Tick deaths hit Far North NSW cattle region hard
SHAN GOODWIN
Deaths of at least 14 cattle from tick fever and quarantine bans slapped on Far North Coast properties this week have left NSW stock owners furious that warnings of a major disease threat have fallen on deaf ears.

They're demanding an immediate emergency meeting with State Government agriculture representatives.

They say it is vital legislation be drawn up quickly to ensure all Queensland cattle with the virus are sterilised with Imidocarb, which kills tick fever, before entering known tick infestation areas of northern NSW.

The deadly tick fever disease, caused by a parasite of red blood cells which is spread by ticks, is on the verge of becoming endemic on the North Coast and producers warn this could shut down the region's beef and dairy industries.

The North Coast shock comes as the Federal Government is forced to send resources to New Caledonia to help the Pacific island country rid its beef herd of tick fever after a shipment of Queensland cattle inadvertently spread the disease.

For the past month northern NSW producers have warned the same disaster was about to hit this State. Now a response team has been sent to Queensland border properties to try and shut down the spread of the disease after a NSW dairy operation lost 12 head in a fever outbreak.

Infected cattle were traced to a second property near Alstonville, where another two head died, and the team is now investigating six other properties which had bought cattle from the Alstonville producer. But far from feeling vindicated, producers who sounded the alarm say nothing is being done to prevent a major crisis.

This is in contrast to an earlier news report saying 'Quick response to NSW North Coast tick outbreak', referring to the NSW's NSW Department of Primary Industries action to curb the outbreak.

SOURCE: Extract from report in The Land, NSW, April 3

COAG: No silver bullet
THE LAND, PAULA THOMPSON
Relief for irrigators and river communities is still a long way off despite the historic deal on the management of the Murray Darling Basin agreed to at the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) meeting in Adelaide last week.

It is only an "important first step", according to Murray Darling Association general manager Ray Najar. He said nothing in the COAG agreements would help South Australian irrigators or river communities in the near future.

"None of what came out of COAG is a quick fix but a plan to consolidate how we manage our water resources is certainly long overdue," Mr Najar said.

"There will be at least two more years of pain with more permanent plantings wilting and dying and many landowners having to exit their properties to earn a living another way."

The Federal agreement with the states means:

• A single entity will be responsible for management of the basin.
• Federal Minister (Senator Penny Wong) will be given power to approve a basin-wide plan, including a new cap on the amount of water used, based on independent advice from the authority.
• SA can store water in Hume and Dartmouth dams, to guarantee critical supplies for towns reliant on the River Murray.
• There will be an in-principle commitment from the Federal Government to invest up to $1 billion in a project to upgrade infrastructure in Victoria.

The basin plan is not expected to be delivered until early 2011.

SOURCE: Extract from COAG report in the Stock Journal, SA, April 3.

ACCC wants input on water trading rules
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has released an issues paper seeking submissions on the development of water market rules.

The water market rules form a key component of the Water Act 2007 which creates new institutional and governance arrangements to address sustainability and management of water resources in the Murray Darling Basin.

The rules will ensure that policies or administrative requirements of operators of irrigation infrastructure who hold a group water access entitlement on behalf of their member irrigators do not unreasonably prevent or delay trade.

ACCC chairman, Graeme Samuel, said the purpose of water market rules is to free up the trade of water within the Murray Darling Basin.

"A well-functioning water market will contribute to improved water use efficiency as well as send clearer signals about efficient investment in water infrastructure assets," he said.

"Reducing restrictions on the trade of water provides irrigators with greater flexibility in managing their water rights."

Submissions are due by May 9.

* More details: www.accc.gov.au

SOURCE: Rural Press national news service, Parliament House, Canberra.

2020 Summit:
The Future of Rural and Regional Australia – background paper available at http://www.australia2020.gov.au/topics/rural.cfm

What's on agriculture's agenda
Rising world food prices, climate change, water shortages and rural population growth will top the agenda for agriculture at this weekend's 2020 Summit in Canberra.

Rural lobbyists have today listed these as priority areas in the hope the summit attempts to strategically position the bush to cope with these problem areas.

Queensland Farmers' Federation chief executive, John Cherry, says that developing a growth strategy for Australian agriculture is a must, as well as more supportive Government policies to make it happen.

"The World Bank, the IMF and the United Nations last weekend warned of the dire economic, social and international security consequences of looming world food shortages, which will get worse as climate change bites," Mr Cherry said.

"Major food producers and exporters like Australia need to look at expanding production to meet current and future needs.

"But that will require a groundshift in Government attitudes towards agriculture, which have seen it too often as an industry of the past."

Mr Cherry said agriculture was not seen as a 'growth industry', despite massive productivity improvements over the last decade.

"Farmers need to be allowed to get on with the business of doing what they do best - producing food," he said.

"This means giving more priority to ensuring farmers get access to the resources they need to produce more food – secure water entitlements, land, capital and the most up to date technology and research and development."

By contrast Independent Member for New England, Tony Windsor, says country Australia should have more attention paid to its development and enhancing its opportunities so a better balance between lifestyle and work and the environment can be achieved.

Mr Windsor will be part of the Population, Sustainability, Climate Change and Water grouping, which he wants to address a number of ideas including:

* Population: mix; immigration; guest workers; skills; location (coastal/inland), sustainable numbers, relationship to water; use of taxation system to populate areas capable of sustaining more people; services needed for population growth;

* Climate Change: fossil fuel use; renewable energy policy; research and development of technology associated with clean sources of energy; lignocellulosic biofuels – the food/fuel debate; the carbon debate; greenhouse gas emissions; methane from livestock; CO2 measurement and the role of soils to naturally store carbon;

* Water: policy - urban, industrial and agricultural use, property rights; trading; and

* Sustainability: drought policy; a National Natural Disaster Fund; land use; weed control, productivity growth.

"All topics are very complex and there will be no silver bullet at the end of the weekend however I am hopeful that as a result of the Summit we will all have a better understanding of the inter-relationships of the issues and possible courses of action to take to address the current and looming problems that Australians face," he said.

SOURCE: The Land 18 April 2008

Australia 2020 Summit wraps up with key ideas http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,23572346-953,00.html