Opinion

Opinion

University of Melbourne leading bid to create Murray-Darling Basin research centre

By Professor Tim Reeves, Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, University of Melbourne Dookie College was established in 1886 and has seen many changes and challenges in the ensuing 134 years — and there is no doubt the COVID-19...

Country News
Opinion

Independence of Lower Lakes review questioned

By Jan Beer, Yea The Lower Lakes Science Review report is seriously compromised, in that the Murray-Darling Basin Association’s Advisory Committee on Social, Economic and Environmental Sciences, directed and controlled the review panel, using...

Country News
Opinion

There’s not much glister in those ‘golden’ years

Golden years? Bulls*#t. Give me denial any day. A few years ago we had been spending some time in the city (alright, yes, for a medical procedure or two of the mature gentleman variety) and in between probes, the missus insisted on dragging me along...

Country News
Opinion

Curmudgeon happy to volunteer his own children for CFA duty after rare night out

The old Curmudgeon, I have to confess, is not the most socialising type of guy. I was a bit more out there in the olden days, when I had a bit more get up and go. But of late I have been much happier exercising my rights to be a grumpy old man. Or...

Rodney Woods
Opinion

McCormack has ‘failed’ to support country people

By Tanya Ginns, Murrami, NSW John Barilaro (NSW Deputy Premier) is right when he says Michael McCormack has failed in his leadership. The Deputy Prime Minister has not stood up for farmers in his backyard across the Murray and Riverina regions of...

Country News
Opinion

Amateur weather watcher compares wet years

By John Bentley, Tongala As an amateur weather watcher my eyes and ears pricked up when reading Sophie Baldwin’s piece on our recent good fortune with the best autumn break in “decades”. Well, not quite! In fact it has only been...

Country News
Opinion

We can all work together

By Russell Crichton, Cohuna I have been writing letters to the editor for many years and I can’t ever remember complimenting government, but I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate all our governments — state and federal...

Rodney Woods
Opinion

Fix water issues before food crisis happens

By Anne-Marie Best Brandy Hill, NSW If we were to ask ‘what are our key staple foods?’ I think most people would agree that wheat, rice and dairy products are near the top of the list. Recently there have been warnings that Australia is...

Country News
Opinion

Let down by Keelty report

By Chris Brooks, Southern Riverina Irrigators chairman Backing away from a fight is not in my nature. So while I feel I have let irrigators down by putting trust in Mick Keelty to deliver for Southern Riverina Irrigation members, I’m not...

Country News
Opinion

NSW irrigators at breaking point

By Andrew Hateley, Finley Who is running this state? Is it the politicians who we elect to make the decisions, or are they too frightened to overrule the bureaucracy — that is, those who are supposed to be the paid servants? The decision by...

Country News
Opinion

Thanks for asking the right questions

By Kathy Smits, Deniliquin In a recent opinion piece, experienced rural journalist Sophie Baldwin asked the question which is on the mind of many people across the southern connected system: Why doesn’t government policy have farmers’ backs? I...

Country News
Opinion

Jobs will be created if water is available

By Lachlan Marshall, Blighty Prime Minister Scott Morrison says he wants reform to “get Australians back into jobs”. This is wonderful populous rhetoric, but how serious is he about “looking at all options with fresh eyes” as he stated last week? In...

Rodney Woods
Opinion

Water report defended

This finding was amply demonstrated by the batch of letters in the April 21 edition of Country News

Country News
Opinion

Agriculture bodies losing relevance

The VFF, NFF and the National Party seem to be indifferent to the plight of rural communities. Instead, they appear hellbent on policy that is destroying the established rural irrigation communities. One can only surmise that they see greater...

Country News
Opinion

Keelty needs water literacy

To say I am unimpressed by Mr Keelty’s latest report is an understatement. I had steam coming out my ears when I realised his first recommendation that “the Murray-Darling Basin Authority should undertake further analysis of the causes of...

Country News
Opinion

Don’t throw the memories out with the Curmudgeon

I don’t know about you, but of late, and only just occasionally, the odd thought of mortality has crept into the old Col’s mind. And nothing stirs that up more than the succession plan kicking into gear. The thing which put it there most...

Country News
Opinion

“Recommendations never become actions” says Yea’s Jan Beer

It is 23 years since the start of the millennium drought in 1997 and we have since seen a continuation of the change in climate. In the Keelty review released on April 17 it was recommended the MDBA should undertake further analysis of the causes of...

Country News
Opinion

Can Australian farmers really feed 75 million people when we import so much?

If, according to Federal Agriculture Minister David Littleproud, Australia grows enough food to feed 75 million people then please have him explain why Australia imported the following in 2019: ● $711 million in grain and cereals●...

Country News

Trending stories

News

Greater Shepparton City Council taken to VCAT over abattoir

Four families in the Gillieston community have taken Greater Shepparton City Council to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal over a planned sheep abattoir.

Jamieson Salter
News

Australia backed into corner as China threatens to apply barley tariffs

This article was originally published on The Conversation website (theconversation. com/au) and is written by Weihuan Zhou, a senior lecturer and member of Herbert Smith Freehills CIBEL Centre, Faculty of Law, University of NSW, Sydney...

Country News
News

Recognising the plight of the Barmah brumbies

Journalist SOPHIE BALDWIN and photographer CATH GREY were in the Barmah National Park this week to check on the plight of its besieged Brumbies and caught up with two of the locals on the frontline fighting to keep these animals alive GERRY Moor...

Sophie Baldwin
Dairy

Girgarre and Kyabram dairy businesses take home gold

Kyabram and Girgarre dairy businesses have cleaned up in this year’s Dairy Industry Association of Australia dairy product competition. Despite the official awards ceremony being pushed back to October due to coronavirus restrictions, award...

Rodney Woods