Showing posts with label New South Wales. Show all posts
Showing posts with label New South Wales. Show all posts

Tuesday 19 March 2024

Youth crime and crime generally are always good ways to scare rural and regional communities and a scare campaign has been running hot and cold in 2024

 

Youth crime and crime generally are always good ways to scare rural and regional communities and a scare campaign has been running hot and cold since the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research (BOSCAR) released the state's 2023 December quarter crime statistics.


The National Party members of the NSW Parliament have been beating up these figures and supporting any group who will drink the political Kool-Aid.


On 23 February 2024 the NSW Police Minister Yasmin Catley in Budget Estimates described the Country Mayors Association calls for an inquiry into regional crime as calling for nothing more than a “talkfest”.


By 14 March 2023 the political situation but not the statistics had changed.


TheCountry Mayors Association of NSW has welcomed the NSW Premier’sannouncement that the NSW Government will implement new initiativesto start to address regional youth crime.


The mayors' law and order concerns were somewhat recent given the last annual survey conducted by the CMA saw the 69 rural and regional local governments who answered this survey placing law and order low on their priority lists.


Readers of Murdoch media and local Northern Rivers newspapers may also have noticed the sudden flurry of journalistic and National Party concern about local crime rates.


The Clarence Valley Independent of 13 March 2024 was a case in point:


News of an escalation in youth crime in the Clarence Valley has gone right to the top of the Coffs Clarence Police District, with the Commander, Superintendent Joanne Schultz involved in implementing prevention and intervention strategies to prevent re-offending....

Last month, Member for Clarence, Richie Williamson joined calls by the Country Mayors Association of NSW for the Minns Labor Government to launch a parliamentary inquiry into rural and regional crime, following a spike in crime in the Clarence and Richmond Valley’s.

The most recent data from the authorities show that youth crime continues to rise, especially for stealing motor vehicles and break and enter offences,” Mr Williamson said.


So what had changed for the Minns Government?


Well, firstly the state electorate is now only six months away from the NSW Local Government elections on Saturday, 14 September 2024 and both incumbent governments and their political opposition like to play the 'laura norder' card in an election year which sees party politics playing a significant but rarely openly stated role in council elections.


Secondly, the NSW Premier has announced new punitive legal measures aimed at youth offenders when it comes to matters like consideration of bail applications and certain increased penalties and, what better way to win support for this move and a policy of "proactive policing" of vulnerable groups than to further demonise young offenders.


Thirdly, a 'helpful' study was released by BOSCAR this month titled "Crime in Regional and Rural NSW in 2023: Trends and Patterns".


While this study openly admitted that in the last 20 years property crime had fallen by 48 per cent in regional NSW, this was seen as deficient because property crime had fallen by 67 per cent in Greater Sydney over the same period and as due to the different rates of decline, in 2023 the rate of recorded property crime was 59 per cent higher in Regional NSW compared to Greater Sydney. A most unfortunate statistical clash.


The study also stated: In 2023 the aggregate rate of recorded violent crime in Regional NSW was equivalent to the recorded rate in 2004. In Greater Sydney, however, violent crime declined significantly in the two decades to 2023 (down 20% from 2004 to 2023). The long-term decline in violence in Sydney and relative stability in Regional NSW has increased the disparity between the rate of violent crime in the regions versus the capital city. In 2023 the rate of recorded violent crime was 57% higher in Regional NSW compared with Greater Sydney.


Leaving a distinct impression that the comparisons being made are beginning to resemble the apple and orange variety and are unhelpful to anyone except state and local government politicians on the make in a local council election year.


The icing on the cake was the following paragraph, which totalled five years of crime statistics to achieve impressive numbers which are broken down in red annotations:


Four major offences, however, significantly increased in Regional NSW over the five years from 2019

to 2023:

o Motor vehicle theft (up 20% or 1,239 additional incidents) An est. average increase of 248 offences per year across 95 regional local government areas. In this category and unspecified number of youth offenders are alleged to be found.

o Non-domestic assault (up 14% or 1,825 additional incidents) An est. average increase of 365 offences per year across 95 regional local government areas. On a yearly average est. 204 were youth offenders.

o Sexual assault (up 47% or 1,505 additional incidents) An est. average increase of 301 offences per year across 95 regional local government areas. In this category it is solely adult offending.

o Domestic violence related assault (up 24% or additional incidents)

An est. average increase of 659 offences per year across 95 regional local government areas. On a yearly average est. 86 were youth offenders.


For those interested BOSCAR released a set of graphs which breakdown the trends into more specific crime categories at:

https://www.bocsar.nsw.gov.au/Publication%20Supporting%20Documents/RCS-quarterly/Supplementary%20charts%20-%20Recorded%20Crime%20Charts%202019%20to%202023.pdf


As for "stealing motor vehicles and break and enter offences" the Nationals MLA for Clarence points to in relation to youth crime, BOSCAR data for January to December 2023 show NSW Police proceeded against a total of 27 vehicle thefts in the Clarence Valley LGA, with 9 of these thefts alleged to be by young offenders aged between 10-17 years of age. While break and enter offences proceeded against totalled 33 offences, with 9 of these break and enters alleged to be by young offenders aged between 10-17 years of age.


As for motor vehicle theft and break and enter statistics for the Coffs Clarence Police District, BOSCAR shows Coffs-Grafton statistical district was considered "stable' over the last five years. With the change in motor vehicle theft being +113 thefts between 2019 and 2023 totals. While break and enter dwelling fell by -145 incidents and break and enter non-dwelling fell by -9 incidents between 2019 and 2023 totals.


From a personal perspective - yes let's all insist on higher numbers of police in all regional areas to improve crime clear up rates and because police are often spread thin on the ground during emergencies and, in the Northern Rivers region in particular we now have such events far too often.


However, does the desire to have more police in our towns mean that we need to endorse a more punitive response to young offenders by a state government and its police force?


ABC News, 18 March 2024:


Some of the country's top legal and criminal justice experts have written to NSW Premier Chris Minns about proposed bail changes. Sixty organisations signed the letter, including the Aboriginal Legal Service and the Sydney Institute of Criminology....

Amnesty International, Save the Children and the Human Rights Law Centre are also signatories to the letter, which states the premier's bail changes will "make crime worse in regional communities, not better".

"Your new policy to increase youth incarceration is a betrayal of your Closing the Gap commitments," they tell the premier....


Tuesday 12 March 2024

NSW Minister for Finance Courtney Houssos has written to 128 councils urging those who use ticketless parking fines to address shortcoming in their approach. Requests councils to provide an on the spot, written notification to drivers

 

9 News, 11 March 2024






ECHO, 11 March 2024:


The days of receiving ticketless council parking fines in NSW are to end thanks to new directions from the Labor state government.


Half of all fines processed by Revenue NSW are reportedly council parking fines, with 48 councils issuing ticketless fines including the Tweed, Ballina and Lismore local government areas (LGAs).


Some councils have abandoned the use of on-the-spot paper fines altogether.


The former coalition state government introduced the ticketless scheme as a trial in May 2020 before expanding it to more councils in December 2020.


Local governments included in the scheme can lodge parking infringements directly with Revenue NSW, along with photographic evidence, rather than by leaving a ticket on the offending car.


Drivers are in most cases unaware they’ve received a fine until it arrives by mail or the Service NSW app.


NSW Minister for Finance Courtney Houssos says the scheme has eroded trust in the state’s parking fine system.


Minister pushes for photographic evidence in parking fines


The minister on Sunday issued a media release saying she’d written to all 128 councils across the state asking them to return to the practice of issuing on-the-spot written notifications, such as small pre-printed cards left on the windscreen.


While leaving a note isn’t mandatory under state regulations, the minister says drivers who know they’ve been booked may want to collect evidence such as photos and details of where they parked in case they want to seek a review.


This note does not necessarily need to form part of the infringement notice but at a minimum it should inform the driver they will soon receive an infringement notice via post or the Service NSW app,’ Ms Houssos wrote in her letter, included in Sunday’s media release.


The minister also requested councils using ticketless fines to review processes to make sure photographic evidence is captured and sent to Revenue NSW.


Lismore council issues nearly $130K in ticketless parking fines


Concerns were also raised about the timeliness of notifications to drivers, with some people said to have received multiple ticketless fines before being told.


The scheme is further accused of having a reduced impact in terms of immediate parking offence deterrence and driver behaviour influence.


On the Northern Rivers, the Lismore City Council is recorded as issuing the most ticketless parking fines in 2023 at 898, followed by the Ballina Shire Council at 473 and the Tweed Shire Council at two.


Ticketless fines in the Lismore LGA were valued at more than $127,000.


The local figures paled in comparison to some metropolitan councils, where fines in the tens of thousands were recorded.


The North Sydney Council issued 52,251 ticketless fines, for example.


The Byron Shire Council wasn’t included in the list.....



NSW Government, Minister for Finance, 10 March 2024 media release at:

https://www.nsw.gov.au/media-releases/ticketless-parking-fines-must-meet-community-expectations



Wednesday 6 March 2024

How one e-conveyancing firm ranks NSW coastal erosion, flooding and bushfire risks from 2023-2043

 

In its own words, InfoTrack is a leading SaaS technology innovator and has been the pioneer of e-conveyancing since 2000....From the moment a title search is performed on a property to be listed for sale through to settlement, InfoTrack’s platform transforms plain text into intelligent data that moves seamlessly between the real estate agent, the lawyer, the mortgagee and the seller.


Since November 2023 InfoTrack has been sending out media releases concerning current and expected climate change impacts most often mentioned in coastal zones - erosion, flooding and bushfires:


# From the Harbour to the Hunter, the Northern Beaches tots on the NSW coastal zone the Northern Rivers, the New South Wales suburbs most impacted by coastal erosion have been revealed, along with the 20 locations to be worst affected in the future;


# Rounding out the top five are Northern New South Wales’ Moree at number two, the Central West’s Forbes at number three, Walgett in the State’s North at number four, and the Riverina’s Moama at five.

Popular tourist locations also feature – the beautiful coastal town of Yamba, a mecca with holidaymakers, is named at number eight, Grafton in the Northern Rivers comes in at number 13, with bustling Port Macquarie, on the mid north coast, at number 15. The Central Western town of Dubbo sneaks in at number 20 on the list.....

The data and models use high-resolution topographical data, detailed land cover information, and advanced weather models to accurately simulate flood depths and extents,” Mr Montagnani said.

This comprehensive evaluation, provided by Royal HaskoningDHV’s division Twinn, encompasses various scenarios, including surface water, river, and tidal flooding, and integrates state-of-the-art climate models to provide flood risk assessments in the context of climate change.”

Interestingly, all the suburbs listed as most at risk now, remain the most at-risk decades from now.

Grafton is slightly more at risk of flooding in the future, going from 13 on the list of suburbs affected by flooding now, to 12 on the list of suburbs most impacted in 30 years, effectively swapping places with Condobolin; and


# Off the back of sweltering temperatures across New South Wales, new data has been released naming the top 20 suburbs most impacted by bushfires now, along with the locations to be most affected in the future.

Blue Mountains National Park comes in at number one currently, with Colo Vale in the Southern Highlands, and Booligal in the Riverina rounding out the top three, according to Groundsure ClimateIndex™ reports, available through InfoTrack.

Also making the Top 20 are popular Blue Mountains suburbs Kurrajong Heights (number 6), Blackheath (number 14), and Bilpin (number 13), and the Hawkesbury’s Lower Portland (number 19).


Northern NSW towns and villages feature in all three tables.

*click on all tables to enlarge*


Erosion


IMAGE: InfoTrack in Nationwide News, 14.11.23





Flooding


IMAGE: InfoTrack





Bushfires


IMAGE: InfoTrack







Prospective homebuyers can search a property address via InfoTrackGO to purchase a Groundsure ClimateIndex™ for that residence.


Monday 19 February 2024

That Australia faces rising air, land & sea surface temperatures is a situation that can no longer be denied and yet federal, state and local governments are not fully addressing the thermal mass of subdivision & individual residential dwelling design

 

The fact that ambient air temperature, lad surface and sea surface temperatures are rising across the Australian continent can no longer be denied.


GRAPH: Australian Bureau of Meteorology






In New South Wales generally average maximum temperatures in the month of January 2024 ranged from around 24°C to 36-39°C, spiked by days on end of heatwave temperatures which often broke temperature records for individual localities.


MAPPING:  Australian Bureau of Meteorology






In the north-east coastal zone of the state the minimum air temperature was 1°C higher and maximum air temperature 1-2°C higher than they were between 1981-2010.


In January the highest Northern Rivers region minimum & maximum recorded daily temperature range was:


Evans Head 24.838°C

Grafton 24.537.6°C

Yamba 25.637.2°C

Murwillumbah 27.1—36.2°C

Casino 27.1—36.2°C

Lismore 24.5—35.6°C

Tabulam 23.0—34.9°C

Byron Bay 25.6—32.7°C

Ballina 24.934.2°C

Note: These are the nine official Bureau of Meteorology weather stations in the Northern Rivers region.



Yet despite all this new subdivision schemes and housing designs are paying little more than lip service to sustainability and mitigating the thermal load of both the internal road networks of these subdivisions or the collective & individual loads of dwelling contained there in.


Apparently, multi-dwelling structures that increasing look like a collection of boxes are skating through BASIX requirements on the presumption that each individual box within these boxes will be fully air conditioned at some point before occupation or that if ceiling fans are fitted to some of the rooms then this will mitigate heat.


An assumption which:

(i) takes no account of the increasing stress air conditioning places on a household's cost of living. Because the price per kilowatt hour & associated charges of residential electricity supply continues to rise and commonly these multiple dwelling boxes are not built with any rooftop solar power grid to mitigate cost;

(ii) completely ignores the increasing risk of destructive storms causing levels of damage to power supply infrastructure that cuts power supply to both collections of streets or entire towns for days/weeks at a time. As occurred in heatwave conditions in 2024; and

(iii) appears to leave the thermal load of closely clustered internal roads out of the equation completely.


I expect the latest collection of boxes being considered by Clarence Valley Council will also get the nod because I have yet to see this local government apply the full suite of climate change policies to every development application before deciding consent. The heat footprint of an application rarely rates a mention in Council-in-the-Chamber debates or elicits questions to senior staff attending. Neither are there many mentions of the heat island affect caused by new roads, pavements and driveways. Nor does the wind resistance factor of a proposed building arise - and given the entire Clarence Coast is now in a cyclone risk zone that borders on the negligent when assessing new development applications.


Artists impression of street view of 6 Yamba Road, Yamba proposed subdivision. IMAGE: BDA


Set out below are some basic facts about how the freestanding houses, town houses, duplexes, units and flats we live in attract and retain heat.


Australian Government, Your Home, retrieved 19 February 2024:


Passive Design


What is thermal mass?

In simple terms, thermal mass is the ability of a material to absorb, store and release heat. Materials such as concrete, bricks and tiles absorb and store heat. They are therefore said to have high thermal mass. Materials such as timber and cloth do not absorb and store heat and are said to have low thermal mass.


In considering thermal mass, you will also need to consider thermal lag. Thermal lag is the rate at which heat is absorbed and released by a material. Materials with long thermal lag times (for example, brick and concrete) will absorb and release heat slowly; materials with short thermal lag times (for example, steel) will absorb and release heat quickly.


Thermal mass


Thermal mass, or the ability to store heat, is also known as volumetric heat capacity (VHC). VHC is calculated by multiplying the specific heat capacity by the density of a material:


  • Specific heat capacity is the amount of energy required to raise the temperature of 1kg of a material by 1°C.

  • Density is the weight per unit volume of a material (ie how much a cubic metre the material weighs).


The higher the VHC, the higher the thermal mass.


Water has the highest VHC of any common material. The following table shows that it takes 4186 kilojoules (kJ) of energy to raise the temperature of 1 cubic metre of water by 1°C, whereas it takes only 2060kJ to raise the temperature of an equal volume of concrete by the same amount. In other words, water has around twice the heat storage capacity of concrete. The VHC of rock usually ranges between brick and concrete, depending on density. Most common building materials with high VHC also tend to be quite conductive, making them poor insulators.






Thermal lag


How fast heat is absorbed and released by uninsulated material is referred to as thermal lag. It is influenced by:


  • heat capacity of the material

  • conductivity of the material

  • difference in temperature (known as the temperature differential or ΔT) between each face of the material

  • thickness of the material

  • surface area of the material

  • texture, colour and surface coatings (for example, dark, matte or textured surfaces absorb and re-radiate more energy than light, smooth, reflective surfaces)

  • exposure of the material to air movement and air speed.


To be effective in most climates, thermal mass should be able to absorb and re-radiate close to its full heat storage capacity in a single day–night (diurnal) cycle.


In moderate climates, a 12-hour lag cycle is ideal. In colder climates subject to long cloudy periods, lags of up to 7 days can be useful, providing there is enough solar exposed glazing to ‘charge’ the thermal mass in sunny weather.


Embodied energy


Some high thermal mass materials, such as concrete, cement-stabilised rammed earth, and brick, have high embodied energy when used in the quantities required. This highlights the importance of using such construction only where it delivers a clear thermal benefit. When used appropriately, the savings in heating and cooling energy from the thermal mass can outweigh the cost of its embodied energy over the lifetime of the building. Consideration should be given to using high thermal mass materials with lower embodied energy, such as water, adobe or recycled brick.


Why is thermal mass important?


When used correctly, materials with high thermal mass can significantly increase comfort and reduce energy use in your home. Thermal mass acts as a thermal battery to moderate internal temperatures by averaging out day−night (diurnal) extremes.


In winter, thermal mass can absorb heat during the day from direct sunlight. It re-radiates this warmth back into the home throughout the night.

In summer, thermal mass can be used to keep the home cool. If the sun is blocked from reaching the mass (for example, with shading), the mass will instead absorb warmth from inside the home. You can then allow cool breezes and convection currents to pass over the thermal mass overnight to draw out the stored energy.


Conversely, poor use of thermal mass can reduce comfort and increase energy use. Inappropriate thermal mass can absorb all the heat you produce on a winter night or radiate heat to you all night as you try to sleep during a summer heatwave.....



Saturday 3 February 2024

Saturday's Mood: HOT!


Australian Bureau of Meteorology, Northern Rivers Forecast, issued at 4:30 pm EDT on Friday 2 February 2024:


Weather Situation

A high pressure system over the Bight extends a ridge into southern and western New South Wales today, while a trough of low pressure lies over the northeast. This trough will decay early Saturday as the high moves to the Tasman Sea, although a new trough is forecast to develop in the west during the weekend. This pattern will direct hot air from central Australia across New South Wales, peaking in many areas during Sunday. The remnants of Ex-Tropical Cyclone Kirrily look set to be drawn into the inland trough during Monday, potentially bringing significant rain to some western areas, before the whole system weakens and shifts to the state's east on Tuesday.


Heatwave Situation for 3 days starting Saturday 3rd February 2024 

Click on image to enlarge

NOTE: Heatwave mapping for this cycle commenced Wednesday 31 January 2024.


Tuesday 23 January 2024

FIRE ANTS: dangerous invasive pest found almost 99kms south of the NSW-Qld border on Friday 19 January 2024

 

Wardell NSW
Population 803 people (2021)
IMAGE: Google Earth



Echo, 22 January 2023:



Fire ants found in Wardell on Friday were destroyed on Saturday and are no longer a risk to the community living in the immediate area, according to the NSW Minister for Agriculture, Tara Moriarty.


The fire ants in Wardell were originally reported in by a member of the community to the NSW Biosecurity Hotline on Friday and confirmed as fire ants later that day.


The Ballina finding also comes just days after fire ants were spotted floating in floodwaters around the Gold Coast and warnings that fire ants could spread further south after being detected in Murwillumbah.



National Fire Ant Eradication Program


The NSW Department of Primary Industries team moved in with colleagues from the National Fire Ant Eradication Program and Ballina Shire Council to destroy the fire ants, control the site, start tracing the source and survey the surrounding area.


Moriarty said to manage the risks of spread, a biosecurity control order has been put in place with immediate effect, restricting movement within the surrounding 5km area of the site in Wardell.


Department of Primary Industry teams will support the local businesses and community who will need to lock down movement of landscaping, gardening, and building materials plus machinery until inspected and checked.


Chemically eradicated the infestation


Experienced teams were on site on Saturday and chemically eradicated the infestation and treated a radius of 500 metres from the site.


Following detection of the fire ants the NSW Government instigated its action plan covering – eradication, control, tracing, and engagement of local businesses and community.


Moriarty said the teams were prepared for this discovery of fire ants and immediately implemented a response plan and destroyed the fire ant site.


Biosecurity is a shared responsibility and I encourage everyone to continue to check their properties for these pests. With the summer cross-border travel in peak times I ask everyone to be careful of what they’re moving and where.’.....


Community kept informed


Tara Moriarty said the community will be kept informed of progress.


The team will continue activities with sniffer dogs and boots on the ground to determine the extent of any infestation, undertake genetic testing of the fire ants, as well as engaging and supporting the impacted local community and businesses.


Thursday 18 January 2024

With continuing rain bringing risk of across border flooding Northern NSW put on alert for fire ant movement in January 2024

 


Invasive Species Council, excerpts retrieved 17 January 2024:


Red Fire Ants are a serious problem for everybody in Australia. These highly invasive ants first turned up in Australia in 2001 at the northern port of Brisbane. We know of four other outbreaks. One large outbreak in southeast Queensland remains active, but contained.....


Nearly all of Australia is vulnerable to fire ant invasion, including all major cities and towns. More than 99% of the mainland and 80% of Tasmania are suitable to these deadly intruders.


Fire ants might be small, but when their nests are disturbed they rise up in their thousands to swarm and sting their intruder en masse.


Without the regular use of chemical baits, infested parks, gardens and homes become uninhabitable. In the US, 30% to 60% of people in infested areas are stung each year. The stings are painful, hence their name ‘fire’ ants. The alkaloid venom causes pustules and, in some people, allergic reactions.


Fire ants have greater ecological impacts than most ants because they reach extremely high densities. An assessment of their likely impact on 123 animals in southeast Queensland predicted population declines in about 45% of birds, 38% of mammals, 69% of reptiles and 95% of frogs.


These ants damage crops, rob beehives and kill newborn livestock. During dry times they dominate the margins of dams and livestock cannot reach water without being seriously stung.


Australia has too much to lose if we don’t eradicate red fire ants.....


‘The recent heavy rainfall and wild weather in the region could accelerate the spread of fire ants, one of the world’s worst invasive species,’ warned Invasive Species Council Advocacy Manager Reece Pianta.


‘Fire ants are more active before or after rainfall and can form large floating rafts which move with water currents to establish footholds in new areas.


‘We have recently seen evidence of this rafting behaviour on cane farms south of Brisbane.


‘The good news is that it will be easier to spot fire ants and their nests at this time.


‘We are therefore calling on the community to be on the lookout for fire ants, including in their backyards, local parks, beaches or bushland.


‘It’s really easy to do your part. Just take a picture of any suspicious ants and report it.


‘And don’t worry if you’re not sure what type of ant it is, every picture that is sent in will be vital information for the eradication program.....


Report fire ants to:

Queensland: 13 25 23 or www.fireants.org.au

New South Wales: 1800 680 244 or https://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/biosecurity/forms/report-exotic-ants

If you think fire ants are on your property, find advice on what to do by visiting: https://www.fireants.org.au/treat/residential-landowner-or-tenant









TheSydney Morning Herald, 17 January 2024:


Venomous fire ants caught in Queensland floodwaters are forming living rafts that quickly traverse long distances, raising the threat of more incursions from the south-east of the state into NSW.


A video released by the Invasive Species Council on Tuesday shows thousands of ants clinging to each other in a tight pack as they float in floodwaters around the Gold Coast.


The invasive species, whose sting can kill people, pets and livestock, and destroy native ecosystems, can also fly – in rare cases up to several kilometres at a time – and travel in transported soil, mulch, animal feed, potted plants and other organic material.


Six nests were detected and destroyed at Murwillumbah in the NSW Northern Rivers region in November. The mounting threat is so urgent the state government has increased checks at the Queensland border, requiring people to declare their goods and register their movements.


“There is a real onus on NSW residents, buyers, importers or anyone that’s bringing in goods from Queensland to make sure they know where it comes from,” NSW Department of Primary Industries chief invasive species officer Scott Charlton said.


“If it’s a fire ant area, it requires the appropriate paperwork to be certified as free from fire ants.”.....



Wednesday 3 January 2024

New South Wales might still be in the grip of drought, however December rains did some good

 

Those rolling thunderstorms, wind, rain and flash flooding that plagued the state in December were not just uncomfortable - at times they were dangerous. 


Even now in the first two days of 2024 the NSW State Emergency Service (SES) has responded to more than 115 incidents in the past 24 hours, in response to the impacts of storms and flooding in the north east of the state.


However, all that weather has produced one set of images to bring smiles to the faces of some people in a number of coastal districts.


It's not enough to come out of drought but areas of intense drought have shrunk somewhat.


The Northern Rivers region has seen the Intense Drought category sink back down to 14.5 per cent from a Spring high of an est. 42.8 per cent of all land. While the Drought category fell from 41.6 per cent to 29.1 per cent, with those decreases moving over to being Drought Affected land sitting at 56.3 per cent of the region. 


This of course is 2024, the year of accelerated global warming and erratic weather patterns, so it feels like a coin toss as to whether the Australian east coast and the Northern Rivers in particular have three months of destructive storms ahead or a return to below average rainfall until Winter arrives.




NEW SOUTH WALES DROUGHT PERCENTAGES 29.12.23

NSWDPI Combined Drought Indicator