Burke and Wills expedition sites included on the National Heritage List

The extraordinary story of the ill-fated Burke and Wills expedition – and the crucial role of the Yandruwandha Aboriginal people who tried to help them – has been formally recognised as a defining moment in Australia’s history. The Australian Government today inscribed the Burke, Wills, King and Yandruwandha National Heritage place on the National Heritage…

More than 500 projects to protect Australia’s threatened species

The number of funded projects benefitting threatened species has just passed the 500 mark, as the Australian Government dramatically scales up efforts to save our native animals and plants. Since mid-2014, the Australian Government has appointed the nation’s first Threatened Species Commissioner, released Australia’s first Threatened Species Strategy, set truly ambitious new targets for feral…

2020 target set for more threatened species

Sixteen more threatened bird and mammal species will start on the road to recovery after the Australian Government today committed to improving their trajectories by 2020. The mahogany glider, eastern quoll, western ringtail possum, woylie, black-footed rock-wallaby, Gilbert’s potoroo, northern hopping-mouse and Christmas Island flying-fox will join the list of 20 mammal species prioritised for…

Largest solar farms in Southern Hemisphere powering 50,000 Australian homes

The Government’s investment in renewable energy innovation today culminated in the official opening of the nation’s two largest solar photovoltaic (PV) plants in Nyngan and Broken Hill. “The 102 MW Nyngan and 53 MW Broken Hill solar plants have more than doubled Australia’s large-scale solar capacity and can generate enough electricity to power 50,000 average…

Malabar Headland returned to the people of New South Wales

Federal Minister for the Environment Greg Hunt and NSW Environment Minister Mark Speakman announced today the completion of the transfer of ownership of the South-Eastern Malabar Headland (also known as Lot 304) from the Commonwealth to the people of New South Wales. “We have quadrupled the size of land on the Malabar Headland that will…

Helping local Surf Life Saving Clubs keep our beaches safe this summer

Gunnamatta Surf Life Saving Club is one of three local life-saving clubs to benefit from $5,000 in funding through the Coalition Government’s Beach Safety Equipment Fund. The fund assists Life Saving Clubs to purchase the essential rescue equipment and first-aid supplies they need to perform vital rescues over the summer season. Flinders MP Greg Hunt…

Boys learn leadership and camaraderie at Lord Somers Camp

It was a pleasure to join boys at Lord Somers Camp this morning as they supported each other through a gruelling cross country course. The course marked the conclusion of a week of activities for the 100 boys who travelled from across the state to take part in the camp. I joined the boys on…

Government’s large-scale solar funding initiative receives big response

The Turnbull Government’s $350 million commitment for new large-scale solar projects has generated significant interest in the sector with high-quality proposals now set to advance to the next stage. Twenty-two (22) eligible expressions of interest (EOIs) received by the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) for its $100 million large-scale solar photovoltaic (PV) competitive round have…