Rural

6 June 2025

Helping wheat beat the heat

Published in Cell Host & Microbe, the study shows that drought-stressed wheat produces a natural compound, 4-oxoproline, around its roots. This acts as a chemical signal to attract helpful soil microbes like Streptomyces and Leifsonia. These microbes...

23 May 2025

New leadership to drive Qld’s rural support agency forward

Minister for Regional and Rural Development, Dale Last, has announced four new Board appointments, including QRIDA’s first female Chair, Caitlin McConnel. A sixth-generation farmer and senior lawyer, Ms McConnel joins new Directors Bruce Vandersee, D...

21 May 2025

Urgent Appeal to Support Farmer Mental Health Plight

Right now, farmers across rural Australia are silently battling mental health challenges. Drought, floods, rising costs and isolation are pushing many to breaking point. Farmers die by suicide at rates 59% higher than the national average. Nearly hal...

16 May 2025

QPS is shutting the gate on rural crime

Shut the Gate on Rural Crime is a campaign designed to address the unique challenges of rural crime through targeted educational resources and a regional roadshow, where landowners can meet with QPS officers. As part of the campaign, a dedicated Rura...

8 May 2025

Australian farmland values hit record high

The national median price per hectare increased by 6.9 per cent to a record $10,231/ha with a total of 4.7 million hectares of land traded, representing an area larger in size than Denmark. The number of farmland sales in Australia rose 5.8 per cent ...

30 April 2025

Long weekends a welcome break, but farmers still facing harsh conditions

From flooding in Western Queensland to ongoing dry spells across South Australia and South West Victoria, life on the land remains incredibly demanding — and Easter offers little reprieve. For over a decade, Rural Aid has stood shoulder to shoulder w...

10 April 2025

Government takes action against feral pigs

After years of Labor neglect, feral pig populations have exploded across Queensland, causing severe damage to agriculture, the environment, and waterways. $1 million of the new investment will be spent on the Queensland Feral Pig Action Plan, which h...

8 April 2025

Watering growth

The scheme takes recycled water from the Caboolture South Wastewater Treatment Plant and pumps it to Moodlu Quarry, which acts as a storage facility, before pushing it to farms for irrigation.The WIS marks the first use of recycled water for irrigati...

7 April 2025

Deer breeding season a call for community action

Dr. Annelise Wiebkin, National Deer Management Coordinator, says feral deer cause serious damage in farmland, native bushland, and urban areas. She highlights that breeding season is a particularly critical time to notice their presence and manage th...