As Greater Sydney is forecast to gain another 1.74 million residents in the next 18 years, a Western Sydney University expert in water conservation says a vital consideration needs to be how Sydney will manage the increasing demand for drinking water. Dr Ian Wright, from the University’s School of Science and Health, says many people do not realise that Sydney already relies on recycled sewage to top up its water supplies.

“Drinking recycled sewage is a very confronting topic. But even in Australia’s biggest city – Sydney – it is an important part of the water supply,” says Dr Wright. Read More »

The Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) is one step closer to building its regulatory operations in Armidale, with 102 Taylor Street and 91 Beardy Street named as the site for the authority’s permanent office in Armidale, NSW. The Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources, David Littleproud MP, the Member for New England, Barnaby Joyce MP, and APVMA Chief Executive Officer, Dr Chris Parker, made the announcement at an event at the site today. Read More »

More and more tomato growers both in the Netherlands and abroad are opting to use diffuse glass in new greenhouses. A literature review was carried out to examine the effect of a diffuse greenhouse cover or a greenhouse cover with a different light spectrum on pollination and fruit setting in tomatoes. Information was also collected on the influence of the light spectrum on insects and bumblebees. This desk study was carried out on the request of Koppert Biological Systems. Unfortunately, the amount of information found on the subject proved to be limited.

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Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses magazine has closed owing to a decline in advertising revenue. According to the latest Standard Media Index (SMI) released in January, newspaper and magazine advertising spend has dropped significantly over recent years. The Index does not include direct advertising spend where the situation is far worse. Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses (PH&G) has not been immune from the decline in advertising spend. Read More »

The 2018 Irrigation Australia Conference and Exhibition will be held at the International Convention Centre in Darling Harbour, Sydney from Wednesday 13^th June to Friday 15^th June 2018. The event will be a three day Exhibition and Conference. This is the only conference in Australia that is solely dedicated to advancing and promoting the entire irrigation industry value chain, presenting issues relating to, or impacting on irrigation in Australia. Read More »

Shoppers will soon find it easier to buy Aussie food with new Country of Origin Labelling standards set to become compulsory on 1 July 2018. Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources David Littleproud said the system means shoppers can easily choose clean, green Aussie produce and support Australian farmers.

“Aussies want to choose fair dinkum Aussie produce and our Country of Origin Labelling changes will help them,” Minister Littleproud said. Read More »

At least 20 wine producers in Tasmania’s northern Tamar region are the latest to be affected by the state’s worsening outbreak of fruit fly. Biosecurity Tasmania’s confirmation late on Tuesday of five adult fly and larvae detections in a backyard orchard in George Town, near Devonport, meant the existing control zone to halt the movement of potentially infected produce was expanded further east, to Beechford and Lefroy, and south of Beaconsfield. About a dozen wine producers were already affected by the previous control zone east of Devonport, implemented soon after the pest was detected at Spreyton and on Flinders Island.

Source ABC News

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