Science bites at insect pest
A partnership involving the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) and James Cook University has suppressed the numbers of the yellow fever mosquito, Aedes aegypti, by more than 80 per cent.
Scientists have release millions of sterilised male Aedes aegypti mosquitoes across the Cassowary Coast in Queensland in an effort to combat the global pest.
Director of Health and Biosecurity at CSIRO, Rob Grenfell described the results as a “major win”.
The invasive Aedes aegypti mosquito is capable of spreading devastating diseases like dengue, Zika and chikungunya and is responsible for infecting millions of people around the world each year.
Guidance on native energy
The Clean Energy Regulator has issued guidance on how the Native Title Act 1993 interacts with requirements of the Emissions Reduction Fund as far as obtaining legal right and consents from eligible interest-holders to undertake a project.
The Regulator’s guidance sets out the background on Native Title interactions with carbon farming, as well as best practice approaches for undertaking genuine engagement with Indigenous communities.
The 35-page guidance can be accessed at this PS News link
More Australians hit the road
The latest data from Austrade’s Tourism Research Australia (TRA) reveals that Australian travellers and tourists are checking into hotels, motels and serviced apartments in record numbers.
The Australian Accommodation Monitor shows occupancy rates averaged 75 per cent in 2016-17, an increase of 0.5 per cent on 2015-16. Revenue per available room averaged $139 per night — 1.6 per cent higher than the previous period.
The results for 2017-18 will be published in October.
The latest survey results can be accessed on the TRA website at this PS News link.
