RECENT rain across much of NSW has created an ideal breeding environment for a small population of Australian plague locusts.

The Australian Plague Locust Commission will put surveillance planes into the air this week to monitor the situation, particularly in "hot spots" near Broken Hill and the area from Hay to Ardlethan in NSW.

Water request

THE managers of Victoria's $1 billion Northern Victorian Irrigation Renewal Project have asked Campaspe irrigators to either sell their water or tap into the district's two backbone channels as part of a deal to rationalise the district.

The deal will not go ahead unless the majority of irrigators choose to either sell their water or re-plumb their farms.

Youth to be heard

YOUNG irrigators will have their say on the future of the Murray Darling Basin at the inaugural Voices of the Future forum in Canberra this week.

The forum, which kicks off today, brings together emerging leaders from the cotton, rice, dairy and grape and wine industries to develop grassroots ideas for the basin's future.

DVD launch

A DVD detailing the history of land clearing in the Glenelg Shire will be launched at the Heywood Wood, Wine and Roses Festival on Saturday.

How the West was Won, produced by Garry Kerr, will be unveiled by 90-year-old bulldozer operator Ozzie Mibus at 2pm.

Growers to vote

GREAT Southern almond growers will vote today to decide whether Rural Funds Management, not Regional Funds Management as reported last week, becomes the responsible entity for their projects.

The company requires approval from 50 per cent of growers in Great Southern's 2007 and 2008 Almond Income Projects. RFM was acquired by Great Southern in 2007, but is now seeking to break links with the failed company.

Fresh debt figure

POLKINGHORNE'S Fresh, a company associated with Rod Polkinghorne, went into voluntary administration late last year.

The company has debts of $1.361 million, not almost $3 million as reported in The Weekly Times last week.