The Bugle - 06 May 05
In news this week
- Olwyn Crimp joins SPRA as Acting General Manager
- The global community comes to Brisbane
- Video ways to save water and win $10,000
- Help save our wildlife
- Envirofund projects announced!
- Read all about it: National NRM report released
Olwyn Crimp joins SPRA as Acting General Manager
It has been a week of carrier moves within NR&M. Strategic Policy and Regional Arrangement’s Acting General Manager Margaret Berenyi has returned to her substantive position within NR&M as General Manager of Strategic Development. Her contributions over the past couple of months have been great and she has vowed to continue generating awareness through her many contacts.
With the departure of Margaret we welcome a new Acting General Manager Olwyn Crimp who joins us from the Environmental Protection Agency. Many of you may already know Olwyn, as she has been involved in regional arrangements for some time as the EPA representative on the Joint Australian and Queensland Government Steering Committee (JSC). Olwyn will now also become the Queensland Co-Chair of the JSC.
One final new addition to NR&M is the commencement of a new Director-General. Bob McCarthy brings to the department wide experience and understanding of agribusiness and resource management and structural change, and regional economic development.
As Director-General, he chairs several State and National CEO committees, including the Queensland Government’s CEO’s Land and Resources Committee, encouraging high-level collaboration on common issues across departmental boundaries.
We would like to express a warm welcome to both Bob and Olwyn, our two new additions to NR&M and wish Margaret continued success in her substantive role.
The global community comes to Brisbane
Be a part of this unparalleled opportunity to interact with leading international thinkers in engaging communities. If you are serious about community engagement you should attend the International Conference on Engaging Communities hosted by the Queensland Government and the United Nations.
The Premier is supporting this major event for Brisbane and it will be held at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre between 14 - 17 August 2005. .
An area of interest to all Bugle readers will be “engagement for sustainable natural resource management” which is one of the 13 themes within the conference.
The conference will help to promote engagement and participative practices and their role in good governance. It will be a showcase of innovative approaches and good practices and an ideal opportunity to share practical knowledge from across the globe, at the local, regional and state levels.
With the international community of professionals attending the conference, it will be an opportunity for participants to create national and international networks.
Online registration and a draft program are available through www.engagingcommunities2005.org
Video ways to save water and win $10,000
Do you own a video camera? Are you passionate about water? Do you want to win $10,000?
If you answer yes to any of these questions, you are invited to show what water means to you, through a 3-8 minute short film or community service announcement. The total prize money is $50 000 an entries must be received before July 22nd
Minister Stephen Robertson launched the Liquid Lens Awards short film competition with the theme “Freshwater”. The five winners of the Liquid Lens Awards will have their work showcased at a special screening event and awards ceremony during Riverfestival in Brisbane (2-11 September 2005).
There are three best short film awards, a secondary school, tertiary student and open category, with each receiving $10 000 prize money for the winner and $5000 to the runner up. There are also two best television community service announcement categories, the people’s choice, and the best television community service announcement, each winner receiving $2500.
Entry forms for the Liquid Lens Awards short film competition are available today in the "Topical Issues" box on the Department of Natural Resources & Mines website at: http://www.nrm.qld.gov.au All entrants in the Liquid Lens Awards must first register online at the website www.liquidlens.com.au by 20 May 2005.
Help save our wildlife
Weather they are cute and cuddly or slippery and slither all of our natural creatures play an important role in maintaining the health of Australia’s ecosystems. The worlds’ exponentially increasing human population is using more and more land, timber, minerals, water and food for itself. This has devastating consequences for other animals and plants. While we are all becoming more aware of this fact, there are still many threatened species that need our help if they are going to survive.
The Threatened Species Network Community Grants have been established to support and inspire community work to recover threatened species and ecological communities.
Round eight of the Threatened Species Network Community Grants program is now open. Applications must be submitted in writing to World Wildlife Fund-Australia by Friday June 3, 2005.
Guidelines and applications forms can be obtained from http://www.wwf.org.au/How_you_can_help/Do_something_practical/Do_a_community_project/index.php, by phoning 1800 032 551, or by contacting a TSN Coordinator in your state.
Envirofund projects announced!
Is your group’s application one of the 710 successful Round 6 Envirofund projects? Successful projects were announced on 29 April 2005 and they will share in a total of $11.3 million in funding.
Round 6 was launched in November 2004 and community groups and individuals were invited to apply for funding by February 2005. Applications were assessed by community based State assessment panels that made recommendations to Ministers.
All successful applicants should receive an offer of funding and a funding agreement through the mail this week. Applicants will have until 20 May to return the completed documentation.
Applicants who were unsuccessful will also be sent written advice. The letter will include information about why they were not funded on this occasion
For those who submitted projects for round 6 of Envirofund, the results are on the web. Go to: http://www.nht.gov.au/envirofund/
The Australian Government Envirofund is the local action component of the Australian Government's $3 billion Natural Heritage Trust. It helps communities undertake local projects aimed at conserving biodiversity and promoting sustainable resource use.
Community groups and individuals can apply for grants of up to $30,000 (GST inclusive) to carry out on-ground and other actions to target local problems. Grants of up to $50,000 (GST inclusive) will be considered where the magnitude, complexity or public benefit of the project is such that additional funding would be beneficial.
Round 7 has not opened as yet, but you can register to receive a copy of the Australian Government Envirofund Guide and Application Form for Round 7 when it becomes available on the Envirofund website http://www.nht.gov.au/forms/envirofund.html
Read all about it: National NRM report released
Learn about the National Action Plan for Salinity and Water Quality (NAPSWQ)and Natural Heritage Trust (the Trust) by reading the 2003-04 Regional Programs Report, which is now available.
The Australian Government and State/Territory Governments are working together through the $1.4 billion NAPSWQ and the Trust’s $3 billion to repair and conserve the natural environment and ensure the sustainable use of Australia’s natural resources.
The 2003-04 Regional Programs Report represents the first combined progress report to the Natural Resource Management Ministerial Council on these two initiatives. It summarises the remarkable developments occurring in the delivery of the NAPSWQ and the regional component of the Trust across Australia’s 57 natural resource management regions.
Chapter 1 of the report introduces this first combined report on the NAPSWQ and the Trust, describing the natural resource management issues being addressed and the priority characteristics of these programs.
Chapter 2 provides a snapshot of the progress achieved through the NAPSWQ and the Trust for the year to March 2004. It also summarises investments and progress in the development of the partnerships that underpin these programs.
Chapters 3 to 12 highlight the investments and expenditure targeted at addressing each of the 10 priority NRM issues and the progress that has been made towards regional targets.
Appendices 1 to 8 provide details of targets, investments, expenditure and outputs achieved in each of the 57 NRM regions (arranged by State) covered by the NAPSWQ and the Trust.
The report is available as a series of PDF files. You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader installed on your computer to view them. National Action Plan for Salinity and Water Quality and Natural Heritage Trust Regional Programs Report 2003-04
We welcome your input and feedback on this newsletter. If you have any contributions, comments or suggestions please contact Carl Glen or Shona Strachan.
The Bugle is a weekly newsletter published by Strategic Policy and Regional Arrangements, Natural Resources and Mines, highlighting regional activities around Queensland.
Last updated 05 April 2006