The Bugle - 17 March 06
In news this week
Regional NRM group stories
- SEQ Catchments officially launched with $8.4 million investment strategy
- Landholders tackle mother of all weeds
- Managing water for better grazing land
- Partnerships key to sustainable future on the land
- Bundy comes up trumps for regional Landcare
- Workshop spreads word on incentives program
- Burdekin's new web site goes live
Government updates
- Time running out for community awareness grants
- Water-wise Australians set to save 18 billion litres of water
- Torres Strait projects nominated
- Water and land carers receive $200,000 boost
Natural resources news
- Symposium to address pest menace
- Engineers offer $30,000 reward for new ideas on salinity
- Web site provides wealth of regional NRM knowledge
SEQ Catchments officially launched with $8.4 million investment strategy
SEQ Catchments, the new NRM group for south-east Queensland, was officially launched yesterday.
More than 200 people attended the gala launch at Bundamba Wetlands, one of the most important inland wetlands in south-east Queensland.
The group's $8.4 million regional investment strategy was unveiled at the launch. The strategy will guide investment in the management of the region's land, water, air, vegetation, coastal and marine assets over the next 15 months.
Natural Resources, Mines and Water Minister Henry Palaszczuk officially launched the new NRM group.
The Queensland and Australian Governments and SEQ Catchments also signed a memorandum of understanding to set out how they would work together to protect the region's environment and manage its natural resources.
SEQ Catchments was formed through the amalgamation of the region's two previous NRM groups, NRM SEQ and Western Catchments. The group is involved in more than 200 projects across the region.
Landholders tackle mother of all weeds
A group of landholders in the Commoron Creek area, east of Goondiwindi, have developed a plan and secured $44,000 in funding from the Queensland Murray-Darling Committee to help control mother of millions and harrisia cactus in the area.
Over the next 12 months, the group of 15 public and private landholders will undertake a co-ordinated weed control program on more than 1,000 hectares, including road reserves and stock routes.
Waggamba Landcare Chair Trevor Martin said the aim was to reduce the economic and environmental impact of the weeds across a significant area.
"Harissia cactus and mother of millions have invaded areas of grazing country in the Waggamba Shire where they compete with native grasses, reduce productivity and biodiversity and, in some cases, cause stock deaths," he said.
"We hope that by working as a group, starting at the top of the sub-catchment and taking a coordinated approach, we will be able to limit the impact of these pests."
For more info, phone Trevor Martin on 4675 4113.
Managing water for better grazing land
Managing water and improving grazing land management is the focus of a series of projects supported by the Condamine Alliance and Landcare groups in the Condamine River catchment.
The Condamine Alliance's George Lambert said the projects involved moving watering points off-stream.
The Alliance provides funds to Landcare groups in the catchment to distribute to graziers to improve grazing land management systems.
Investment by the Alliance from June 2005 to June 2006 in relocating watering points off the river system will be $130,000, with 82 graziers contributing a further $260,000 towards the relocation of 98 watering points.
The funding, which involved in-kind contributions from participants, was available for infrastructure such as fencing needed to relocate watering points.
For more information, contact the Condamine Alliance.
Partnerships key to sustainable future on the land
Natural resource management groups recognise that partnerships with farmers and industry groups, such as the Queensland Farmers Federation, are the key to achieving a sustainable future on the land, according to Condamine Alliance chief executive Phil McCullough.
The Alliance and its neighbouring regional NRM groups, SEQ Catchments and the Burnett Mary Regional Group, are principal sponsors of the QFF Enhancing Sustainable Agriculture Conference & Tradeshow at Coolum on 19-21 March.
The three NRM groups will share booth 30 at the tradeshow, while the Regional Groups' Collective, representing all Queensland NRM groups, will be at booth 29.
If you're at the conference, make sure you check out their displays. For more info, see the conference web site.
Bundy comes up trumps for regional Landcare
Landcare groups across the Burnett Mary region came in droves to Baldwin Swamp at Bundaberg on 6 March for the latest regional Landcare meeting.
The conservation park in the middle of Bundaberg played host to more than 35 people representing the region's 23 Landcare groups, including welcome new faces from the Agnes Waters and Small's Creek Landcare Groups.
The day proved to be an extremely successful gathering of the groups from around the region, as they came together to share and update each other of their activities.
The meeting, hosted by the Bundaberg and Urban District Landcare Group, was the first for 2006 in a series conducted under the BMRG-NLP-supported regional Landcare partnership.
For more info, email Clinton Muller or phone 4132 8333.
Workshop spreads word on incentives program
Burdekin Dry Tropics NRM will host a workshop to develop ideas to improve its incentive programs.
The session is for people who would like to showcase their incentive programs and methods, would like to improve their programs, and who want to implement an incentive program such as devolved grants.
When: Wednesday 5th April 2006 : 8:30am to 4:30pm
Where: Mercure Inn, Woolcock St, Townsville.
For more information about costs and to RSVP, email Gloria Macdonald. Please RSVP by 29 March.
Email Kate Masters for information about the project.
Burdekin's new web site goes live
Check out the Burdekin-Dry Tropics NRM group's new website. It's an easy way to find out about new tenders, membership, current and past activities, upcoming events, publications, the groups board of directors and staff, useful resources and links to related organisations.
You can get onto their contact list and subscribe to The Burdekin Bark via the web site. For more information email Deb Cavanagh.
Time running out for community awareness grants
Applications for grants to help raise awareness about Queensland's natural resources close 31 March.
Natural Resource Awareness Activity Grants of up to $2500 (GST inclusive) are available to schools to develop small, innovative and creative projects to highlight the importance of natural resources in daily life.
The grant activities will be the focus of Natural Resources Week in May under the theme Managing Queensland's natural resources ... for today and tomorrow.
Schools in rural and regional Queensland are particularly encouraged to apply.
For more information, contact Grants Coordinator Christine Powell on 3224 2323 or visit the department's web site.
Water-wise Australians set to save 18 billion litres of water
Some 1750 community groups will share $61 million in funding to undertake water-saving projects across Australia under the Australian Government's Community Water Grants program.
Successful applicants were announced this week. For more info, including a list of successful proponents and the next Community Water Grants funding round, see the Community Water Grants web site.
Torres Strait projects nominated
The Torres Strait Regional Authority executive has nominated five projects for the Joint Queensland-Australian Government NRM Steering Committee (JSC) to consider for recommendation to NRM ministers for funding:
- Understanding the Ecological Impacts of Development in Island Environments – an study into the ecological impacts of development on Torres Strait islands to support ongoing and strategic sustainable management and planning at the local level.
- Water Education – develop and deliver a regional community education package about water conservation, recycling and reuse in small island environments, and help councils to develop funding proposals to implement initiatives.
- Marine Debris – carry out initial surveys of marine debris and rubbish on Torres Strait shorelines and develop a community-based program for removing rubbish and debris and recording its probable origin, including helping communities to secure funding for implementation.
- Native Title Prescribed Bodies Corporate (PBC) Capacity-Building – a project led by TSRA's Native Title Office in partnership with PBCs, to increase the capacity of PBCs to play a key role in the development and implementation of land and sea management initiatives in the Torres Strait region.
- Land & Sea Management Training – to establish a flexible funding mechanism to enable Land & Sea Management Unit staff, TSRA Board members and community project officers to access training and attend conferences, capacity-development workshops, or participate in exchange visits within and outside the region as necessary.
The projects were developed through the Land & Sea Management Strategy for the Torres Strait, which was released last December.
If JSC endorses and NRM Ministers approve the projects, they will begin in the 2006-07 financial year.
For more info or for a copy of the Land & Sea Management Strategy for the Torres Strait, email Kate Eden or phone her on 3224 8408.
Water and land carers receive $200,000 boost
Queensland Water and Land Carers has received $200,000 as the second instalment in a three-year funding program to allow it to keep providing a strong voice for NRM volunteers. QWaLC is the peak body for Queensland's community NRM groups.
Minister for Natural Resources, Mines and Water Henry Palaszczuk announced the funding while inspecting the Oxley Creek Catchments Association's (OCCA) rehabilitation site at Oxley Common in Rocklea.
Those attending the inspection included OCCA's Anne Clarke, QWaLC's Esma Armstrong, Pam Usher from Greening Australia, Gordon French from the Regional Groups' Collective, Evelyne Meier and Adam Richardt from the Department of Natural Resources, Mines and Water and Julie Sanderson from Brisbane City Council.
The Minister heard about OCCA's plans to protect the green corridor linking Flinders Peak to Moreton Bay. This corridor is important for protecting biodiversity and Brisbane residents' quality of life.
For more info, email Adam Richardt or phone 3224 7505.
Symposium to address pest menace
The Queensland Pest Animal Symposium will be held 24-26 October at Highfields Cultural Centre, near Toowoomba.
The symposium will cover four themes: prevention; harvesting and hunting; managing impacts and; innovation.
Keynote speakers will include AgForce Queensland's Peter Kenny, Tony Peacock from the Invasive Animal CRC
and the Australian National University's Chris Tideman.
If you are interested in attending this symposium, exhibiting a trade display or want to find out about sponsorship, email the organisers or write to Eventcorp, PO Box 5718, West End Qld 4101 by 21 April.
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Engineers offer $30,000 reward for new ideas on salinity
Engineers Australia has announced its third National Salinity Prize of $30,000 for a new technology or practical method to address salinity.
The prize is open to individuals and organisations that have developed and implemented an innovative technology or methodology or have a working prototype.
It must have widespread application and must also include an identifiable engineering component.
Entries close 20 April. The winner will be announced and presented with the prize by the Governor-General, Major General Michael Jeffery,at Parliament House Canberra on 1 June.
Full details are available on the Engineers Australia web site. For more info, email John Bright or phone 0407 234 490.
Web site provides wealth of regional NRM knowledge
Knowledge for Regional NRM is a national initiative funded through the Natural Heritage Trust. Its aim is to build stronger connections between researchers and information providers and those undertaking NRM planning, decision making, implementation and evaluation activities so each can inform the other.
Land & Water Australia manages the project. Check out the Knowledge for Regional NRM 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.
Last updated 05 April 2006