Issue link: https://viewer.e-digitaleditions.com/i/131975
news&views All images used in Regional Business News are for illustrative purposes only Climate changes agriculture While record temperatures, extreme bushfires and destructive floods are written into Australia's history, accumulative evidence presented by CSIRO indicates that climate change is increasing both the frequency and intensity of extreme weather, in turn affecting the future of agricultural productivity. For instance, climate change in Queensland and NSW will likely cause a decrease in crop yields and the quality of cotton, while warmer temperatures in central Australia are expected to place stress on grazing livestock, affecting their capacity to breed. Irrigated cropping will likewise be affected by rainfall in catchment areas, and projected warmer and drier conditions in Australia's south will make the growth of crops such as canola and barley far more difficult. In light of these climatic changes, scientists recognise that adaptation is vital for the future of Australian agriculture. SemiNational Broadband Network At what cost does the NBN (National Broadband Network) become the 'semi-NBN'? The answer is $16.3 billion. Overwhelmingly, those who want the NBN want it in the form of fibre, not wireless. However, as telecommunications analyst Richard Chirgwin recently concluded, it's housing density rather than remoteness that financially impacts the government's capacity to install fibre uniformly. Based on the cost escalation detailed in the 2010 NBN Implementation Study, providing fibre for five per cent of premises (94th to 98th percentile) would represent nearly 50 per cent extra cost, or $16.3 billion. This five per cent of premises is not regarded as remote compared with the two per cent receiving satellite connection, but their housing density is far sparser than in urban centres. The downside of the high dollar The Australian economy may be the envy of overseas markets, but the consistently high Australian dollar is anything but desirable as far as local farmers are concerned. Recently, research by The Australia Institute revealed that Australian farmers have lost $43.5 billion in export income since the mining boom bolstered the dollar to new highs. For Australian almond growers this has been particularly problematic – prior to Europe's economic crisis, Europe was the world's biggest importer of almonds. Fortunately, China has taken over as the world's biggest buyer of almonds, rescuing many farmers from greater financial losses. As almond grower Paul Martin said to ABC Rural, "If it wasn't for China we'd be in oversupply, so China has been a saviour. It's kept the prices somewhere reasonable on the world scene." 49