The Bugle - 05 August 05
In news this week
Regional body stories
Government updates
- Henry Palaszczuk appointed new NR&M Minister
- The Environmental Protection Act – who does what?
- Smart State to get smarter houses
- QPWS opens new Cairns base
Natural resources news
- Exciting news for land carers in Queensland!
- Brisbane welcomes first of 2000 forestry delegates
- Get ready for a great night
- Queensland's icons celebrated
Exciting news for land carers in Queensland!
The finalists in the 2005 Queensland Landcare Awards have been announced.
The 28 finalists which include schools, regional bodies and remote indigenous communities, represent just a fraction of the great work done throughout the state in land care, water care, bush care and coast care.
Winners will be announced at a special Queensland Landcare Awards ceremony on Friday 5th August in Barcaldine. The event forms part of the Queensland Landcare and Catchment Management Conference.
See the Queensland Water and Land Carer’s new web site for more information.
Held once every two years, the Landcare Awards celebrate the valuable contribution made by individuals and groups in regional and urban communities.
Queensland’s winners will be flown to Melbourne to contest other state and territory finalists in the National Landcare Awards next year. National winners will be announced in October 2006 at the Landcare and Sustainable Landscapes International Conference.
Queensland Water and Land Carers Inc. is a non government, non profit organisation which supports community volunteers striving for sustainable water and land use.
The awards are supported by the Queensland Department of Natural Resources and Mines.
The finalists include eight entries from Central Queensland, ten entries from North Queensland and ten entries from South-East Queensland.
Central QLD
- National Landcare Program Individual Landcarer Award: Alby Wooler (Capricorn Coast)
- Murray Darling Basin Commission Rivercare Award: Aramac Landcare Group
- Bushcare Nature Conservation Award AND Rural Press Landcare
- Primary Producer Award: Geoff and Jean Fearnside (Carnarvon Range)
- Alcoa Landcare Community Group Award: Emerald Neighbourhood Catchment Group
- Australian Government Landcare Regional Award: Desert Channels Queensland
- Westpac Landcare Education Award: Wartburg State School (Baffle Creek)
- Landcare Australia Local Government Landcare Community
- Partnerships Award: Winton Shire Council
North QLD
- Murray Darling Basin Commission Rivercare Award: Hinchinbrook Landcare Group
- Bushcare Nature Conservation Award: Desert Uplands Committee
- Alcoa Landcare Community Group Award: Towerhill & Torrens Creek Catchment Landcare Group
- Australian Government Landcare Regional Award: Northern Gulf Resource Management Group
- Westpac Landcare Education Award: Healy State School Murrijunda (Mount Isa)
- Alcan Landcare Indigenous Community Award: Northern Gulf Indigenous Savanna Group, Kuku Thaypan Traditional Knowledge Recording Project (Cape York)
- Australian Government Coastcare Community Award: Wangetti Recovery Group (north of Cairns), Carpentaria Ghost Net Program
- Landcare Australia Local Government Landcare Community Partnerships Award: Johnstone Shire Council
South-East
- National Landcare Program Individual Landcarer Award: Laurie Dunne (Beaudesert)
- Murray Darling Basin Commission Rivercare Award: Norman Creek Catchment Coordinating Committee (Brisbane)
- Bushcare Nature Conservation Award: Greening Lockyer (Lockyer Valley)
- Alcoa Landcare Community Group Award: Gympie & District Landcare, Bulimba Creek Catchment Coordinating Committee (Brisbane)
- Rural Press Landcare Primary Producer Award: Shane Templeton (Eumundi), Shane Gittins (Kilcoy)
- Westpac Landcare Education Award: Kenmore State High School (Brisbane)
- Australian Government Coastcare Community Award: Cooloola Coastcare Association, Friends of Federation Walk (Gold Coast)
Land managers value right to bear ALMS
Forward-thinking land managers using Environmental Management Systems to improve their farm's environmental performance expect good returns for their time and effort.
In Mitchell, land managers have selected the Australian Landcare Management System (ALMS) as their EMS of choice because it incorporates catchment and biodiversity priorities into on-farm natural resource management.
QMDC Planning Officer Darren Marshall said that while the ISO 14001 requirements of EMS initially proved onerous a new EMS tool called MyEMS made things a lot easier.
“The uptake of ISO 14001 has increased dramatically since the development of MyEMS, a web-based computer program that leads farmers through the ISO 14001 requirements,” Darren said.
For more information on EMS, contact Darren Marshall on 4661 0232 or 0429 056 450.
Henry Palaszczuk appointed new NR&M Minister
Henry Palaszczuk was sworn in last week as the Minister for Natural Resources and Mines.
The former Minister for Primary Industries and Fisheries replaced Stephen Robertson, who after four-and-a-half years with NR&M, was appointed Minister for Health.
Born in Germany to Polish parents, Mr Palaszczuk, the Member for Inala, was elected to State Parliament in 1984.
After serving as Shadow Minister in a number of portfolios (including Natural Resources from December 1996 to October 1997), he became the Primary Industries Minister in mid-1998.
The Environmental Protection Act – who does what?
The EPA administers Queensland's Environmental Protection Act in partnership with local government and the Departments of Natural Resources and Mines (NR&M) and the Primary Industries and Fisheries (DPI&F).
Under the mining provisions of the Act, NR&M is responsible for issuing environmental authorities for prospecting permits and mining claims.
DPI&F administers the Act for cattle feedlotting, pig and dairy farming and livestock holding facilities.
Local government's responsibilities under the Act include:
- enforcement and administration of some 'environmentally relevant activities’ operating within their area
- approval of waste management works within their area
- enforcement and management of litter and waste dumping within their area and illegal activities at their waste management facilities.
In addition, some local governments have accepted a delegation for the enforcement of illegal deposits or releases to stormwater under the Environmental Protection (Water) Policy.
For more information about this Act and other state government legislation visit the regional NRM web site and use the legislation link to take you to the Parliamentary Counsel web site.
Smart State to get smarter houses
All new homes in Queensland will use less water and energy from next year, saving homeowners money and reducing their impact on the environment.
Under changes to building regulations, all new home plans approved from 1 March 2006 must include:
- greenhouse-efficient hot water systems
- energy-efficient lighting
- AAA-rated shower roses in reticulated town water areas
- dual-flush toilets
- water pressure-limiting devices to restrict maximum water pressure to no more than 500 kilopascals.
About 40,000 new homes will be built each year to cater for Queensland's growth.
A triple A shower head saves 15 000 litres of water a year compared to a standard shower head. Using a solar or electric heat pump hot water system reduces energy use by 33 per cent.
The changes will have a minimal impact on house prices, adding an extra $260 if a gas hot water system was used or $1500 for a solar electric hot water system.
QPWS opens new Cairns base
Cairns now is home to a new $1.2 million base for Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service rangers and staff.
The new centre brings together Cairns Marine Parks District staff, Wet Tropics and Mareeba Sub-district staff, the Crocodile Management Unit and the wildlife ranger in one location.
The new centre is located at the Queensland Transport Maritime Operations Base in Tingira St at Portsmith.
The new offices replace the marine parks storage shed in Muir St, the crocodile-related premises in Knight St, the terrestrial district staff offices in Moffatt St. Some staff from the EPA office in Sheridan St have also moved to the new site.
QPWS joins Maritime Safety Queensland, Queensland Boating and Fisheries Patrol, Queensland Police Service and Australian Maritime Safety Authority at this site.
Brisbane welcomes first of 2000 forestry delegates
Queensland may have trouble seeing the trees for the forestry experts as the first of 2000 international delegates from 80 countries start to converge on Brisbane for a prestigious world congress next week.
The XXII International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO) World Congress is held once every five years for forestry scientists and stakeholders to meet under the one roof and discuss the latest in scientific research, policy and technological innovations.
It is the first time an IUFRO World Congress has been held in the southern hemisphere and, based on the impact of past congresses, the resolutions and outcomes discussed over the six-day event are set to address forest policy and science on a global scale.
The line up of outstanding keynote speakers includes:
- Dr Joseph Gosnell, Chief Negotiator for the signing of the historic Nisga'a Treaty with the Canadian Government in 1999
- Tricia Caswell, Chief Executive Officer of VAFI, the peak Australian industry body for Victoria's native hardwood timber industry
- Eugene van As, non-executive Chairman of South Africa's Sappi Limited, the world's leading producer of coated fine paper
- Ariel Lugo, Director of the Forest Service with the International Institute of Tropical Forestry in Puerto Rico.
Delegates will see Queensland's forestry research and development in action, with tours visiting more than 40 sites in South East Queensland including the DPI&F Salisbury Research Centre, Beerburrum Forestry Nursery, Kenilworth Hoop Pine Plantations and Whitehorse Mountain Lookout.
For more information visit the XXII IUFRO World Congress web site or call 3854 1611.
Get ready for a great night
Queensland Landcare Awards ceremony is shaping up to be a wonderful event.
Twenty-eight outstanding entries from around Queensland have made it through to the finals.
The judges wish to thank everyone who entered. Winners will be announced tonight at the Landcare Gala Awards dinner with entertainment by the Basalt River Boys, as well as short speeches by special guests.
Conference delegates should not miss this opportunity to meet up with finalists and share their triumphs of Landcare.
Queensland's icons celebrated
The Ekka, the backyard mango tree, Mr Fourex, the Royal Flying Doctor Service and Goanna Oil - would you have nominated these famous Queensland icons for the National Trust's new Queensland Icon List?
These are five of the 12 finalists from the first Queensland Icon List in 2004 and now it was time to nominate for the 2005 list.
The National Trust's Queensland Icon List reflects the community's idea of our cultural history and the common experiences that make us Queenslanders.
Twelve icons nominated by Queenslanders, will be selected each year, , to build a comprehensive list of familiar items that are culturally significant to our State.
The winners for 2005 will be announced in November.
The 2004 National Trust list of Queensland Icons was:
- The backyard mango tree
- Mr Fourex
- Queensland's Bundy Rum
- Condamine Bell
- The Ekka
- Port (portmanteau)
- Gunsynd
- Goanna Oil & Salve
- Alvey fishing reels
- Southern Cross Windmills
- The Royal Flying Doctor Service
- Saying "Hey!" or "Eh!" at the end of a sentence
Nomination forms are available by visiting the National Trust Queensland web site.
We welcome your input and feedback on this newsletter. If you have any contributions, comments or suggestions please contact Carl Glen or Paul Rees.
To view past issues of The Bugle use this link, on the regionalNRM web site.
The Bugle is a weekly newsletter published by Strategic Policy and Regional Arrangements, Natural Resources and Mines, highlighting regional natural resource management activities around Queensland.
Last updated 05 April 2006