Rural

Australian agricultural land set for another year of ‘double digit” growth

The price of Australian farmland is set to record another year of “double digit growth” in 2022, agribusiness banking specialist Rabobank says in its newly released annual Australian Agricultural Land Price Outlook.

The report – supported by farmland sales data from DAS (Digital Agricultural Services) – says “favourable macro forces” are continuing “to swell (agricultural) land prices” in 2022, following “massive growth” seen in 2021.

The bank’s analysis – of the data set comprising genuine rural sales and excluding lifestyle and non-market transactions – shows agricultural land prices across the country rose massively in 2021 by 27 per cent (median price per hectare), with double digit annual growth recorded across all states.”

“Almost similarlystrong year-on-year growth has occurred so far in 2022 across our available data set, which currently covers about 30 per cent of the estimated full-year 2022 Australian farm sales,” the report says. This preliminary data indicates growth of above 25 per cent in Australian agricultural land prices so far for 2022, suggesting full-year 2022 sales will easily yield double digit growth. The size of land deals is also continuing to increase.

International comparison shows Australia has also outpaced many other countries in recent years when it comes to growth in agricultural land values.

Report author, RaboResearch general manager Australia and New Zealand Stefan Vogel says this growth has been driven by a very positive ”constellation of factors”, including strong agricultural commodity prices and good production volumes enjoyed by many in the nation’s farm sector, which have “bolstered farmers’ cash reserves and driven demand for land purchases”.

“For multiple years in a row, the macro settings have been exceptionally favourable for land purchases. Prices of most major agricultural commodities hit or moved close to record highs, widespread rainfall has supported Australian production and interest rates have been at record lows,” he said.

Slowing, but not declining

Slower growth in farmland prices is, however, forecast for 2023 and beyond, the report – which provides a fve-year outlook – says. Although “no decline in farmland prices” is on the horizon.

“Our base case forecast is that farmland price growth will continue, but we expect a signifcant slowdown in the rate of growth of prices in 2023 and the years beyond to 2027 from the unprecedented strong growth seen recently,” Mr Vogel said.

This view is driven by a declining economic outlook, with higher farm operating costs and lower farm incomes expected in comparison with recent buoyant conditions. In addition, Mr Vogel said, the market could not be expected to sustain a continuation of the massive rates of growth seen in land prices in recent years.

“The tide is turning slightly as the land market needs to take a breather after the staggering growth over the past 18 months,” he said, “and also given the increased cost of fnance and of farm inputs like energy and fertiliser. And there is also the likelihood of agricultural commodity prices and production volumes in coming years falling short of the exceptionally high or even record levels seen in 2021 and the frst half of 2022.”

Mr Vogel said while agricultural commodity prices are likely to stay well above the fve-year average for the next one to two years, costs – including for farm inputs such as fertiliser – are also expected to exceed their fve-year average, and interest rates are rising.

“However, in our view, a more severe slowing than our base case forecast or a decline in agricultural land prices would require a signifcant worsening in conditions, like a substantial drought forcing herd liquidation, a multi-year loss of major export markets or the unlikely case of interest rates climbing to the levels last seen in the early 2000s,” he said.

Interest rates

In relation to the impact of interest rates, the report says, analysis of past periods of rate rises does not show any immediate downturn in farmland values, either in Australia or abroad.

“Australian data on land values reaching back to the early 1990s does not show an immediate negative impact on farmland values from moderate interest rate increases,” Mr Vogel said, “while the correlation is also weak between land prices in other regions of the world declining and interest rates increases.”

Rather, it is the longer-term recessionary impacts on the broader economy which often follow interest rate hikes that are found to exert downward pressure on farmland values, the report said, and this is generally with a delay of several years.

In addition, Mr Vogel said, these past periods of downturn in farmland values had generally also coincided with changes to farm policy or a combination of lower farm production volumes, lower commodity prices and elevated input costs.

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Australia is strong, the report says, it is a different story when it comes to supply, which remains tight.

“Our research shows that while demand for purchasing more land has come off recent highs, there is still solid appetite for farm expansion, driven by healthy farm balance sheets following good seasons and also a fear of missing out on the few opportunities that come up to purchase land,” Mr Vogel said.

“Competition has been ferce for land purchases, and we observed a FOMO (fear of missing out) factor, which has sometimes prompted buyers to enter the market earlier than they had planned not knowing when an opportunity may arise again, and, in some cases, entering expressions of interest for a property that were much higher than the productive value might justify in order to secure the purchase.”

Overall, six per cent of Australian farmers have intentions to buy land within the next 12 months, recent Rabobank research shows.

Local and foreign investors

Interest from local and foreign investors is also expected to continue to add depth to farmland demand, the report says.

“We expect corporate infows in Australian agriculture, and more specifcally agricultural land, will remain strong,” Mr Vogel said. “Investors will continue to be attracted to agriculture, not only for competitive returns, but also because returns are often less volatile and not necessarily correlated to other asset classes.”

For foreign investors, while increased restrictions from the Foreign Investment Review Board (FIRB) have extended turnaround times and made some purchases more diffcult, they have “not decreased the appetite for Australian ag land”, Mr Vogel said.

States and commodities

For the states, the report found some of the biggest increases in farmland prices in 2021 had occurred in Victoria and Queensland. Victorian cropping land was found to have increased by a staggering 78 per cent and grazing land by 42 per cent, while in Queensland cropping land was up by 63 per cent and grazing land by 37 per cent.

Overall, the median price for arable (nonirrigated) farmland across Australia rose by 27 per cent in 2021, grazing land increased by 33 per cent and dairy land by 40 per cent.

Rabobank’s report also shows agricultural land deals are getting bigger, with nine per cent of grazing and six per cent of arable farm sales exceeding $A10 million in 2021, particularly in Queensland and New South Wales.

By region, the data set showed 30 per cent of the nation’s farm sale deals occurred in New South Wales in 2021, with 22 per cent in Queensland, 20 per cent in Victoria, 12 per cent in Western Australia, 11 per cent in South Australia and four per cent in Tasmania.

International comparison

Compared with other parts of the world, the report found, price growth for Australian cropping land in recent years has outpaced that of the US, Canada, and Western Europe, “but couldn’t keep up with the surge in Brazil and the eastern EU’s grain export powerhouse, Romania”.

Grazing land prices had also grown more in Australia than in North America and Europe.

FMD concerns and continued rise in input costs weigh on NSW farm sector confdence

Foot and mouth disease concerns and the continued rise of input costs are weighing on New South Wales farm sector optimism, according to the latest Rabobank Rural Confdence Survey results.

While the survey reveals close to half of all NSW farmers expect the currently good business conditions – underpinned by two years of high rainfall and strong commodity prices – to continue over the year ahead, overall confdence has moved into ‘negative’ territory for the frst time since December 2019, with more farmers pessimistic than optimistic about the year ahead.

The latest survey, completed last month, shows very little expectation of any further improvement in farm business conditions beyond current levels, with a jump in the number of NSW farmers now expecting conditions to worsen over the year ahead.

However, the results do point to a positive longer-term outlook, with close to 90 per cent of farmers surveyed indicating their intention to either maintain or increase investment in their business in the next 12 months.

Rabobank regional manager for central and northern NSW, Toby Mendl, said rural industry sentiment was generally quite good however ongoing wet conditions in the state had presented signifcant challenges to farmers in both the cropping and livestock sectors.

Overlay this, he said, with the ongoing rise in input costs, a softening in commodity prices, and anxiousness about the increased risk of foot and mouth disease incursion, and there was certainly a view that conditions were more likely to deteriorate, rather than improve, over the next 12 months.

“I would describe the current sentiment as two-speed,” Mr Mendl said. “On the surface, many of the long-term fundamentals are good – farmers are in a strong fnancial position following the past two years, and current returns are still very good.

“But underneath all of that are some major challenges from the ongoing wet weather, especially for cropping and sheep producers, and livestock producers are certainly anxious about foot and mouth disease on our doorstep and the impact on our industry should there be an incursion.

“Sentiment has come down from brilliant, but it is certainly okay for now.”

This quarter, farmers were specifcally asked about their level of concern in relation to foot and mouth disease (FMD) and in NSW, 96 per cent said they were ‘extremely’ or ‘very’ concerned.

Across the state, this quarter’s survey found 13 per cent of farmers questioned expect conditions to improve over the year ahead, compared with 28 per cent with that view in June, while 43 per cent expect conditions to keep tracking at current heights; 38 per cent now believe rural conditions will worsen in the coming year (a jump from 13 per cent last quarter).

Good seasonal conditions and high commodity prices are, once again, the drivers of positive sentiment this quarter.

Dairy, cotton, and sugar producers were the most optimistic sectors, where high commodity prices across all three industries, and excellent water availability for dairy and cotton, was driving the positive outlook.

Mr Mendl said prices in most sectors had eased a little from historically high levels but were still well above the fve-year average and margins remain strong.

For those farmers surveyed with a pessimistic view on the coming 12 months, 45 per cent attribute worsening conditions to FMD (and 58 per cent of beef producers), while falling commodity prices and rising input costs were also underpinning the negative sentiment.

More than half the grain growers surveyed expect conditions will deteriorate over the year ahead, overwhelmingly due to rising input costs.

Mr Mendl said farmers were very worried about the fnancial consequences of an FMD outbreak, however the conversation and heightened fear about an incursion had lessened in recent weeks.

He said operations had returned to normal for most businesses affected by fooding in northern NSW earlier this year, but fnancial recovery was still underway and, for many, the mentally challenging proposition of how to position their businesses for the future was very much dominating their outlook.

Elsewhere in NSW, storage dams were full, which bodes well for irrigated production this year and next.

Mr Mendl said prospects for the coming winter grains harvest varied across regions, with very wet conditions preventing as much as 50 per cent of the usual area from being planted in some parts of central and north-west NSW. He said many farmers will pivot into summer cropping instead this year – some for the frst time – to compensate for the reduced winter crop and utilise the full soil moisture profle.

Further south and across the Riverina, most of the winter crop did get planted with just minor wet-weather damage reported. North of Temora is still very wet, which is impacting crops, but south is better and yields were again looking positive in these areas.

Mr Mendl said stronger wool prices for fner microns had been helping sentiment at a time when producers faced very challenging animal health conditions because of the particularly wet autumn and winter. Although prices for fner microns had declined in recent days.

But while optimism about conditions improving beyond what they are now has declined considerably, income projections were still very positive among NSW farmers, according to the survey.

More than two thirds of those surveyed expect their gross farm incomes to increase or remain the same as the past year (26 per cent forecasting farm incomes to be greater over the year ahead), while 32 per cent of farmers expect their income to decrease.

Mr Mendl said continued proftability on the back of aboveaverage rainfall and strong commodity markets had enabled farmers to invest in their business to boost productivity and resilience into the future.

The survey found 78 per cent of the state’s farmers plan to increase or maintain the current level of investment in their farm business.

Most of the additional spending is set to be directed on-farm, with more than 80 per cent of increased investment fagged for infrastructure projects such as new yards, sheds, and fencing improvements, while new plant and machinery was identifed by half of those intending to lift investment levels.

There is still a strong desire to purchase additional rural property among farmers in the state, Mr Mendl said, and this is supported by the data – 25 per cent of those intending to increase their investment wish to expand their operation with more property.

Mr Mendl said farmers were closely watching the impact of interest rate movements in the rural sector but there was currently little to suggest this was deterring those looking to buy more property.

A comprehensive monitor of outlook and sentiment in Australian rural industries, the Rabobank Rural Confdence Survey questions an average of 1000 primary producers across a wide range of commodities and geographical areas throughout Australia on a quarterly basis. The most robust study of its type in Australia, the Rabobank Rural Confdence Survey has been conducted since 2000 by an independent research organisation. The next results are scheduled for release in December 2022

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Third wet summer would be ‘devastating’ says farmer

Farmers and regional communities are bracing for yet another soaking with the Bureau of Meteorology confrming another summer of La Nina.

Northern Rivers farmer Neil Baker said he and his neighbours were still mopping up the mess from torrential rains earlier in the year, which had devastated Lismore and surrounding areas.

“We can’t believe it frankly, you just wonder where all the water’s going to go,” Mr Baker said.

“One of my neighbours got 1300mm of rain in 36 hours back at the end of February – that’s almost a whole year in a day-and-a-half – and the ground is still just absolutely soaked.

“People are trying to rebuild and get back on top of things, but another huge rain would just be devastating for us.”

NSW Farmers Business, Economics and Trade committee chair John Lowe said another La Nina was a serious threat to farmers and regional communities.

“People just haven’t had time to prepare for more rain because it has been so wet already,” Mr Lowe said.

“While output for agriculture has been at record levels because of all the moisture, in some places it will actually be stopping people from getting onto paddocks to harvest their crops.

“Catchments are so full that there will be a chance of major foods if we get too much rain in the wrong place, we’re just going to have to prepare the best we can and hope for the best.”

Remove barriers to export success says farm chief

NSW Farmers President Xavier Martin has welcomed predicted record farm exports, but says worker shortages, supply chain congestion and biosecurity threats all remain a serious concern.

On Tuesday the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences (ABARES) forecast agricultural export earnings would climb to a record $70.3 billion for 2022-23 – almost 50 per cent higher than 10 years ago – but farmers were reporting big problems across the industry that would continue to limit this growth.

Ongoing supply chain congestion leftover from COVID meant on-farm grain storages and market operators were full, while high fuel and energy costs combined with worker shortages were putting signifcant pressure on agricultural proftability. The continuing threat of a biosecurity incursion such as foot and mouth disease or African swine fever were also cause for concern.

While the federal government’s recent Jobs Summit discussed the issue of worker shortages, Mr Martin said there were other important issues that needed to be addressed to deliver certainty.

“Our farmers produce health plants and healthy animals, and families enjoy the results of this hard work three times a day,” Mr Martin said.

“It’s important to note this is the third harvest in a row where we’ve had great growing conditions, but it seems like external forces hold us back at every turn.

“We know the worker shortage won’t be solved overnight, but it’s critical we address these barriers to success sooner rather than later.”

NSW Farmers wanted to see better and more competitive port and rail access, which could reduce both the cost of export and the number of trucks on the road, and more investment into research and development to unlock future growth potential.

“I love seeing paddocks full of healthy wheat, but I love the thought of people enjoying a loaf of bread made from that wheat even more,” Mr Martin said.

“Sadly, the adverse implications of an ineffcient supply chain are high global food prices, and there are predictions of this will continue through to the end of 2024.

“The best way to address food security is to grow more food, and our farmers are clearly ready to do their bit – we just need to take the handbrake off.”

Cost of living pushed up by climate-driven foods

The cost of living for Australian families is being driven up by climate damage as the Australian Insurance Council reveals households across Australia paid a higher cost of living because of fooding in NSW and Queensland earlier this year.

Farmers for Climate Action CEO Dr Fiona Davis said neither working families nor Australian farmers could afford increases in cost of living due to climate damage.

“The McKell Institute confrms what we knew: Climate change is driving up the cost of living,” Dr Davis said.

“The McKell Institute report fnds each Australian family has paid $525 in the increased cost of food and other farm products because of the huge foods in NSW and Queensland earlier this year - foods made far worse by climate change.

Those foods came just two years after the deadly Black Summer Fires and extreme weather events driven by climate change are becoming more and more frequent.

“The report says the hit to Australian households from foods, fres, drought and other climate-driven events this fnancial year was almost double the decade average of $888 at $1532.

“Australian families can’t afford the huge hit to their hip pocket climate damage is causing.

“Insurance Council of Australia fgures reveal losses from the foods were $5.28 billion, while losses in the Black Summer fres were $2.32 billion. This does not take into account the massive health impacts from these climate events.”

Dr Davis said farmers were worried about the cost of insurance premiums, which are rising steeply because of climate damage.

“Huge hikes in insurance premiums following climate damage are coming as farmers continue to count the cost of foods six months ago. Some of our farmer members have reported losses of more than $100 000.

“We need deep emissions reductions in this, the decisive decade, to protect our farming families and our food supply.”

A recent report by GHD saw GHD Australian Water Market Leader Lindsay Brown noted climate damage to the agriculture sector was not limited to on-farm damage, but also to “ability to transport and equipment losses, and all the things that actually make that part of our economy viable”.

Dr Davis said Farmers for Climate Action’s Fork in the Road report had identifed exactly the same thing and showed consumers were already paying more for food because of climate damage.

NSW EXPANDS ACCESS TO JAPANESE ENCEPHALITIS VACCINE

NSW is further expanding free access to Japanese encephalitis (JE) vaccine to residents living in affected regional areas to protect those most at risk. A new seroprevalence survey undertaken by NSW Health found that one in 11 people who took part showed evidence of previous infection.

In addition to the current group of people who work with pigs or mosquitoes or in specialised laboratories, Communicable Diseases Network Australia’s (CDNA) national priority groups, and some international travellers, JE vaccine is now also recommended for people who: • live or work in any of the following Local Government Areas (LGAs): Albury, Balranald, Berrigan, Carrathool, Dubbo Regional, Edward River, Federation, Goulburn Mulwaree, Greater Hume, Griffth, Lockhart, Murray River, Temora, or Wentworth AND • are aged 50 years or older AND • spend signifcant time outdoors (four hours per day).

JE vaccine is available through local General Practitioners (GPs). People who meet the above criteria should make an appointment with their GP and let them know it is for the JE vaccine. GPs may require a few days’ notice so they can order the vaccine. NSW Health Chief Health Offcer Dr Kerry Chant extended her thanks to the more than one thousand (1,048) participants from communities across Griffth, Temora, Corowa, Balranald and Dubbo who provided blood samples in the survey. These areas were selected on the basis of JE virus activity. One in 11, or 80 in 917 people, showed antibodies, indicating past infection with JE virus that would not have been acquired in another country. As the purpose of the survey was understanding the risk of being infected with the JE virus in NSW, the remaining 131 participants were excluded as they had received a JE vaccine before, travelled for more than one month in, or were born in, a country where JE is commonly found. To date, 13 people in NSW have been clinically diagnosed with JE in NSW this year and two of those people sadly died. All were estimated to have acquired the virus between mid-January and the end of February 2022.

“The results of this serosurvey provide us with valuable insight into the prevalence of past JE infections in these communities after it was frst detected earlier this year,” Dr Chant said. “Vaccination is an important part of the public health response but, currently, global supply of JE vaccine is very limited. So we’re urging people to protect themselves by avoiding mosquito bites altogether, particularly as we head into warmer months.” JE is a serious disease caused by the JE virus, however only around one per cent of people infected with the JE virus will experience symptoms. JE is spread to humans by infected mosquitoes. People are not able to pass the virus to other people. Humans also cannot get infected with the virus by touching an infected animal or eating animal products, including pork products. Australian mosquitoes can carry a range of viruses for which there are no vaccines, so it is vital to avoid mosquito bites.

Protect yourself and your family by: • covering openings such as windows and doors with insect screens and checking there are no have gaps in them • removing items that might collect water (such as old tyres, empty pots) outside your house where mosquitoes can breed • improving drainage on your property so that water does not become stagnant • wearing light, looseftting long-sleeved shirts, long pants and covered footwear and socks, especially around dusk and dawn • applying repellent to all areas of exposed skin, using repellents that contain DEET, picaridin, or oil of lemon eucalyptus • re-applying repellent regularly, particularly after swimming, being sure to always apply sunscreen frst and then apply repellent • using insecticide sprays, vapour dispensing units and mosquito coils to repel mosquitos (mosquito coils should only be used outside).

In line with national reporting structures, NSW Health reports any new cases and case locations on the NSW Health website. According to the CDNA criteria, asymptomatic people found to have JE antibodies through serosurvey studies do not meet the case defnition for JE disease, unlike those who were clinically diagnosed.

For further information on JE virus and ways to protect yourself go to: https://www.health.nsw. gov.au/JEvaccine

Critical housing shortage threatens bush push

NSW Farmers Vice President Rebecca Reardon NSW Farmers has welcomed a push to increase the number of people living in regional communities, but warns critical issues must be solved frst.

The Regional Australia Institute’s calls to have 11 million people living outside capital cities by 2032 were supported by big banks and businesses, with claims it would deliver a $13.8 billion economic windfall to the country.

However, NSW Farmers Vice President Rebecca Reardon said a serious lack of housing threatened to derail those plans if not addressed urgently.

On Tuesday morning there were 17 rental vacancies in Moree, but 112 job vacancies. The situation was even worse in Griffth, with just six rental vacancies and 300 job ads. “If we’re talking about getting more people to move out here we need to get serious about fnding them somewhere to live,” Mrs Reardon said. “There’s a massive need for workers in the bush, not just farm workers but also doctors, teachers, tradies and a range of other occupations. “The big problem we’re going to have is fnding the people to actually build all of these homes we’ll need; 11 million bedrooms won’t build themselves.” The federal government’s recent Jobs and Skills Summit was a move in the right direction in fnding a collaborative approach to resolve the skills and labour shortages across many industries, Mrs Reardon said, but agriculture and other key regional industries were missing out on opportunities and that would only get worse if urgent action was not taken.

A rethink on the way homes were built to accommodate population growth in regional areas – such as medium density housing instead of the traditional quarteracre single-dwelling block – would be needed to protect Australia’s world-class farmland.

“Land in regional areas is a precious commodity, not just for housing but in terms of productive output for our food and fbre, so there’s a really tricky balancing act,” Mrs Reardon said.

“You need careful planning to make sure you don’t just build houses and infrastructure on highly-productive agricultural land, you need to get the best bang for your buck.

“We’re at a critical point in regional development, so while making announcements and setting targets is good, getting it done in the right way is of the utmost importance.”

Pip Courtney brings landholders together to scrub up on biosecurity

Landline’s Pip Courtney will facilitate a panel of expert speakers at a webinar next week designed to help absentee landholders understand their farm biosecurity obligations.

With the possibility of an emergency animal diseases such as foot-and-mouth or lumpy skin disease arriving on our shores, Local Land Services have been arming farmers and industry with the information they need to help protect the country in the event of an incursion.

The agency is now taking this information online to reach a new audience – urban dwellers who own rural property as well as hobby farmers and landholders who farm part-time.

Part-time farmers can have many competing priorities and may not have time to research their responsibilities when it comes to biosecurity.

But Local Land Services is determined to fll this knowledge gap, and to make the information as accessible as possible.

Local Land Services State Veterinarian, Scott Ison, said, “Whilst the initial furry of attention on FMD might have eased, the risk has remained the same. We need everyone who manages property in this state to understand that they play a role.

Whether you have one alpaca and a couple of chooks, or 1000 head of cattle, everybody has a responsibility. Not knowing your requirements doesn’t exempt you from the law.”

Pip Courtney - Rural Reporter and host of ABC’s rural current affairs TV program Landline – will host the line-up of expert speakers including; • Dr Chris Parker - First Assistant Secretary Biosecurity Animal Division, National Animal Disease Preparedness Coordinator, Department of Agriculture Fisheries and Forestry • Dr Eliz Braddon – NSW Department of Primary Industries, Manager Animal Biosecurity Preparedness & Response • Dr Scott Ison – Local Land Services State Veterinarian • Mick Elliott – Local Land Services Senior Biosecurity Offcer

The panel will give an update on the status of FMD and LSD around the world, discuss the obligations landholders have around biosecurity, and talk about what might happen if a disease incursion should occur.

They will discuss the role of pest animal management and provide essential information on what to look for and what to do if people suspect a disease in their animals.

Landline’s Pip Courtney

Food security: the world is hungry for a solution

The complex issue of global food security can only be solved if all nations work together, UNSW expert says.

Food security may have come more into the spotlight recently in the wake of issues related to COVID-19, rising infation, extreme weather events and regionalised conficts - but it has been for decades on the agenda of the United Nations.

As defned by the United Nation’s Committee on World Food Security, food security is achieved when all people, at all times, have physical, social, and economic access to suffcient, safe, and nutritious food that meets their food preferences and dietary needs.

Sadly, even in 2022, these standards have not been met.

UNSW food security expert, Professor Johannes le Coutre from the School of Chemical Engineering, says for the world to achieve food security, there needs to be a balance between the health of the population, the economy and the environment.

“The cornerstone of food security is that every person has access to enough safe and nutritious food,” he says.

“However, global issues such as climate change, geopolitical confict and pandemics have really reversed years of progress in eradicating this pressing issue.

“We need to take action now if we want to tackle the emerging food crisis we are in.”

Globalisation

Globalisation has made the world more connected than ever, bringing together interdependence of cultures and economies.

The war in Ukraine has not only shown us how confict in one country can have a ripple effect across the world but has also exposed how vulnerable global supply chains can be.

Both Russia and Ukraine are among the world’s biggest producers of agricultural commodities. Long known as the ‘breadbasket of Europe’, Ukraine’s share in global wheat exports is about 10 per cent. But export volumes have decreased by about 50 per cent since the war started.

Prof. le Coutre says the Ukraine confict has put pressure on global wheat prices and Australian consumers will soon feel the effects, if not already.

“Ukraine is a huge producer of wheat and sunfower oil. While businesses can still source their wheat from local suppliers, the price they pay is still heavily infuenced by the global market,” he says.

“Food shortages triggered by the war have affected food prices everywhere else and we will start to see prices for these goods slowly creep up as the supply has been tightened.

“Many African countries such as Somalia and Egypt, but also Turkey or Bangladesh are big importers of Ukrainian wheat so the instability of the war will affect the supply in these importing nations.

“Sometimes geopolitical issues can quickly escalate, showing a downside to being more connected.”

Don’t let food go to

waste Supply chain issues are one problem, but how often do we see perfectly good meals go into the bin when only halffnished?

Around 30 per cent of the world’s food production goes to waste – that’s 1.3 billion tonnes of food, costing the global economy approximately $940 billion every year.

There is a belief that solving the problem of food waste could put an end to world hunger, but Prof. le Coutre says that’s not entirely true.

“Food is wasted at every level: by the agricultural producer, retailer, institutions and consumers,” he says.

“Sure, if we reduce food wastage, there may be enough food in the world to feed everyone. But that doesn’t mean every person has the purchasing power to buy that food.

“What we need to do is also create wealth. If we have food and wealth availability, only then we’ll have a real chance at solving the global food security problem.”

Lucky country

Australia isn’t called the ‘the lucky country’ for nothing.

An analysis by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry concluded that Australia does not have a food security issue.

In fact, Australia produces substantially more food than it consumes and is considered one of the most food secure nations in the world. Only 11 per cent of our food is imported and this is mostly driven by diverse tastes and preferences.

While we may see short price surges in food from time to time, these disruptions are usually only temporary. Prof. le Coutre believes Australia is in a much better position compared to the rest of the world.

“Australia’s food landscape is in relatively good shape. We have extremely premium livestock and the quality of our fruits and vegetables refects our strong agriculture industry,” he says.

“While we don’t have an imminent food security problem, our overall economy is still heavily reliant on exports.”

In 2020-21, Australia’s agricultural sector was worth approximately $71 billion, according to the latest fgures by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. With almost 70 per cent of our commodities shipped overseas, this leaves Australia vulnerable to global supply chain disruptions or natural disasters that can impact crop seasons says Prof. le Coutre.

“We’ve already seen how confict in countries halfway across the world can impact food prices locally,” he says.

“So, it’s important that we shift our focus on further developing the domestic food manufacturing and processing market as well.”

Health is wealth

For many years, the belief was that supplying people with enough calories would mean they lived longer - but modern health economics tells a different story, says Prof. le Coutre.

“At the turn of the century, we started noticing a plethora of health issues, such as diabetes and obesity, starting to become more common in the community. And then people started realising that what they ate had a huge impact on their health,” he says.

“If we provide people with inadequate food, it’s only going to create more health issues for them.

“People need access to high quality healthy food – and at affordable prices too. With rising food costs and global food shortages, it harder for people from low socioeconomic demographics to access good food.

“A healthy population means they can contribute to a healthy economy which in turn can support providing better food – it’s the economic health cycle.”

Sustainability Development Goals

The United Nations Sustainability Development Goals (SDG) represent a blueprint designed to end poverty and improve health and education. From zero hunger to providing decent work and economic growth, each SDG has its own targets, indicators and progress reports.

While only a handful of the SDGs specifcally call out targets around food, the overarching themes of all 17 goals can be linked to food and agriculture.

Prof. le Coutre says all the SDG are interconnected and achieving them all will put an end to world’s food security issue.

“Food security is a multifaceted and multidimensional problem, and the solution must go hand-in hand with strategies that improve the livelihood of people beyond providing food,” he says.

“For example, enforcing sustainable agriculture policies can help alleviate water scarcity issues, directly linking to SDG number six ‘Clean Water and Sanitation’.

“But it must be done on a global scale and all stakeholders need to commit to the goals – you can’t have some of the world’s biggest emitters of greenhouse gases operating at the same scale in 10 years, it’s just not going to work.

“Just as the impact of these issues are linked, so are the solutions. We all have a key role to play in making sure these targets are met.

BEEKEEPERS CALLED ON TO RAMP UP SELF-SURVEILLANCE

State-wide surveillance will be strengthened to ensure NSW beekeepers have greater fexibility to continue their operations, through a new Varroa Mite Emergency Order, effective today.

Minister for Agriculture Dugald Saunders said changes to the Emergency Order will increase the surveillance registered beekeepers are required to conduct each year.

“Registered beekeepers across NSW have shown strong support for the eradication of Varroa mite after it was detected by the NSW Government’s sentinel hives near the Port of Newcastle in June,” Mr Saunders said.

“The latest changes require beekeepers to alcohol wash a portion of their hives at least every 16 weeks, and to report the results to NSW Department of Primary Industries.

“The surveillance undertaken as part of the Varroa response, combined with the surveillance as hives moved to pollination, help provide greater confdence about the extent of the current incursion.

“That means we can give beekeepers the fexibility they need to continue essential business operations while still maintaining strong biosecurity protocols to ensure we stay on top of this destructive pest.”

The new Order also allows registered commercial beekeepers in the blue general emergency zone to move or sell queens (and escort bees), or queen cells, to another registered beekeeper, within the blue general zone or the purple surveillance emergency zone.

Queen breeders must complete training, comply with alcohol wash requirements, and keep records of sales.

Another change will allow beekeepers in red eradication zones to manage swarming by returning extracted honey supers immediately to the hive from which they were removed after honey extraction.

“We are committed to working with industry and the community to eradicate Varroa mite in NSW, while doing so in a way that allows industry to continue normal operations where it is safe to do so,” Mr Saunders said.

Beekeepers can report results of alcohol washes to NSW DPI by calling 1800 084 881 or via the online form at www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/ alcohol-wash, and more information about the Varroa mite response is available from www. dpi.nsw.gov.au/varroa.

AUSSIE ICON BACKS FOREIGN FARMERS

Aussie shoppers are being urged to change their spending habits to support local farmers even as big companies go for foreign imports.

NSW Farmers CEO said Qantas passengers were being offered cheese and crackers from New Zealand, something he said was “hardly in the spirit of Australia”.

“Look, I know claiming imports from across the ditch as our own is as Australian as Russell Crowe or Neil Finn,” Mr Arkle said.

“But in all seriousness, we have a great reputation for producing high quality food in Australia, and companies like Qantas that trade on their ‘Australian-ness’ with consumers should support our farmers, and not just use a foreign product. to support Australian farmers and businesses.

“We live in a global community and shoppers have choice – cheap imported frozen food or something fresh and local – the trick is to look at the label,” Mr Arkle said.

“It’s important for those companies who trade on Aussie values and tradition to support

“I’d be more than happy to share some top local alternatives that Qantas could use, which would in turn support and promote our country and our food.”

Mr Arkle said Australian farmers had a great global reputation for producing incredibly clean, high-quality food, and he urged shoppers to always look at Country of Origin labelling the locals who have always supported them.

“More importantly, shoppers should be telling these companies that they expect them to support our farmers.”

TIME TO ‘GET READY’ FOR BUSH FIRE SEASON

Rural Fire Brigades across NSW are gearing up to host more than 500 community awareness events on Saturday as part of the annual Get Ready Weekend.

Minister for Emergency Services and Resilience and Minister for Flood Recovery Steph Cooke is reminding people to prepare their homes and ensure their bush fre survival plan is up to date.

“Wet weather may have reduced the immediate risk of fres but it only takes a few days of hot, dry and windy conditions for vegetation to dry out and the fre danger to return, which is why it’s so important to get ready now,” Ms Cooke said. “Grass fres move three times faster than bush fres and are our greatest threat across the State this summer.

“Get Ready Weekend is an ideal opportunity to fnd out more about making a plan for your family, and preparing for bush and grass fres. It’s also a chance to learn about the new Fire Danger Rating System which has now been rolled out across NSW.” Rural Fire Service (RFS) Commissioner Rob Rogers said Brigades will be holding events at their local stations, shopping centres and other public spaces like parks to share information about how to stay safe.

“Four out of fve households in bush fre-prone areas have some form of plan for what to do during a fre, and it’s important that people review their plan now so they know what to do if threatened by a fre,” Commissioner Rogers said.

“This year’s Get Ready Weekend allows residents and landowners to meet their local volunteer frefghters, learn more about what they do and get tips on how to stay safe.” The RFS’s top four tips to get ready for the bush fre season are:

• Discuss what to do if a bush fre threatens your home; • Prepare your home by cleaning leaves and twigs from gutters, keeping lawns and gardens well maintained, cutting back trees and shrubs overhangingbuildings, cleaning up fallen vegetation, and having hoses long enough to reach around your house; • Know the bush fre alert levels; and • Keep all the bush fre information numbers, websites and the Fires Near Me app handy.

PETS TO REAP BENEFITS FROM NEW DRUG

TO TREAT COMMON INFECTION

Australia’s 29 million pets look set to beneft from a more effective treatment for Giardia, a common intestinal infection in dogs and cats, thanks to a collaboration between academia and industry.

Pharmaceutical scientists from fve Australian universities are partnering with veterinary pharmaceutical company Neoculi Pty Ltd to develop a new drug to treat Giardia, which affects at least 15 per cent of dogs, particularly puppies, and approximately 12 per cent of cats.

Existing treatments on the market are ineffective and have signifcant drawbacks, according to University of South Australia pharmaceutical scientist Professor Sanjay Garg, one of the key collaborators on the threeyear project, led by the University of Newcastle.

Professor Garg says current drugs have limited effectiveness due to parasitic resistance, require multiple treatments and have toxic side effects.

“The drug we are developing is safe and effective in one single dose. We are aiming to produce a palatable formulation that pets will take without any resistance.” Prof Garg says.

It should be available within three years.

Australia has the highest pet ownership rate in the world, with 40 per cent of households owning a dog and 27 per cent owning a cat, incurring signifcant costs in the order of $12 billion a year, with veterinary bills accounting for about 25 per cent.

“It costs each household around $1627 per dog each year and $962 per cat, so anything we can do to make veterinary drugs more cost effective is a win-win for animals and owners alike.”

The $282,339 project with matching funding is being funded by the Federal Government’s ARC Linkage Grant program.

A video explaining the project is available at: https://youtu. be/5mI4C6_Hxgk

6.00 News. 9.00 News. 10.00 Landline. (R) 11.00 Antiques Roadshow. (R) 12.00 News. 1.00 Rosehaven. (PG, R) 1.25 Poh’s Kitchen Lends A Hand. (R) 2.00 Parliament Question Time. 3.00 Escape From The City. (R) 4.00 Think Tank. (R) 4.55 Anh’s Brush With Fame. (R) 5.30 Hard Quiz. (PG, R) 6.00 WorldWatch. 9.00 Cook Up With Adam Liaw Bitesize. (R) 9.15 Peer To Peer. (PG) 10.15 Food Markets: In The Belly Of The City. (PG) 11.15 Grayson Perry’s Rites Of Passage. (M) 12.10 WorldWatch. 2.10 First Ladies. (PGa, R) 3.00 Going Places. (R) 3.30 Destination Flavour China Bitesize. (R) 3.40 The Cook Up. (PG, R) 4.10 The Supervet. (PGa, R) 5.05 Jeopardy! 5.30 Letters And Numbers. (R)

6.00 The Drum. 7.00 ABC News. 7.30 7.30. 8.00 Australian Story. 8.30 Four Corners. 9.20 Media Watch. (PG) 9.35 Planet America. (Return) 10.05 ABC Late News. 10.20 The Business. (R) 10.40 David Attenborough’s

Life That Glows. (R) 11.40 Baptiste. (Final, Mlv, R) 12.35 Parliament Question Time. 1.35 Top Of The Lake: China Girl. (Malns, R) 3.40 Rage. (MA15+adhlnsv) 4.25 The Drum. (R) 5.25 7.30. (R) 6.00 Mastermind Australia. (R) 6.30 SBS World News. 7.35 Celebrity Letters And

Numbers. (Return,M) 8.30 Iceland With Alexander

Armstrong. (PG) 9.25 24 Hours In Emergency. (Ma,R) 10.20 SBS World News Late. 10.50 Beforeigners. (MA15+dlv) 11.50 Outlander. (MA15+v,R) 12.55 Miss S. (Mv,R) 3.45 Food Safari Earth. (R) 4.45 Bamay. (R) 5.00 NHK World English News Morning. 5.30 ANC Philippines The World Tonight. 6.00 Sunrise. 9.00 The Morning Show. (PG) 11.30 News. 12.00 MOVIE: Love’s Last Resort. (2017, PGa, R) 2.00 Motorbike Cops. (PGl, R) 2.30 Border Security:

International. (PG, R) 3.00 The Chase. 4.00 Seven News At 4. 5.00 The Chase Australia. 6.00 7News Local. 6.30 7News @ 6:30. 7.00 Home And Away. (PGa) 7.30 Farmer Wants A Wife. (PGal)

Hosted by Natalie Gruzlewski. 9.00 9-1-1: Lone Star. (Final, Mav)

Strand and the 126 come together when one of their own is trapped after a building explosion. 10.00 S.W.A.T. (Mav) 11.00 The Latest: Seven News. 11.30 Heartbreak Island

Australia. (Mls) 12.30 Home Shopping. 5.00 Seven Early News. 5.30 Sunrise. 6.00 Today. 9.00 Today Extra. (PG) 11.30 Morning News. 12.00 The Block. (PGl, R) 1.30 Getaway. (PG, R) 2.00 Pointless. (PG) 3.00 Tipping Point. (PG) 4.00 Afternoon News. 5.00 Millionaire Hot Seat. 6.00 NBN News. 7.00 A Current A air. 7.30 The Block. (PGl) 8.45 Under Investigation. (Return, Mav) 9.45 100% Footy. (M) 10.45 Nine News Late. 11.15 Fortunate Son. (Mdv) 12.05 Emergence. (Mhv, R) 1.00 Hello SA. (PG) 1.30 TV Shop: Home Shopping. (R) 2.30 Global Shop. (R) 3.00 TV Shop: Home Shopping. (R) 4.00 Believer’s Voice Of Victory. (PGa) 4.30 A Current A air. (R) 5.00 News Early Edition. 5.30 Today. 6.00 The Talk. (PGa) 7.00 Judge Judy. (PG, R) 7.30 Bold. (R) 8.00 10 News First: Breakfast. 8.30 Studio 10. (PG) 12.00 Dr Phil. (PGal, R) 1.00 The Amazing Race Australia. (PGl, R) 2.30 Ent. Tonight. 3.00 Judge Judy. (PG, R) 3.30 Freshly Picked. 4.00 Everyday Gourmet. 4.30 The Bold And The Beautiful. 5.00 10 News First. 6.30 The Project. 7.30 The Amazing Race Australia. (PGl) Hosted by Beau Ryan. 8.40 Have You Been Paying

Attention? (Malns) Celebrity panellists compete to see who can remember the most about events of the week. 9.40 Just For Laughs Australia. (Mals) Hosted by Nath Valvo. 10.10 2018 Montreal Comedy

Festival. (MA15+ls, R) 11.10 The Project. (R) 12.10 The Late Show With

Stephen Colbert. (PG) 1.00 Home Shopping. (R) 4.30 CBS Mornings.

CONSUMER ADVICE (P) Pre-school (C) Children (PG) Parental Guidance Recommended (M) Mature Audiences (MA15+) Mature Audiences Only (AV15+) Extreme Adult Violence (R) Repeat (CC) Closed Captions (a) Adult themes (d) Drug references (h) Horror (s) Sex references (l) Language (m) Medical procedures (n) Nudity (v) Violence.

ABC TV PLUS (22) 6am Children’s Programs. 7.20pm Bluey. 7.30 A Dog’s World With Tony Armstrong. 8.25 George Clarke’s Amazing Spaces. 9.15 Restoration Australia. 10.15 Catalyst. 11.10 Adam Hills: The Last Leg. 11.50 Penn & Teller: Fool Us. 12.30am Ghosts. 1.00 Red Dwarf. 1.30 ABC News Update. 1.35 Close. 5.00 Cookie Monster’s Foodie Truck. 5.15 Hoot Hoot Go! 5.20 Sarah & Duck. 5.30 Late Programs. VICELAND (31) 6am WorldWatch. 9.30 Shortland St. 11.00 Counter Space. Noon Hoarders. 2.30 Donkmaster. 2.55 Dead Set On Life. 3.55 WorldWatch. 5.15 Shortland St. 5.45 Joy Of Painting. 6.15 Forged In Fire. 7.05 Jeopardy! 7.35 8 Out Of 10 Cats Does Countdown. 8.30 Dark Side Of The ‘90s. 9.25 The Casketeers. 10.25 VICE. 11.25 Final Space. 12.15am 24 Hours In Police Custody. 2.05 Late Programs. 7TWO (62) 6am Shopping. 6.30 Travel Oz. 8.00 Shopping. 8.30 Jabba’s School Holiday Movies. 9.00 Million Dollar Minute. 9.30 NBC Today. 10.30 To Be Advised. Noon The Surgery Ship. 1.00 Million Dollar Minute. 2.00 Weekender. 2.30 Sons And Daughters. 4.30 Emmerdale. 5.00 Coronation Street. 5.30 Escape To The Country. 6.30 Bargain Hunt. 7.30 Doc Martin. 8.30 A Touch Of Frost. 10.45 Late Programs. 9GEM (82) 6am TV Shop. 7.00 Cre o. 7.30 TV Shop. 9.30 Newstyle Direct. 10.00 Danoz. 10.30 Pointless. 11.30 My Favorite Martian. Noon Days Of Our Lives. 12.55 The Young And The Restless. 1.50 The Great Migration. 2.50 Antiques Roadshow. 3.20 MOVIE: The Truth About Women. (1957, PG) 5.30 Murder, She Wrote. 6.30 Antiques Roadshow. 7.30 Death In Paradise. 8.40 Dalgliesh. (Premiere) 10.40 Late Programs. BOLD (51) 6am Home Shopping. 8.00 The Doctors. 9.00 Reel Action. 9.30 iFish. 10.00 Athletics. Sydney Running Festival. Highlights. 11.00 MacGyver. Noon The FBI Declassi ed. 1.00 Diagnosis Murder. 3.00 Bondi Rescue. 3.30 The Love Boat. 4.30 Star Trek: The Next Generation. 5.30 MacGyver. 7.30 NCIS. 10.20 Blue Bloods. 12.15am Home Shopping. 2.15 L.A.’s Finest. 3.10 Star Trek: The Next Generation. 4.05 MacGyver.

ABC ME (23) 6am Children’s Programs. 3.35pm The Penguins Of Madagascar. 4.30 The Inbestigators. 4.45 Odd Squad. 5.00 Space Nova. 5.25 Kung Fu Panda. 6.00 100 Things To Do Before High School. 6.30 Operation Ouch! 7.00 Horrible Histories. 7.35 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. 8.00 The Deep. 8.25 Kong: King Of The Apes. 8.45 SheZow. 9.00 Find Me In Paris. 9.25 School Of Rock. 9.45 Rage. 11.10 Close. SBS MOVIES (32) 6am Morning Programs. 8.15 Viceroy’s House. (2017, PG) 10.15 It Must Be Heaven. (2019, M, French) 12.10pm The Damned United. (2009, M) 2.00 Fried Green Tomatoes. (1991, PG) 4.20 The Kid From The Big Apple 2. (2017, PG, Mandarin) 6.30 Date With An Angel. (1987, PG) 8.30 The King Of Comedy. (1983, PG) 10.35 The Master. (2012, MA15+) 1.05am Late Programs. 7MATE (63) 6am Morning Programs. 10.30 Pawn Stars. 11.00 American Pickers. Noon Bush re Wars. 12.30 Wild Transport. 1.00 Aussie Lobster Men. 2.00 Aussie Salvage Squad. 3.00 Shipping Wars. 3.30 Seven’s Motorsport Classic. 4.30 Truck Night In America. 5.30 Storage Wars: TX. 6.00 American Pickers. 7.00 Pawn Stars. 7.30 American Pickers. 8.30 MOVIE: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. (2016, M) 11.15 Late Programs. 9GO! (83) 6am Children’s Programs. Noon Inside Legoland. 1.00 Inside British Airways. 2.00 Rivals. 2.30 Full House. 3.30 Raymond. 5.30 The Nanny. 6.00 3rd Rock. 6.30 That ’70s Show. 7.00 Young Sheldon. 7.30 RBT. 8.30 MOVIE: Arrival. (2016, M) 10.50 Young Sheldon. 11.15 Up All Night. 11.40 Raymond. 12.10am Smash. 1.10 Say Yes To The Dress: UK. 2.10 Inside British Airways. 3.00 Late Programs. PEACH (52) 6am Friends. 8.00 The Big Bang Theory. 8.30 The Middle. 10.30 Carol’s Second Act. Noon This Is Us. 2.00 Friends. 3.00 The King Of Queens. 4.00 Becker. 5.00 Frasier. 6.00 Friends. 8.00 The Big Bang Theory. 9.30 Seinfeld. 11.00 Frasier. Midnight Home Shopping. 1.30 The Late Show With Stephen Colbert. 2.30 The Late Late Show With James Corden. 3.30 The King Of Queens. 4.30 Home Shopping.

ABC NEWS (24) 6am News Programs. 1.30pm Capital Hill. 2.00 Parliament. 3.15 News. 4.00 Afternoon Brie ng. 5.00 ABC News Hour. 6.00 ABC Evening News. 7.00 ABC National News. 7.30 7.30. 8.00 ABC News Tonight. 8.45 The Business. 9.00 ABC Nightly News. 9.30 Kurt Fearnley’s One Plus One. 10.00 The World. 11.00 The Drum. Midnight News. 12.15 The Business. 12.30 7.30. 1.00 Late Programs. SBS FOOD (33) 6am Morning Programs. 2pm Make This Tonight. 2.30 My Market Kitchen. 3.00 License To Grill. 3.30 Travel, Cook, Repeat. 4.00 David Rocco’s Dolce Tuscany. 4.30 Cook And The Chef. 5.00 Nigella Express. 5.30 River Cottage Aust. 6.30 Italian Food Safari. 7.00 The Cook Up. 7.30 Food Heroes. 8.00 Poh & Co. 8.30 Jamie & Jimmy’s Food Fight Club. 9.30 Dine With Me UK. 10.00 Late Programs. NITV (34) 6am Morning Programs. 1.30pm Amplify. 2.00 Shortland St. 2.30 Going Native. 3.00 Jarjums. 4.35 Spartakus And The Sun Beneath The Sea. 5.00 Our Stories. 5.30 APTN National News. 6.00 Bamay. 6.40 News. 6.50 Extreme Africa. 7.40 Through The Wormhole With Morgan Freeman. 8.30 Living Black. 9.00 Cold Justice. 9.30 Death In Thunder Bay. 10.10 Superstition. 11.00 Late Programs. 9LIFE (84) 6am Christina On The Coast. 7.00 Beach Hunters. 8.00 Good Bones. 9.00 Flip Or Flop. 10.00 Rehab Addict. 11.00 Postcards. 11.30 Getaway. Noon Flipping Virgins. 1.00 Flip Or Flop. 2.00 Christina On The Coast. 3.00 The Block. 4.00 Tiny Paradise. 4.30 Log Cabin Living. 5.00 Good Bones. 6.00 House Hunters Int. 7.00 House Hunters. 8.30 Outgrown. 9.30 Self Made Mansions. 10.30 Backyard Envy. 11.30 Late Programs. SKY NEWS (53) 6am Morning Programs. 10.00 AM Agenda. 11.00 NewsDay. Noon NewsDay. 1.00 Piers Morgan Uncensored: Encore. 2.00 Afternoon Agenda. 3.00 Paul Murray Live. 4.00 Afternoon Agenda. 4.30 Business Now With Ross Greenwood. 5.00 The Kenny Report. 6.00 Peta Credlin. 7.00 Bolt Report. 8.00 Paul Murray Live. 9.00 The Rita Panahi Show. 10.00 The Front Page. 10.30 NewsNight. 11.30 Late Programs.

TUESDAY, September 27

ABC TV (2)

6.00 News. 9.00 News. 10.00 Foreign Correspondent. (R) 10.30 Planet America. (R) 11.00 Dementia & Us. (PG, R) 12.00 News. 1.00 Miniseries: Marriage. (Ml, R) 2.00 Parliament Question Time. 3.00 Escape From The City. (R) 3.55 Think Tank. (PG, R) 4.55 Anh’s Brush With Fame. (PG, R) 5.25 Hard Quiz. (PG, R) SBS (3)

6.00 WorldWatch. 9.05 Peer To Peer. (PG) 10.05 Food Markets: In The Belly Of The City. (PG) 11.05 Grayson Perry’s Rites Of Passage. (M) 12.00 WorldWatch. 2.10 First Ladies. (Mav, R) 3.00 Going Places. (R) 3.30 Destination Flavour China Bitesize. (R) 3.40 The Cook Up. (PG, R) 4.10 The Supervet. (PGa, R) 5.05 Jeopardy! 5.30 Letters And Numbers. (R)

6.00 The Drum. 7.00 ABC News. 7.30 7.30. 8.00 Take 5 With Zan Rowe. (PG) 8.30 Old People’s Home

For Teenagers. (PG) 9.30 Home: The Story Of Earth. 10.30 ABC Late News. 10.45 The Business. (R) 11.00 Four Corners. (R) 11.50 Media Watch. (PG, R) 12.05 Parliament Question Time. 1.05 Les Misérables. (Mv, R) 2.05 Top Of The Lake: China Girl. (Madlsv, R) 3.05 Rage. (MA15+adhlnsv) 4.25 The Drum. (R) 5.25 7.30. (R) 6.00 Mastermind Australia. (R) 6.30 SBS World News. 7.30 Great Coastal Railway

Journeys. (PG) 8.30 Insight. Presented by Kumi Taguchi. 9.30 Dateline: Catching Scammers. 10.00 SBS World News Late. 10.30 The Point. (R) 11.00 Wisting. (Return, Malv) 11.50 War Of The Worlds. (Mal, R) 3.30 Food Safari Earth. (R) 4.30 Bamay. (R) 5.00 NHK World English

News Morning. 5.30 ANC Philippines The

World Tonight. SEVEN (6)

6.00 Sunrise. 9.00 The Morning Show. (PG) 11.30 News. 12.00 MOVIE: Love At Daisy Hills. (2020, PG, R) 2.00 Motorbike Cops. (PG, R) 2.30 Border Security:

International. (PG, R) 3.00 The Chase. 4.00 Seven News At 4. 5.00 The Chase Australia. 6.00 7News Local. 6.30 7News @ 6:30. 7.00 Home And Away. (PG) 7.30 Farmer Wants A Wife. (PGl)

Hosted by Natalie Gruzlewski. 9.10 Extreme Weddings: Australia. (PGal) A couple plan a wild wedding with their camels in the scorching heat of the NSW outback. 10.10 10 Years Younger In 10 Days. (PGa) Presented by Cherry Healey. 11.10 The Latest: Seven News. 11.40 Chicago Fire. (Mav) 1.00 Home Shopping. 5.00 Seven Early News. 5.30 Sunrise. NBN (8, 80)

6.00 Today. 9.00 Today Extra. (PG) 11.30 Morning News. 12.00 The Block. (PGl, R) 1.00 Taronga: Who’s Who

In The Zoo. (PG, R) 2.00 Pointless. (PG) 3.00 Tipping Point. (PG) 4.00 Afternoon News. 5.00 Millionaire Hot Seat. 6.00 NBN News. 7.00 A Current A air. 7.30 The Block. (PGl) 8.40 The Hundred With Andy

Lee. (Ms) Comedy panel show. 9.40 Botched. (Malmn, R) 10.40 Nine News Late. 11.10 Law & Order: Organized

Crime. (Mv) 11.55 See No Evil. (Mav) 12.40 Tipping Point. (PG, R) 1.30 TV Shop: Home Shopping. (R) 4.00 Believer’s Voice Of Victory. (PGa) 4.30 A Current A air. (R) 5.00 News Early Edition. 5.30 Today. TEN (5)

6.00 The Talk. (PGa) 7.00 Judge Judy. (PG, R) 7.30 Bold. (R) 8.00 10 News First: Breakfast. 8.30 Studio 10. (PG) 12.00 Dr Phil. (PGals, R) 1.00 The Amazing Race Australia. (PGl, R) 2.10 Ent. Tonight. 2.30 My Market Kitchen. (R) 3.00 Judge Judy. (PG, R) 3.30 Freshly Picked. 4.00 Everyday Gourmet. 4.30 The Bold And The Beautiful. 5.00 10 News First. 6.30 The Project. A look at the day’s news and events. 7.30 The Amazing Race Australia. (PGl) Hosted by Beau Ryan. 8.30 The Cheap Seats. (Mal) Presenters

Melanie Bracewell and Tim McDonald take a look at the week that was. 9.30 NCIS. (Mv, R) The team investigates the death of a US Navy commander whose body exploded before Jimmy could examine it. 11.30 The Project. (R) A look at the day’s news and events. 12.30 The Late Show With

Stephen Colbert. (PG) 1.30 Home Shopping. (R) 4.30 CBS Mornings.

CONSUMER ADVICE (P) Pre-school (C) Children (PG) Parental Guidance Recommended (M) Mature Audiences (MA15+) Mature Audiences Only (AV15+) Extreme Adult Violence (R) Repeat (CC) Closed Captions (a) Adult themes (d) Drug references (h) Horror (s) Sex references (l) Language (m) Medical procedures (n) Nudity (v) Violence.

ABC TV PLUS (22) 6am Children’s Programs. 7.20pm Bluey. 7.30 Spicks And Specks. 8.00 Would I Lie To You? 8.30 Adam Hills: The Last Leg. (Final) 9.15 Blunt Talk. (Return) 9.40 Friday Night Dinner. 10.05 Rosehaven. 10.35 Summer Love. 11.05 Motherland. 11.35 Ghosts. 12.05am Whose Line Is It Anyway? 12.30 Brassic. 1.15 Ross Noble: Stand Up Series. 1.45 ABC News Update. 1.50 Close. 5.00 Late Programs. VICELAND (31) 6am WorldWatch. 9.30 Shortland St. 11.00 Counter Space. 11.50 Hoarders. 1.25pm Curse Of Oak Island. 3.45 WorldWatch. 5.15 Shortland St. 5.45 Joy Of Painting. 6.15 Forged In Fire. 7.05 Jeopardy! 7.35 8 Out Of 10 Cats Does Countdown. 8.30 Alone. 9.40 Stacey Dooley Sleeps Over. 10.35 Stacey Dooley: Face To Face With The Arms Dealers. 11.30 Late Programs. 7TWO (62) 6am Home Shopping. 6.30 Escape To The Country. 7.30 Harry’s Practice. 8.00 Home Shopping. 8.30 Million Dollar Minute. 9.30 NBC Today. Noon The Surgery Ship. 1.00 Million Dollar Minute. 2.00 Creek To Coast. 2.30 Sons And Daughters. 4.30 Emmerdale. 5.00 Coronation Street. 5.30 Escape To The Country. 6.30 Bargain Hunt. 7.30 Rosemary & Thyme. 8.30 Judge John Deed. 12.30am Late Programs. 9GEM (82) 6am Morning Programs. 10.00 Danoz. 10.30 Pointless. 11.30 My Favorite Martian. Noon Days Of Our Lives. 12.55 The Young And The Restless. 1.50 Explore. 2.00 The Channel: The World’s Busiest Waterway. 3.00 Antiques Roadshow. 3.30 MOVIE: Not Now, Comrade. (1976, PG) 5.30 Murder, She Wrote. 6.30 Antiques Roadshow. 7.30 New Tricks. 8.40 The Closer. 9.40 Rizzoli & Isles. 10.40 Late Programs. BOLD (51) 6am Home Shopping. 8.00 The Doctors. 9.00 Reel Action. 9.30 iFish. 10.00 MacGyver. Noon The Love Boat. 1.00 Star Trek: The Next Generation. 2.00 Diagnosis Murder. 3.00 Bondi Rescue. 3.30 The Love Boat. 4.30 Star Trek: The Next Generation. 5.30 MacGyver. 7.30 NCIS. 8.30 Bull. 10.20 48 Hours. 12.15am Home Shopping. 2.15 Elementary. 3.10 Star Trek: The Next Generation. 4.05 MacGyver.

ABC ME (23) 6am Children’s Programs. 3.35pm The Penguins Of Madagascar. 4.30 The Inbestigators. 4.45 Odd Squad. 5.00 Space Nova. 5.25 Kung Fu Panda. 6.00 100 Things To Do Before High School. 6.30 Operation Ouch! 7.00 Horrible Histories. 7.35 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. 8.00 The Deep. 8.25 Kong: King Of The Apes. 8.45 SheZow. 9.00 Find Me In Paris. 9.25 School Of Rock. 9.45 Rage. 11.10 Close. SBS MOVIES (32) 6am Chalet Girl. Continued. (2011, PG) 7.30 Date With An Angel. (1987, PG) 9.30 Bugsy Malone. (1976, PG) 11.10 Song Lang. (2018, M, Vietnamese) 1.05pm Zana. (2019, M, Albanian) 2.55 The Music Of Silence. (2017, PG) 5.05 Viceroy’s House. (2017, PG) 7.05 Strange Birds. (2017, PG, French) 8.30 The Family. (2013, MA15+) 10.35 The Program. (2015, M) 12.30am Late Programs. 7MATE (63) 6am Morning Programs. Noon Bush re Wars. 12.30 Wild Transport. 1.00 Aussie Lobster Men. 2.00 American Pickers. 3.00 Shipping Wars. 3.30 Pawn Stars UK. 4.00 Pawn Stars Sth Africa. 4.30 Truck Night In America. 5.30 Storage Wars: TX. 6.00 American Pickers. 7.00 Pawn Stars. 7.30 Highway Patrol. 8.30 Outback Opal Hunters. 10.30 Jade Fever. 11.30 Late Programs. 9GO! (83) 6am Children’s Programs. 12.10pm Race Across The World. 1.30 Say Yes To The Dress: UK. 2.00 Full House. 3.00 The Nanny. 3.30 3rd Rock. 4.00 That ’70s Show. 4.30 Raymond. 5.30 The Nanny. 6.00 3rd Rock. 6.30 That ’70s Show. 7.00 Young Sheldon. 7.30 MOVIE: Firewall. (2006, M) 9.40 To Be Advised. 11.35 Young Sheldon. Midnight Smash. 1.00 Say Yes To The Dress: Australia. 2.00 Late Programs. PEACH (52) 6am The Late Show With Stephen Colbert. 7.00 The King Of Queens. 8.00 Seinfeld. 9.30 Becker. 10.30 The Middle. 11.00 Frasier. Noon This Is Us. 1.00 The Big Bang Theory. 1.30 Seinfeld. 3.00 The King Of Queens. 4.00 Becker. 5.00 Frasier. 6.00 Friends. 8.00 The Big Bang Theory. 9.30 Mom. 11.10 Frasier. Midnight Shopping. 1.30 Stephen Colbert. 2.30 James Corden. 3.30 King Of Queens. 4.30 Shopping.

ABC NEWS (24) 6am News Programs. 1.30pm Capital Hill. 2.00 Parliament. 3.15 News. 4.00 Afternoon Brie ng. 5.00 ABC News Hour. 6.00 ABC Evening News. 7.00 ABC National News. 7.30 7.30. 8.00 ABC News Tonight. 8.45 The Business. 9.00 ABC Nightly News. 9.15 Four Corners. 10.00 The World. 11.00 The Drum. Midnight News. 12.15 The Business. 12.30 7.30. 1.00 News. 1.30 Late Programs. SBS FOOD (33) 6am Morning Programs. 2pm Make This Tonight. 2.30 My Market Kitchen. 3.00 License To Grill. 3.30 Spaghetti & Noodles. (Premiere) 4.00 David Rocco’s Dolce Tuscany. 4.30 Cook & The Chef. 5.00 Nigella Express. 5.30 River Cottage Aust. 6.30 Italian Food Safari. 7.00 Cook Up. 7.30 Rick Stein’s Food Heroes: Another Helping. 8.00 Railway Vietnam. 8.30 Rick Stein Tastes The Blues. 9.35 Late Programs. NITV (34) 6am Morning Programs. 2pm Shortland St. 2.30 Going Native. 3.00 Jarjums. 4.35 Spartakus And The Sun Beneath The Sea. 5.00 Our Stories. 5.30 Indian Country Today News. 6.00 Bamay. 6.30 News. 6.40 Extreme Africa. 7.30 The Point. 8.00 Karla Grant Presents Characters Of Broome. 8.30 Over The Black Dot. 9.00 Feeding The Scrum. 9.30 Letterkenny. 10.00 Man In Room 301. 10.55 Late Programs. 9LIFE (84) 6am Morning Programs. 10.30 House Hunters. 11.00 Outgrown. Noon House Hunters. 1.00 Backyard Envy. 2.00 Australia’s Best Pools. 3.00 The Block. 4.00 Tiny Paradise. 4.30 Log Cabin Living. 5.00 Self Made Mansions. 6.00 House Hunters Int. 7.00 House Hunters. 7.30 Escape To The Chateau. 8.30 Dales For Sale. 9.30 Restored. 10.30 Beachfront Bargain Hunt. 11.00 Late Programs. SKY NEWS (53) 6am Morning Programs. 1pm The Rita Panahi Show. 2.00 Afternoon Agenda. 3.00 Paul Murray Live. 4.00 Afternoon Agenda. 4.30 Business Now With Ross Greenwood. 5.00 The Kenny Report. 6.00 Peta Credlin. 7.00 Bolt Report. 8.00 Paul Murray Live. 9.00 The World According to Rowan Dean. 10.00 The Front Page. 10.30 Piers Morgan Uncensored. 11.30 Late Programs.

6.00 News. 9.00 News. 10.00 Four Corners. (R) 11.05 David Attenborough’s Kingdom Of Plants. (R) 12.00 News. 12.30 Press Club. 1.40 Media Watch. (PG, R) 2.00 Parliament Question Time. 3.00 Escape From The City. (PG, R) 3.55 Think Tank. (R) 4.55 Anh’s Brush With Fame. (R) 5.25 Hard Quiz. (PG, R) 6.00 WorldWatch. 9.00 Cook Up With Adam Liaw Bitesize. (R) 9.05 Peer To Peer. (PG) 10.05 Food Markets: In The Belly Of The City. (PG) 11.05 Grayson Perry’s Big American Road Trip. (M) 12.00 WorldWatch. 2.00 Dateline. (R) 2.30 Insight. (R) 3.30 Destination Flavour China Bitesize. (PGa, R) 3.40 The Cook Up. (PG, R) 4.10 The Supervet. (PGa, R) 5.05 Jeopardy! 5.30 Letters And Numbers. (R)

6.00 The Drum. 7.00 ABC News. 7.30 7.30. 8.00 Hard Quiz. (Return, PG) 8.30 Question Everything. (Return) 9.05 Summer Love. (Mdls) 9.35 Adam Hills: The Last Leg. (Final, R) 10.15 ABC Late News. 10.30 The Business. (R) 10.50 Spicks And Specks. (PG, R) 11.40 Parliament Question Time. 12.40 Midsomer Murders. (Mv, R) 2.10 Top Of The Lake: China

Girl. (MA15+as, R) 3.10 Rage. (MA15+adhlnsv) 4.25 The Drum. (R) 5.25 7.30. (R) 6.00 Mastermind Australia. (R) 6.30 SBS World News. 7.30 The Australian Wars. (M) 8.35 24 Hours In Emergency:

Keep Calm And Carry On. (M)

A man falls o a ladder onto his back. 9.30 The Stranger. (MA15+) 11.10 SBS World News Late. 11.40 Vienna Blood. (Ma) 1.30 World On Fire. (MA15+v, R) 2.30 ZeroZeroZero. (MA15+av, R) 4.50 Poh & Co. Bitesize. (R) 5.00 NHK World English

News Morning. 5.30 ANC Philippines The

World Tonight. 6.00 Sunrise. 9.00 The Morning Show. (PG) 11.30 News. 12.00 MOVIE: Home For Harvest. (2019, PGa, R) 2.00 Motorbike Cops. (PGl, R) 2.30 Border Security:

International. (PG, R) 3.00 The Chase. (R) 4.00 Seven News At 4. 5.00 The Chase Australia. 6.00 7News Local. 6.30 7News @ 6:30. 7.00 Home And Away. (PG) 8.00 ABBA: The Missing 40

Years. (PG) Takes a look at the secrets of ABBA’s missing 40 years. 9.00 The Amazing Race. (Return, PGl)

Twelve teams of two embark on a race around the world for a $1 million prize. 10.00 The Chernobyl Disaster:

Fallout. (Ma) Part 3 of 3. 11.00 The Latest: Seven News. 11.30 Chicago Fire. (Ma) 12.30 Home Shopping. 5.00 Seven Early News. 5.30 Sunrise. 6.00 Today. 9.00 Today Extra. (PG) 11.30 Morning News. 12.00 The Block. (PGl, R) 1.00 Taronga: Who’s Who

In The Zoo. (PG, R) 2.00 Pointless. (PG) 3.00 Tipping Point. (PG) 4.00 Afternoon News. 5.00 Millionaire Hot Seat. 6.00 NBN News. 7.00 A Current A air. 7.30 The Block. (PGl) 8.50 My Life As A Rolling Stone:

Keith Richards. (Madl) Part 2 of 4. 10.10 To Be Advised. 11.10 Nine News Late. 11.40 Family Law. (Mas) 12.35 Chicago Med. (MA15+am, R) 1.30 TV Shop: Home Shopping. (R) 2.30 Global Shop. (R) 3.00 TV Shop: Home Shopping. (R) 4.00 Believer’s Voice Of Victory. (PGa) 4.30 A Current A air. (R) 5.00 News Early Edition. 5.30 Today. 6.00 The Talk. (PGa) 7.00 Judge Judy. (PG, R) 7.30 Bold. (R) 8.00 10 News First: Breakfast. 8.30 Studio 10. (PG) 12.00 Dr Phil. (PGa, R) 1.00 The Amazing Race Australia. (PGl, R) 2.00 Ent. Tonight. 2.30 Food Trail: South Africa. (R) 3.00 Judge Judy. (PG, R) 3.30 Freshly Picked. 4.00 Everyday Gourmet. 4.30 The Bold And The Beautiful. 5.00 10 News First. 6.30 The Project. A look at the day’s news and events. 7.30 The Amazing Race Australia. (PGl) Hosted by Beau Ryan. 9.00 Shockwaves: The Bali

Bombings. Explores the lives of those a ected by the October 2002 Bali bombings, 20 years after they occurred. 10.00 Bull. (PGlv, R) Chunk does his daughter a favour and convinces Bull to represent a teenager on trial for robbery. 12.00 The Project. (R) 1.00 The Late Show With

Stephen Colbert. (PG) 2.00 Home Shopping. (R) 4.30 CBS Mornings.

CONSUMER ADVICE (P) Pre-school (C) Children (PG) Parental Guidance Recommended (M) Mature Audiences (MA15+) Mature Audiences Only (AV15+) Extreme Adult Violence (R) Repeat (CC) Closed Captions (a) Adult themes (d) Drug references (h) Horror (s) Sex references (l) Language (m) Medical procedures (n) Nudity (v) Violence.

ABC TV PLUS (22) 6am Children’s Programs. 7.20pm Bluey. 7.30 Anh’s Brush With Fame. 8.00 Art Works. 8.30 Civilisations. 9.30 Take 5 With Zan Rowe. 10.00 And We Danced. 11.00 Louis Theroux: Return To The Most Hated Family. Midnight Ghosts. 12.30 Catalyst. 1.25 ABC News Update. 1.30 Close. 5.00 Cookie Monster’s Foodie Truck. 5.15 Hoot Hoot Go! 5.20 Sarah & Duck. 5.30 Late Programs. VICELAND (31) 6am WorldWatch. 9.30 Shortland St. 11.00 Counter Space. Noon Hoarders. 2.30 Deportees Of Tonga. 3.00 Curse Of Oak Island. 3.45 WorldWatch. 5.15 Shortland St. 5.45 Joy Of Painting. 6.15 Forged In Fire. 7.05 Jeopardy! 7.35 8 Out Of 10 Cats Does Countdown. 8.30 We’re All Gonna Die (Even Jay Baruchel) 9.40 Monty Python: The Meaning Of Live. 11.30 Late Programs. 7TWO (62) 6am Shopping. 6.30 Escape To The Country. 7.30 Harry’s Practice. 8.00 Shopping. 8.30 Million Dollar Minute. 9.00 Jabba’s School Holiday Movies. 9.30 NBC Today. Noon The Surgery Ship. 1.00 My Greek Odyssey. 2.00 Weekender. 2.30 Sons And Daughters. 4.30 Emmerdale. 5.00 Coronation Street. 5.30 Escape To The Country. 6.30 Bargain Hunt. 7.30 Heartbeat. 8.45 Lewis. 10.45 Late Programs. 9GEM (82) 6am TV Shop. 7.00 Cre o. 7.30 TV Shop. 10.30 Pointless. 11.30 My Favorite Martian. Noon Days Of Our Lives. 12.55 The Young And The Restless. 1.50 Explore. 1.55 The Channel: The World’s Busiest Waterway. 2.55 Antiques Roadshow. 3.25 MOVIE: Private’s Progress. (1956) 5.30 Murder, She Wrote. 6.30 Antiques Roadshow. 7.30 As Time Goes By. 8.50 Midsomer Murders. 10.50 Late Programs. BOLD (51) 6am Home Shopping. 8.00 The Doctors. 9.00 Reel Action. 9.30 iFish. 10.00 MacGyver. Noon The Love Boat. 1.00 Star Trek: The Next Generation. 2.00 Diagnosis Murder. 3.00 Bondi Rescue. 3.30 The Love Boat. 4.30 Star Trek: The Next Generation. 5.30 MacGyver. 7.30 NCIS. 8.30 Hawaii Five-0. 10.20 Blood And Treasure. 11.15 Evil. 12.15am Home Shopping. 2.15 Hawaii Five-O. 3.10 ST: Next Gen. 4.05 MacGyver.

ABC ME (23) 6am Children’s Programs. 3.10pm The Dengineers. 3.35 The Penguins Of Madagascar. 4.30 The Inbestigators. 5.00 Space Nova. 5.30 Kung Fu Panda. 6.00 100 Things To Do Before High School. 6.30 Operation Ouch! 7.00 Horrible Histories. 7.35 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. 8.00 The Deep. 8.25 Kong: King Of The Apes. 8.45 Dodo. 9.00 Find Me In Paris. 9.25 School Of Rock. 9.45 Rage. 11.10 Close. SBS MOVIES (32) 6am Viceroy’s House. Continued. (2017, PG) 6.50 Strange Birds. (2017, PG, French) 8.15 The Prince And The Showgirl. (1957, PG) 10.25 Lootera. (2013, M, Hindi) 12.55pm The King Of Comedy. (1983, PG) 3.00 Date With An Angel. (1987, PG) 5.00 Teen Spirit. (2018, PG) 6.40 Three Summers. (2019, PG, Portuguese) 8.30 Cape Fear. (1991, MA15+) 10.50 Black Sea. (2014, M) 12.55am Late Programs. 7MATE (63) 6am Morning Programs. Noon Bush re Wars. 12.30 Wild Transport. 1.00 Aussie Lobster Men. 2.00 Jade Fever. 3.00 Shipping Wars. 3.30 Pawn Stars UK. 4.00 Pawn Stars Sth Africa. 4.30 Truck Night In America. 5.30 Storage Wars: TX. 6.00 American Pickers. 7.00 Pawn Stars. 7.30 Family Guy. 8.00 American Dad! 8.30 MOVIE: X-Men: Days Of Future Past. (2014, M) 11.10 Late Programs. 9GO! (83) 6am Children’s Programs. 12.10pm Race Across The World. 1.30 Say Yes To The Dress: UK. 2.00 Full House. 3.00 The Nanny. 3.30 3rd Rock. 4.00 That ’70s Show. 4.30 Raymond. 5.30 The Nanny. 6.00 3rd Rock. 6.30 That ’70s Show. 7.00 Young Sheldon. 7.30 MOVIE: Contagion. (2011, M) 9.40 To Be Advised. 11.35 Young Sheldon. Midnight Smash. 1.00 Say Yes To The Dress: Australia. 2.00 Late Programs. PEACH (52) 6am The Late Show With Stephen Colbert. 7.00 Friends. 8.00 The King Of Queens. 9.00 Becker. 10.00 The Middle. 11.00 Frasier. Noon This Is Us. 1.00 Friends. 2.00 Becker. 3.00 The King Of Queens. 4.00 Becker. 5.00 Frasier. 6.00 Friends. 8.00 The Big Bang Theory. 9.20 Two And A Half Men. 10.10 The Big Bang Theory. 11.00 Frasier. Midnight Shopping. 1.30 Stephen Colbert. 2.30 Late Programs.

ABC NEWS (24) 6am News Programs. 12.30pm Press Club. 1.40 Capital Hill. 2.00 Parliament. (Final) 3.15 News. 4.00 Afternoon Brie ng. 5.00 ABC News Hour. 6.00 ABC Evening News. 7.00 ABC National News. 7.30 7.30. 8.00 ABC News Tonight. 8.45 The Business. 9.00 ABC Nightly News. 9.30 Planet America. 10.00 The World. 11.00 The Drum. Midnight News. 12.15 The Business. 12.30 7.30. 1.00 Late Programs. SBS FOOD (33) 6am Morning Programs. 2pm Make This Tonight. 2.30 My Market Kitchen. 3.00 License To Grill. 3.30 Spaghetti & Noodles. 4.00 Dolce Tuscany. 4.30 Cook & The Chef. 5.00 Nigella Express. 5.30 River Cottage Aust. 6.30 Italian Food Safari. 7.00 Cook Up. 7.30 Rick Stein’s Food Heroes: Another Helping. 8.00 Khoo’s Simple Pleasures. 8.30 John Torode’s Middle East. 9.00 Gino’s Italian Coastal Escape. 9.30 Late Programs. NITV (34) 6am Morning Programs. 1.30pm Artie: Our Tribute To A Legend. 2.00 Shortland St. 2.30 Going Native. 3.00 Jarjums. 4.00 Raven’s Quest. 4.10 Grace Beside Me. 4.35 Spartakus And The Sun Beneath The Sea. 5.00 Our Stories. 5.30 Te Ao With Moana. 6.00 Bamay. 6.30 News. 6.40 Extreme Africa. 7.30 The Australian Wars. 8.35 MOVIE: Manganinnie. (1980, PG) 10.10 The Kings. 11.10 Late Programs. 9LIFE (84) 6am Morning Programs. 10.00 Australia’s Best House. 11.00 Restored. Noon Rehab Addict. 1.00 Beach Hunters. 2.00 Beachfront Bargain Hunt. 2.30 The Block. 4.00 Tiny Paradise. 4.30 Log Cabin Living. 5.00 Dales For Sale. 6.00 House Hunters Int. 7.00 House Hunters. 7.30 Boise Boys. 8.30 Home Town. 9.30 To Be Advised. 10.30 Caribbean Life. 11.00 Late Programs. SKY NEWS (53) 6am Morning Programs. 1pm The World According to Rowan Dean. 2.00 Afternoon Agenda. 3.00 Paul Murray Live. 4.00 Afternoon Agenda. 4.30 Business Now With Ross Greenwood. 5.00 The Kenny Report. 6.00 Peta Credlin. 7.00 Bolt Report. 8.00 Paul Murray Live. 9.00 The World According to Rowan Dean. 10.00 The Front Page. 10.30 Piers Morgan Uncensored. 11.30 Late Programs.

THURSDAY, September 29

ABC TV (2)

6.00 News. 9.00 News. 10.00 Aust Story. (R) 10.30 That Paci c Sports Show. (R) 11.00 Rick Stein’s Secret France. (R) 12.00 News. 1.00 Hard Quiz. (PG, R) 1.30 Question Everything. (R) 2.00 All Creatures Great And Small. (PG, R) 3.00 Escape From The City. (R) 4.00 Think Tank. (PG, R) 4.55 Anh’s Brush With Fame. (PG, R) 5.25 Hard Quiz. (PG, R) SBS (3)

6.00 WorldWatch. 9.00 Cook Up With Adam Liaw Bitesize. (R) 9.05 Peer To Peer. (PG) 10.05 7.7 Billion People And Counting. (PGa, R) 11.05 Grayson Perry’s Big American Road Trip. (M) 12.00 WorldWatch. 2.05 First Ladies. (Ma, R) 2.55 Going Places. (R) 3.35 The Cook Up. (PG) 4.10 The Supervet. (PGa, R) 5.05 Jeopardy! 5.30 Letters And Numbers. (R)

6.00 The Drum. 6.55 Sammy J. (PG) 7.00 ABC News. 7.30 7.30. 8.00 Foreign Correspondent. 8.30 Q+A. 9.35 Kurt Fearnley’s One Plus One. 10.05 ABC Late News. 10.20 The Business. (R) 10.35 Old People’s Home For Teenagers. (PG, R) 11.35 Doc Martin. (PG, R) 12.25 All Creatures Great And Small. (PG, R) 1.10 Top Of The Lake: China Girl. (Final, Malnsv, R) 2.10 Les Misérables. (Mv, R) 3.10 Rage. (MA15+adhlnsv) 4.25 The Drum. (R) 5.20 Sammy J. (PG, R) 5.25 7.30. (R) 6.00 Mastermind Australia. (R) 6.30 SBS World News. 7.30 Dishing It Up. (Premiere) 8.00 Guillaume’s Paris. (PG) 8.30 World’s Most Scenic

River Journeys. (PG) 9.25 The Handmaid’s Tale. (MA15+) 10.25 SBS World News Late. 10.55 Gomorrah. (MA15+v) 11.50 Luther. (MA15+av, R) 3.50 Food Safari Earth. (R) 4.50 Poh & Co. Bitesize. (R) 5.00 NHK World English

News Morning. 5.30 ANC Philippines The

World Tonight. SEVEN (6)

6.00 Sunrise. 9.00 The Morning Show. (PG) 11.30 Seven Morning News. 12.00 MOVIE: Darrow And

Darrow. (2017, PGav) 2.00 Kochie’s Business Builders. 2.30 Motorbike Cops. (PGa, R) 3.00 The Chase. (R) 4.00 Seven News At 4. 5.00 The Chase Australia. 6.00 7News Local. 6.30 7News @ 6:30. 7.00 Home And Away. (PGas) 8.30 Kath & Kim. (PG, R) Kath is enjoying life as an empty-nester, until her married daughter Kim moves back in. Adding to the pressure on their relationship is the fact that Kath appears to have caught the eye of butcher Kel Knight. 10.50 The Latest: Seven News. 11.20 Autopsy USA: David Bowie. (Mad, R) A look at the death of David Bowie. 12.30 Home Shopping. 5.00 Seven Early News. 5.30 Sunrise. NBN (8, 80)

6.00 Today. 9.00 Today Extra. (PG) 11.30 Morning News. 12.00 The Block. (PGl, R) 1.00 Taronga: Who’s Who

In The Zoo. (PG, R) 2.00 Pointless. (PG) 3.00 Tipping Point. (PG) 4.00 Afternoon News. 5.00 Millionaire Hot Seat. (R) 6.00 NBN News. 7.00 A Current A air. 7.30 RBT. (Mdl) 8.30 Paramedics. (Return, Mm) 9.30 A+E After Dark. (Mlm) 10.30 Nine News Late. 11.00 New Amsterdam. (Mam) 11.50 The Gulf. (Madlsv, R) 12.40 Tipping Point. (PG, R) 1.30 TV Shop: Home Shopping. (R) 2.30 Global Shop. (R) 3.00 TV Shop: Home Shopping. (R) 4.00 Believer’s Voice Of Victory. (PGa) 4.30 A Current A air. (R) 5.00 News Early Edition. 5.30 Today. TEN (5)

6.00 The Talk. (PGa) 7.00 Judge Judy. (PG, R) 7.30 Bold. (R) 8.00 10 News First: Breakfast. 8.30 Studio 10. (PG) 12.00 Dr Phil. (PGals, R) 1.00 The Amazing Race Australia. (PGl, R) 2.30 Ent. Tonight. 3.00 Judge Judy. (PG, R) 3.30 Freshly Picked. 4.00 Everyday Gourmet With Justine Scho eld. 4.30 Bold. 5.00 News.

6.30 The Project. A look at the day’s news and events. 7.30 The Amazing Race Australia. (PGl) Hosted by Beau Ryan. 8.30 Gogglebox Australia. TV fanatics open up their living rooms to reveal their reactions to popular and topical TV shows. 9.30 To Be Advised. 10.30 Law & Order: SVU. (Ma, R)

A powerful judge railroads Carisi. 11.30 The Project. (R) A look at the day’s news and events. 12.30 The Late Show With Stephen

Colbert. (PG) Late-night talk show. 1.30 Home Shopping. (R) 4.30 CBS Mornings.

CONSUMER ADVICE (P) Pre-school (C) Children (PG) Parental Guidance Recommended (M) Mature Audiences (MA15+) Mature Audiences Only (AV15+) Extreme Adult Violence (R) Repeat (CC) Closed Captions (a) Adult themes (d) Drug references (h) Horror (s) Sex references (l) Language (m) Medical procedures (n) Nudity (v) Violence.

ABC TV PLUS (22) 6am Children’s Programs. 7.20pm Bluey. 7.30 Spicks And Specks. 8.30 Mock The Week. (Return) 9.00 Hard Quiz. 9.30 Question Everything. 10.05 Penn & Teller: Fool Us. 10.45 Doctor Who. 11.30 Ghosts. Midnight Would I Lie To You? 12.30 Zoe Coombs Marr: Bossy Bottom. 1.35 Blunt Talk. 2.05 ABC News Update. 2.10 Close. 5.00 Cookie Monster’s Foodie Truck. 5.15 Late Programs. VICELAND (31) 6am WorldWatch. 9.30 Shortland St. 11.00 Counter Space. Noon Hoarders. 2.30 Toxic Garbage Island. 3.45 WorldWatch. 5.15 Shortland St. 5.45 Joy Of Painting. 6.15 Forged In Fire. 7.05 Jeopardy! 7.35 8 Out Of 10 Cats Does Countdown. 8.30 The Curse Of Oak Island. 10.10 Escaping Polygamy. 11.00 Bangkok Airport. Midnight News. 12.55 Dark Side Of The Ring. 2.35 Late Programs. 7TWO (62) 6am Morning Programs. 7.30 Harry’s Practice. 8.00 Shopping. 8.30 Million Dollar Minute. 9.30 NBC Today. Noon The Surgery Ship. 1.00 Million Dollar Minute. 2.00 South Aussie With Cosi. 2.30 Sons And Daughters. 4.30 Emmerdale. 5.00 Coronation Street. 5.30 Escape To The Country. 6.30 Bargain Hunt. 7.30 Father Brown. 8.30 McDonald And Dodds. 10.30 Murdoch Mysteries. 11.30 Late Programs. 9GEM (82) 6am TV Shop. 7.00 Cre o. 7.30 TV Shop. 10.30 Pointless. 11.30 My Favorite Martian. Noon Days Of Our Lives. 12.55 The Young And The Restless. 1.50 Explore. 2.00 The Channel: The World’s Busiest Waterway. 3.00 Antiques Roadshow. 3.30 MOVIE: The Iron Maiden. (1963) 5.30 Murder, She Wrote. 6.30 Antiques Roadshow. 7.30 Grantchester. 8.30 Poirot. 10.30 The Case Of Caylee Anthony. 11.30 Late Programs. BOLD (51) 6am Home Shopping. 8.00 The Doctors. 9.00 Reel Action. 9.30 iFish. 10.00 MacGyver. Noon The Love Boat. 1.00 Star Trek: The Next Generation. 2.00 Diagnosis Murder. 3.00 Bondi Rescue. 3.30 The Love Boat. 4.30 Star Trek: The Next Generation. 5.30 MacGyver. 7.30 NCIS. 8.30 Bull. 10.30 Elementary. 11.30 48 Hours. 12.30am Home Shopping. 2.00 Blood And Treasure. 3.00 ST: Next Gen. 4.00 MacGyver.

ABC ME (23) 6am Children’s Programs. 3.05pm The Dengineers. 3.35 The Penguins Of Madagascar. 4.30 The Inbestigators. 5.00 Space Nova. 5.30 Kung Fu Panda. 6.00 100 Things To Do Before High School. 6.30 Operation Ouch! 7.00 Horrible Histories. 7.35 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. 8.00 The Deep. 8.25 Kong: King Of The Apes. 8.45 Dodo. 9.00 Find Me In Paris. 9.25 School Of Rock. 9.45 Rage. 11.10 Close. SBS MOVIES (32) 6am Bugsy Malone. Continued. (1976, PG) 6.35 Three Summers. (2019, PG, Portuguese) 8.25 Hotel Salvation. (2016, PG, Hindi) 10.20 Selma. (2014, M) 12.40pm The Program. (2015, M) 2.35 Strange Birds. (2017, PG, French) 4.00 The Prince And The Showgirl. (1957, PG) 6.10 A Raisin In The Sun. (1961, PG) 8.30 Cop Land. (1997) 10.30 Regression. (2015, MA15+) 12.30am Late Programs. 7MATE (63) 6am Morning Programs. 10.30 Storage Wars: TX. 11.00 American Pickers. Noon Bush re Wars. 12.30 Wild Transport. 1.00 Aussie Lobster Men. 2.00 Heavy Lifting. 3.00 Shipping Wars. 3.30 Pawn Stars UK. 4.00 Pawn Stars Sth Africa. 4.30 Scrap Kings. 5.30 Storage Wars: TX. 6.00 American Pickers. 7.00 Pawn Stars. 8.30 MOVIE: Deadpool. (2016, MA15+) 10.45 Late Programs. 9GO! (83) 6am Children’s Programs. 12.10pm Race Across The World. 1.30 Say Yes To The Dress: UK. 2.00 Full House. 3.00 The Nanny. 3.30 3rd Rock. 4.00 That ’70s Show. 4.30 Raymond. 5.30 The Nanny. 6.00 3rd Rock. 6.30 That ’70s Show. 7.00 Young Sheldon. 7.30 Survivor. 9.00 MOVIE: The Legend Of Tarzan. (2016, M) 11.10 Young Sheldon. 11.35 Up All Night. Midnight Smash. 1.00 Late Programs. PEACH (52) 6am The Late Show With Stephen Colbert. 7.00 Friends. 8.00 The King Of Queens. 9.00 Becker. 10.00 The Middle. 11.30 Friends. Noon The Living Room. 1.00 Frasier. 2.00 Becker. 3.00 The King Of Queens. 4.00 Becker. 5.00 Frasier. 6.00 Friends. 8.00 The Big Bang Theory. 9.30 Mom. 10.30 Seinfeld. 11.00 Frasier. Midnight Shopping. 1.30 Stephen Colbert. 2.30 Late Programs.

ABC NEWS (24) 6am News Programs. 3pm News. 4.00 Afternoon Brie ng. 5.00 ABC News Hour. 6.00 ABC Evening News. 7.00 ABC National News. 7.30 7.30. 8.00 ABC News Tonight. 8.45 The Business. 9.00 ABC Nightly News. 9.30 Foreign Correspondent. 10.00 The World. 11.00 The Drum. Midnight News. 12.15 The Business. 12.30 7.30. 1.00 News. 1.30 That Paci c Sports Show. 2.00 DW News. 2.30 Late Programs. SBS FOOD (33) 6am Morning Programs. 2pm Make This Tonight. 2.30 My Market Kitchen. 3.00 License To Grill. 3.30 Spaghetti & Noodles. 4.00 David Rocco’s Dolce Tuscany. 4.30 Cook & The Chef. 5.00 Nigella Express. 5.30 River Cottage Aust. 6.30 Italian Food Safari. 7.00 Cook Up. 7.30 Dishing It Up. (Premiere) 8.00 Guillaume’s Paris. 8.30 Food Heroes: Another Helping. 9.00 Gok Wan’s Easy Asian. 9.30 Late Programs. NITV (34) 6am Morning Programs. 1.35pm Bamay. 2.00 Shortland St. 2.30 Going Native. 3.00 Jarjums. 3.50 Wolf Joe. 4.00 Raven’s Quest. 4.10 Grace Beside Me. 4.35 Spartakus And The Sun Beneath The Sea. 5.00 Our Stories. 5.30 The 77 Percent. 6.00 Bamay. 6.30 News. 6.40 Extreme Africa. 7.30 Going Places With Ernie Dingo. 8.30 The Porter. 9.25 MOVIE: Tudawali. (1987, M) 11.00 Late Programs. 9LIFE (84) 6am Morning Programs. 10.30 House Hunters. 11.00 Tiny Paradise. 11.30 Log Cabin Living. Noon Home Town. 1.00 Caribbean Life. 2.00 Boise Boys. 3.00 The Block. 4.00 Tiny Paradise. 4.30 Log Cabin Living. 5.00 To Be Advised. 6.00 House Hunters Int. 7.00 House Hunters. 7.30 House Hunters International. 8.30 Beach Hunters. 9.30 My Lottery Dream Home. 10.30 Bargain Mansions. 11.00 Late Programs. SKY NEWS (53) 6am Morning Programs. 1pm The World According to Rowan Dean. 2.00 Afternoon Agenda. 3.00 Paul Murray Live. 4.00 Afternoon Agenda. 4.30 Business Now With Ross Greenwood. 5.00 The Kenny Report. 6.00 Peta Credlin. 7.00 Bolt Report. 8.00 Paul Murray Live. 9.00 The World According to Rowan Dean. 10.00 The Front Page. 10.30 Piers Morgan Uncensored. 11.30 Late Programs.

LIVE TRAFFIC NSW TURNS 12 WITH BIG PLANS FOR THE FUTURE

The NSW Government is embarking on an ambitious plan to cover every road across the state through Live Traffc NSW as the platform celebrates 12 years helping drivers get from A to B safely and on time. Minister for Metropolitan Roads Natalie Ward said the milestone is a signifcant reminder of the work undertaken so far to establish a network that provides real-time traffc data, so motorists can plan their daily commutes.

“Live Traffc NSW has played a critical role over the past 12 years in providing real time information to help people move safely around state roads,” Ms Ward said.

“We update Live Traffc NSW 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, as we monitor and manage the 18,000-kilometre NSW state road network.

“This includes publishing live shots from 155 cameras every minute, and details of 500 incidents per day on average.

“This has helped state road users and now we’re planning to gather incident data on every road in the state by 2024.

“This update will mean Live Traffc NSW will be able to inform drivers across the state of the best route to take anywhere, any time.”

Minister for Regional Transport and Roads Sam Farraway said one of the most important things people need to be able to rely on is accurate and timely road information to make travel easier and safer.

“With a record of up to 660,000 visits a day on the Live Traffc NSW website and apps during the natural disaster events of 2021, a spike in traffc 33 times higher than usual, demand has never been higher for timely and accurate information, and we expect this demand to increase as more councils come on board,” Mr Farraway said.

“Thanks to the upgrade the NSW Government is rolling out, Live Traffc will be a one stop shop bringing all of the state’s traffc information into one central hub.

“Providing a better service for users will be valuable during emergencies like foods or fres, with more detailed information available to help protect communities and save lives.”

All councils in NSW will be given free access to OneRoad, the new backend platform that powers Live Traffc NSW. Data input through OneRoad will also be available on the Transport for NSW Open Data Hub for third-party apps like Google Maps, Apple Maps, Waze and TomTom.

New information from 22 LGAs, most from regional Northern NSW, will be available on Live Traffc NSW and thirdparty apps from October.

LGAs will continue to come on board in stages, with priority given to regional councils most impacted by bushfres and foods. All 128 LGAs across the state will be given the opportunity to use OneRoad by 2024.

SPATIAL SERVICES ENABLES NEXT STEP IN DIGITISATION FOR NSW PLANNING PORTAL

The digital transformation of NSW’s planning system is ramping up with the Department of Customer Service’s (DCS) Spatial Services team enabling 3D digital mapping for subdivision and strata plans through the NSW Planning Portal.

Spatial Services Executive Director Narelle Underwood said Spatial Services’ digitisation of subdivision and strata related land developments would transform how applicants and assessing authorities visualise applications via the Planning Portal.

“Spatial Services has already transformed the way we see the world around us with the awardwinning Spatial Digital Twin bringing together government data sources to provide insights for developers and residents to support decision-making and plan the communities of the future,” Ms Underwood said.

“Thanks to the work in connecting subdivision and strata related digital mapping to the NSW Planning Portal, people can better understand the impact of Development Applications and Subdivision Certifcate Applications while reducing the time it takes to manually review and digitise information, realising a more effcient and customer friendly experience.

“Draft strata plans can now be visualised in 3D which improves the ability of assessing authorities such as local councils and private certifers to interpret what can be very complex plans in paper form, enhance quality checks and enable more effective community engagement.”

Spatial Services Executive Director Narelle Underwood said enabling digital mapping of subdivision and strata developments further added to the NSW Government’s commitment to provide people across the State with an online platform where they can access planning services and information from anywhere at any time.

“The NSW Planning Portal is an online environment where community, industry and government can work together to better understand and meet their obligations,” Ms Underwood said.

“It is a convenient alternative to paper-based transactions, which can only take place during business hours and is helping to streamline and enhance existing processes to improve the planning experience for all stakeholders across NSW.

“The portal’s digital planning services, mapping tools and reporting tools assist everyone involved in a proposed development and this is helping to improve application determination times, increase transparency of the planning system and ensure greater accountability of all stakeholders.”

The NSW Planning Platform is part of the ePlanning Program which is funded by the DCS Digital Restart Fund (DRF). The NSW Government has allocated $2.1 billion across four years to invest into digital transformation projects through the DRF, with the fund targeting smart, simple technology solutions which create effciencies for customers across the State. For more information on the NSW Planning Portal, please visit https://www. planningportal.nsw.gov. au/ For more information on DCS Spatial Services, please visit https://www. spatial.nsw.gov.au/

$5 MILLION TO ACTIVATE NSW HERITAGE

Applications are open for innovative ideas that boost public access to the state’s most signifcant heritage places and stimulate local economies across NSW.

Minister for Heritage James Griffn said $5 million in funding support is available through the 2023-2025 NSW Heritage Grants program.

“Our NSW Heritage Grants program is now in its 44th year and has helped deliver fantastic heritage renewal projects right around the state,” Mr Griffn said.

“For the frst time ever, we’re also trialling a $1 million matched funding grant, which is designed to protect and promote our heritage by incentivising owners and custodians to revitalise state heritage listed sites and bring them back to life.

“We want to see applications that engage communities in our rich heritage, contribute to community wellbeing, and support economic activity within local areas.

“The Heritage Grants are all about revitalising some of our most meaningful places in NSW, and preserving them for our future generations.”

The 2023-2025 NSW Heritage Grants program has six categories, including: • The new Activating

State Heritage Grant where one successful applicant will be awarded $1 million in matched funding • Aboriginal Cultural

Heritage Grants where applicants can apply for up to $80,000 • Caring for State

Heritage Grants where applicants can apply for up to $150,000 • Community Heritage

Grants where applicants can apply for up to $50,000 • Emergency Works

Grants to help address emergency situations at state signifcant sites • Local Government

Heritage Grants program designed for

NSW local councils.

Examples of previous grant recipients can be found here.

For more information, including guidelines and applications, visit the Heritage NSW website at www.heritage.nsw.gov.au/ grants

NEW SYSTEM TO HELP IMPROVE HEAVY VEHICLE SAFETY

Registered heavy vehicle operators can now access their drivers’ demerit points balance, allowing them to better manage driver behaviour and improve road safety.

Minister for Regional Transport and Roads Sam Farraway said the Liberal and Nationals Government was committed to making NSW roads the safest in the country and reducing the number of crashes involving heavy vehicles is critical to achieving this goal.

“Transport for NSW has worked closely with the heavy vehicle industry and listened to their calls for a clearer system to help both operators and drivers carry out their work safely,” Mr Farraway said.

“Giving operators access to their drivers’ demerit points record will allow them to identify and work with their drivers to address potential safety issues early.

“Improved education and training will help employers work with their drivers to prevent them from losing their licence and save lives on our roads.

“Crashes involving a heavy vehicle are likely to have more serious consequences due to their size and extra time and distance needed to stop.

“It’s also timely to remind all road users that they have an important part to play in preventing crashes involving heavy vehicles – give heavy vehicles plenty of space, stay out of their blind spots, take care and be patient.”

An operator must receive driver consent before accessing their drivers’ demerit points record. Providing consent to the release of personal information is voluntary.

To fnd out more about HVOSIP, please visit https://roads-waterways. transport.nsw.gov. au/business-industry/ heavy-vehicles/schemesprograms/hvosip.html

Making stem cells from a patient’s adult cells The blood stem cell research that could change medicine of the future

Making stem cells from a patient’s adult cells – rather than human embryos – is one of the holy grails in modern medicine treatments. New research brings us two steps closer.

Biomedical engineers and medical researchers at UNSW Sydney have independently made discoveries about embryonic blood stem cell creation that could one day eliminate the need for blood stem cell donors.

The achievements are part of a move in regenerative medicine towards the use of ‘induced pluripotent stem cells’ to treat disease, where stem cells are reverse engineered from adult tissue cells rather than using live human or animal embryos.

But while we have known about induced pluripotent stem cells since 2006, scientists still have plenty to learn about how cell differentiation in the human body can be mimicked artifcially and safely in the lab for the purposes of delivering targeted medical treatment.

Two studies have emerged from UNSW researchers in this area that shine new light on not only how the precursors to blood stem cells occur in animals and humans, but how they may be induced artifcially.

In a study published today in Cell Reports, researchers from UNSW School of Biomedical Engineering demonstrated how a simulation of an embryo’s beating heart using a microfuidic device in the lab led to the development of human blood stem cell ‘precursors’, which are stem cells on the verge of becoming blood stem cells.

And in an article published in Nature Cell Biology recently, researchers from UNSW Medicine & Health revealed the identity of cells in mice embryos responsible for blood stem cell creation.

Both studies are signifcant steps towards an understanding of how, when, where and which cells are involved in the creation of blood stem cells. In the future, this knowledge could be used to help cancer patients, among others, who have undergone high doses of radio- and chemotherapy, to replenish their depleted blood stem cells.

Emulating the heart

In the study detailed in Cell Reports, lead author Dr Jingjing Li and fellow researchers described how a 3cm x 3cm microfuidic system pumped blood stem cells produced from an embryonic stem cell line to mimic an embryo’s beating heart and conditions of blood circulation.

She said that in the last few decades, biomedical engineers have been trying to make blood stem cells in laboratory dishes to solve the problem of donor blood stem cell shortages. But no one has yet been able to achieve it.

“Part of the problem is that we still don’t fully understand all the processes going on in the microenvironment during embryonic development that leads to the creation of blood stem cells at about day 32 in the embryonic development,” Dr Li said.

“So, we made a device mimicking the heart beating and the blood circulation and an orbital shaking system which causes shear stress – or friction – of the blood cells as they move through the device or around in a dish.”

These systems promoted the development of precursor blood stem cells which can differentiate into various blood components – white blood cells, red blood cells, platelets and others. They were excited to see this same process – known as haematopoiesis – replicated in the device.

Study co-author Associate Professor Robert Nordon said he was amazed that not only did the device create blood stem cell precursors that went on to produce differentiated blood cells, but it also created the tissue cells of the embryonic heart environment that is crucial to this process.

“The thing that just wows me about this is that blood stem cells, when they form in the embryo, form in the wall of the main vessel called the aorta. And they basically pop out of this aorta and go into the circulation, and then go to the liver and form what’s called defnitive haematopoiesis, or defnitive blood formation.

“Getting an aorta to form and then the cells actually emerging from that aorta into the circulation, that is the crucial step required for generating these cells.”

“What we’ve shown is that we can generate a cell that can form all the different types of blood cells. We’ve also shown that it is very closely related to the cells lining the aorta – so we know its origin is correct – and that it proliferates,” A/ Prof. Nordon said.

The researchers are cautiously optimistic about their achievement in emulating embryonic heart conditions with a mechanical device. They hope it could be a step towards solving challenges limiting regenerative medical treatments today: donor blood stem cell shortages, rejection of donor tissue cells, and the ethical issues surrounding the use of IVF embryos.

“Blood stem cells used in transplantation require donors with the same tissue-type as the patient,” A/Prof. Nordon said.

“Manufacture of blood stem cells from pluripotent stem cell lines would solve this problem without the need for tissue-matched donors providing a plentiful supply to treat blood cancers or genetic disease.”

Dr Li added: “We are working on up-scaling manufacture of these cells using bioreactors.”

Mystery solved

Meanwhile, and working independently of Dr Li and A/Prof. Nordon, UNSW Medicine & Health’s Professor John Pimanda and Dr Vashe Chandrakanthan were doing their own research into how blood stem cells are created in embryos.

In their study of mice, the researchers looked for the mechanism that is used naturally in mammals to make blood stem cells from the cells that line blood vessels, known as endothelial cells.

“It was already known that this process takes place in mammalian embryos where endothelial cells that line the aorta change into blood cells during haematopoiesis,” Prof. Pimanda said.

“But the identity of the cells that regulate this process had up until now been a mystery.”

In their paper, Prof. Pimanda and Dr Chandrakanthan described how they solved this puzzle by identifying the cells in the embryo that can convert both embryonic and adult endothelial cells into blood cells. The cells – known as ‘Mesp1derived PDGFRA+ stromal cells’ -- reside underneath the aorta, and only surround the aorta in a very narrow window during embryonic development.

Dr Chandrakanthan said that knowing the identity of these cells provides medical researchers with clues on how mammalian adult endothelial cells could be triggered to create blood stem cells – something they are normally unable to do.

“Our research showed that when endothelial cells from the embryo or the adult are mixed with ‘Mesp1 derived PDGFRA+ stromal cells’ – they start making blood stem cells,” he said.

While more research is needed before this can be translated into clinical practice – including confrming the results in human cells – the discovery could provide a potential new tool to generate engraftable haematopoietic cells.

“Using your own cells to generate blood stem cells could eliminate the need for donor blood transfusions or stem cell transplantation. Unlocking mechanisms used by Nature brings us a step closer to achieving this goal,” Prof. Pimanda said.

21 thousand signatories of the petition The NSW Government fails to listen to the community on public native forest logging

The NSW Government response to the 21 thousand signatories of the petition to end native forest logging has been released today and has failed to recognise the considered calls for a transition plan that makes economic and ecological sense. This response has come on the same day as the tabling of the report into the Long term sustainability and future of the timber and forest products industry. The response from the Minister for Agriculture Dugald Saunders is embarrassing in light of the report that was tabled today. It relies on questionable facts and disregards the legitimate social and scientifc concerns about the future of the industry and all of the workers and communities that currently rely on it.

Greens NSW MP and spokesperson for the environment Sue Higginson said “The Government response to this petition has completely failed to address the looming and unavoidable end of public native forestry in NSW. The claims made by the Minister about the sustainability and lifespan for native forest logging are misleading and run completely contrary to community experience and independent science.

“The Minister has claimed that he is balancing the interests of more than 7 million NSW residents in disagreeing with the petition but that claim falls fat when the true interests of residents are considered. From a purely fscal perspective NSW residents pay $441 per hectare of native forest that is logged, this added up to $20 million in 2021 alone. The likely cost of the native hardwood industry is much higher as the destruction of native forests has a signifcant effect on downstream water quality and the agricultural and fsheries industries.

“Although only 1% of state forests are logged each year, this adds up to 30% of the public native forest estate being logged on a recurring basis that permanently degrades the ecology and sustainability of these environments. These areas are vital for biodiversity and recurring logging operations diminish the number of species in logged areas, permanently reduce the number of habitat trees and leave vast areas vulnerable to catastrophic bushfres.

“Forestry Corporation is clearly failing to comply with their operating conditions with multiple successful prosecutions against them by the Environment Protection Authority (EPA) for logging critical habitat in the last several years. The record number of species added to the threatened species list is further evidence that the public native forest estate is not being maintained for the core purpose of providing habitat and abating the extinction crisis.

“The claims by the Government that public native forest logging is providing climate change mitigation through carbon abatement is absurd. The United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change states that forest carbon stocks should be maintained or increased in order for managed forests to mitigate climate change; in NSW, Forestry Corporation is degrading native forests in the long term without increasing capacity for the forests to capture carbon. More than1 third of logged native forest in NSW is exported to be burnt for energy in other countries, increasing the emissions from native forest logging rather than reducing.

“Around 1000 people are directly employed by the native forest logging industry in NSW, the petition is calling for a transition plan that allows for these people to remain in work while the industry transitions to a truly sustainable model. The governments of Western Australia and Victoria have both taken steps to ensure that workers and communities are taken care of as the industry is phased out. The NSW Government is more committed to sticking their heads in the sand meaning that communities will be left without a plan and with no work.

The report into the Long term sustainability and future of the timber and forest products industry found that:

The NSW Government has failed to substantially deliver on the four priority pillars outlined in its NSW Forestry Industry Roadmap: • Regulatory modernisation and environmental sustainability • Balancing supply and demand • Community understanding and confdence • Industry innovation and new markets. The report has recommended that: That the NSW Government provide long term support to workers in the timber and forest products industry transitioning away from native forestry to other parts of the sector with access to worker transition services, training and retraining support, relocation support, and counselling, and

That the NSW Government consider the impact of a transition away from public native forestry on communities where native forest logging currently occurs and provide investment and incentives to encourage new economic opportunities in publicly owned forests. “The Minister’s response shows just how out of touch he is with the reality for the forestry industry in communities. Workers, their families and those that do business with them are calling for the Government to intervene and help them plan for the future after public native forest logging comes to an end. This report directly contradicts the marketing spring that the Minister has taken part in as part of his response. “The Government response to this petition is insulting in the extreme to the more than 20 thousand NSW residents that have asked for the Government to prepare for the future and to protect our native forests as a valuable natural resource. The legitimate concerns of many NSW residents have been completely disregarded by the Government in this response. It is clear that the Minister and this Government are not up for the job of taking us into the future,” Ms Higginson said.

CATHOLIC HOSPITALS WARN SURGERIES WILL BE CANCELLED IF MORRISON GOV’S DUD DEAL REMAINS

Catholic not-for-proft hospitals are warning of the cancellation of a range of procedures and the winding back of services in regional areas due to ‘reforms’ made by former Health Minister Greg Hunt before the last election.

Under the proposed policy change over 400 medical devices, essential during certain surgeries, were removed from the list of devices that need to be covered by private health insurance.

The policy appears to be continuing under the new government, despite advice from the Department of Health and Aged Care’s own Clinical Implementation Reference Group and a report the Department commissioned from EY that it should not proceed without an alternative funding arrangement in place.

“These devices will still need to be used to perform procedures in hospitals, but their cost – estimated to be some $100 million a year for our 85 Catholic hospitals - will no longer covered by insurance,” said Catholic Health Australia Health Policy Director Caitlin O’Dea.

“Not-for-proft hospitals have no other bucket of money that can cover this so the natural result will be procedures withdrawn, or regional services will shut. This would then heap pressure on public hospitals.

“Our mission is always to serve those whose needs are greatest, particularly in regional Australia, but we can only keep doing this if these items are fully funded.

“Private health insurers have been let off the hook for covering key devices. The Department can either put those items back on the list or force insurers to pay for them but they can’t expect us to perform these operations and lose money doing so.”

Across Catholic hospitals, over 70 per cent of the surgical admissions that will be impacted are performed on women. This includes complex patients undertaking breast and ovarian cancer surgery, gynaecological surgery, caesarean births, and bariatric surgery.

“Right now private hospitals perform over 90 per cent of bariatric surgeries in Australia - mostly on women. If they are forced to cut back these uneconomic procedures, where will patients go?” Ms O’Dea said.