Every Saturday’s post on AgriTapestry is a collection of agriculture, agritecture, urban farming and gardening related links, often stories that have come up during the week. This week I’ve a special focus on the federal election, announcements and policies related to agriculture, rural and regional affairs/areas, and similar.
Politics and the Federal Election – general news and discussion
Former Nationals leader Tim Fischer speaks up (Brisbane Times)
Farmers forgotten in the federal election (ABC’s PM)
Poll on what rural voters think the key issues are (The Land)
Agriculture research paying its own way minus State govt support in Queensland (ABC)
Coalition/Nationals ag policy launched (The Land)
The party policies
Coalition policies on agriculture, creating a Green Army and the 2030 Vision for Developing Northern Australia (among others)
Labor policies and promises – a new Centre for Extreme Weather and Flood Forecasting, a plan for Northern Australia , and their National Platform which appears to reference agriculture, forestry, primary industries generally, plus rural, regional and remote communities in a few places
Greens agriculture policy (disclaimer: I think the WA Greens did a better job of writing up what mattered when they wrote “We support a resilient agricultural sector and support farmers to remain on the land and earn a healthy return on their produce.”
Wikileaks Party policy on climate change – “the WLP acknowledges that climate change is an international and intergenerational tragedy of the commons and prisoners’ dilemma wrapped in one.” Their platform has no other agricultural, rural or environmental plank.
Katter’s Australian Party policy on rural affairs and agriculture and policy on climate and environment (note the latter is remarkably sensible and good, but their intent to implement it by blocking/repealing carbon pricing legislation is a curious step).
Democratic Labour Party policy on Regional Australia and policy on agriculture
Palmer United Party policies however none specifically pertaining to agriculture. Resources, primary production and environment considered primarily from the mining point of view.
General interest
NSW Irrigators’ Council, Namoi Water and Cotton Australia have released a joint report from a recent tour of coal seam gas (CSG) operations in Colorado, USA which investigated how the industry impacted irrigators. (The Land)
Birds-eye-view of sheep for a modern shepherd, filmed with “coptercameras” (Farm Weekly)
The National Soil RD&E Strategy wants farmers who are interested in being involved (as heard on #agchatoz)
Government testing land in the Kimberley for agriculture potential (ABC)Basket case to showcase paddock (video from Greening Australia)
The Murray River from the Darling to the sea was listed as “critically endangered” in a final act of federal Labor (Weekly Times)
Feedlot factory farming in the USA, seen from satellite (io9)
Syngenta is suing all of Europe to get a temporary (two-year) pesticide ban overturned. The ban is on all neonicotinoid insecticides, thought to be partially responsible for loss of bees. (Grist)
How city living is reshaping the brains and behaviour of urban animals (Wired)
AgriTapestry 