Latest news with #CentralTablelands
ABC News
04-08-2025
- Business
- ABC News
Oberon truffiere first in Australia certified free from banned chemical
As Australia's truffle industry continues to grow, a truffiere on the New South Wales Central Tablelands has become the first in the country to be certified free of a banned residual chemical. Japan rejected several shipments of truffles from Australia in 2023 due to detections of organochlorine (OC) over the country's maximum residue limits. OC is a chemical that has been banned in Australia since the 1990s and is typically found in various pesticides. Japan, Australia's second-largest export market for truffles, has a three-strikes rule whereby if there are three detections of OC, the entire Australian industry would be banned from exporting truffles to their country. In response to the first detection, the Australian Truffle Industry Association (ATIA) introduced the 2025 National Soils Testing Protocol, certifying truffieres were free from OC. The testing is part of a recently introduced broader program of best practice called TruffleCare. Redground Australia, an Oberon-based truffiere — otherwise simply known as a truffle grower — has been issued the first certificate of compliance under ATIA's National Soils Testing Protocol for Residues of Persistent Chemicals. "It means our customers, our clientele, can be assured that the product that they are receiving, whether it's in Australia or overseas, is clean and free of residues," said the owner and managing director of Redground Australia, Jill O'Grady. While Ms O'Grady said it was a lengthy process to secure the certificate — including getting accredited soil tests and looking at where their trees had come from — it was a vital step for industry. ATIA vice-president Noel Fitzpatrick said the certification gave exporters confidence in their truffles. "This is going to become more and more important over time as we build up export markets, but also the farms within Australia," he said. Truffles are a subterranean fruit of fungi growing on the roots of host trees and are often used as a flavour enhancer on top of savoury dishes. Despite only beginning to market truffles 25 years ago, Australia is the fourth-largest producer in the world, growing an estimated 20 tonnes of truffles per year. This has grown significantly over the past few decades, with production projected to double or triple within the next 10 years. Mr Fitzpatrick said creating the TruffleCare program was vital to ensuring each Australian truffle business produced a high-level product. "We're always looking at quality assurance in the industry so we can maintain our standing on the global market and make sure that we are leaving no stone unturned to produce the best quality that we can to maintain those markets," he said. The Australian truffle industry is estimated to have a gross value of $40 million per year and is made up of about 400 growers. Seventy per cent of growers are in the southern forests region of south-west Western Australia, according to Agrifutures. Truffles in general prefer warm summers and cold winters, with some incidence of frost and deep, well-draining and high pH soils. Because of this, most Australian truffieres generally need to modify soils. Decades ago, farmers would use insecticides such as Dieldrin and DDT to kill and deter pests in the soil from eating their crops. These were all part of the OC (organochlorine) family, which Australia banned in the 1990s. The Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water said OCs generally resisted degradation by chemical, physical or biological means, meaning they were toxic to humans and other animals. OCs are said to have serious short and long-term impacts at low concentrations, as well as non-lethal effects such as damage to the immune and reproductive systems. Despite being banned for decades, the chemical has a residual effect, potentially taking hundreds of years to deplete from the soil.
Daily Mail
21-07-2025
- Daily Mail
Aussie cop, 37, mysteriously drops dead while at the beach on holiday with his young family
A young family's holiday at the beach turned to tragedy after their police officer dad suddenly died while enjoying a well deserved break from duty. Paul Leslie Matts, 37, from Orange in the NSW Central Tablelands region, died unexpectedly on July 8 after suffering a medical episode on the sand while playing with his children. He leaves behind his wife Danni Matts, his daughter Harlow and son Xavier, and his step-children Archer and Jasmine. The NSW Police sergeant, formerly of Coffs Harbour, had been an officer for more than 16 years. His widow's close friends Jenna McAtamney and Sarah Wilkinson paid tribute to the fallen police officer. They have established a GoFundMe page on behalf of his children and his heartbroken wife who are 'facing life without their loving dad and step-dad'. 'This loss has left the family devastated and in need of support as they begin to navigate this new reality,' it read. The sergeant and his wife's youngest child Xavier, is just 8 months old. 'Danni is doing everything she can to stay strong for her kids, but she cannot do it alone,' Ms McAtamney and Ms Wilkinson said. Her friends explained the widow is trying to be strong for her children and is learning to financially support her family following the death of her husband. Mr Matts's was a 'great father' and 'will be very missed by his children'. Friends and loved ones of the family shared their condolences on a Facebook post announcing his death. 'A beautiful soul gone way too soon. RIP buddy,' one wrote. 'So sorry for your loss David and Julie, thinking of you both,' another shared. 'Thinking of you Julie ,David and family , sending my deepest condolences,' a third commented. 'So very sad to see someone so young pass away. RIP,' another said. The officer also leaves behind his parents David and Julie, and his sisters Catherine and Rebecca. Mr Matts's funeral will be held on Thursday in Coffs Harbour.
Daily Mail
12-06-2025
- Climate
- Daily Mail
Coldest night in more than 40 years: Aussies shiver through temperatures as low as -4C
Millions of Australians shivered through freezing temperatures overnight with some parts of the country recording their coldest night in decades. Mt Isa, in north-west Queensland, recorded its coldest June night in 44 years after temperatures plunged to -0.7C. Further east, in Richmond, a minimum temperature of -0.1C was the first sub-zero night in 13 years. Oakey on the Darling Downs reached a low of -4.2C. 'What we're seeing is a very stubborn high pressure system sitting over the east coast,' the Bureau of Meteorology's Jonathon How told Daily Mail Australia. 'It's made up of light wind, clear skies and cool air; the clear sky does mean that temperature can drop overnight. 'We are expecting another frosty night across Queensland tonight.' In NSW, the cold snap blanketed the Central Tablelands in snow and temperatures sank below freezing. Sydneysiders have been warned to expect scattered showers and tops of 16C. A southerly airstream has continued dragging cold air up the east coast, likely to bring wetter weather into the weekend. Showers are expected to develop from Thursday night along the exposed eastern NSW as a trough sits offshore. A low pressure system in the Tasman Sea and a high over the Great Australian Bight combined to push the south-westerly air over Queensland and New South Wales. 'Showers along the coastal fringe, couple thunderstorms though most of it is sort of offshore,' he said. The eastern suburbs could see possible showers today, before light showers become more widespread on Friday. Melbourne will remain drier heading into the end of the week after multiple rounds of showers fell across Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania. Many of the areas to receive the dampening had endured a record dry start to the year, with farmers saying more rain was needed to break the drought. 'Southern and south-eastern Australia will need to see more healthy rain-bearing systems this winter to further reduce or wipe out the longer-term rainfall deficiencies,' Weatherzone wrote at the time. Gusty showers and potential storms developing across southern Western Australia on Friday as a cold front clips the bottom of the state. The front is tipped to reach Adelaide on Saturday, bringing showers to some of the driest regions of the state. The Mid North of the state looks likely to miss out on the much-needed rain, but the upper Eyre Peninsula –which has seen the least rainfall all year– should receive some of the showers. 'That cold front will track across South Australia and reach Adelaide on Saturday, in terms of rainfall, any is welcome,' Mr How said. The bureau is expecting about 10mm of rain in the SA capital on Saturday before the system moves over Victoria and weakens on Sunday. 'There is another coming on Monday from the same direction,' Mr How said. Sydney Friday: Shower or two. Min 10C. Max 16C. Saturday: Shower or two. Min 11C. Max 17C. Sunday: Partly cloudy. Min 9C. Max 18C. Perth Friday: Showers. Min 11C. Max 21C Saturday: Partly cloudy. Min 6C. Max 20C Sunday: Shower or two. Min 10C. Max 20C Adelaide Friday: Mostly sunny. Min 7C. Max 18C. Saturday: Showers. Min 8C. Max 16C. Sunday: Shower or two. Min 8C. Max 16C. Melbourne Friday: Mostly sunny. Min 3C. Max 14C. Saturday: Partly cloudy. Min 3C. Max 13C. Sunday: Possible shower. Min 7C. Max 15C. Hobart Friday: Mostly sunny. Min 3C. Max 14C. Saturday: Mostly sunny. Min 4C. Max 15C. Sunday: Partly cloudy. Min 4C. Max 15C. Canberra Friday: Morning frost. Partly cloudy. Min -1C. Max 13C. Saturday: Morning frost. Partly cloudy. Min -1C. Max 14C. Sunday: Morning frost. Partly cloudy. Min 1C. Max 13C. Brisbane Friday: Sunny. Min 8C. Max 19C. Saturday: Sunny. Min 8C. Max 21C. Sunday: Sunny. Min 10C. Max 23C. Darwin Friday: Sunny. Min 19C. Max 30C. Saturday: Sunny. Min 19C. Max 30C.
ABC News
09-06-2025
- Climate
- ABC News
Snow turns the town of Orange white on the NSW Central Tablelands
The first snow of the season is falling on the New South Wales Central Tablelands. Light falls have been reported in Orange, around Oberon and at Yetholme between Bathurst and Lithgow. The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) had forecast snow in the Central Tablelands down to 800 metres, and down to 900m on the Southern Tablelands and Central West slopes and plains. "There are a couple of areas where there's just a little bit of white in the corners of social media or on web cams but it isn't looking like the nice white blanket that we've had on the ski fields [in the Snowy Mountains]," BOM meteorologist Helen Reid said. Overnight conditions plunged to minus 1 degree Celsius in a number of districts, with the apparent or "feels like" temperature hovering around minus 5C. "I think most places have fallen below 2C which is when we start thinking about the idea of frostiness, so that's right through the Central Tablelands and down into the Southern Tablelands," Ms Reid said. The BOM said the cold air mass creating the conditions was expected to linger for the next few days, with small hail and icy showers also forecast. "I would suggest that today is your better day to see some snow come through," Ms Reid said. "After that time, we aren't expecting snow to be a feature. "However there is another slim chance on Wednesday that we might see something in the Central Tablelands."
