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Environmental Management

Meet DOBBY: the hip hop and classical composer rapping about his ancient connection to Australia

DOBBY's new album Warrangu combines his skills as a drummer, classical pianist, rapper and composer to weave the environmental and emotional stories of Brewarrina's rivers.
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Rhyan Clapham stands with his eyes closed in front of dry scrub with red earth and a pink sunset

'We get some nutrients back': Farmer praises household composting as new FOGO facility opens

A new organic waste processing plant in Tasmania's north-west means more households will be able to have food and garden waste, known as FOGO, collected. But it's not always easy to offer these types of services in regional communities. 
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food scraps and compost in someone's hand

New Pilbara protected areas 'key' to reversing negative impacts on Indigenous cultural heritage

Ancient Pilbara land and sea country will be revitalised after 12 new Indigenous Protected Areas were announced across Australia today.
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A man wearing a broad-brimmed hat stands in the outback on a sunny day.

Wild dog or dingo? Ancient DNA study suggests there's not much dog at all

DNA analysis suggests dingoes breed with other dogs less than previously thought and reveals key populations predate European colonisation.
A single dingo lies down on sand

Abattoir receives 'slap on the wrist' after government investigation into 1,400-tonne carcass dump

Piles of slaughtered animal waste were exposed on Yeeda Station, near the Great Northern Highway in Western Australia's Kimberley region. The culprits are to receive a letter of warning.
ABC News Current

How Australia's fragile native orchids could be evolving themselves towards extinction

With only a few hundred charming spider orchids left in the wild, the species' complex relationships with other organisms are thought to be hindering its survival.
Two green and maroon orchids.

Group calling for tougher fish farming regulation in Tasmania should be stripped of funding, Salmon Tasmania says

An environmental advocacy group calling for tougher regulation of salmon farming in Tasmania should be defunded because its "aggressive legal action [and] well-funded lawyered-up activism" threatens jobs, a Liberal senator and the state's fish farm lobby group says. 
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Salmon farming

Government flags massive expansion of Antarctic marine park for 'untouched' Heard and McDonald Islands

The marine park that includes the subantarctic Heard and McDonald Islands is set for a massive expansion, with the federal government planning to protect an extra 300,000 square kilometres of ocean.
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Four king penguins on a wide pebbly expanse in front of icy mountains. Two are standing, one is lying down and one is grooming

Why enough sewage to fill 180 Olympic-sized swimming pools poured into a Queensland river for three months

The worst sewage spill in Queensland history was caused by corrosion and a local government’s over-reliance on the public and another council to detect leaks, an independent investigation has found.
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Groups of people stand in a muddy field.

Spare a thought for national parks staff who have to scrub and vacuum caves every winter

It can take up to two weeks and is exhausting work, but these specialised staff feel "houseproud" after cleaning out Tasmania's public caves. So, what's involved?
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A woman wearing ear muffs vacuums the path alongside massive limestone and crystalline rock formations inside a cave.

'Against all scientific advice': Perth council looks set to press ahead with plan for industrial park near wetland

Conservationists' efforts to protect a swathe of significant wetlands in Perth's south-east take a hit with a local council looking set to push on with plans for industrial park, despite concerns raised by the Environmental Protection Authority.
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Drone shot of Greater Brixton Street Wetlands

Mataranka hot springs 'at risk' in planned water carve-up, water economist warns

A leading water economist and traditional owners warn the iconic Mataranka thermal springs may be under threat if a controversial water plan — now closed for consultation — proceeds as drafted.
Man reads maps printed on A4 paper

Pilbara traditional owners call for inquiry into Andrew Forrest's Solomon Hub

After years awaiting compensation, Yindjibarndi Ngurra Aboriginal Corporation has called for an inquiry into the lucrative Solomon Hub iron ore mine claiming the it operates "below the current standard of industry regulation".
An outback landscape.

Another shiny monolith has popped up, this time in Las Vegas. What's going on?

A strange monolith found jutting from the rocks in a remote mountain range near Las Vegas has been taken down by authorities.
Shiny monolith stands tall in las vegas

Coorong fishers call for action over ailing South Lagoon in largest fish kill in 40 years

Commercial fishers say fish are dying "left, right, and centre" in the South Lagoon and they are sick of waiting for governments to make a decision on how to fix the degraded environment.
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Dead and decaying fish scattered on the shoreline of a lagoon

River stink no cause for alarm as ecosystem strengthens to bring exciting new life

The River Murray is expected to emit an unpleasant odour this week but experts say it has been years since they have seen it so healthy.
Surface scum in the Murray River from the blue green algae outbreak in April 2016.

Sharks caught on camera taking fishers' catch raises concern about increased interaction

A professional fisherman says he is "racing" sharks almost every time he brings in his catch, and that shark numbers are making it almost impossible to fish in certain areas.
A shark comes within metres of a small fishing boat off the coast south of Perth.

Scientists plan to build new generation of 'super trees' to tackle climate change

More than 10,000 leaves from 60 plant species found between Far North Queensland and southern NSW are being propagated in a bid to increase the genetic diversity of rainforests.
Big Scrub rainforest

In one of the world's most fire-prone regions, 'cutting edge' techniques are protecting precious habitat

Indigenous fire management methods being used in WA's Kimberley are drawing international acclaim, as rangers say they are making a big difference to the health of the tropical savanna landscapes.
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Man tends to large fire in bushland

Communities are crying out for help to protect their coastlines. Sand nourishment is one solution being considered

Beaches around Australia are at risk of disappearing. As climate change brings about more severe storms and the sea level rises, many communities are looking to solutions such as sand nourishment to address the issue.
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Two teenage girls in surfing wetsuits next to their surfboards on Wamberal beach.

'A few full bellies': Large saltwater croc shot in Top End river, cooked in community feast

A saltwater crocodile almost 4 metres long seen stalking residents and dogs in the remote Northern Territory has been removed from a waterway in the territory's west.
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A photo of saltwater crocodile is moved into police UTE.

Less than 120 iconic birds left at Penguin Island, as race to save species ramps up

Rockingham locals call for the state government to take action over the rapidly declining population of little penguins on Penguin Island, with just 114 birds remaining.
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Little penguin

He's the greenie fighting windfarms. In coal country he's found an unlikely ally

This one-time Greens candidate, who is waging war on wind turbines, has found an unlikely ally — and a receptive audience — in Queensland's coal country.
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A man in hiking gear squats, he's on a clearing, high above bushland. It stretches out in the distance behind him.

Australia's ski fields are on a downhill slope, but scientists show there's an off-ramp

Away from the sunburnt beaches, hot dusty gums, and red deserts, news for Australia's ski fields hasn't been good for years. But new research shows while the snow season is getting shorter, there's hope to turn things around.
Skiers look over to the opposing mountain ridge

US gas company Tamboran receives approval to expand fracking in Beetaloo Basin

Tamboran has received approvals to drill 15 new gas wells at its Shenandoah South project, as environment groups call on the federal environment minister to ensure the fracking plans are scrutinised.
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an aerial photo of a gas well.