing to pay dividends across the supplychain,” Ms Lukey said.
“Despiteseasonal challengesin some parts of Australia, the industry has delivered recordbeef production and maintained strong lamb and mutton throughput.”
Cattle sectorAUSTRALIA processed 8.88 million head of cattleinFY25, which is the third-largest annual slaughter since 1978 and the highest since the drought-driven peak in 2015.
In theJunequarter,2.3 millionhead were processed, which is an eight per cent
increase on the previous quarter and 10 per cent higherthan the same periodlast year
Queensland led the charge, lifting throughputby13per cent to morethan one million head, while New South Wales, Victoria andTasmaniaall recorded their strongest quarters in over adecade.
Beef production hit an all-time high of 2.75 million tonnes for the financial year, surpassingthe previousrecord set in 2015.
The June quarter alone produced717,891 tonnes, the largest quarterly output on record, drivenbyimproved productivity and recordfeedlot turnoff.
Despite the surge in production, national carcase weights dipped to 307kg, reflecting seasonaltrends and ahigher proportion of female cattle in the processing mix. The female slaughter rate (FSR) rose to 54 per cent, with New South Wales and Victoria postingrecordrates, sitting14per cent and 17 per cent above their long-termaverages respectively.
LAMB slaughter totalled 26.06 million head in FY25, marking the second-largest financial year on record.
The latest quartersaw aslight two per cent
THE Minister for Planning, Sonya Kilkenny, and theMinister for Agricultur e, Ros Spence, have announced an amendmentto the Victorian Planning Provisions to make it easiertoestablish micro-abattoirs where they areneeded most.
Under the amendment, micro-abattoirs will be classified as aSection 1use in the Far mingZone,Rural Activity Zone and Green Wedge Zone, which means they will no longer require apermit–making it fasterand easier for projectstoget offthe ground and operate if they meet regulatory requirements.
This is designed to ensurethat farmers and producers have better access to abattoir facilities closer to the farmgate subject to environmental, amenity and human health conditions. Micro-abattoirsplay an importantrole for far mers to secure Victoria’s food supply and enhance rural economies, and with these new planning changes, consumers, foodproviders and restaurants will have moreopportunities to access meat.
Micro-abattoirs will be required to remain small, operationally contained, located on the same landasthe animal production and away from neighbouring homes and other sensitive uses.
Aresponsible authority, usually the local council, will continue to manageabattoirs through planning and building per mit approvals and enforcement, and their environmental health officers will continue to managepublichealth matters under the Public Health and Wellbeing Act 2008.
The planning amendment aims to protect Victoria’s farmland and the city’s green wedges fromurban encroachment,and support astrong and diverse livestock sector
The Minister for Planning has released a Ministerial Direction to guide local councils to develop strategies to protect the most important valuesoftheir greenwedges and consult with Traditional Owners, the community and stakeholders.
decline quarter-on-quarter,the full-year figuresdemonstratesustained strength across most states. NewSouth Wales, South Australia, Wester nAustralia and Tasmania all recorded quarterly increases, with Tasmania up 18 per cent to its highest kill since June 2016. Victoria saw an eight per cent decline, attributed to earlier turnoff decisions and dry seasonal conditions.
“The lamb sector continues to show strength despite seasonal variability,” Ms Lukey said.
“Producers areadapting to dry conditions and making strategicdecisions around turnofftiming.”
FY25 lamb production reached 624,549 tonnes, down four per cent on FY24 but still the second-largest annual output. Heavier carcase weights, averaging 24.8kg, helped offset lower slaughter volumes.
“We’reseeing heavier lambs being processed as producers respond to pasture limitations by finishing animals on grain earlier,” Ms Lukey said.
“This has helped maintain production levels even as slaughter numbers eased.”
FY25 saw 11.7 million head of sheep
processed, the highest volumesince FY07, with Victoria’s 4.4 millionhead markingits largest annual turnoffsince 1981.
WesternAustralia also posted its highest annual kill since 2008, despite asharp slowdown in the June quarter
“The mutton data reflectssignificant destocking pressure, particularly in southernregions,” Ms Lukey said.
Mutton production for the year rose 12 percent year -on-year to 294,757 tonnes, with NSW and Victoria accounting for 73 per cent of national output.
The Q2 production fell 20 per cent, continuing adownward trend from theQ4 2024 peak. Average sheep carcase weights declined to 23.9kg,the lightest since Q1 2019, with NSW averaging 26.2kg and Victoria 21.5kg.
“While production has eased, the overall financial year figures show how producers have managed through challengingconditions,” Ms Lukey said.
“It’s areflection of the industry’s resilience and forwardplanning.”
WEST Gippsland Catchment Management
Aut ho ri ty ( the C MA) an dA gr icu lt ur e Victoria (Ag Vic) have opened anew round of farmplanincentives, andfor the first time, far mers in Warragul, Thorpdale, Noojee and PerryBridgeand across the entireLake Wellington Catchment are eligible to apply. Up to $10,000 per farm is available throughthe Lake Wellington Irrigation Ef ficiency Incentive Program to help withthe costof a professionally designed irrigation plan.
“A farm plansetsdownonpaperthe irrigationdesignfor an individual property,” said Alexis Killoran Senior Irrigation ExtensionOfficer from AgricultureVictoria.
“This can be asimple irrigation system, right up to adetailed survey and design withintegrated far minfrastructure," he said. “The final farmplan provides acomprehensive document to refer to whenever thefarmbusiness is ready to implement the planned design.”
“De si gn in ga ni rri ga ti on fa rm plan is the first essential step for any irrigatio nr eno vat io n, ”s ai dB ra dM is se n, Irrigation Development Coordinator at the CMA. “Through the Irrigation Incentives Program, the CMA and AgricultureVictoria will work with you to develop aplan and design that’s tailored to your property and farmbusiness. As part of the farmplanning process, thebusiness goals and values, irrigation design, water use efficiency, staged development,and any environmental or statutory requirements areconsidered and planned for.”
Boisdalebeef farmer Nicky Reeves recommends the program: “I had lots of support from the Ag Victeam through the far m planningprocess.Theyprovideddif ferent points of view, and together we found ways to solve the irrigation problemson far m. With their help Ifelt comfortable interacting with statutoryauthorities to make sureeverything was compliant and approvable, and the rules and regulations wereexplainedsothat they made sense, and Iunderstood why they werenecessary.”
The Irrigation Ef ficiency Incentives Program has been running in the Macalister IrrigationDistrict for 25 years with irrigators helping to retain 46 gigalitres of nutrient rich water,carrying an estimated 23 tonnes of phosphorus,on-farmevery year.“That’s ahuge load of phosphorus being kept out of the waterways and the Gippsland Lakes and wetlands and it’s thanks to those farmers who put their hands up to get involved in our sustainableirrigation programs that we’ve been able to see these great results,” said Brad.
Applications arenow open with funding allocated on afirst-come, first served basis,you can callthe CMA for more infor mation on 1300 094 262.The Lake Wellington IrrigationEfficiencyIncentive Program is run by West Gippsland CMA and AgricultureVictoria and funded by
the VictorianGover nment’s Sustainable Irrigation Program.
AWORLD-FIRST biodegradablevaccine to protect livestockfromfoot and mouth disease (FMD) hasbeen developed through a$20 million, five-year research partnership between Meat &Livestock Australia, Tiba Biotech, and the NSW Government.
While Australia remains FMD free, modelling from Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences (ABARES) has estimated an FMD incursion could cost the Australian economy up to $80 billion. An incursion would have acatastrophicimpactontrade, animal welfareand farmproductivity.
MLA Managing Director,Michael Crowley, said whileitwas hopedthat an FMDvaccine would never be needed, the research represented aproactive approach to managing biosecurity risk. “FMD is present in countries near to Australia and is front of mind for industry in terms of potential biosecurity risks,” Mr Crowley said. “Vaccination may not necessarily be required in the event of adisease incursion, but this research demonstrates that the Australian industry is proactive and prepared.”
Researchers found that the new vaccine demonstrated strong,effectiveimmune response and safety in preliminary trials in Germany. Vaccinated cattle did not contract FMD when exposed to the diseaseand, importantly, they did not shed the virus.
The new biodegradablevaccine uses mRNA to induceanimmune response, rather than an actual virus. mRNA vaccines have been proven safe for animals and for consumers.
Following these trials, the vaccine must
now undergo arigorous evaluation process with the Australian Pesticides and VeterinaryMedicines Authority (APVMA) beforeapproval for use on livestock.
THE National Farmers’ Federationhas welcomed the Federal Government's “Feeding Austra lia: AN ation al Food Secur ity Strategy” discussion paper
NFF PresidentDavid Jochinkesaid it was pleasing the see work begin on one of the NFF’s key election priorities.
“It’s imperative we put the microscope over our entiresupply chain system to identify vulnerabilities and find ways to safeguard our system,” Mr Jochinke said.
“The risks arereal and rising, from global tensions and protectionist agendas to climate change and workforce shortages, plus domestic pressureonland, water and infrastructure."
Mr Jochinke said while theNFF recognised the Government will want to take a wide view of food security, it’s imperative key drivers,such as the stability of critical inputs, farmproductivity and efficient supply chains, remain at the heart of the strategy. “The strategy must also address oneofthe farmsector’sgreatestvulnerabilities -its reliance on imported inputs," he said.
MEAT &Livestock Australia (MLA) and the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC)are again joining forces to support mixedfar ming businesses across Australiathrough anew round of Producer Demonstration Site (PDS) projects. Preliminary applications for the 2025 Partnership PDS call open on
Monday, August25and closeonFriday, October 3. Building on the success of the 2024 pilot, which supported five projects set to establish 32 new demonstration sites and engage 49 coreproducers and over 600 observer producers, this renewedinitiative continues to targetproducers operating livestock and grain enterprisesacross Australia’s mixed farming regions. The program aims tohelp producers demonstrate, adapt and validate innovative management practices and research outcomes within commercial mixed farming systems. The goal is to drive productivity and profitabilitygains across both livestock and grain enterprises.
In 2025,four partnershipprojects began, with afifth due to begin later this year These five projects will establish 32 demonstration sites, engaging 49 core producers and morethan 620 observer producers across the three GRDC growing regions. Mixed farmingproducers stand to gain hands-on access to cutting-edge research and practical innovations that can boost productivity and profitability across both livestock and grain enterprises. By participatinginthe jointMLA/GRDCPDS Program, producerscan trial new practices tailored to their unique farming systems, learndirectlyfrompeers, and contribute to shaping climate-resilient, sustainable agriculture.
MEAT &L ivest ock Au stra lia 's 2025 Summer Lamb campaign, The Comments Section,has won aSilver Lion at the Cannes International Festival of Creativity, marking the first-ever Silver Cannes Lions win in the Film category for Australian Lamb in the campaign’s 20-year history. The Cannes LionsFestival, held annually in Cannes, France, is the world’s most prestigious celebration of creativity in advertising and communications.
This year,The Comments Section stood out in the Film/Viral Film category, earning aSilver Lionfroma field of1636global entries, including work from some of the world’smost iconic brands such as Apple, Nike, L’Or éal, Adidasand Budweiser Created by Droga5 ANZ, part of Accenture Song, anddirectedbyMax Barden from The Sweetshop,The CommentsSection cleverly brought to life real Australian socialmedia comments by reimagining them as areal-world cauldron of opinions, misunderstandings, and cultural clashes. The ad struck achordwith audiences by holding up amirror to Australia’s digital discourse whilereminding us thatlamb is the ultimate unifier and bringsusall together
FA RMERS for Clim ate Action (FCA ), representing its 8400far mer members,
drawn from across Australia in undertaking acombination of onlineand face-to-face trainingactivities,including aweek-long workshop in Canberra featuring meetings with government and industry officials to extend their knowledgeand build their networks.
Each participant is also assigned amentor for the duration of the program, providing valuable advice on industry organisational structures, career pathways and personal growth.
Applicants arerequired to submit their resume and abrief statement outlining the qualities and experiences that make them suitable for the program. They arealso required to fill out aquestionnairerelated to advocacy, policy and CA priorities. Based on this infor mation, applicants will be shortlisted, then interviewed via aweb-based meeting by ajudging panel consisting of one representative each of the following CA Boardof Directors, the Regional Consultative Committee, and the program alumni. To apply visit www.cattleaustralia.com.au nationalbeef-leaders-program/
AN unexpected guest has been found in aMelbour ne motel room -and it wasn’t on the booking list.
AgricultureVictoria is urging travellers to thoroughly checktheir luggage for unwanted stowaways after an Asian black-spined toad was recently discovered at acity motel. Meanwhile, accommodation providers arealso being asked to remain vigilantand report any unusual sightings, as these invasive pests may escape from travellers’ belongings and pose athreat to local wildlife and the environment. These toads, along with geckos and other exotic species, areincreasingly arriving in Victoria by hiding in shoes, bags and boxes.
If yoususpect you’vefound an Asian black-spinedtoad, do not touch it with your barehands, contain it safely if possible and report it immediately to Agriculture Victoria by calling 136186 oremailing highrisk invasiveanimals@agriculture.vic.gov.au
"Sometimes the Asian black spined toad can be confused withnativefrogspecieslike thepobblebonk frog. If you’renot sure, head to our website whereyou can find pictures and detailed descriptions of different frog species," Ms Williams said.
For moreinformation visit theAgriculture Victoria website
THE Legislative Council Environment and Planning Committee is seeking public input as partof itsinquiryinto thedecommissioning of oil and gas infrastructure. The committeewill be investigating the scale and legal ownersh ip structur eo ft he infrastructure, including of fshorewells,
pipelines,high-pressuretransmission and low-pressuredistributionsystems, and relevant projects in Commonwealth waters.
“Weneed to make an energy transition in this state awayfromour historical reliance on coal and gas and towards a renewable future,” said committee chair Ryan Batchelor.“This inquiry will get to an important question about how the energy infrastructurein this state is dealt with as part of our energy transition."
The committee wants to hear fr om stakeholders and the public on arange of issues including whether regulatory powerstoensure oil and gas companies deliver planned and timely infrastructure decommissioningare adequate; any actions Victoriacan take to ensure oiland gas companies providesuf ficientlytocover decommissioning costs; andopportunities for employment in decommissioning. Go to the Committee’s website for the full terms of reference. The Committee will report to the Parliament by June 2026.
THE Gippsland Soil School is anew, region-wide far mer educationinitiative co-led by Gippsland AgriculturalGroup (GAgG) and the East Gippsland Catchment Management Authority,designedtobreak down the silos between different soil management approaches.
Drawingonthe best ofconventional, regenerative, precision, and biological soil management systems to equipe farmer to manage soil better in their unique farming and soilsystems. The Gippsland Soil School is delivered in eight modules across 4x 2-day training blocks over 12 months. The program includes practical, paddock-based learning,interactive workshops, and expert guest speakers. Topics include: Soils 101 -Geology, Soil Types, Maps and Classification; Soils 101 -Physics and Chemistry Foundations; Soil Biology 101 -Soil Life and Nutrient Cycling; Soil and Plant Tissue Test Interpretation; Inp uts -G ran ula r, Folia r, Comp ost , Manures and Biofertilisers;Livestock, Grazing,Plant Diversity and Biofertilisers; Soil Carbon -Science vs Hype, Fact and Fiction; Measuring What Matters -Linking Soil Health with Financials and Wellbeing.
THE Look Over The FarmGate program is now open. This program provides an opportunity to bring communities together to support far mersand theirfamilies understress. Managed by theNational Centre for Farmer Health on behalf of the Victorian Government, the program offers grants of up to $5000 for community-led events that promote social connection and mental health awareness. Find out more at: https://farmerhealth.org.au/ To view the full range offinancial,technical and
wellbeing support availablevisit agriculture.vic.gov.au/drought or call 136 186.
FARMERS havethe chance to charge up theirenergy independenceas thefederal gover nment’s battery subsidy begin s. Farmers for Climate Action, representing its 8400 farmer members, pushed hardfor abatteryboost policythat helpsfarmers beforethe federalelection.The government subsequently announced apolicy which pays arebate of around $344 per kilowatt hour of storage capped at 50 kw/h worth of rebate (although afarmer could install up to a100 kw/h battery system and would receive the rebate on the first 50 kw/h of storage). FCA CEO Natalie Collardencouraged farmers to get involved.
“Batteries reduce energy consumption at peak times. This rebate can save farmers thousands of dollars - and thousands more every year as farmers use the energy they generate and store on-farm. Keeping farmers profitable and productive is a no brainer," she said.
“It’s frustrating when the local grid goes down, so farmers can choose batteries to keep the farmrunning during blackouts. No extra paperwork is required to access the rebate, becauseitwill be deliveredthrough the existing Small Scale Renewable Energy Scheme.
“The rebate is capped at $2.3 billion, so it will run out unless it’s extended.”
Moreinformation: https://www.energy. gov.au/rebates/cheaper -home-batteriesprogramDrought help
THE Victorian Far mers Federation (VFF) has partnered with Nutrien Ag Solutions to provide Victorian far mers with dedicated drought support resources.
The new Nutrien Ag Solutions funded initiative is dubbed the Victorian Drought Support Program and will support the VFF to employ adedicatedDrought Support Advisor to help far mers to accessexisting drought support grants, coordinate well-being events and act as acritical link
betweenfarmers and decisionmakers to identify potential gaps in drought support.
VFF PresidentBrett Hosking said the initiative aims to act as a‘one-stop-shop’ for farmers seeking drought assistance and to identify futureareas of support to lend farmers ahelping hand.
“Nutrien Ag Solutions helps us to make this happen. Farmers can directly contact the VFF’sDroughtSupport Advisor,Kim Tupper, who will help streamlineindividual drought applications, connect farmers with financial counsellorsand mentalheath services,and provideriskmanagement support," he said.
Farmer feedback received from the initiative will be used to help guide decision making regarding further drought support administered by the VFF’s Disaster Relief Fund. Moreinformation, including drought assistance resources and how to contact the Drought Support Advisor can be found on the VFF website.
PRACTICAL safety videos, the implementation of QR codes and streamlining the induction process for new and casual workershave been among the achievements of 26 farms signed up to the Safety Learning Network. Fundedby WorkSafe, and driven by experts Velisha Education Group (VEG) and agricultureconsultancy ORM Consultancy and Communications, the project involved regular catch-ups and far ms visits wheresafe systems of work andpractical safetyimprovementswere the main topics of conversation.
Amanda Smith, from Gippsland’s Riviera Farms, said the network sparked important conversations about safety, which led them to create new training videos for multicultural workers. Ms Smith said the bestfirst step to improving safety was to “just start talking about it”.
“Just mentioning the word“safety” in everything that you do. It becomes habit and that's what you need. It just needs to be in-grown in people,” Ms Smith said.
WHENAustralian Pump Industriesmade theAussie Sizzlerhot wash machine, they changedthe way peoplethink about high pressure hotwashsystems
TheAussieSizzler, aptly named, is an 1800 PSI pressurecleaner withamaximumtemperature of 80°C
That temperatureisideal forcleaning machineryand is areal bargain fordairyfarmers!
The machineiscompact,mounted on asteelchassis with four wheels with flat-free tyres. The heartofthe machine is aheavy dutyTriplex pump runningatfour pole slowspeed offanair-cooledmotor,protected by a thermal cutout!
“Having aslow speed pump andmotor is abig advantagethat younormally onlyfind in largermore expensivemachines.
We set outtomake amachine thatwould be cost effective but loadedwithfeatures and capable of easy one man (orwoman) operation”, saidAussie Pumps ChiefEngineer, John Hales.
The company wastemptedtogofor higher temperatures but realized that 80°C is an adequate cleaning capability without stressingthe ‘hot’components forthe boiler system
Even so, with 80°C,the team at Aussie stillrecommend that operatorsshould runthe machinefive minutes on cold beforeturning on hotand,dothe reverseafter the cleaningtaskisdone
“By thatwemeanrun themachineoncold for afew minutes beforeyou turn it offtomake surethe coil has a chance to cool down beforeswitch off”, saidHales.
Thehot wash comprisesa lowmaintenance stainless steel boiler with high efficiency and with lowdieselfuel consumption.
The coil itself is adouble loop mild steelversion with a new stainless-steel configuration coming outearlyin 2026.
The diesel fuel tank is 18Land manufactured from high density polypropylene
Control functionsare in linewith AussiePumps safety standards and consist of the following:
1. Delayed Total Stop(stops themachinefor 30 seconds after thegun trigger closes)
2. MicroLeakDetection(stops themachineincaseof leaksinthe hydraulic circuit)
3. Nozzle ClogControl (stops the machineifthe nozzle at theend of the lance is blocked)
4. Flooding Prevention System
5. Intelligent Auto Switch-off(switches the machineoff after 20 minutesofnon-use)
6. DryRunningProtection (stopsthe machinewhenno waterissupplied
7. Ignition Boiler Delay(ensures low fume emission when theboilerstarts
Even withall those pointscovered, themachines are very competitivelypricedand have beenselling like ‘hotcakes’.
TheSizzler itselfiscovered by a12month warranty and the accessoriesinclude 8 meter R2 Wire Braid Hose (3/8”), aprofessional gun, Aussie’s AL55 model plusa 700mm stainless steel single lance with laser-cutnozzle.
“Ourrangeofhot washmachinesisextensivebut the Sizzler keeps selling out.
The machine even looks smartwithits stainless steel coverand,for hirecompanies, constructionorearth movingcontractors, we also offeritwith astainlesssteel protection frame to guardthe machine from misadventures.” saidHales.
A4000 PSI Hose Reel Kitcomprising stainless steel reel with mounting arrangement, and 30 meters of 3/8 R2
Aussie Blue-Pro Hose is apopularoption.
The hose assembly is rated to130°C,and thehosereel kit comeswitha1.3 meter whip hose
“It’s an easy wall fitorwashbay attachmentthat provides theoperatorwith upto60meters of range i.e. 30meters left or right,”said Hales
The machines also can be supplied with aturbothat turnsthis little 240 volt 2.2KW 4polemotor machine into an essential piece of kit
“Cold pressurewashingisour specialty with acomplete rangeofmachines right up to 500bar (7300 PSI)
We don’t do hot wash machines in that kindofpressure butwedooffer a4000 PSI heavy duty steam cleaner, the Aussie Admiral 4000, thechoice of earth moving contractors forany application, including food processingwhere fasthighpressurecleaning is required.”
For further information contactAustralian Pump Industries aussiepumps.com.au
UREA use has proven to be asuccessful option to boost winter growth, helping farmers to grow moregrass, which is vital during the current drought conditions.
AgricultureVictoria's Livestock Industry Development Of ficer,NickLinden said after apoor spring and summer and alate autumn break, the need to grow morefeed is atop priority.
"Urea is aproven option forincreasing pasturegrowth rates through winter.For those who haven’tused urea before, this might be the year to try it," he said.
Mr Lindensaidinsimilar conditions to this year,the Weed ManagersProducer Demonstration Site (PDS) trialledureatest strips on afertile annual ryegrass paddock in the Upper Murray.
"Urea was applied in early July and late August 2024 using two different rates, 75kg urea/ha and 100kg urea/ha," he said.
"Pasturegrowth and accumulation were
measuredsix weeks after eachapplication."
Mr Linden said wheretherewas no urea applied, daily pasturegrowth rates through July and into August averaged five kilograms DM/ha/day -typical for mid-winter pasturegrowth.
"Pasture growthrates increasedwith urea applications and weregreatest at the higher urea rate (100 kg Urea/ha), however, the higher rate did not give the best cost/ benefit," he said.
"Wefound that a75kg/ha urea application lifted pasturegrowth rates to 17kg DM/ha/day,and the100kg application lifted growth ratesto23kg DM/ha/day, compared to 5kg DM/ha/day without urea.
"This increase in pasturegrowth rate and subsequent availability represented the difference between apasturethat would not maintain weaners or lactating stock, to one that would fully feed either stock class."
Learnings from the urea application trial included:
Select apasturethat has suf ficient leaf area, is not lacking in fertility or soil moistureand has ahigh proportion of desirable species;
Applying urea early, when the pastureisgrowing, provided increased early growth and higher residual growth rates in late winter/early spring;
An early application of 75kg/ha urea in mid-winter,delivered the best cost/ benefit;
Later application delivered little dif ference in growth between 100kg urea/ha and 75kg urea/ha, especially when growth rates had increased due to higher temperatures and longer days, and;
In all cases, the energy cost from additional feed grown using urea was cheaper than the cost of energy if sourcing grain or hay.
Moreinformation on the trial can be found on the Department of Agriculturewebsite.
GAME On Meats, Stratford, has secured agrant of morethan $49,000 to ensure the delivery of fresh produce directly to morecustomers, while also creating additional jobs in the district.
The grant is part of the state government's Forestry Transition Fund.
Game On Meats has beensupplying premium venison and kangaroomeat directly to market for four years –offering athree-day turnaround to give customersthe freshest possible product.
One ofthe greatest challengeshas been supplying Melbourne markets, with customers required to collectthe produce from Traralgon. The grant will enable the business to purchase anew truck and hiretwo part-timestafftoexpand and make deliveries to the city.
GameOn Meat's, GordonFehst said the financial assistance wouldbea gamechanger
“I’ve been travellingtoWAtomake ends meet. This grant means Ican put all my effort into the business, into the community. It’s something I’m proud to do,” he said.
“This community is important to me. I have been able to contribute to the local economy and to jobs in this area –supported by theForestryT ransition Fund. Ican see areally bright futurefor us.”
The grant funding was set up to support eligible businesses and industry gr oups in or ar ound towns dir ectly impacted by the end of nativetimber harvesting, the program of fers grants up to $1 million to expand, diversify or start new businesses.
Chambers of commerce, peak bodies and business networks, local councils and incorporated not-for -profitsthat operate as businesses arealso eligible to apply for the grants.
Blake METCALF-HOLT
GIPPSLAND Power'slone2005TAC Cup premiershipwas celebrated 20 yearson last month, with apast players and staff night following the current boys and girls sides' final home-and-away bout against Dandenong Stingrays at Shepley Oval.
The local development football club reached the mountaintop for the first time in 2005, defeating Dandenong,12.9 (81) to 10.6 (66) at the MCG, capping offabrilliant year which featured many futureAFL stars and draftees.
A total of 10 AFL players arose from the premiership-winning side, headlined by Collingwood champion and Sale's Scott Pendlebury -the only playerfromeither Grand Final team to still be playing at the top level.
In the Magpies 2010 flag Pendlebury won alongside three Power teammates -Drouin's Dale Thomas, Pakenham's Tyson Goldsack, and Kilcunda's Brent Macaffer Fellow Power premiership teammate, StonyCreek's RobertEddywas onthe losing side for St Kilda, while Wonthaggi's TrentWestfeaturedinGeelong's 2011 flag over his former Power peers turned Collingwood players.
Three players from Power's 2005 flag weretakeninthe top five in that year'sAFL Draft, with Drouin's Dale Thomas picked second (to Collingwood), Lakes Entrance's Xavier Ellis picked thirdtoHawthorn, and Pendlebury taken fifth.
Ellis was the first to taste success, winning apremiership with the Hawks in just his thirdseason,and ultimately playing out an 11-year career,finishing with West Coast.
Traralgon'sJay Neagle was taken with Essendon's father-son selection (Merv Neagle was a1984 premiership player) -the son mustered 28 games through injury for
the Bombers, and would later play locally for Traralgon, TTU (Traralgon-Tyers United) and Glengarry.
Nar Nar Goon'sLachlanHansen was taken thirdoverall in2006toNorth Melbourne, playing 151 games forthe Kangaroos during astrong period for the club -later lacing up for the Goon for 13 games post-AFL career
Garfield's Ben Ross was taken in the 2007 preseason draft, mounting18games for NorthMelbourneand Hawthorn in a seven-year period.
Ross is also the cousin of Sydney Swans small forwardand Bunyip's TomPapley, while Ross' brother Michael also played two games for Essendon in 2011.
The 2005 season was something of a break-out year for Power,who had yet to get over the line in finals.
Finishing top of the ladder,Power began by taking down the side who denied them in the previous year's preliminary final, thumping Calder Cannons by 77 points, beforebooking their Grand Final date by defeating NorthernKnights by 10 points.
In its 13th year of existence, Gippsland Power arrived on the big day as acurtainraiser to that year's AFL Grand Final, the famous LeoBarrygame whereSydney broke its 72-year premiership drought.
Fans flocked early for the under18s decider,which was riddled with plenty of mistakes as neither side was settled to begin proceedings.
FutureCollingwoodand Carltonhighflyer Thomas displayed what was soon to come at the top level, elevating his draft status with abest-on-ground performance, finishingwith20disposals, eight marks, and agame-high four goals.
Thomas bootedthe openerfor Power, crumbing aclever goal which led to aGippsland run of four goals, seeing them 28 points up at quarter time.
Dandenong dug deep and capitalised on afew indecisive plays from Power,with the Stingrays nailing threeconsecutive majors.
Thomas broke through with two goals at pivotal moments to give Power separation through the middle two quarters.
Morwell2013 premiership player Jeff Ryan added another for Powertoextend their lead further
Bothteamswent back-and-forth with goals to close the thirdquarter,with Power ahead by 22 points.
The final termopened with worldsof pressureeither way, beforePower best-andfairest Ricky Delphine,Neagle and Ross combined to create aslim opportunity for Pendlebury, who duly converted.
With thegamein the balance, Thomas rose again and finished another major on the run, inspiring his teammates to finish things off.
In his firstyearasPower coach,Hawthorn premiershipplayer and Leongatha footballer,Paul Hudson was elated with the historic win, with his team consistently the best all year round despiteonly training together once aweek.
Pendlebury was said to have displayed courage and grit playing the game after a family bereavement, demonstrating great character to be asolid contributor all day.
The Saleprodigy hadpreviouslytaken anumberofyears offfootball topursue basketball at the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra, beforereturning for his final two years of juniors.
It has been said thathis decision to choose football over basketball made room for futureNBA champion Patty Mills to be accepted in the AIS.
From this premiershipside,players have since lefttheirmark on thewider local football scene.
The most memorable after the fact would have to be the youngest of the crop from
2005, being Philip Island's Beau Vernon. The inspirational Leongatha and Philip Island premiership coach has since become aParalympian in wheelchair basketball after he suffered acatastrophic injury playing for the Parrots in 2012, rendering him aquadriplegic.
Vernon was highlightedfor demonstrating excellent decisionmaking and precise ball skills to generate drives for Power during their Grand Final victory.
Brett Dorewas a2010 premiership player with Nar Nar Goon, while Jaymie Youle has been one of Philip Island's most decorated players, winning three flags and playing morethan 200 games for the Bulldogs.
Chris Dunne was adual Gippsland League leadinggoal kicker for Leongatha in 2016 and 2018, while Zac Vansittart played seasons for Bunyip in Ellinbank and West Gippsland, being aBunyip premiership player in 2012 alongside Power teammate Nathan Lieshout.
Ben Hugheswas rookie listed by North Melbourne however didn't manageagame at AFL level -hewas later playing-coach at Warragul in 2019 and booted 94 goals between 2015 and 2016 for Drouin.
Collingwoodpremiershipplayer Brent Macaffer also won aWest Gippslandflag for Tooradin-Dalmorein2022.
As for others of note from that 2005 TAC Cup Grand Final, Dandenong featured futureMelbourne captainNathan Jones and Hawthornplayer Travis Tuck (son of Hawks legend Michael and brother of Richmond's Shane).
Gippsland Power has since made the GrandFinal twice(2010,'12) and looks primed this seasontoreach the last day of the year,finishing second on the ladder -the best of any non-academy side.
ErikaALLEN
LORELLE Lowe marked her 400th game for the Rosedale Football-Netball Club last month-amilestone that reflects decades of loyalty to the Blues.
Aone-club player since her junior days, Lowe continues to represent Rosedale on the netballcourt, while her husband Chris and their children also proudly wear the club colours.
"I've onlyever played for Rosedale, since I was ajunior andupuntil now," Lowe said "I just really enjoy playingnetballand Rosedale is agreat club to be involved in, so I'm very thankful and I'm very humbled to be apart of that."
Lowe began her journey at Rosedale FNC in 1993 in the under 12s, aside that won the premiership that year.Lowe had three junior premierships under her belt before making her senior debut, and she would go on to win five AGrade premierships by 2020. Today, she plays in BGrade. From growing up at the club to raising a family, Lowe has stayed true to the Blues.
"Now thatI've got childrenwho aregrowing up there, you can really see what agood environment it is for them," Lowe said.
"Obviously, I'vegrown up playing there and my husband and now both my children areinvolved in junior football and netball, so it's probably atestament to how good an environment it is for familiestogrowupin."
In the North Gippsland Football-Netball League Round 17 clash against Churchill, Lowe was best-on-court,shooting 16 goals in the Blues' 55 to 35 victory.
Lowe hasearnedamyriad of accolades throughout her netball career with Rosedale FNC, including life membership in 2022. Individually, she has earned morethan adozen accolades, including multiple best-and-fairest honours, league bestand-fairest titles and most valuable player awards. She has been named in the NGFNL
AGrade Team of the Year five times and taken on several coaching roles, including co-coaching BGrade in 2006 and 2007, and coaching AGrade in 2013.
She has evolved as theclub has, and is passionate about nurturing the next generation of talent.
"From myperspectivenow it'stakinga bit ofabackseatinall thoseaccolades and seeing these younger up and coming playersand the talentthat they'vegot and working with them to make surethat the club stays in agood place for years to come," Lowe said, explaining how she views her futureatthe club.
"I coach the under nines forthe Rosedale JuniorFootball-Netball Club,and that's the same perspective that Ihave on that too -just to keep these people involved and enjoying sport."
Lowe, alongside acoregroup of players, has been afundamental player for Rosedale throughout the Blues' mostsuccessful A Grade era of the past 15 years. The goal attackhas won NGFNL flags in 2011,2014, 2015, and most recently back-to-back in
the triumphant seasons of 2018 and 2019.
Lowesaideverypremiershipisspecial, but highlightedtwo -the club's firstin 2011 andsecond in 2014, whichwas a family affair
"I think all premierships arevery special because they obviously outline thehard work that's put in," she said.
"2011 was our first premiership with the AGrade team, and that was, Isuppose, the start of something really special for our coregroup.
"It was areward forall thehardwork that we put in and the vision that we put in place.
"2014,playingwith my sister, andhaving our family around, that one was greattoo."
For her milestone, many past and current teammates, family, friendsand club members celebrated Lowe by contributing to a 17-minute video montageofcongratulatory messages that captured her journey from junior to senior and her 400-game career
Teammate Carly Johnstone, who played in every AGrade premiership alongside Lowe, reflected on her friend'scareer,saying her strong leadership,unwavering commitment and loyalty set her apart.
"It really shows the love that she has for the club. People look up to that, the juniors look up to that, even Ilooked up to her," Johnstone said.
"She's given me alot of inspiration over the years."
Johnstone told Gippsland Farmer that she and Lowe had played together for 17 seasons, including in this year's BGrade side. Lowe, leadingfromthe goal post as goal attack, and Johnstone, feedingpasses in the centre, have built astrong bond on and offthe court.
"When you've playedwith someone for so long, you just get each other on the court. Youjust need to look at each other -you know what each other wants, know where we'regoing," she said.
Lowe has led from the ring, sinking goal after goal, includingmorethan 180 for Rosedale'sB Gradeteam this season. But she's also an all-around leader,having captained throughout every AGrade premiership year.Somany of Lowe's peers, including Johnstone, said her captain's speeches area special source of inspiration.
"She's got away with words, she can really get everyone going, and she's just always beenthatleader.I've not known anyone else like her," Johnstone said.
"She just brings that firetothe team." Johnstonesaiditwas special to have played through agolden era at Rosedale FNC alongside Lowe.
"It's so special, and whenyou think aboutit andlook back,we may notsee that again," she said.
"I feel really lucky to have been apart of it, but also to have shared it with one of my best mates.
"It makes it all that much morespecial, and we can reminisce and talk about those memories for years to come, andit will always be reallyspecialto have shared those premierships with Lorelle."
While Lowe is suretobea role model amongthe club's netballsquads, senior and junior,she listed some people who havebeeninfluential in hernetball career
"In the early years, we had some great coaches in Julie Durand and Stacey Scott... and CarlyJohnstone, who I've played in five premierships with," she said.
She said that influences like them push her to be abetter netballplayerand version of herself.
"I think when you look back over the years, it's so important to have those good people around you and to create that culturethat keeps moving forward."
Liam DURKIN
MOE Football-Netball Club announced its most recent Team of the Decade last month.
Players past and present gathered in the social rooms at TedSummerton Reserve to acknowledge some of the club's leading senior footballers from 2014 to 2024*
The teamwas selected by Moe's senior coachesacross the last 10 years in James Blaser, Lachlan Simand Declan Keilty.
Criteria for selection was at least two season's worth of service.
Moe FNC president, MattHowlettpresented certificates to each player, while also going through year-by-year highlights.
The last decade saw results at either end of the scale for Moe, as an overall winning percentage just above 50 indicated.
The Lions have played in three preliminary finals the last 10 years (2019,'23, '24) and missed finalsjust once since 2017, yet arestill chasing an elusive first premiership since 1967.
Season 2023 was the senior team's best year,finishing second on the home-andaway ladder after losing just two regular season games.
Tworebuildswerenecessary,the firstas theclub continued to recover from having no home ground in the early 2010s,and the secondfollowing the pandemic.
Aclear generational change occurred after the pandemic, with most of the club's more senior players retiring. However,out of that sawahostofquality young playersemerge who have now become key senior players.
Other highlights throughout the decade included ending Leongatha's run of 34 consecutive victories in 2023, and winning every awayfixtureinthe same year for the first time in club history.
PeterAinsworth reached 350 senior games (departing just 11 shy of the all-time Gippsland League recordtotake asenior coachingopportunityat Newborough) in 2019, and JamesBlaserand Riley Baldi won the Trood Awardand Rodda Medal as the Gippsland League best-and-fairest in 2017 and 2024 respectively.
Acknowledgements were alsomadeto Manny Gelagotis, who was club president for arecord10seasonsbetween 2014 and 2023.
Senior captains during the decade were Ben Morrow (2014-16), Blaser (2017-18) and Jacob Wood (2019-24).
Moe Football-Netball Club Team of the Decade 2014-24 (back) Declan Keilty,Brock Smith, Scottvan Dyk, TysonBiffin, TomLong, Ben Morrow, Charlie Rieniets, Joel Bragagnolo (front) Jacob Wood,Harri Sim, James Blaser, Trent Baldi, RileyBaldi, PeterAinsworth and Grady Cocksedge. Absent: Darnell Grech, Dylan Farrell, Harry Pepper,Mark Engley, Ash Dugan, Col Sanbrook, Ben Daniher
Photo: Contributed
Coacheswere: Adrian Burgiel (2014-15), Blaser(2016-18), Sim (2019-21) and Keilty (2022-24).
Blaser,Woodand TomLong werealso named in Moe's Team of the Decadefor 2003-2013.
*Moe's teams of the decade cross over multiple decades due to interruptions throughout its history (i.e. WW2, establishmentofthe Gippsland Leaguein 1954 etc.).
B: Tyson Biffin, Charlie Rieniets,Darnell Grech
HB: TomLong,Declan Keilty,Scott vanDyk
C: Grady Cocksedge,James Blaser,Peter Ainsworth
HF: HarriSim,Dylan Farrell,Jacob Wood
F: HarryPepper,MarkEngley,Ash Dugan
FOLL: Ben Morrow,RileyBaldi,Trent Baldi
INTER: BrockSmith,Col Sanbrook,Joel Bragagnolo,Ben Daniher
Captain: Jacob Wood
Coach: James Blaser
Assistant Coach: Declan Keilty
300 games: PeterAinsworth
200 games: TomLong,Ben Morrow,Jacob Wood,James Blaser (195)
100 games: Tyson Biffin,Charlie Rieniets,Scott vanDyk
AFL players: Declan Keilty,Brock Smith,HarryPepper
VFL players: Tyson Biffin,TomLong,James Blaser,RileyBaldi
Vic Country: Grady Cocksedge
Interleague: Tyson Biffin,Charlie Rieniets,Darnell Grech,TomLong, James Blaser, Ash Dugan
Blake METCALF-HOLT
IN Morwell East Football-Netball Club's latest attempttojoin North Gippsland Football-Netball League from Mid Gippsland FNL, the Hawks have again failed at the last hurdle.
Aspecial general meetingwas held by the NGFNL boardand its member clubs on August 14, to determine if Morwell East would finally see out their wish for change after applying for North Gippsland the last two years.
However,the Hawks' hopes came crashing down, as the vote came in 6-5 against. While the ultimate resultwas split6-6 with the NGNFL boardentitled to one vote, a75per cent approval needed to occur to see Morwell East across the line.
The board, alongside Traralgon Tyers United, Churchill, YallournYallournNorth, Rosedale and Glengarry football-netball clubs all voted in favour of accepting the Hawks into the competition.
But, six clubs didn't agree: Woodside, Yarram, Gormandale, Cowwarr,Sale City and Heyfield all going against.
Morwell East FNCpresident Colin King
was, of course, displeasedwith what transpired yet again.
"MEFNC aredisappointed with the outcome of our application to join the NGFNL for season 2026 and beyond," he told the Gippsland Farmer
"Webelieve allNGFNL clubs and MEFNC would benefit from our inclusion.
"The club does see our long termfuture in the NGFNL, but for the short term, will
continue to strivefor success in the MGFNL.
"Wethank the efforts of the NGFNL board for their strong endorsement and hope to be abletoanswer all concerns of the clubs that voted no."
The concerns raised from the clubs opposing the move included Morwell East not currently being able to field an under 18s side, which was amajor requirement, and was also applied when former Mid Gippsland club YYN was accepted into North Gippsland in 2020.
The Hawks have not been able to get a thirds team up since 2021, but King was adamant when they first submitted their applicationtojoin North Gippsland next year that they stood abetter chance of doing so in the new league, due to geographical reasons.
Another concernregarding Morwell East's acceptance was the stress that would be applied to umpiringnumberswithin the Sale Umpires Associationand questioning if they wouldbeable to continue to service all North Gippsland games with the Hawks in the picture, pushing the competition to an even 12 clubs.
The NGNFL boardwerefor the acceptance
of Morwell East,and expressed their disappointment.
"The boardofdirectors weredisappointed in how the vote fell, but arebound by the NGFNLConstitution, with the member clubs voting and requirednine clubs to approve the application," NGFNL president, Martha Truin told Gippsland Farmer
Similar sentiments followed the fallout of last year's vote. The NGFNL boardwill likely encourage Morwell East and other clubs to try again, proud to be aleague which is sought after Last year'svote includedfellow Mid Gippsland clubs Newborough and Yinnar alongside the Hawks, however,the former two did not submit their applications this time around.
There is quite anumberof clubs who have had achange of heart since Morwell East first reached the NGFNL club vote in 2023, with Heyfeld, Yarram, Sale City and Cowwarr all for the move back then. Rosedale and Glengarry voted against that time around, but have since shifted in opinion and warmed to the idea. We will see if next year holds adifferent fate for the Hawks.