On 9 May 2024, the Minister for Resources and Northern Australia Madeleine King unveiled the Future Gas Strategy to support the supply of affordable gas to all Australians while moving towards a more renewable energy future.

The strategy is centred on six key principles which will inform all government policy decisions involving gas. These are:

• Australia’s support of global emissions reduction targets and commitment to reaching net zero emissions by 2050.
• The need for continued supply of affordable gas for Australians during the transition to net zero.
• The introduction of new gas supplies to meet an increasing demand during the transition.
• The maintenance of flexibility for households to choose how their energy needs are met while a reliable gas supply moves the country towards higher-value and non-substitutable gas uses
• Promotion of a flexible and adaptable gas and electricity market.
• Demonstration of Australia’s continuing role as a reliable trading partner for energy, including LNG and low-emission gases.

The Strategy in summary

As part of the Future Gas Strategy, a comprehensive analytical report has been released which outlines the required actions that the government will need to undertake in order to meet gas demand during this period of energy transition. 

Firstly, the government will need to prevent gas shortfalls by collaborating with industries to maintain gas-producing regions. They have also committed to reducing gas-related emissions by minimising the output of methane through operations, and promoting geological storage of CO2 in order to provide options for energy security and carbon management. Similarly, they will support businesses by working with states and territories to monitor price levels, and empower First Nations people by creating a collaborative and knowledge-sharing partnership with communities.

According to Minister for Resources, Madeleine King, “gas plays a crucial role in supporting our economy, with the sector employing 20,000 people across the country, including remote and regional communities.

“Ensuring Australia continues to have adequate access to reasonably priced gas will be key to delivering an 82 per cent renewable energy grid by 2030, and to achieve our commitment to net zero emissions by 2050.”

Australia’s current gas outlook

Gas currently supplies 27 per cent of Australia’s total energy needs and 14 per cent of Australia’s export income. According to Geoscience Australia, the country was the seventh-largest gas producer in the world in 2021, exporting a massive 81.2 million tonnes of LNG alone. 

Since 2022, the Australian Government has implemented a mandatory Gas Code of Conduct, which limits the power of gas producers by monitoring the supply of wholesale gas to the domestic market to ensure it remains within reasonable terms.

“The Strategy makes it clear that gas will remain an important source of energy through to 2050 and beyond, and its uses will change as we improve industrial energy efficiency, firm renewables, and reduce emissions,” says Minister King.

“But it is clear we will need continued exploration, investment and development in the sector to support the path to net zero for Australia and our export partners and to avoid a shortfall in gas supplies.” 

It is evident that Australian gas has an important role to play when it comes to meeting global and domestic energy transformation needs and slowing climate change. In order to meet environmental goals, the country must limit the use of gas and reduce gas-related emissions.

According to the Future Gas Strategy brief, “gas is used to process food, to process critical minerals and in the manufacture of cement, bricks, glass, and fertiliser. Demand for gas in these industries will remain until commercially viable alternatives, such as hydrogen or biomethane, become available.”

However, there is a clean energy future that involves the production of gas.

“Gas-powered generation will continue to maintain grid reliability during periods of low generation from renewable sources, complementing battery storage and pumped hydro generation.”

To learn about how pre-winter rainfall from the East Coast is bolstering optimism, click here.

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Sphere Drones, a major Aussie drone technology company, has recently received a Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) Area Approval for a site near Wagga Wagga, granted by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority. This approval will allow Sphere Drones to spearhead the adoption of commercial drones in businesses across Australia, boosting the economy and streamlining commercial operations in several vital industries. 

Unpacking drone technology 

According to Airservices Australia, commercial drone flights are predicted to increase by 20 per cent every year, resulting in 60 million flights by 2043. This leap has been aided by development in the industry, partly in response to the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. While technological barriers previously limited industry capacity, recent prototypes and tests highlight the headway being made in drone manufacturing. 

According to the report, “drones are mostly used in the agriculture and mining industries, and for surveying properties.

“Industry growth will be enabled by continued incremental technology advances like increased battery life and payloads that help overcome Australia’s unique challenges of population dispersion and geographical scale.” 

Airservices Australia estimates that by 2043, farmers will have made 500,000 drone flights to monitor and support their crops, the mining industry will be responsible for half a million flights, and over 3.5 million flights will monitor protected areas, coastline and wildlife. This highlights the massive potential in the industry, supported by the BVLOS approvals which allow for increased drone operations across the country. 

In another report, published by the National Centre for Transport and Mobility Research alongside the University of South Australia, it was found that several industries would greatly benefit from increased drone use. In fact, the emergency services sector would see a productivity increase of 10 per cent by adopting drones, resulting in a $460 million net boost to the national economy. Drones can also improve delivery and transport services in hard-to-access communities. 

Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government Minister Catherine King says that embracing drone technology could result in significant benefits.

“Drones present unique opportunities for a range of different sectors to operate more cheaply, safely and in an environmentally friendly way,” she explains.

“This includes in life-saving sectors such as emergency services and disaster management, where drones have the potential to help us undertake critical functions such as early fire detection – while unlocking productivity gains and economic growth.”

Implications of BVLOS approval 

In the past, drone operations have required spotters or trained observers to remain on-site for the duration of the work. However, the recent BVLOS approval for Sphere Drones means more freedom for companies to employ drones in their services, while also allowing businesses in industries such as mining, agribusiness, utilities, emergency services and construction to gain BVLOS approvals more quickly. This will increase drone operations, meaning businesses will see sustainable efficiency gains and cost savings on major operations.

Chief Remote Pilot of Sphere Drones, Elliot Cummins, says “it’s a big step to obtain your first BVLOS approval which includes extensive processes and procedures to prove safety and sufficiency in your technology solutions and redundancies. 

“It’s fantastic news for us as a business, our clients and the wider industry. We’re proud to have achieved this approval, it’s the first of many to come.”

Sphere Drones will focus on using its HubX technology in drone operations over the coming months. This self-sustaining, off-grid mobile drone platform captures aerial data in hard-to-reach locations typically found in mining, agribusiness and emergency response. It uses solar technology to reduce carbon emissions, and is designed to withstand the harsh Australian climate.  

Data from the Airservices Australia report reveals that 70 per cent of industry respondents are excited by the potential of expanding drone operations as a means of revolutionising industries and streamlining workloads. 

According to Sphere Drones, “as Australia embarks on this skyward journey, the commercial drone industry is set to redefine not just the nation’s airspace but also its approach to logistics, environmental conservation, and technology adoption.”

To learn about the roadblocks faced by electric vehicles in the bush, click here.

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The remains of this amphibian were first discovered in the 1990s by a retired chicken farmer in NSW. The farmer, Mihail Mihalids, was attempting to fix a broken garden wall with a 1.6 tonne slab of sandstone he bought from a local quarry. When he carved through the outer layer of the slab, he discovered the remains of an unidentified ancient species.

Mr Mihalids handed the fossil over to the Australian Museum in Sydney in 1997 and, to this day, less than 10 fossils of the same species have been discovered around the world.

The unknown fossil sat in a climate-controlled room for decades, until one day, something miraculous happened.

Lachlan Hart, a palaeontologist from UNSW Science and the Australian Museum, was studying the Triassic Era with his team when they were asked to identify the mysterious fossil. According to Mr Hart, the specimen was a near-complete skeleton, even retaining some soft tissue.

“We don’t often find skeletons with the head and body still attached, and the soft tissue preservation is an even rarer occurrence,” explains Mr Hart.

Through extensive research, the team were able to determine that the amphibian was around 1.5 metres in length and shaped like a salamander. It is believed that the creature once lived in freshwater lakes and streams of modern-day Sydney.

“Superficially, Arenaerpeton looks a lot like the modern Chinese giant salamander, especially in the shape of its head,” Mr Hart says.

“However, from the size of the ribs and the soft tissue outline preserved on the fossil, we can see that it was considerably more heavyset than its living descendants. It also had some pretty gnarly teeth, including a pair of fang-like tusks on the roof of its mouth.”

The species has been named Arenaepeton supinatus, which means “supine sand creeper” in Latin. It is believed to be part of the Temnospondyli family; a group of amphibians that survived two mass extinction events. According to the report of the study, published in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, its uncanny survival may be due to the large size of the family or its ability to adapt to unfavourable climate conditions.

Mr Hart believes the amphibian likely fed on Cleithrolepis, another ancient fish species.

Overall, only three Temnospondyli fossils have been found in Australia, making the recent identification an important step in understanding the country’s fossil history. 

Title image: the Arenaepeton supinatus fossil © Richard Freeman

To learn more about what happens when a farmer finds a fossil, click here.

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Recently, UNSW teamed up with Taronga Conservation Society and the Dingo Sanctuary and Research Centre to study the chemical makeup of dingo urine. The subsequent article, released in the Chemical Senses journal, revealed patterns of behaviour in dingo populations as a response to the scent of dingo urine.

According to lead researcher and UNSW PhD student Ben Walker, “the major finding of this study is that urine from an adult male dingo in his prime seems to have an immediate effect on dingoes who smell it in the wild.

“Dingoes respond faster and more strongly to urine from prime-age males than to scent from dingoes that were younger or older than their prime. And the other effect we noticed was they didn’t really want to come back for two or three days.”

Ben Walker, UNSW PhD student

In order to complete the research, experts split the dingoes into three groups: dingoes in their prime (aged 5-9), younger dingoes (3-5) and older dingoes (10 plus).

A study in yellow 

In total, the investigation included 30 urine samples from 13 different captive adult male dingoes. 

Manager of the Dingo Discovery Sanctuary and Research Centre, Lyn Watson, led the team collecting the samples. “Getting the urine of dingoes is a unique skill,” she explains.

“But having spent 39 years working with dingoes and seeing how they respond to alpha dingo scent makes me very hopeful that a product will emerge from this which will help farmers.

“The territorial instinct of dingoes is even stronger than the breeding instinct, so this scent has meaning in the Australian landscape, mostly to other dingoes who will always respect the alpha male.” 

Researchers were able to identify 107 chemical components in the dingo urine samples, 33 of which were consistent among the entire group.

Desert discoveries

The aim of analysing the urine samples was to identify the individual chemicals responsible for ‘signalling’ status to other dingoes. Using these chemicals, the researchers could then test whether dingoes responded differently to a variety of dingo urines.

To achieve this, the urine was frozen and transported to Strzelecki Desert, where it was placed beneath posts and monitored via remote camera-traps.

“Combining chemical analysis with behavioural experiments in the wild is an unusual but crucial approach,” Ben says. “The logistics of bringing the samples in a fridge for two and a half days on a trip to the desert makes it a lot more difficult.”

On analysis of the footage, the team found that male dingoes in their prime exhibited the largest response to the samples, suggesting dingo status was communicated through their urine. The dingoes also showed signs of determining when the urine was deposited.

Interestingly, before depositing the samples, researchers exposed them to either one, four or 33 days in the sun. Despite varied exposure, all samples still released a strong chemical signal.

A new way forward 

Co-author of the paper, Dr Neil Jordan, believes this revelation will help with future non-lethal management strategies.

“Dingoes have important ecological roles, provide economic benefits, and have significant cultural value particularly to Indigenous groups. Non-lethal tools that focus on localised deterrence of dingoes rather than their wholescale removal would be very valuable, and this study may be a small step in that direction.” 

Dr Neil Jordan

Neil says getting a shortlist of key chemical components that ‘signal’ status is a big step in narrowing the field of research. “While this might not be the ultimate solution, it’s part of a serious effort to work a bit more with animals and their ecology rather than against them.” 

According to the Queensland Environment Department, dingoes are able to keep systems and food chains in balance by acting as predators in their environment. They also hunt some species of feral animals, assisting in the survival of native species. 

In fact, in 2021 UNSW published a study highlighting the damaging effects of dingo removal. Using 32 years’ worth of satellite images of both sides of the Dingo Fence in the Strzelecki Desert, they found that vegetation inside the fence – the area without dingoes – exhibited poorer long-term growth than vegetation in the area with dingoes. 

When dingoes are removed, kangaroo populations increase, often leading to overgrazing which in turn  limits vegetation and damages soil integrity. Less vegetation can also impact the survival of smaller animals. 

Employing the newfound knowledge, Neil believes that dingoes could be deterred from campsites and livestock paddocks using urine. This would reduce the need for widespread removal and help to preserve Australian ecosystems.

If you enjoyed this piece, you may like to read about how detection dogs are fighting the spread of Fire Ants.

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It revealed the coming trends for 2024, including an increase in gross value and a decrease in exportation.

Domestic expectations

The report, released at the ABARES Outlook 2024 Conference, revealed that aquaculture production value is predicted to increase by 0.5 percent in 2023-24, reaching a gross value of $3.56 billion.

Dr Jared Greenville, ABARES Executive Director, attributed this growth to increased prices for wild-caught rock lobster and higher production of species such as tuna and oysters.

“The value of aquaculture is projected to increase by 5% in real terms to $2.21 billion by 2028–29 which will see it represent 64% of total seafood sector production value,” Dr Greenville said.

“Prices for salmonids, prawns, abalone and tuna are all expected to ease over this period but higher production volumes, servicing predominantly domestic consumers, will support further growth.”

Australia is home to the world’s third largest Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). The Australian Fishing Zone (AFZ), which runs concurrently, spreads across 8 million square kilometers, making it larger than mainland Australia. This allows for a wide range of fishing and aquaculture practices, however Australia remains a minor producer of fisheries products when compared to global competitors. According to the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, this is mainly due to a low biological productivity of marine life, and the close management of fisheries to ensure the long-term availability of sustainably sourced seafood.

According to the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations, aquaculture is the country’s fastest growing primary industry, consisting mainly of rock lobster, southern bluefin tuna, abalone, scallops, shrimps and prawns.

International stakes 

Interestingly, while domestic production is projected to grow, seafood exports continue on a downward trend, with value decreasing by 2 percent in 2023-24 to $1.43 billion.

Dr Greenville says this fall in export value will likely continue by around 2 percent every year, leading to a value of $1.23 billion by 2028-29. 

“Conditions remain challenging and uncertain for Australian seafood exports. Not only are we seeing price falls, but climate change remains a significant uncertainty for the outlook because of the potential long-term impacts on global seafood production and trade.”

Salmonids, which has grown to make up 37 percent of seafood production, is seeing a production spike across the world, leading to falling prices. However, the increase in Australian production is expected to offset the price cut.

According to the report, there are other factors which may disrupt Australian seafood exports. This includes climate change, which could impact patterns of seafood trade, as well as an increased focus on the environmental impacts of seafood production. 

Aquaculture in NSW 

Fisheries and aquaculture have a long history in Australia. In NSW alone, the oyster industry dates back to the 1870s. Now, oyster aquaculture occurs in 31 estuaries spread across approximately 3,000 hectares. NSW also farms Tiger Prawns, Murray Cod, Rainbow Trout, Silver Perch, Barramundi and Blue Mussels.

According to the Department of Primary Industries, the gross value of the NSW aquaculture sector in 2019-2020 was more than $90 million, making up 45 percent of total seafood production in the state.

To read about a Sydney-based oyster farm, click here.

The post An outlook on fisheries and aquaculture in 2024 appeared first on The Farmer Magazine.

With reports that Coles and Woolworths are hiking up grocery costs to expand their profits, everyday Aussies are looking for answers to absolve the stress of the current cost-of-living crisis. In response, the government has launched half a dozen inquiries to determine how it can regulate these changes and protect consumers.

Understanding the review 

While environmental factors such as droughts and floods are known to influence the price of produce, the current profits recorded by Australia’s biggest supermarket chains, Coles and Woolworths, have led to questions on price gouging. Consumers are concerned that these companies are increasing their prices beyond a reasonable margin, especially as Coles reported a $1 billion net profit last financial year.

In response to these accusations, the Australian Government announced on 25 January this year that the ACCC (Australian Competition and Consumer Commission) would be investigating the supermarket sector. The government body is empowered to serve businesses fines or even prison time if they find evidence of price hikes, and will also be recommending possible legislative action to the government. 

This is the first inquiry of its kind since 2008, and likely won’t be completed until February next year. 

When asked about the intention of the investigation, Treasurer Jim Chalmers said he was primarily focused on the possibility of excessive pricing.

“Australians are under cost‑of‑living pressure, and we know that a lot of that pressure is piled on at the cash register,” he explained.

“This is about making our supermarkets as competitive as they can be so Australians get the best prices possible.”

According to the ACCC, businesses are generally allowed to set their own prices, which may be impacted by a variety of factors including supply and demand. However, these businesses are not allowed to mislead consumers about the reasons for their pricing, or work with competitors to agree on prices among themselves, along with any other anti-competitive pricing behaviour. 

Supermarkets fight back

Supermarkets Coles and Woolworths have since made statements to a federal Senate inquiry, defending their increased produce rates. In its submission, Coles cited wage rises and supplier costs as two major factors influencing the price of products on its shelves.

“As one of Australia’s largest supermarkets, we take seriously our core role in providing essential goods to Australians,” the submission reads.

“We are always looking at ways to deliver value to our customers and are committed to helping lower the cost of living.”

According to the submission received from Woolworths, prices are constantly shifting due to the changing nature of the fresh food market.

“Price inflation in long-life products is driven predominantly by the multinational consumer goods companies that supply Woolworths. We negotiate directly with them with the intent of trying to ensure that their price increases are reasonable and based on genuine changes in their cost

“While the market dynamics and cost drivers for long-life, meat, fruit and vegetables, dairy and bread are all different, in the last two to three years we have seen many of the drivers of higher costs coincide.”

The bigger picture 

Along with the ACCC review, there are five other investigations currently underway.

The Food and Grocery Code of Conduct Review will assess whether the code of conduct should be made mandatory across the country. If deemed necessary, the code, which regulates the dynamic between suppliers and supermarkets, could provide the ACCC with more enforcement power and address the power imbalance between farmers and major supermarket chains. 

The Competition Review, conducted by the Treasury, is focused on competition between brands within the industry. Typically, more competition leads to lower prices as businesses seek to draw in the largest number of customers. As such, the review will advise the government on how to increase this for the betterment of everyday Aussies. 

According to Assistant Minister for Competition, Charities and Treasury Andrew Leigh, “In a highly concentrated market like Australia’s grocery sector the risk of price gouging is high and that’s especially true when the rising cost‑of‑living is hurting so many Australians. 

“This ACCC inquiry, along with the review of the Food and Grocery Code and CHOICE’s quarterly price reporting will ensure that Australian families and farmers are getting a fair deal.”

To read about current EU trade negotiations, click here.

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Stump Jump Plough

The Stump Jump Plough was a groundbreaking machine conceived by brothers Richard and Clarence Smith from South Australia’s Yorke Peninsula. The machine enabled farmers to cultivate their land without needing to remove all rocks and stumps beforehand.

During the late 1800s, mass land clearing was disrupted by large mallee stumps in the ground making it difficult for farmers to plough their land. Noticing an issue, the Smith brothers designed their Stump Jump Plough in 1876, using several hinged blades which lifted out of the ground when they hit an obstruction. This allowed the machine to ‘jump’ over roots and rocks.

While both brothers invented the plough together, it was Clarence Smith who would continue to improve the original design. Initially working under his brother as a blacksmith’s apprentice, he was eventually able to open a factory in Ardrossan in 1880, where he began widespread manufacturing of this vital machine.

Electric drill

Nowadays, the electric drill is a staple in every homeowner’s toolbox. But this handy contraption actually owes its invention to Australia’s mining industry.

In 1891, Scottish-born engineer Arthur James Arnot became the first-ever electrical engineer on the Melbourne City Council. However, he is better known for his earlier work patenting the electric drill in 1889 alongside his Melbourne-based colleague William Blanch Brain. The two were inspired to develop a tool capable of drilling rock and coal for use in the mines.

Five years later, German brothers Wilhelm and Carl Fein created the first portable electric drill, however it was much heavier and larger than modern iterations of the device and needed two hands to hold. It wasn’t until the early 1900s that the portable hand-held drills we know today were finally produced.

Refrigeration

In the 1850s, ships travelling between Europe and Australia would carry fresh meat and vegetables. However, with no way to keep these goods cold, they would spoil before reaching land.

James Harrison, a printer from Melbourne, accidentally discovered the process of refrigeration when he was cleaning his printing press with ether, a colourless liquid often used as a solvent. He noticed that when the liquid evaporated, the metal on the press cooled. Inspired to continue his research, Harrison developed a machine that pumped ether through metal coils to cool them down. In 1850, he opened an ice factory in Geelong, where he produced roughly 3 tonnes of ice every day.

In 1873, Harrison attempted to ship 20 tonnes of beef from Australia to England using his cooling system. While the experiment failed, Harrison remained determined to develop a commercially viable product. He moved to England to partner with the engineering firm Siebe & Co, where he sold his first refrigeration machine to a London brewery. It wasn’t long before more improvements and sales followed.

For a short history of Australian tractors, click here.

The post Three clever Aussie inventions that shaped the agricultural industry appeared first on The Farmer Magazine.

A history of Australian saddlers

Saddlery is a trade that has spanned decades, with origins dating back to the 13^th Century. Originally, saddlers were known as ‘bourreliers’ – experts who made equipment for farmers, producers and knights during the Middle Ages.

Eventually, the growing use of horses in society for transport, agricultural work and leisure led to the professionalisation of the saddler craft.

In Australia, saddlers drew inspiration from the English style all-purpose saddles to develop the Australian stock saddle, which is known for its support and security. It was designed for use in stock work such as mustering and droving, dating back around 150 years.

One of the earliest known saddlers in Australia was John Jones, who established a business in Sydney and began producing stock saddles in 1833. Jones is credited with naming the suburb of Stanmore when he established his property on the present-day site of Newington College and named it Stanmore Estate.

While saddlery is a male-dominated field, there is evidence of female saddlers in early 19^th Century Australia. Records from the State Library of Queensland identify Rose Harris as the only woman saddler during her time. She worked in Clermont from around 1918 until 1948, when her shop burnt down. Incredibly, during the 1916 Clermont floods, she saved six lives by using leather reins to throw to people being swept up in the floodwater and pulling them onto the balcony of a local hotel.

Hall of fame  

The Tenterfield Saddler was first introduced into Aussie consciousness back in 1972 when singer-songwriter Peter Allen released his hit single of the same name.

Allen dedicated the song to his late grandfather, George Woolnough, who bought the High Street building in 1908 and kept it running smoothly until his retirement in 1960.

The saddlery was known as a place for men to gather and share stories. Sometimes they would even bring their children, who would play with leather offcuts while they worked and chatted. George would often sit and listen to his visitors, enjoying the sense of community and keeping up with the local town gossip.  

During this period, iconic Aussie stars were known to grace the saddlery halls. These included singers such as Banjo Patterson, who would also visit other friends in the Tenterfield region such as W.H.Walker (the manager of Tenterfield Station) and the Hurtz family.

Banjo enjoyed spending time with the Hurtz’s daughter, Matilda, who would sit on his knee while he played the piano. He would go on to compose Waltzing Matilda in her honour – one of Australia’s most iconic songs.

George Woolnough was often visited by Peter Allen too, who is now celebrated in Tenterfield during the annual Peter Allen festival. Peter is known for producing several hit songs including I Go to Rio, I Still Call Australia Home, and Arthur’s Theme for the film Arthur, for which he won an Academy Award.

Passing hands

The land upon which Tenterfield Saddlery now sits was originally purchased by Sir Stuart Alexander Donaldson for 32 pounds and 10 shillings back in 1858. Sir Stuart was already the owner of Tenterfield Station, named after his aunt’s home near Haddington in Scotland. The station would go on to inspire the name of Tenterfield town, while Stuart became the first Premier of New South Wales.

The two-room building was constructed using hand-cut local blue granite and North Coast cedar. For many years it operated as a saddlery, until it was eventually sold to the Australian Joint Stock Bank in 1874. Due to the thick granite walls, which were more than 20 inches wide, Tenterfield Saddlery was seen as the perfect place to establish a bank.

The building would go on to have several other lives, including as a private home, before eventually returning to its original purpose as a workshop for saddles, bridles and other horse equipment when it was sold to the town saddler, Dan Egan. George Woolnough took over in 1908, with two more saddlers following him after his retirement; E.C. Daly and T.D. Gibson.

A building out of time

These days, the National Trust of Australia owns and operates the building. The saddlery remains in its original condition, and visitors are invited to explore the memorabilia housed all around the property, as well as purchasing handcrafted leather goods and Tenterfield Saddler merchandise.

Apart from a few restorations, the saddler has been preserved in its original condition. When wandering the rooms, it’s easy to spot 130-year-old tobacco stains on the roof and wooden floors patched with leather. Here, it really is like stepping back in time.

In April 2023, the Tenterfield Saddler was put up for sale after being owned and managed by the Meldon family for 28 years. They originally bought the building in 1995, when it was still a working saddlery.

Dianne Reynolds, sales manager from Lloyds Corporate Brokers, emphasised the importance of the Tenterfield Saddler as an iconic Aussie landmark when discussing the decision to sell.

“This is an opportunity to save an iconic Australian brand and rebuild a business that is even older than R.M. Williams, and has a deep heritage,” she explained.

It has since passed hands to equestrian equipment supplies business WeatherBeeta but remains the same in spirit and design.

The Tenterfield Saddler remains an Aussie landmark with a rich history in Australia’s farming culture. This importance is perhaps best expressed by Peter Allen, whose words still ring true all these years later.

“The late George Woolnough
Worked on High Street
And lived on Manners
52 years he sat on his veranda
And made his saddles.

“And if you had questions
About sheep or flowers or dogs
You just ask the saddler
He lived without sin
They’re building a library for him.

“Time is a traveller
Tenterfield saddler turn your head
Ride again Jackaroo
Think I see kangaroo up ahead.”

For a spotlight on another fascinating region in NSW, click here.

The post Here’s to the Tenterfield Saddler, an iconic Aussie landmark appeared first on The Farmer Magazine.

Mick Collins, local regional manager in North/Northwest and Retired Farmers Group organiser, was inspired to begin the program after a conversation with a friend, who saw the value in bringing seasoned farmers together to share their knowledge and to have a yarn.

“The Retired Farmers Group is an opportunity for farmers to make friends and meet people with similar interests, while also getting out and about,” Mick explains. “They may not be as physically fit as they used to be, but mentally they’re as sharp as ever. Staying in town can become quite frustrating, so here they can talk about what they’ve achieved and contributed to agriculture over their lives, and still feel connected to the industry.”

For Mick, organising the meetings has been personally rewarding as well. 

“Running the Retired Farmers Group is one of the best parts of my job at the NSW Farmers Association. It’s very rewarding to walk into this room of friends and know that it’s a highlight for them as well. We have a cup of tea and a great yarn, mostly just sharing what they’ve all seen and experienced.”

The talk of Tamworth

Tamworth group member Ken Douglas has always been involved in farming. As a young man, he left school to start working on the land, eventually buying his own property and expanding it by 600 acres. In 1989, he sold his farm and moved to Tamworth to oversee a major engineering company.

“I still enjoy turning up and interacting with customers,” says Ken. “They travel from all around for our services. Just a few days ago, we had a guy ring up asking about new pieces for his egg sorting machine!”

For him, the Retired Farmers Group has led to plenty of new friends.

“It’s really a meeting of mates. We turn up early for a cup of coffee, and often stay after the meeting to have lunch together. I’ve known them for years as locals, but I never had much interaction with them until I joined the group. Now we sit around and talk about different things. It gives us all a reason to get out of bed and get moving.”

Step into Inverell

Andrew Fuller, a member from the Inverell group, explains why it’s so important to share opinions and experiences with the other members.

“I grew up in marginal grazing and farming country,” he says. “I worked hard digging holes in granite and putting up fences to stop rabbits, roos and foxes. Eventually, I sat on committees and became chairman of the showground trust.”

Despite this long and successful career, Andrew is still being challenged and inspired by the monthly group meetings.

“From a young age, my father emphasised the importance of enquiry. He was born in a mining community, he didn’t have the strongest education, but he did know how to listen and think for himself. And that meant he was one of the first people in the community to accept contour banks or to have a sheep dip on his property.

“That’s one of the things I love about the meetings. We might have different opinions, but we appreciate one another’s efforts. I enjoy chatting to the blokes about old times, and about academic and farming issues. Everyone is welcome to join, and we all love it.”

If you enjoyed this piece about the Retired Farmers Group, make sure to check out the remarkable story of Philip Melbourne – at 92, he’s NSW Farmers’ oldest member, and still dedicated to the land.

The post Retired Farmers Group spins a great yarn appeared first on The Farmer Magazine.

The taskforce, made up of ten representatives from growers and industry groups, will play an important role in developing legislation and industrial regulation to aid the growth of this sector.

Hemp in the spotlight  

Globally, hemp is used in over 25,000 products in nine sub-markets such as agriculture, building materials and textiles. While already a major product, experts predict that the market will quadruple by 2027 to a value of $18.7 billion. In fact, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development reveals that around 40 countries produced 275,000 tonnes of raw hemp in 2019, which was then funnelled into a variety of sectors. 

In NSW alone, the production of hemp is spread across 1,200 hectares of land, more than every other state combined. This industry is highly regulated, reporting 99 percent compliance in the 2022-23 season. Industrial hemp is known to grow on a variety of soil types found in Australia, thriving in temperate and tropical climates with a moderately humid atmosphere.

Lean, green machine 

Aside from its significant economic impact, hemp also contributes to environmental efforts.

According to Jeremy Buckingham, Member of the NSW Legislative Council, “this is a plant which is up to 25 times more effective at capturing carbon than forestry, and which offers almost unlimited potential in a wide range of areas including clothing, construction, foodstuffs, paper, medication and more.”

Due to the modest water requirements, growing hemp is seen as an environmentally friendly process. The plant is also known to sequester four times as much carbon as a standard pine tree.

According to the National Institute of Health, growing hemp can help farmers replenish their soil by killing small crops and weeds. It also serves as a botanical insecticide, and reduces wastage as almost all of the hemp plant can be used in some form.

Hemp is known as a superfood, offering a high amount of fibre, essential fatty acids and omega three. It also helps to lower blood pressure and reduce triglyceride levels, leading to better cardiovascular health.

Endless opportunity 

The new Hemp Industry Taskforce will expand on current regulations and methods to encourage future growth. The ten representatives will discuss how to best support the development of the industry, including the expansion of rural jobs.

The taskforce will meet once a month to identify the short and long-term goals of the industry including;

• The role of hemp in assisting NSW to reach a net zero, circular economy 
• Barriers to production including supply and value chains
• Opportunities for expansion of the hemp industry through legislation and industrial regulation

All discussions surrounding legal uses for hemp will fall under the NSW Industrial Hemp Act 2008.

Additionally, the taskforce will not be able to examine the use of hemp as a therapeutic product, as this requires a licence from the Office of Drug Control and the Therapeutic Goods Administration.

The establishment of the task force comes after a NSW Hemp Industry Roundtable event, attended by Minister for Agriculture, Tara Moriarty.

“My attendance last year at the Hemp industry Roundtable provided an important opportunity to hear from the hemp industry stakeholders and understand there are important gains for our state if we can foster the sector’s expansion,” she explains.

“Currently, the Hemp Industry Act 2008 facilitates the cultivation and supply of low THC hemp fibre and seed production in NSW under controlled conditions, without compromising the effectiveness of existing drug enforcement strategies of the NSW Police.

“Guided by the taskforce outcomes, the Government can consider what work is required to reduce red tape and provide the regulatory environment to support the industrial hemp industry grow and deliver jobs to regional NSW.”

While in its early stages, the taskforce represents an acknowledgement of the important contribution the hemp industry makes to the economy and environment.

“I applaud the NSW Government for getting behind this industry and look forward to providing exciting new potential for manufacturing, a powerful transition for logging communities, and new opportunities for a climate and soil friendly crop for farmers,” says Mr Buckingham.

To learn more about Australia’s hemp industry, click here.

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