Monthly bird survey at Hasties Swamp records 49 species despite wet weather, highlighting strong volunteer participation, diverse Tablelands birdlife, and notable sightings including Grey Goshawk and Superb Fruit-dove.

Critics say the federal government is weakening environmental protections – allowing unlawful land clearing, mining exemptions, and habitat destruction – prioritising industry over biodiversity, despite known risks, inadequate regulation, and growing concern from conservation groups.

Recently in Perth, Western Australia (WA) many dead Masked Owls were tested, and all were found to have these SGAR chemicals in their bodies. Other countries banned these chemicals long ago, but Australia has a pathetic excuse for a pesticide control system: the Australian Pesticide and Veterinary Medicine Authority (APVMA), the members of which represent the commercial interests of the manufacturers and sellers of these deadly chemicals.