NEWS IN BRIEF: Farmers win big in Canberra, bird flu and bank closures

There's been plenty of action in Canberra this week, with the scrapping of the Biosecurity Protection Levy, the Super Tax and Nature Positive legislation. National Farmers Federation President David Jochinke said these wins collectively delivered producers hundreds of millions of dollars in either avoided costs or increased supply chain value.

Agriculture Victoria’s tracing activities confirmed the presence of H7N8 avian influenza (bird flu) at a second property in Euroa in northern Victoria on Thursday. Victoria’s Acting Chief Veterinary Officer Dr Cameron Bell said this result was not unexpected due to known connections with the first property diagnosed last Friday. It is the high pathogenicity H7N8, which is different from the strains that impacted Victorian, NSW and the Australian Capital Territory poultry farms during 2024, which have been eradicated. The strain detected is also different from the H5N1 avian influenza strain that is impacting the USA and other parts of the world.

On Tuesday Treasuer Jim Chalmers announced a moratorium on bank branch closures for two and half year in regional Australia. The announcement comes after it was revealed that since 2017, 36% of bank branches in regional Australia have closed.

Three triple zero calls failed to connect to emergency services when a man was critically injured during a harvest fire on a rural property, an  Senate inquiry into the 3G shutdown in Canberra on Wednesday. A 39-year-old man was operating machinery on a farm at Goohli, in northwest NSW, on the afternoon of December 14, 2024 when a paddock caught fire, according to a statement from NSW Police.

Grants of up to $25,000 are available to flood-affected primary producers, small businesses and not for profit agencies impacted by the North Queensland floods. In addition, grants of up to $10,000 are available to rural landholders or lessees of at least 10 hectares who sustained direct damage but are not eligible for other DRFA primary producer assistance.

NSW appointed the state's first legislated Independent Agriculture Commissioner in Alison Stone.

The Queenslandi Government announced the Queensland Rural Women’s Award finalists for 2025: Libby Cook-Black, Nicole McNaughton and Angie Nisbet have been recognised for their contributions to rural Queensland. 

Australian barley production is forecast to lift by eight per cent to deliver 11.7 million tonnes in the 2024/25 season – while facing trade headwinds as Chinese buyers plan to focus on their own domestic market – according to new research from Rabobank.