The Bugle - 27 January 06
In news this week
Regional NRM group stories
Government updates
- Changes to the federal ministry announced
- JSC to consider performance reports
- New Performance and Program Management team on board
- Public submission period extended for Gulf Wild River nominations
- Read all about it: websites offer wealth of NRM information
Natural resources news
- Farmers' conference promotes sustainable agriculture
- Something fishy: Sydney sea life unsafe to eat
- Queensland to host forum on new global navigation system
- ABS releases 2006 Year Book
- Calculating your environmental impact
- Wet Tropics Great Walk open for business
Feral forum spreads the word on pests
Wild dogs, feral pigs, mice, rabbits, pest birds, foxes and feral cats - the word in the Condamine is that populations of these pests are increasing in diversity, density and size.
The Condamine Catchment Management Association, with the assistance of Condamine Alliance and state agencies, will host a forum for people who are directly affected by these pests or involved in their management on 8 February at the Dalby RSL.
The forum aims to build knowledge about the pest animal problem in the Condamine catchment and emerging technologies for controlling them.
RSVP for the forum by 1 February. To RSVP or for more information, email CCMA or phone 4639 1541.
Learning about landscape
Land managers in the Mackay Whitsunday region have been undertaking training as part of the Mackay Whitsunday Natural Resource Management Group's Sustainable Landscape Program (SLP).
"The main aim of the days has been to get all SLP participants within a catchment area together to discuss the activities they are involved in. These activities range from monitoring pasture and stock condition, to implementing a controlled traffic cane farming system, to revegetating a section of creek bank," Sustainable Landscape Program Extension Officer Phil Trendell said.
The program is being delivered through the three integrated catchment management groups in the region: Whitsunday Rivers and Pioneer Integrated Catchment Management Groups and Sarina Landcare Catchment Management Group.
For further information please contact your local group:
Whitsunday - email Christine Peterson or phone 4945 0267 or 0408 187 944
Mackay City and Mirani Shire - email Jane Eales or phone 4955 8674 or 0419 778 402
Sarina and Broadsound Shires - email Saskia von Fahland or phone 4956 1388.
Get a job!
If you'd like to live and work in a beautiful and historic part of western Queensland, this could be the ideal job for you.
The Desert Uplands Build-Up & Development Strategy Committee is looking for a full-time coordinator. The Barcaldine-based position is funded until June 2007, with a possible extension.
The coordinator's role is to coordinate and manage the implementation of, reporting on, and community input into the Desert Uplands Committee's activities. This involves all aspects of office and project management, including contracts, funding, corporate governance and supporting the management committee.
For further information, email Jane Dickson, phone 4651 1002 or see the Desert Uplands web site.
Changes to the federal ministry announced
Tasmanian Senator Eric Abetz is the new Minister for Fisheries Forestry and Conservation. WA Senator Julie Bishop is the new Minister for Education, Science and Training. NSW member Malcolm Turnbull is the new parliamentary secretary to the Prime Minister with special responisiblity for water reform.
Read details of the new ministry
JSC to consider performance reports
The Joint Queensland-Australian Government NRM Steering Committee (JSC) will next meet in Brisbane on 22-23 February.
High on the agenda will be performance reports from the regional NRM groups. JSC uses these reports to monitor the groups' progress and to make decisions on funding.
For information about the meeting, email Maxine Wharton or phone her on 3224 7765.
New Performance and Program Management team on board
The Performance and Program Management Team within the Department of Natural Resources and Mines administers the contracts that provide funding to regional and community NRM groups and the statewide investment projects (SIPs) under the National Action Plan on Salinity and Water Quality and the Natural Heritage Trust.
Three new members have joined the team: Manager Sherrie McLean, Senior Project Officer Robert Orth and Project Officer Adam Coles.
"I'm looking forward to working with the regional bodies and I encourage them to contact me if they have any issues, suggestions or concerns about contract administration."
You can email Sherrie McLean or phone her on 3224 2389.
Public submission period extended for Gulf Wild River nominations
Public input into the Queensland Government's nomination of four areas for protection under the Wild Rivers Act would be extended a further two months, Natural Resources and Mines Minister Henry Palaszczuk said this week.
Mr Palaszczuk said the four nominated areas were Settlement Creek, Morning Inlet and the Gregory and Staaten rivers.
Public submissions for the Gulf nominations were originally due on 24 February.
Mr Palaszczuk said recent rain meant many residents were cut off from road access, hindering their ability to lodge a response within the original deadline for submissions.
The Queensland Government has also nominated Hinchinbrook and Fraser islands for Wild River declaration. Public submissions for these nominations are due on 10 February and 17 February respectively.
Copies of the declaration proposals can be found on NR&M's Wild Rivers web page.
Read all about it: websites offer wealth of NRM information
Just about everything you would ever want to know about regional NRM can be found in the publications sections on the Austrailan Government's NRM and NHT web sites.
For starters, you can download the NHT 1 final evaluation and the 2004-05 Regional Programs Report.
The NHT Annual Report 2004-05, which was tabled in Parliament on 21 December, can also be downloaded.
Happy reading!
Farmers' conference promotes sustainable agriculture
The Queensland Farmers Federation and the Queensland Environmental Protection Agency will present the Enhancing Sustainable Agriculture Conference & Tradeshow at the Hyatt Regency Coolum from 19-21 March.
QFF member organisations CANEGROWERS, Growcom, Queensland Dairyfarmers Organisation and Cotton Australia will highlight the latest developments in the groundbreaking Farm Management Systems initiative, which aims to link profitability and sustainability on farm.
Other sessions include improving water use efficiency and water quality, chemical and pesticide use, addressing climate variability and change, farming and ecosystem services, sustainable supply chains and linking on-farm activities with regional natural resource management planning.
For more information, email the event coordinator or phone Michelle on 5562 0164.
Something fishy: Sydney sea life unsafe to eat
An expert panel has recommended Sydney Harbour be closed to commercial and recreational fishing because of dangerously high dioxin levels in fish, according to a report in the Sydney Morning Herald.
If a ban is imposed, it is expected to be a long-term measure. Dioxins can be carcinogenic and cause development problems for children and are a concern for pregnant women.
Queensland to host forum on new global navigation system
The Queensland Government and industry will be looking to get in on the ground floor of Europe’s new global satellite navigation system (GNSS) when the State Government co-hosts an information forum in Brisbane next month.
The two-day, invitation-only forum—being run in conjunction with the European Commission, QUT and CSIRO—is expected to attract leading government, industry, research and academic figures.
The Department of Natural Resources and Mines is Queensland’s lead agency for GNSS, including the Galileo project.
The forum, from 14–15 February, is being held less than two months after the European Space Agency launched a test satellite, Giove-A, on 28 December.
It is the first of what will become a constellation of 30 satellites orbiting the earth by 2010, when Galileo will be fully operational.
Run by a private consortium, Galileo will be 10 times more accurate than the US military-based Global Positioning System (GPS). Its stronger radio signals will enable receivers to work in high-rise cities and even indoors.
In most locations around the globe, six to eight satellites will always be visible, allowing positions to be determined to within a few centimetres.
The system has obvious potential for natural resource managers. For more information, email the department.
ABS releases 2006 Year Book
The Australian Bureau of Statistics has release the 2006 Australian Year Book.
The Year Book provides a comprehensive statistical overview of Australian society and the economy, as well as Australia’s geography and climate, government, international relations, defence, education, and the health and welfare support systems.
The publication is chockers with information relevant to people involved in natural resource management.
The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) and its predecessor, the Commonwealth Bureau of Census and Statistics, have been providing a statistical service to the Australian community for more than 100 years. The first official Year Book of the Commonwealth was produced in 1908.
Calculating your environmental impact
Have you ever wondered how much your lifestyle affects the environment?
Now you can find out how much water, land and energy is used to support your lifestyle in a year by using the Australian Conservation Foundation's Eco-calculator.
The Eco-calculator is part of the ACF's Greenhome initiative, which provides practical tips on how householders can reduce their environmental impact.
Wet Tropics Great Walk open for business
The spectacular Wet Tropics Great Walk through 110 km of rugged north Queensland landscapes is now open to walkers.
"The Wet Tropics Great Walk takes walking to a whole new level. It is a real wilderness walk in remote, rugged country with steep ridges in some sections," Environment Minister Desley Boyle said.
"The Wet Tropics walk is by far the longest of the Great Walks at 110 km. The other walks are: Fraser Island 90 km, Sunshine Coast Hinterland 58 km, Mackay 56 km, Gold Coast Hinterland 53 km and Whitsunday 30 km.
"The Wet Tropics walk links two of Queensland's most beautiful waterfalls - Wallaman Falls and Blencoe Falls - and passes through the wild and spectacular Herbert River Gorge."
The Wet Tropics Great Walk is the third to open. Fraser Island and Whitsunday Great Walks opened in 2004, the Sunshine Coast Hinterland and Mackay Highlands walks are scheduled to open soon and the Gold Coast Hinterland walk is expected to open in 2007.
Full walk details and printable maps can be accessed at the EPA web site.
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 regional NRM 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