Tim Lee

1 week ago | abc.net.au | Tim Lee

Scientists say Victoria's mountain forests are on the brink of collapse due to frequent bushfires and a lack of regeneration support. Key species like alpine ash are unable to recover because of short fire intervals and slow seed production. Experts are calling for urgent action to prevent irreversible ecosystem loss, including a large seed bank and reforestation. Vast tracts of Victoria's alpine forests are one major bushfire away from oblivion, according to a growing number of scientists.

1 week ago | abc.net.au | Tim Lee

The end of logging in Victoria may have inadvertently put the state's Alpine forests at risk. Job cuts mean there's been next to no collection of eucalypt seed for two years, which has left the state's gene bank almost empty. The seeds are vital for regenerating forests after bushfires. Scientists say with high intensity fires increasing, the majestic forests are at risk of being wiped out.

2 weeks ago | abc.net.au | Tim Lee

Identical twins Alistair and Alex Macdonald were just 16 when they arrived at an isolated farm in southern New South Wales in 1955, a world away from the grey streets of Edinburgh. They had left Scotland for Australia as part of the Big Brother Movement, a government-backed scheme aimed to help populate and develop a young Australian nation. "When we were uncouth youth looking for our future," Alex laughed.

3 weeks ago | abc.net.au | Tim Lee

A new $10 million rice mill in southern New South Wales is being hailed as a bold step towards food security and rural sustainability. Built on the outskirts of Jerilderie, the mill opened in the Riverina region, which produces 98 per cent of Australia's rice. The proud group of farmers behind the project hope their mill, equipped with cutting-edge Japanese technology, will increase profitability and resilience after a century of domination by a corporate monopoly.

4 weeks ago | abc.net.au | Tim Lee

In a packed Paris stadium filled with patriotic fervour and flags from 16 nations, a baying crowd joins the countdown to begin the competition. At the bell, each man in a team of six unsheathes his knife and seizes a carcass of beef, pork, chicken or lamb. It is "the Olympics of butchery", also known as the World Butchers' Challenge. "The atmosphere was electric this year, especially with the addition of the Belgian team," Australian competitor Tom Bouchier said.