Latest news with #DepartmentofPrimaryIndustries
The Age
09-07-2025
- Business
- The Age
Senior public servant allegedly busted trash-talking new director-general
A senior manager in a Queensland government department was allegedly caught trash-talking a new director-general and another senior officer over the Microsoft Teams messaging platform and phone calls. A workplace appeal application from Department of Primary Industries executive manager Karen Dawson was dismissed, with the senior public servant to face internal disciplinary action after she made 'inappropriate and unprofessional' remarks about Graeme Bolton soon after he was unveiled as director-general last year. It was also alleged she shared disparaging comments about other department employees, with some of the trash-talking shared with colleagues who report to her. According to a ruling from the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission, Dawson dismissed claims she engaged in disrespectful conversations about two colleagues as an 'honest debrief in response to workplace events'. She also claimed her remarks were 'factual'. She said the comments were 'private, reactive, and not intended to be disrespectful'. In response to claims she slagged off Bolton over a Teams chat, Dawson said the 'private' views shared were 'based on our professional knowledge and experience'. She said the remarks about the new department boss were 'informed by observable workplace dynamics' and were never intended to be 'taken out of context and misrepresented'. Dawson told the commission her discussions were not directed at individuals in a 'malicious manner, but rather reflected honest reactions to workplace dynamics'. But the department said the remarks about Bolton shared with a subordinate of hers were 'inappropriate, unprofessional and improper', and a 'serious breach of the professional boundaries with a direct report and not aligned with building and maintaining positive relationships'.
Sydney Morning Herald
09-07-2025
- Business
- Sydney Morning Herald
Senior public servant allegedly busted trash-talking new director-general
A senior manager in a Queensland government department was allegedly caught trash-talking a new director-general and another senior officer over the Microsoft Teams messaging platform and phone calls. A workplace appeal application from Department of Primary Industries executive manager Karen Dawson was dismissed, with the senior public servant to face internal disciplinary action after she made 'inappropriate and unprofessional' remarks about Graeme Bolton soon after he was unveiled as director-general last year. It was also alleged she shared disparaging comments about other department employees, with some of the trash-talking shared with colleagues who report to her. According to a ruling from the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission, Dawson dismissed claims she engaged in disrespectful conversations about two colleagues as an 'honest debrief in response to workplace events'. She also claimed her remarks were 'factual'. She said the comments were 'private, reactive, and not intended to be disrespectful'. In response to claims she slagged off Bolton over a Teams chat, Dawson said the 'private' views shared were 'based on our professional knowledge and experience'. She said the remarks about the new department boss were 'informed by observable workplace dynamics' and were never intended to be 'taken out of context and misrepresented'. Dawson told the commission her discussions were not directed at individuals in a 'malicious manner, but rather reflected honest reactions to workplace dynamics'. But the department said the remarks about Bolton shared with a subordinate of hers were 'inappropriate, unprofessional and improper', and a 'serious breach of the professional boundaries with a direct report and not aligned with building and maintaining positive relationships'.
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Yahoo
$6,000 fine warning after 'concealed' discovery off Aussie coast
A suspicious group of fishers came very close to copping approximately $6,000 in fines after Queensland authorities alleged they 'tried to hide their catch' in a container floating offshore. Boating and Fisheries Patrol officers were recently conducting inspections at Sandstone Point in Moreton Bay when they encountered three people returning to their car empty-handed. While the fishers said they failed to catch anything, it didn't take authorities long to discover they may have been concealing the truth. Just a short time later, officers discovered several legal and illegal crabs in a container floating on the shoreline. 'During inspections in the Sandstone Point area officers engaged with multiple groups of fishers who had regulated catches,' a spokesperson for the state's Department of Primary Industries told Yahoo News. 'Following these inspections, officers patrolled the foreshore and located the jerry can containing mostly regulated crabs. Officers suspected that a group of fishers, consisting of three individuals, had seen them conducting inspections and dumped the jerry can for collection later.' After opening a makeshift door carved into one side of the jerry can, a stash of various crabs were revealed, including eight female blue swimmer crabs which are considered no-take. Fishers are legally required to release them or face a $645 on-the-spot fine. Several of the crabs were 'under the lawful size of 11.5cm, [and] one of the mud crabs was under the lawful size of 15cm,' the spokesperson told Yahoo, adding there were 'two mud crab claws separated from the body', which is also illegal. $322 for one to three undersize fish or crabs $645 for more than three undersize fish or crabs $645 for ANY female crab/s This means that those responsible for the jerry can found floating in the water could face an approximately $6,000 fine. 'More serious offences may be referred to the Magistrates Court,' the spokesperson warned. However, the suspected culprits were not caught. 🎣 Fishermen fined $16k after illegal stash discovered 🦀 Fishers cop hefty $1600 fine over little-known rule 🐠 Queensland fisherman fined $20,000 for illegal act 'The Fisheries Officers did not observe the group actively fishing the area, the group did not make any admissions to taking any fisheries resources and denied owning the jerry can, so the officers had exhausted all lines of enquiry and therefore could only return the crabs to the water,' the spokesperson added. Perhaps they were empty-handed after all. Earlier this week, fisheries officers made another 'disappointing find' at the mouth of nearby Caboolture River in Deception Bay. An 'unlicensed and illegal' homemade net was found to contain several large dead cobia fish and live mud crabs. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@ You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
News.com.au
05-05-2025
- General
- News.com.au
‘Biblical' swarm of grasshoppers descends on Queensland road
The horrific moment a swarm of grasshoppers smashed against a motorist's windscreen has been caught on camera. The gut-wrenching vision was snapped along a rural road in Laglan, Queensland, late last month. In what looks like a scene from a horror movie, thousands of grasshoppers can be seen cascading down the drivers windshield and blocking the view of te road. The chilling footage was captured by local Mark Suhr, who said that 'millions' of the insects were 'destroying thousands of hectares of grassland of beef-producing country.' In a statement, a Department of Primary Industries (DPI) spokesperson said properties in Queensland's Central Highlands, Isaac and Barcaldine areas had reported locust activity in the past six weeks. The large herbivorous insects are considered a major pest in agriculture as they can breed quickly into swarms. Bertie Hennecke, chair of the Australian Plague Locust Commission (APLC), said that the grasshopper population could increase to plague proportions if conditions like good rain and healthy vegetation continue in the next few months. 'With ideal conditions, the migratory locust can build up three-to-five generations,' Professor Hennecke told the ABC. 'You need quite a few generations to build up to get a plague situation.' A DPI spokesperson said the department reacted to reports in the shortest time possible, but recent flooding in western Queensland had made access difficult at some locations. 'The management of locusts in Queensland is primarily the responsibility of landowners as part of their general biosecurity obligation,' the spokesperson told the outlet. Last year, the world was stunned after unthinkable vision from the US captured by the distressed residents of Elko, Nevada, revealed the nightmare they had been living in. The bugs, known as Mormon crickets, resemble fat grasshoppers and are known to appear in parts of the western United States. They can swarm a place in massive clusters that will completely take over the side of a building or an entire section of road. In one horrifying clip shared online, the brown creatures can be seen covering the wall of a building with a dark, thick layer of twitching bugs. 'Another day of walking into work to see this,' the caption read, as the camera pans across the unbelievable sight. 'I am not exaggerating when I say, I either work from home, or I quit!' one commented. 'I thought cicadas were bad in Australia but I've never seen this before...' an Aussie shared. 'I'd call the cops!' said another. The insects caused absolute mayhem across the state, where officials confirmed that they had even caused multiple crashes on the interstate highway. Local media have reported one fatality from a collision in the area, however it is not clear is this was also caused by the insects. It can be very hard to predict how big the swarms will be and depends on a variety of environmental factors including late-season snowfall and certain temperatures. Large populations of the insects pose a concern, not just when they are crushed, but live ones pose a significant threat to local crops.
Yahoo
05-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Incredible before and after shots show a major triumph in fight against $100 million problem
Feral pigs are one of Australia's worst introduced threats, unleashing an estimated $100 million economic burden on Australia's agricultural sector every year. Causing serious crop damage, feral pigs also kill livestock and compete with numerous native species. Their impact is felt by both farmers and conservationists, and the species also contributes to the spread of disease. In NSW, where it's estimated feral pigs occupy 60 percent of the state, the issue is particularly dire. While it's generally accepted that feral pigs will never be completely eradicated in Australia — from the mainland at least — pockets of the country have managed to drastically shrink their numbers. In Yetman, on the NSW Northern Tablelands, 1,243 were culled last year across two properties occupying 1,900 hectares, through a combination of aerial shooting, trapping and baiting programs. Incredible before and after pictures show a vast improvement in vegetation growth along a dam after the pigs' removal. A spokesperson for the Local Land Services (LLS), the Department of Primary Industries division that manages feral pigs, said the pictures show efforts are working. "These pictures highlight the results of ongoing, coordinated feral pig control and a reduction in the number of pigs in the area," they told Yahoo News Australia. "The pictures themselves are a before and after shot of a farm dam. The after shows a lot less damage from feral pigs and increased vegetation growth in the area." Primary producers Jack Pearlman and Rowan Wood joined forces with LLS from February to September last year to manage populations in the area, which included 98 trapping days. Jack said he'd never have suspected he had so many feral pigs on his property, until he consistently caught pigs in traps every day. "It's labour-intensive work but ... [it] showed me the impact you can achieve through longer control programs," he said. "What's scary is that they're still around, and if we didn't do these control programs or receive the support from LLS, we wouldn't have known how large the problem was until it was too late." Unexpected way pristine Aussie island wiped out invasive threat Shocking outback footage highlights $300 million Aussie problem Predators forced out with fence covering 2,000 hectares Last month an additional 2,431 pigs were culled as part of a large-scale aerial operation that targeted 78,711 hectares across 41 private properties in Yetman and Wallangra. A land of steep gorges and open croplands, the region has seen a rise in feral pig activity in recent years. Landholders had previously reported issues such as tracks, digging, wallows, and damage to fences, as well as harm to crops, hay and stored grain caused by the pigs. But Rowan observed fewer pigs and less visible damage this harvest compared to previous years. He said the damage they can do to crops "is massive" when they group. "They can wreck it in a week," he said. "If you turn your back for just six months, that's all it takes for their numbers to spiral out of control." Conservations say the impact of feral pigs in Australia can't be understated, but in certain areas extermination efforts are having real successes. In a huge win, authorities now believe they have effectively eliminated pigs from Kangaroo Island, where they previously ran amok in plague proportions. Once over 5,000 of the introduced pests roamed Kangaroo Island in South Australia, but there are now thought to be virtually none left. During the horror 2019-2020 Black Summer bushfires, which tore across more than half of the island, it's believed feral population pig numbers were also reduced by an astonishing 90 per cent — an unexpected but welcomed outcome. The president of the Australian Pig Doggers and Hunters Association (APDHA), Ned Makin told Yahoo last year how the country's hunters, farmers and regional landowners are desperately calling for a more nationalised approach. He believes pig population numbers have surged to as high as 40 or 50 million. Makin said that in 2024, hunters had eradicated over four million feral pigs. He said the figure alone debunks official government statistics which suggest there are 3.5 million of the pests nationally. Largely, the onus has fallen on locals and landowners in affected areas to eliminate the non-native species, which Makin likened to rodents, in that they are extremely prolific breeders, clever, adaptable, and eat virtually everything. He suggested the country could benefit from a subsidised hunter's scheme, which may in turn entice others to join the cause. Love Australia's weird and wonderful environment? 🐊🦘😳 Get our new newsletter showcasing the week's best stories.
