The Bugle - 7 April 2006
In news this week
Regional NRM group stories- Weed toolkit to be developed for regional NRM groups across Australia
- Climate discussions heating up in the Burnett Mary
- Soil conservation gets a boost
- Mackay Whitsunday meets its stakeholders
Government updates
Wetlands news
Natural resources news
- Industry recovery officers to help NQ farmers
- Seven-day forecast is no longer far-fetched
- Solar-thermal power touted as energy solution
- Conference helps communities gain control
Weed toolkit to be developed for regional NRM groups across Australia
The Weeds CRC is developing a toolkit for regional NRM groups across Australia to help them in the fight against weeds.
The Burnett Mary Regional Group had engaged the Weeds CRC to develop a weed strategy for its highly diverse region.
What was learnt in the development of this strategy is being applied to the development of the toolkit.
The Weeds CRC's Scott Edwards said release of the toolkit was planned for later this year. He said the aim was to provide a coordinated approach to regional NRM group's weed management across Australia.
He said the toolkit may eventually be adapted for other land managers to use.
For more info, email Scott Edwards or phone him on 3896 9298.
Climate discussions heating up in the Burnett Mary
Climate Change is a hot topic in the Burnett Mary region following the recent Inland Climate Change Forum in Gayndah. The forum enjoyed an excellent turnout from primary producers, local government and community groups.
What the future holds for the changing climate of the region and how it will affect primary producers were some of the big questions posed during the forum.
Of interest to local participants was a presentation by Steve Crimp from Natural Resources Mines and Water. Mr Crimp discussed predictions that average temperatures at Gayndah could increase by up to 1.6°C by 2030 and by up to 4.8°C by 2070.
Factoring in such climate change into decision making, looking for win-win solutions, and building partnerships were some of the practical adaptation methods raised by presenters Jacqui Willcocks and Peter Wilson from NRMW.
For more info and to access forum presentations, visit the Burnett Mary Regional Group web site.
Soil conservation gets a boost
The future of soil conservation services in the Queensland Murray-Darling Basin has been given a boost with the appointment of two new soil conservation officers in Goondiwindi and Warwick.
The officers are employed by the Queensland Murray-Darling Committee and will work closely with staff from the Department of Natural Resources, Mines and Water.
The QMDC's Rick Kowitz said there was a wealth of knowledge among NRMW staff that had been built up over many years in the field of soil conservation.
"We want to ensure that knowledge isn't lost but is transferred to the new soil conservation officers," Mr Kowitz said.
"There is currently a huge demand for soil conservation work being generated through QMDC's sub-catchment planning groups and we hope the new officers will help us to better meet that demand."
For further info, phone Rick Kowitz, QMDC's Regional Landcare Facilitator, on 4637 6227 or 0427 500 187.
Mackay Whitsunday meets its stakeholders
The Mackay Whitsunday Natural Resource Management Group (MWNRM) recently conducted a stakeholders' general meeting as part of its regional engagement policy.
Representatives from various interest groups including, Sarina, Whitsunday and Mirani Shire Councils, Canegrowers, integrated catchment management groups, Conservation Volunteers, Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority and Aboriginal Land Management, along with members of the MWNRM Group'smanagement committee, attended the meeting.
Topics discussed during the meeting included:
- the recent launch of the "Fresh and Marine Water Quality in the Mackay Whitsunday Region 2004/05" report
- the tangible progress of landholders toward sustainable land management and the incentive programs involved in that process
- monitoring weed control in the Mirani shire
- continuation of water quality testing in the three regional catchment areas
- valuable cooperation and partnerships being developed to ensure ongoing success and
- the intention to cooperatively work toward sustainable environmental outcomes for the region.
For more info, email Kelly Flower or phone her on 4953 3864.
NRM awareness grants assessed
Applications for the special schools' round of the Community NRM Awareness Activity Grants have been assessed and successful applicatants will be announced soon.
NRMW's Adam Richardt said 149 applications were received.
"The quality of the applications was phenomenal," he said.
"The level of awareness of natural resource management and environmental issues was exceptionally high. They showed they really understand the connections between land, water and vegetation and peoples' role in the system."
More than $40,000 was available to schools for community awareness raising activities under this special round of grants. The grants were for up to $2500.
Details of successful projects will appear in future edtions of The Bugle.
For more info, email Adam Richardt or phone him on 3239 3860.
JSC to meet in Brisbane
The Joint Queensland-Australian Government NRM Steering Committee (JSC) will meet in Brisbane on 24-25 May.
It will be the JSC's first opportunity to meet with the newly formed SEQ Catchments.
Among the many interesting topics for discussion will be QMDC's proposed use of predictive modelling to report on the effectiveness of its work in meeting resource condition targets.
Salinity and Water Quality SIP Board chairs will present a paper on water quality monitoring responsibilities in Queensland.
For more info, email Debbie Guzek or phone her on 3225 2676.
Read the minutes of the last JSC meeting
New interactive wetlands display launched in the Burnett Mary
An interactive wetlands information booth with a touch-screen display is the latest awareness tool in use at the Mon Repos Conservation Park in Bundaberg.
The display was launched recently by the Burnett Mary Regional Group's Independent Chair, Harry Bonanno.
Mr Bonanno said the display Exploring our wetlands was an exciting and interactive educational experience for the community to enhance their knowledge, understanding and awareness of wetlands within the Great Barrier Reef Catchment.
Exploring our wetlands is the brainchild of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, with the support from the Great Barrier Reef Wetlands Taskforce. The display is a collaborative effort between the federal and state governments and regional NRM groups.
The interactive wetlands display is part of educational products which were developed under the Queensland Wetlands Programme to support the Reef Water Quality Protection Plan, a 10-year program to halt and reverse the declining water quality entering the Great Barrier Reef.
For more information visit the Wetlands web site.
Industry recovery officers to help NQ farmers
Queensland Farmers' Federation and its member bodies will employ industry recovery officers in north Queensland centres to work directly with farmers after the devastation of Cyclone Larry.
The staff will be employed in Innisfail, Babinda, South Johnstone, Tully, Atherton and Malanda.
QFF chief John Cherry said farmers needed help to access government assistance and start rebuilding the local agriculture industry.
"QFF has estimated there is about $165 million of government money on offer to about 2500 farmers to speed the recovery process and we want farmers to access as much of this money as possible to fast track the recovery process, Mr Cherry said.
"The Industry Recovery Officers, with the assistance of Australian Banana Growers' Council, CANEGROWERS, Growcom and Queensland Dairyfarmers Organisation, will work on the ground for up to six months. QFF will be meeting with the officers later this week."
For more info, phone Nick Kennedy on 3837 4747 or 0417 626 420.Seven-day forecast is no longer far-fetched
The Bureau of Meteorology, so long the target of cruel jokes over its ability to predict the future, will be crossing its collective fingers this week, the Sydney Morning Herald has reported.
On Wednesday, the Bureau began issuing weather forecasts for the next seven days - something it has long dismissed as almost impossible.
Solar-thermal power touted as energy solution
Australian scientists have developed a new way of producing electricity, which could provide all of Australia's electricity needs in 2020, the ABC has reported.
In the CSIRO's work, two hundred mirrors track the sun and focus the sun's rays towards a tower. The heat can reach temperatures of more than 1000 degrees Celsius, producing 500 kilowatts of power. This is then mixed with natural gas and water to produce a renewable energy.
Conference helps communities gain control
Bryce Courtney is the keynote speaker at this year's Communities in Control conference.
The conference, to be held in Melbourne from 18-20 June, is designed to help community, Indigenous and environmental groups, schools, regional development organisations and other groups harness the power of community-minded people.
For more info, see the conference web site.
Thought for the week...
"The elemental resources of Gaia - energy, water, air, and climate - are so abundant and self-renewing as to make us potential millionaires. And potentially, at least, we have the intelligence to learn how to work with Gaia, rather than undermining her."
James Lovelock, originator of the Gaia hypothesis, which suggests the Earth is, in a real sense, alive - a super-organism comprising all life on Earth and its environment, and capable of manipulating conditions to suit its own needs.
We welcome your input and feedback on this newsletter. If you have any contributions, comments or suggestions please contact Paul Rees or Shona Strachan.
To view past issues of The Bugle visit the regional NRM web site.
Last updated 28 April 2006