Orange bellied parrot help call-out

Trout season opens

TASMANIA’S brown-trout season opened with encouraging reports from estuary rivers, Bronte Lagoon, Lake Echo, the Bradys Chain, Lake Leake and several smaller waters. Anglers also have 45 yellow-tagged trout to chase, worth a combined $245,000. The first tagged fish caught from Great Lake carries a $25,000 prize, which should make every flash of yellow beside the boat worth a second look.

Lure of the lake

PUBLIC access to Pioneer Lake in the North-East has been restored following completion of the Pioneer Dam decommissioning project. The reopening comes with an added incentive: 550 rainbow trout were released before the season. It may not be the state’s best-known water, but freshly stocked rainbows and restored access are a fair argument for giving it another look.

Biosecurity awards

NOMINATIONS for the 2026 Tasmanian Biosecurity Awards now close at midnight on Friday, August 14. The awards recognise individuals, organisations, businesses and community groups that help protect Tasmania’s farms and natural environment. Biosecurity is often most visible when something goes wrong, so the awards are a chance to notice those doing the checking, reporting and prevention before a pest or disease becomes a headline.

Six of best for Ekka

SIX young Tasmanians are heading to Ekka – the Royal Queensland Show – for national judging and parading competitions. The cattle, sheep and dairy rings will provide the serious contest, but the larger value may be the contacts, confidence and experience that come from competing beyond the island. Rural industries spend plenty of time discussing how to attract young people; these competitors have already turned up.

 Irrigation near record

TASMANIAN Irrigation delivered near-record volumes during the 2025-26 season, with January becoming its largest single month for water deliveries. The state-owned company now manages 19 schemes supplying about 1200 customers. The figures provide a useful reminder that irrigation infrastructure tends to attract most attention while it is being built, but its real test comes years later when dry conditions arrive and farmers need the water on time.

Juniors fish free

TASMANIANS aged 14 to 17 can again obtain a free inland angling licence for the 2026-27 season, while children under 14 do not need a licence. It is one of the cheaper invitations available to get young people outdoors, although someone still has to provide the rod, tackle, transport, food and patient advice about why the fish were definitely biting yesterday.

Dairymen back to class

DAIRY farm owners and managers are being offered training in leadership, workplace culture, employment compliance and workforce planning through a Dairy Australia and University of Tasmania course beginning this month. Milking cows may remain the most visible part of dairy farming, but running an expanding workforce now requires skills in rosters, recruitment and people management that were rarely included in the old farm handbook.

Trout Weekend
TROUT Weekend returns to Liawenee on October 10 and 11, later than its traditional winter date. The move should provide longer days and, with luck, slightly kinder weather for families, exhibitors and anglers. The Central Highlands will still be capable of producing four seasons before lunch, but October gives visitors a better chance of seeing the trout without losing feeling in their fingers.