The Bugle - 21 October 05
In news this week
Regional body stories
Government updates
Natural resources news
SPOT-light on the Condamine Alliance
Landholders in Queensland's south-west now have access to high-resolution satellite images of their properties thanks to the purchase of a new satellite imagery system by the Condamine Alliance and GeoScience Australia.
The launch of the SPOT5 system marks the first time images of an entire catchment have been offered in Queensland.
Landholders can contact one of the seven Landcare groups and 11 local councils that accepted the offer to acquire the imagery, which will be made available at a heavily discounted rate.
The digitised images produced will eliminate a need for ground truthing, allowing the Alliance and its stakeholders to use the imagery as a baseline for planning and monitoring landscape change.
For more information, contact the Condamine Alliance on 1800 181 101.
Partnerships key to funding for on-ground works
Land managers and community groups are urged to work with existing project partners to access funds available from the Condamine Alliance for on-ground works.
All projects will be considered under a four-stage prioritisation process and must include significant components for skills development among land managers and others to ensure that knowledge stays within communities.
The funds are a combination from the Natural Heritage Trust and National Action Plan for Salinity and Water Quality and will be allocated through the seven Landcare groups in the region.
For more information, contact the Condamine Alliance on 1800 181 101.
Twelve million incentives to protect vegetation
South-east Queensland land managers have the opportunity to benefit from a $12 million dollar vegetation incentives program (VIP) to preserve areas of regenerating natural vegetation.
The program, managed by Greening Australia and funded by the Queensland Government, will pay land managers to protect and manage selected areas of bush on their properties.
The VIP is part of the Queensland Government's package to help land managers adjust to the new vegetation management framework.
Projects under the VIP can include remedial works (such as soil erosion control), eradicating or controlling weeds and pests and fencing to protect an area of native bush.
Applications must be received by 2 December, when a commercial tendering process will be conducted on a job-by-job basis.
For more information, visit the Greening Australia web site
Research uncovers land managers' beliefs
What influences land managers?
The Socio-Economic SIP team knows, and has developed a paper that provides new perspectives on some traditionally held beliefs on what drives and constrains land manager decision-making.
It is important to understand these drivers and constraints in order to develop the right combination of incentives and other tools to encourage adoption of sustainable NRM practices.
The paper also introduces potentials tools available to regional bodies to overcome and manage the identified drivers and constraints.
You can download the paper from the regional NRM web site. For more information contact Jeanette Stanley.
Reef protection annual report released
The second annual report for the Great Barrier Reef Water Quality Protection Plan was released by the Minister for the Environment and Heritage, Senator Ian Campbell on 7 October.
The 2004—05 Annual Report highlights the progress and major investments made under the four focus areas, and details the achievements against each of the nine strategies that support the focus areas.
The report can be downloaded from the Department of Environment and Heritage web site.
Shrinking ozone hole 'proves pacts work'
Scientists say the depletion of the ozone layer above Antarctica seems to have peaked, indicating that global environmental pacts are working.
The United Nations' World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) says the seasonal hole above the Antarctica is shrinking after falling short of the record years of 2000 and 2003.
Chlorofluorcarbons (CFCs) containing chlorine and bromine are blamed for thinning the earth's protective layer, which filters harmful ultraviolet radiation that can cause skin cancer and cataracts.
CFCs were banned 20 years ago under the Vienna Convention and its Montreal Protocol of 1987.
We welcome your input and feedback on this newsletter. If you have any contributions, comments or suggestions please contact Shona Strachan or Paul Rees.
To view past issues of The Bugle visit the regionalNRM web site.
The Bugle is a weekly newsletter published by Natural Resource Management Arrangements, Natural Resources and Mines, highlighting regional natural resource management activities around Queensland.
Last updated 05 April 2006