Right to Repair for farm machinery: Independent agricultural machinery repairers are pushing for Australia’s Right to Repair law to expand beyond passenger vehicles, with a National Agricultural Machinery Repairers Roundtable set for 5 August and Treasury officials attending as observers. Farm finance pressure: Regional Investment Corporation (RIC) says its variable loan rate will rise from 5.18% to 5.71% from 1 August 2026, while stressing concessional support for eligible farmers and farm small businesses. Aquaculture R&D support: CSIRO’s free eight-week “Innovate to Grow” program is open again, helping aquaculture SMEs turn early ideas into practical R&D plans. Livestock tech uptake: Halter’s virtual fencing collars are gaining traction, with more Australian states legalising the approach and farmers using GPS-enabled collars to manage herds remotely. Grain market lift: Australian wheat values have jumped as Asian demand responds to disruptions to Russian grain shipments, with exporters scrambling for bulk business. Renewables and grid rules: Australia is moving to legislate a net-generator requirement for large-scale data centres, aiming to force new clean power build rather than drawing from household supply. Wind farm milestone: Victoria’s Golden Plains wind project has completed installation of its final turbine, boosting output as commissioning continues. Regional manufacturing boost: An old Heinz factory site in Girgarre is set to be repurposed for food manufacturing and processing, after years of dormancy. Skills and jobs in mining: Chinese partners in Guinea’s Simandou iron ore project are investing in technology transfer and local talent development to run major rail and mining infrastructure.