Australian federal & state governments are preparing to exploit large gas resources that are still in the ground

The Australia Institute, “Weapons of gas destruction: Lifting the lid on greenhouse gas emissions from Australian fossil gas projects and resources” September 2020, excerpt from Discussion Paper summary:

The fossil gas industry in Australia tripled production from 1990 to 2010 and then from 2010 to 2019 production tripled again. Nearly all of the new production was exported. Australia has become the world’s largest exporter of liquified natural gas (LNG) and one of the world’s biggest gas producers. Australia’s gas and coal exports make Australia’s the third largest exporter of fossil fuels in the world, after Russia and Saudi Arabia.

Over the decade to 2018 Australia was responsible for most of the growth in LNG, and a third of the growth over the last 20 years, more than any other country Australia’s share of global gas production soared in recent years, even as its share of global proven gas reserves levelled out.

Australian Government publications list 22 new gas production and export proposals across Australia with an estimated gas production capacity of 3,368 PJ pa. Governments and companies are preparing to exploit further gas resources in the ground that are larger still.

Despite calls for decarbonisation be central to the economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic, the Australia government is proposing policies and subsidies for what it calls a “gas fired recovery”. From an economic and employment perspective, this makes little sense. There are many low cost ways to reduce gas consumption, and the industry, despite its size, employs few Australians. Expanding fossil gas production also threatens to release large amounts of greenhouse gases.

Burning fossil gas releases carbon dioxide (CO2). In addition, extracting, processing transporting and exporting fossil gas is also highly emissions intensive, and already responsible for more than 10% of current Australian emissions, on official government data. A large portion of these emissions come from gas burned by LNG facilities.

Australian LNG facilities burn around nine percent of all gas they receive to help liquify the remaining gas for export. Gas consumption in LNG facilities is double the size of whats consumed by Australian households and about as large as what is consumed by Australian manufacturing.

Another major climate impact is ‘fugitive’ emissions from flaring, venting and leakage. The true impact of these emissions is larger than officially reported. Fossil gas is made up mostly of methane, itself a greenhouse gas with much greater heat trapping potential than CO2. While methane is more powerful than CO2 over a 100 year timeframe, which is the conventional basis for comparison, methane traps far more heat over the nearer-term (a 20 years horizon). A small amount of methane loss greatly increases the climate impact of fossil gas.

Many recent studies show rates of methane loss much higher than the Australian government’s official figures, especially in unconventional gas production, such as coal seam and shale gas where techniques like hydraulic fracturing are required. Methane loss at rates observed in recent studies of large US shale gas fields range from 2.3% to 3.7%, at the higher end delivering a near-term climate impact equivalent to doubling the emissions of the burnt gas. Reducing and avoiding the release of methane emissions is essential to meeting the Paris Agreement climate goals.

There are 22 major new gas projects proposed by companies and listed by the Australian Government’s Office of the Chief Economist. The analysis here converts the supply capacity into common units for comparison and aggregation. The proposed projects are spread across the country and are of various sizes, types and stages. The largest projects are offshore fields designed for gas export, especially off Western Australia’s coast. The single largest project, Woodside’s Browse / Burrup Hub Extension, would involve piping gas from a large new gas field nearly 1000km through new undersea pipelines to an onshore facility for export…...

Murdoch and Costello's "recycled press releases by government spin doctors being passed-off as journalism or entertainment clickbait pinched from elsewhere and dressed up as original news content, isn’t going to cut it"

The Northern Rivers Times, 10 September 2020:

If there was ever an indicator that the media is not a one-size-fits-all model, it’s happening right now in Australia. 

And given the monopoly one media organisation has in this country, it’s a pretty reasonable assumption (on the author’s part at least, having been part of said organisation up until a couple of months ago), that they are driving the campaign to make online giants Google and Facebook pay to use Australian news on their platforms. 

But who exactly will benefit from charging Facebook and Google? All Australian media, or just those luddites struggling to implement their particular business model in today’s online media climate. 

Despite what the Federal Government, or more aptly their friend Newscorp, might be proposing to challenge the Facebook and Google news sharing platforms, not all news being shared is created equal..... 

While the media industry preaches that paying for journalism is a must to ensure quality and accountability remains at its bedrock, it’s no guarantee you are going to get either if you do. 

Recycled press releases by government spin doctors being passed-off as journalism or entertainment clickbait pinched from elsewhere and dressed up as original news content, isn’t going to cut it. 

Expecting people to pay for what they can read for free elsewhere isn’t going to cut it. Demanding trust rather than delivering it, isn’t going to cut it. 

Original, well-researched, unbiased, investigative journalism might. And if it doesn’t, well what’s left hardly constitutes journalism does it....

Read the full article here at Page 5.

NSW Koalas Need Your Help - NOW! Phone or email a state government pollie today

Nort East Forest Alliance, media release, 10 September 2020:

Liberals need support to save Koalas from National Party

The North East Forest Alliance is calling on people who want core Koala habitat to be identified and protected from logging to contact the Liberal Party and encourage them to resist National Party bullying.

The Koala State Environment Planning Policy (SEPP) was introduced by the coalition in 1995, with the then National Party member for Ballina, Don Page, claiming credit for it, NEFA spokesperson Dailan Pugh said.

"The SEPP basically requires the preparation of Koala Plans of Management (KPoM) that identify core Koala habitat. These are required to be prepared for individual Development Applications over core Koala habitat, though the emphasis is on Councils preparing shire wide Koala plans.

"Where Councils identify core Koala habitat it is identified as Sensitive Regulated Land and therefore can't be cleared under an exemption, and is excluded from logging under the Private Native Forest logging codes.

"This has been intended since the first 1994 Koala SEPP, yet the Koala inquiry identified that over the last 25 years only 6 comprehensive KPoMs have been approved, and these are mostly just for parts of Local Government Areas, and mostly don't identify core Koala habitat.

"The bipartisan Koala Inquiry found that the regulatory framework for private native forestry does not protect koala habitat with the theoretical protections for koalas 'weakened substantially, or indeed non-existent, when practically applied'.

"In 2019 the Coalition adopted a revamped Koala SEPP that tries to make the process for identifying core Koala habitat workable.

"Since then Timber NSW have been worried that if Councils identify core Koala habitat then they won't be able to log it, and have been targeting the National Party in a campaign to overturn the SEPP.

"The current threat by the National Party to resign from the Coalition is all about trying to make the identification of core Koala habitat unworkable so that it can continue to be logged and cleared.

"Koalas had declined by over 50% on the north coast since the Koala SEPP was first introduced 26 years ago, then in 2019/20 30% of their high quality habitat was burnt, with losses of 44-100% of Koalas from firegrounds. Since 2015 clearing of native vegetation has doubled, with no consideration of Koalas.

"Wild Koalas will likely go extinct in NSW by 2050 if the National Party continue like this.

"NEFA are asking people to email or phone the offices of Premier Gladys Berejiklian, Planning Minister Rob Stokes and Environment Minister Matt Kean to thank them for helping protect Koalas against National Party bullying. Encourage them to provide support to Councils to complete the mapping of core Koala habitat across NSW within 5 years.

"NEFA are also asking people to email or phone the offices of north coast National Party representatives to protest their attempts to remove protections for Koalas, such as Geoff Provest (Tweed), Chris Gulaptis (Clarence), Gurmesh Singh (Coffs Harbour), Leslie Williams (Port Macquarie), Melinda Pavey (Oxley), Stephen Bromhead (Myall Lakes) and Upper House representative Ben Franklin.

"We need to show that the community supports Koala protection" Mr. Pugh said.

Parliamentary contacts are at:

https://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/members/Pages/all-members.aspx

The Northern Rivers Times goes from strength to strength

An independent newspaper which came into being in the wake of News Corp's shutdown of regional print newspapers, The Northern Rivers Times has well and truly established itself.

The child of Heartland Media's Jeff Gibbs, it is a pleasure to read.

It's good to see the advertisers come onboard and at $2 a copy this weekly newspaper is cheaper than print versions of The Sydney Morning Herald, The Daily Telegraph and The Courier Mail.

Not only that, The Northern Rivers Times is free online where it can be read in digital format or downloaded for more leisurely perusal.

The 10 September 2020 issue can be read at  
https://issuu.com/heartlandmagazineaus/docs/the_northern_rivers_times_edition_10

and the newspaper archive is at https://issuu.com/heartlandmagazineaus.

New report by the World Meteorological Organization warns global warming 1.5℃ limit may be exceeded by 2024—and the risk is growing.

Phys Org, 9 September 2020:

The Paris climate agreement seeks to limit global warming to 1.5℃ this century. A new report by the World Meteorological Organization warns this limit may be exceeded by 2024—and the risk is growing.

This first overshoot beyond 1.5℃ would be temporary, likely aided by a major climate anomaly such as an El Niño weather pattern. However, it casts new doubt on whether Earth's climate can be permanently stabilized at 1.5℃ warming.

This finding is among those just published in a report titled United in Science. We contributed to the report, which was prepared by six leading science agencies, including the Global Carbon Project.

The report also found while greenhouse gas emissions declined slightly in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, they remained very high—which meant atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations have continued to rise…..

Read the full article here.

Cartoons of the Week

 Cathy Wilcox

QAnon friend of Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison permanently suspended from Twitter for engaging in harmful activity on the social media platform

The Guardian, 10 September 2020:

Twitter says it permanently suspended a QAnon account belonging to a family friend of the prime minister, Scott Morrison, for “engaging in coordinated harmful activity”.

Twitter is in the middle of a broader crackdown on QAnon content and is attempting to reduce the amplification of accounts spreading “clear and well-documented informational, physical, societal and psychological offline harm on our service”.

BurnedSpy34, a prominent and prolific member of the Australian QAnon scene, was recently permanently suspended.

The man behind the account, Tim Stewart, regularly tweeted content associated with the QAnon conspiracy theory to his tens of thousands of followers, including bizarre and unfounded claims about Alexander Downer and Julie Bishop, among others.

“The account you mentioned below has been permanently suspended for engaging in coordinated harmful activity,” a Twitter spokeswoman said.

Last year, the Guardian revealed that the owner of the account was a long-standing family friend of the Australian prime minister and his wife, Jenny. The families’ association was driven by the friendship between Stewart’s wife and Jenny.

His wife worked on the prime minister’s staff in a publicly funded position but not in any policy or advisory capacity. There is no evidence she shares her husband’s views. It is not clear whether the employment arrangement is ongoing.

Twitter is understood to have removed 7,000 accounts in the past several weeks for breaching its rules against spam, platform manipulation, and/or ban evasion. Its broader actions are expected to reduce visibility for 150,000 accounts globally.

It is possible that this friendship explains why Scott Morrison included the term “ritual sexual abuse” in his apology to the nation after the Royal Commission into the Insitutional Response to Child Sexual Abuse handed down its report and, why his wife appears to have flashed a white supremacy sign in an official photograph with Prince Harry and the Duchess of Sussex.

Trump knew how dangerous the COVID-19 pandemic was in January 2020 and did nothing to stop the spread throughout America

In a series of interviews with Bob Woodward, US President Donald Trump revealed that he had a level of detail about the threat of the SARS-CoV-2 virus earlier than previously known.

CNN published part of these taped interviews on 9 September 2020.

7 FEBRUARY 2020 – no COVID-19 deaths in USA

TRUMP: “We've got a little bit of an interesting setback with the virus going in China.”......

WOODWARD: “And so, what was President Xi saying yesterday?”

TRUMP: “Oh, we were talking mostly about the uh, the virus. And I think he’s going to have it in good shape, but you know, it’s a very tricky situation. It’s –“

WOODWARD: “Indeed it is.”

TRUMP: “It goes through air, Bob. That’s always tougher than the touch. You know, the touch, you don’t have to touch things. Right? But the air, you just breathe the air and that’s how it’s passed.

And so, that’s a very tricky one. That’s a very delicate one. It’s also more deadly than your – you know, your, even your strenuous flus. You know, people don’t realize, we lose 25,000, 30,000 people a year here. Who would ever think that, right?”

WOODWARD: “I know. It’s much forgotten.”

TRUMP: “Pretty amazing. And then I say, well, is that the same thing-”

WOODWARD: “What are you able to do for –“

TRUMP: “This is more deadly. This is five per- you know, this is five percent versus one percent and less than one percent. You know? So, this is deadly stuff.”

19 March 2020 – 52 COVID-19 deaths in USA

TRUMP: “Now it’s turning out it’s not just old people, Bob. Just today and yesterday, some startling facts came out. It’s not just old- older.”

WOODWARD: “Yeah, exactly.”

TRUMP: “Young people too, plenty of young people.”

WOODWARD: “So, give me-”

TRUMP: “So what’s going on-

WOODWARD: “-a moment of talking to somebody, going through this with Fauci or somebody who kind of, it caused a pivot in your mind. Because it’s clear, just from what’s on the public record that you went through a pivot on this to, ‘oh my god, the gravity is almost inexplicable and unexplainable.’”

TRUMP: “Well I think, Bob, really, to be honest with you-”

WOODWARD: “Sure, I want you to be.”

TRUMP: “I wanted to- I wanted to always play it down. I still like playing it down, because I don’t want to create a panic.”

May 2020 – by 1 May there were 1,795 COVID-19 deaths in USA

WOODWARD: “So now, I understand-”

TRUMP: “-it was too early.”

WOODWARD: “Your new national security adviser, O’Brien, said to you January 28, “Mr. President, this is going- this virus is going to be the biggest national security threat to your presidency.” Do you remember that?”

TRUMP: “No, no. No, I don’t. No, I don’t. I’m sure if he said it – you know, I’m sure he said it. Nice guy.”

By 9 September 2020 the number who had died from COVID-19 infection in the USA exceeded 170,000 people, according to a Reuters report and “The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had forecast last month that the U.S. death toll will reach 200,000 to 211,000 by Sept. 26” while “The University of Washington’s health institute last week forecasted that the U.S. deaths from the coronavirus will reach 410,000 by the end of the year.”

Throughout 2020 Donald Trump continues to hold large public "Keep America Great" rallies without social distancing or face masks being required. 

On 20 March 2020 Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison was quoted as saying that "The country which has actually been responsible for a large amount of these (coronavirus cases) [in Australia] has actually been the United States". However in March he was still refusing to ban travel from the U.S. to Australia.

By 20 March Australia had 846 confirmed COVID-19 cases with 41.7% of these occurring in New South Wales. 

In April 2020 Morrison chose to focus on economic recovery when he discussed the global pandemic with Donald Trump - rather than the impact in Australia of infections arriving from the U.S.

Since then community infection has taken hold in Australia and at least 788 people have died to date.

As late as July 2020 airline passengers carrying the COVID-19 infection were arriving in New South Wales from the United States. With the pandemic clearly out of control out of control in America passenger flights from the U.S. to Sydney still continue to arrive.

Today NSW Nationals are officially Australia's dumbest state political party

Having individuals members of the National Party of Australia get away with it in the past, on 9 September 2020 the NSW Nationals decided they will no longer support their Coalition partner but will remain in Cabinet, on the expenditure review committee and seated on the government benches.

Why? 

Well the Nats want to repeal State Environmental Planning Policy (Koala Habitat Protection) 2019 which seeks to encourage the conservation and management of areas of natural vegetation that provide habitat for koalas to support a permanent free-living population over their present range and reverse the current trend of koala population decline.

Apparently their developer and logging mates don't like it.

This State Environmental Planning Policy (SEPP) applies to land in around 79 local government areas on which there has been a verifiable koala presence for the last 18 years. However, in reality it seems no koala habitat is off-limits to clearing or offsetting under the SEPP.

The NSW Parliamentary Liberal Party of Australia's response to the Nationals dummy spit was clearly and brutally worded..... 

NOTE: In all of John Barilaro's parliamentary speeches since the beginning of 2019 I am yet to find him on his feet in the Legislative Assembly objecting to State Environmental Planning Policy (Koala Habitat Protection) 2019. It appears Barilaro prefers to have this political stoush play out in the media.

A conga line of #COVIDIOTS - Part 5

The Daily Telegraph, 9 September 2020:

A Victorian man and woman who tried to sneak into NSW via taxi have been fined for not possessing valid permits and escorted back across state borders.

NSW Police, News, 7-9 September 2020:

* Officers from Orana Mid-Western Police District yesterday (Tuesday 8 September 2020) issued the licensee of a hotel on Montefiores Street, Wellington, with a $1000 PIN after receiving prior warnings for breaches including overcrowding, patrons not being seated and not practising physical distancing.

* Two people have been issued PINs following an altercation at a hotel in Albury. The man and woman were with family members at the hotel on Dean Street yesterday (Tuesday 8 September 2020), when police were called about an altercation between the group. Checks revealed the pair, from Victoria, had a permit to be in NSW; however, the permit stated they should minimise contact with others for two weeks. Both were issued a $1000 PIN.

* Police have charged a man after he allegedly produced false documentation to leave hotel quarantine in Sydney.

On Friday 4 September 2020, a 30-year-old Victorian man arrived at Sydney Airport without an exemption.

The man was taken into hotel quarantine; however, the following morning he provided what he claimed to be a valid exemption document stating he was in NSW to visit his terminally ill grandfather in hospital.

The man was subsequently released from the hotel.

Following inquiries, police determined the documentation he provided was false. Further checks revealed the man’s grandfather was not in hospital.

Yesterday (Monday 7 September 2020), police attended a home on Rodley Avenue at Penrith where they arrested the man.

He was charged with fail to comply with noticed direction in relation to 7/8/9 -COVID 19, and produce false or misleading application.

He was given bail to appear in Penrith Local Court on 12 October 2020.

The man was returned to hotel quarantine.

* A man will face court today charged with allegedly attempting to enter NSW from Victoria on numerous occasions without a valid permit.

About 1am today (Monday 7 September 2020), a 27-year-old man attempted to enter NSW at the Saddle Flaps Road border checkpoint at Rockton.

The man, who did not possess a valid permit, was denied entry and returned to Victoria.

About 2.45am the same day, the man allegedly attempted to enter NSW via the Princess Highway at Timbillica, south of Eden.

Inquiries revealed the man’s permit was invalid and he was directed to return to Victoria.

It’s alleged the man failed to comply and began verbally abusing officers at the checkpoint, before exiting his vehicle.

As police attempted to arrest him, he allegedly assaulted a male senior constable. The senior constable did not sustain any physical injuries.

The Western Australian man was arrested and taken to Eden Police Station, where he was charged with not comply with noticed direction re section 7/8/9 COVID, offensive language, assault officer in execution of duty and resist officer in execution of duty.

The man was refused bail and is due to appear in Batemans Bay Local Court today (Monday 7 September 2020).

Anyone who has information regarding individuals or businesses in contravention of a COVID-19-related ministerial direction is urged to contact Crime Stoppers: https://nsw.crimestoppers.com.au. Information is treated in strict confidence. The public is reminded not to report crime via NSW Police social media pages.

Queensland Police, News, 4- 9 September 2020:

* Police have charged a man after he allegedly breached the state border police checkpoint at Goondiwindi on the weekend.

Police will allege at 4.30pm on Sunday, September 6, a 26-year-old New South Wales man was refused entry into Queensland as he did not have a valid border declaration pass.

At 5.45pm, the man and his vehicle were captured on CCTV gaining entry into Queensland at Talwood Boonanga Road in South Talwood.

Local police and investigators from Task Force Sierra Linnet commenced investigations and the man was taken into custody at a Toogoom address yesterday (September 8).

He was transported to hospital for testing and returned a negative COVID-19 result.

He was later charged with wilful damage and fail to comply with the COVID-19 Border Direction. He is due to appear in Hervey Bay Magistrates Court today (September 9).

Darling Downs District Officer Superintendent Mark Kelly said the Queensland Police Service was committed to ensuring everyone complied with public health directions.

“Officers in the Darling Downs District will continue to ensure everyone crossing the border is doing so legally and not putting the local community at risk by failing to comply with public health directions,” Superintendent Kelly said.

“Providing false information on the Queensland Border Declaration or entering Queensland unlawfully could result in a $4,003 infringement or criminal charges.”

* The Queensland Police Service (QPS) has issued a 64-year-old man with a Notice to Appear (NTA) in court following investigations into a vessel which travelled from Victoria to Queensland last month.

The manager of the vessel was today issued with the NTA with police alleging the man breached the Public Health Act by providing false information to an emergency officer. 

NSW Police are also investigating.

Illegal land clearing and rubbish dumping still plagues parts of the Clarence Coast

This must be so disheartening for Wooloweyah Community Landcare and Angourie Community Coastcare volunteers.......

The Daily Telegraph, 9 September 2020:

The next time you amble past Wooloweyah’s Foreshore Reserve, someone might be taking note. 

Late last month, residents received a letter from Clarence Valley Council alerting them to alleged illegal activity affecting the reserve. 

“A recent inspection of the Lake Wooloweyah Foreshore Reserve by Council Officers has identified vegetation clearing that has been undertaken illegally,” the letter states. 

“Council is investigating these breaches for possible legal action.” Rumours have also circulated about the possible installation of spy cameras to catch people in the act. However, council has yet to confirm this claim. 

“The problem is widespread,” Athena Batcheldor posted on a Wooloweyah social media page in response to the letter. 

“Wooloweyah is just the latest that has come to the attention of CVC. “The reserve is only 30 meters wide. Surely we can give the wildlife half a chance. If the people of the Clarence don’t stand up and jump up and down, nothing happens.” This is not the first time the Wooloweyah and Angourie community’s bushland has been impacted. After a bushfire swept along the native vegetation in September last year, the aftermath of the fires revealed a significant amount of rubbish dumped into the bushland over the years.

IMAGE: The Daily Examiner

Are you sick & tired of the misinformation being aired by the Morrison Government and numerous COVID-19 conspiracy theorists? Well it seems the Australian Medical Association just might be

Australian Medical Association, media release, 6 September 2020:

AMA President Dr Omar Khorshid said extending COVID-19 restrictions across Victoria will help that State and the nation ultimately recover from the pandemic sooner. 

In response to Premier Daniel Andrew’s extension today of Victoria’s physical isolation measures, Dr Khorshid said the extended restrictions will also help quicken the path to economic recovery. 

“The Victorian Government has made necessary decisions based on sound medical advice, in the best interests of the nation’s health and the nation’s economy,” Dr Khorshid said. 

“The Victorian Government modelling shows what doctors already knew. If restrictions were lifted this week, the State would see infections rise again. 

“Some business leaders campaigning against isolation measures are ignoring medical evidence that easing restrictions too soon risks a third wave surge in further infections. 

“The fall in daily infections in Victoria proves current restrictions are working. Extending these restrictions best positions the economy for a sustainable long-term recovery. 

“Every Australian wants to see Victoria succeed in halting COVID-19, both for the health of us all and the long-term recovery of our economy. 

“The Premier has also flagged some changes to the curfew and extending the ability for outdoor exercise. These modest changes are sensible, but recognise the needs of social interaction for people living alone.” 

Dr Khorshid welcomed the further decline in infection of Victorian health care workers, and the benefit the extended restrictions will have in preventing health care worker infections. 

“Front line doctors, nurses, and aged carers have been working to keep Victorians alive as the pandemic has reached across the State,” Dr Khorshid said. 

“The extended restrictions will both help prevent further illness, and also take pressure off the strained Victorian hospital and aged care system,” Dr Khorshid concluded.

Brooms Head Bowling Club makes decision to implement COVID-19 restrictions on entry into the club

Brooms Head Bowling & Recreation Club
IMAGE: Byron and Beyond - Steve Otton

Clarence Valley Independent, 1 September 2020:

In an effort to protect the elderly residents of their small village, the Brooms Head Bowling Club have made the decision to implement restrictions on entry to the club. 

Brooms Head is a popular tourist destination and the small village attracts visitors from around the state and interstate staying at the caravan park, Airbnbs, National Park camping grounds and other holiday rentals. With the closure of the Victorian border and clusters of COVID-19 cases on the rise around Sydney, the Bowling Club said that they are committed in doing their best to keep the club COVID-19 safe during this time. 

Office manager Robyn Mehrten said that they have had a lot of visitors to the club that they have had to turn away, due to having come from or reside in a COVID hot spot. 

“Most people are pretty good, but some haven’t been and the reason we’ve done it is because we want to protect our community and our elderly patrons who come here,” Robyn said. 

“It was a decision made by the management and board as well as the staff, to look after our community. 

“We come under Clubs NSW and the board are entitled to determine who can or can’t enter the club. Members are allowed to come in as long as they haven’t been to a (COVID) hot spot......

COVID-19 didn't stop successful annual production sale at one of the oldest Santa Gertrudis studs in Australia

The Land, 5 September 2020, p. :

Queensland graziers and studs dominated the bidding at Friday's Yulgilbar production sale with 92 Santa Gertrudis bulls, all of them on offer, selling to a top of $45,000 and averaging $9097. 

Bill Speed, Brigadoon Cattle Company at Wondoan paid top money for the rising two year old heterozygous poll Yulgilbar Parramatta P130, by Ideal Neptune N78, saying his phenotype impressed. 

"He was a very correct bull," said Mr Speed, who noted Yulgilbar Parramatta will be used to produce commercial bulls for the expansive company that runs cattle on properties in Queensland and the Northern Territory, selling grain finished cattle to Kilcoy Global Foods and JBS for export. 

Queenslanders now allowed to come south of the border for essential bull buying continued to dominate the bids, although Covid had delivered some restrictions - particularly the ban on aircraft coming direct to the Clarence River property. 

To fill the void both AuctionsPlus and Elite Livestock online streaming services delivered a number of bids all the way from Western and South Australia to Central Queensland to auctioneer Innes Fahey with only a couple of line drop-outs......

BACKGROUND


Yulgilbar Pastoral Company: 

Located in Baryulgil, Northern NSW and covering 35,000 acres, Yulgilbar has a long history in Australian agriculture. Yulgilbar is the 3rd oldest Santa Gertrudis stud in Australia. Started in 1954 it is also the largest Santa Gertrudis stud cattle operation in NSW. Yulgilbar prides itself on having an extensive Santa Gertrudis gene pool including sourcing some of the best genetics globally. Yulgilbar has Santa Gertrudis bulls and semen available for sale year-round. The Annual Production Sale is held the first Friday in September and an industry field day is held tri-annually. The sale sees up to 100 bulls, stud females and commercial breeders up for auction.