The Bugle - 19 May 2006
In news this week
Regional NRM group stories
- Volunteers benefit from urban-rural exchange
- Alarm bells collar wayward moggies
- Spotlight on healthy land
- Traditional owners share in Condamine care
Government updates
- Interim NRM group for Cape York appointed
- $16m budget boost to pest and disease preparedness
- Review of plant seeds permitted into Australia
- Operation Farm Clear ready to remove Larry debris
- Vegetation management assistance continues to rise
Natural resources news
- Wild dog baiting under way at Mt Tamborine
- Rain hampering Cape cyclone recovery efforts
- 10th Queensland Arbor Day Awards
Volunteers benefit from urban-rural exchange
The Queensland Landcare Foundation has coordinated unique exchange opportunities for landcare volunteers from the Gold Coast and Lockyer, with the support of SEQ Catchments, and volunteers from Kolan and Monto, with the support of the Burnett Mary Regional Group for NRM.
These urban-rural exchanges will involve volunteers from urban areas visiting rural landcare projects and vice versa. The first of the exchanges was held during Queensland Resources Week on Saturday 13 May.
Volunteers from Gold Coast Catchment and Landcare Groups visited the Lockyer Valley as the Lockyer Catchment Association and West Moreton Landcare Group played host for the exchange. And, volunteers from Kolan Landcare Group went to the Monto district as guests of the North Burnett Landcare Group.
Samantha Morris, spokesperson for the Queensland Landcare Foundation said "this is a unique opportunity for landcare volunteers and staff to gain first-hand experience about the challenges other groups face. It’s also one way we can bridge the divide between urban and rural communities in Queensland."
With the assistance of the Department of Natural Resources, Mines and Water and their Community Natural Resource Awareness Activity Grants, several exchanges will take place across the state.
For more information contact Samantha Morris on 3211 4413
Alarm bells collar wayward moggies
MOGGIES make great pets but, for many breeds, the need to hunt is instinctive regardless of how well they are fed.
Soon, cats in Toowoomba will wear collars with alarm bells to provide wildlife with advance warning of attack. These collars are being supplied by the Condamine Alliance, and are issued free to cat owners who register with Toowoomba City Council.
The Condamine River catchment, including Toowoomba and its surrounds, is home to more than 500 species of native vertebrate animals: 66 mammals, 323 birds, 100 reptiles and 38 frogs. Ten species are endangered: two frogs, four birds, one mammal, two reptiles and one butterfly. Another 21 species are vulnerable and 26 are rare. Wildlife, such as the endangered swift parrot and other birds, lizards and small animals are particularly vulnerable to cat attacks.
The Alliance is spending $50,000 of Natural Heritage Trust funds to provide the collars for the city's 8000 registered cats, in partnership with Toowoomba City Council and Kra-Mar Pet Supplies. There will be prizes for owners who monitor whether the collars are effective.
"The main thing is to raise community awareness about wildlife in urban areas, and some of the ways that we can protect our wildlife," says Condamine Alliance chief executive officer Phil McCullough.
Toowoomba is one of only three councils in Queensland with local laws covering cats, and it is the only shire that enforces cat registration. "The Condamine Alliance is pleased to provide cat collars free of charge for all moggies registered in the shire as a means of increasing the number of responsible cat owners," Mr McCullough said.
For more information contact Phil McCullough on 4620 0101 or 0407 126 689.
Spotlight on healthy land
A model for "ecosystem service payments" developed with funding from the Condamine Alliance is gaining national and international recognition.
Crows Nest Shire environmental officer Rick Galbraith will present the "Healthy Land – Our Livelihood – Our Future" project at the state Landcare conference in Brisbane in August and at the International Landcare Conference in Melbourne in October.
Rick developed a model for properties in the catchment of Cooby Dam, an important water source for Toowoomba and Crows Nest shires. It tested incentives for a pilot group of landholders to provide ecosystem services over and above their duty of care for their land, as a way of improving water quality.
Good land management practices were recognised and a range of incentives were made available to meet varying needs, in the context of individuals' landholdings and lifestyles.
For more information contact Rick Galbraith on 4698 1155.
Traditional owners share in Condamine care
The establishment of a Traditional Owner Board with representatives of five tribal groups has engaged Indigenous people in natural resource management in the Condamine River catchment.
The board was set up after an engagement and consultation process by the Condamine Alliance, involving registered and non-registered Native Title Traditional Owner Groups. The Alliance manages environmental and community projects in the catchment in southern Queensland on behalf of the Australian and Queensland Governments.
Two representatives from each of five tribal groups – Jarowair, Western Wakka Wakka, Githabul, Gambuwal and Bigambul – sit on the board, generating ownership, a willingness to be involved, and timely responses to issues.
"My people have been here for 40,000 years and we have learned the fundamentals of our mother Earth and what is needed to rectify the damage. I think this organisation is the start of a process to eliminate all the negative things that have happened over the past 200 years (since the arrival of Europeans in Australia)," says board member Patrick "Paddy" Jerome of the Jarowair people.
Fellow board member Brian Tobane, also of the Jarowair people, says input from the Condamine Alliance and landcare groups is doing a lot of good for the Indigenous people of the catchment, especially by encouraging a willingness to work together to address cultural heritage issues.
For more information contact Corie Leslie on 4620 0119
Interim NRM group for Cape York appointed
Cape York Peninsula Development Association will act as the interim regional NRM group for Cape York.
The association will be responsible for administering several NRM projects under the Natural Heritage Trust.
For more info, contact Tom Gilmore at CYPDA on 4031 3432 or Kate Eden from the Department of Natural Resources, Mines and Water by phoning 3224 8408.
$16m Budget boost to pest and disease preparedness
Australia’s ability to respond to serious pest and disease emergencies has received a $16 million funding boost in the 2006-07 Federal Budget.
Australian Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Minister Peter McGauran said the funding would be provided over four years to help widen the scope of the Enhancing Animal Health Infrastructure Programme.
"The programme was set up in 2002 to assess Australia’s capacity to tackle a foot-and-mouth disease outbreak," Mr McGauran said.
"Modelling programmes, and simulations such as last year’s Exercise Eleusis, which tested the national response to a bird flu outbreak, have since helped boost our ability to tackle other animal disease and emergency situations.
"Given the growth in global trade and travel in recent years, more intensive agriculture practices, increasing human contact with stock animals and wildlife, emerging zoonotic diseases and bioterrorism threats, we cannot afford to lower our guard."
Review of plant seeds permitted into Australia
The Australian Government is calling for public comment as part of a program to prevent the importation of plant seeds that could become weeds and damage the environment or our agriculture.
The Australian Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Peter McGauran, said Biosecurity Australia was reviewing the list of plant seeds permitted into Australia (Schedule 5 of Quarantine Proclamation 1998, also known as the 'Permitted Seeds List').
"This second stage of the review will result in genera (whole groups) being replaced with individual species on the permitted seeds list," he said.
"All up, 2,913 genus-level listings will be replaced with species-level listings already known to be in Australia.
"This will involve extensive consultation with over 500 stakeholders, as well as research to determine which of those species are present and/or commonly traded in Australia.
"That means we will be able to target individual plants rather than whole groups of plants.
"This will further protect Australia’s pest and disease-free status by not allowing exotic weedy species into the country."
Operation Farm Clear ready to remove Larry debris
Operation Farm Clear, a partnership project lead by the Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries, has begun with the first team of workers clearing debris from dairy farms on the Atherton Tablelands.
Minister for Primary Industries and Fisheries, Tim Mulherin, said the decision by the Queensland Government to undertake Operation Farm Clear was finalised following consultation with local producers in the Cyclone Larry-affected region and key producer organisations.
"To have the project starting this week, just two weeks after we decided to go ahead with it, is a real tribute to the dedication of all the people involved in the project," Mr Mulherin said.
Mr Mulherin said the initial response to the cyclone had involved getting power returned, repairing people's homes and cleaning up schools so that life could get back to normal for families.
"The experience here has been devastating and it continues to be a crisis for the many farmers who get up every morning, look outside and see they still cannot do their work because of the wreckage on their properties."
Operation Farm Clear is a partnership between all levels of government and the industry organisations, with DPI&F as lead agency.
Vegetation management assistance continues to rise
The Queensland Government has paid an additional $3 million in the last month in vegetation management assistance to landholders and clearing contractors, Natural Resources Minister Henry Palaszczuk said.
Mr Palaszczuk said the level of enterprise assistance provided by the Government for landholders and clearing contractors under vegetation management assistance continued to increase dramatically.
"To date, $15.6 million has been allocated to almost 180 applicants for the grants of up to $100,000," Mr Palaszczuk said.
"This means $3 million was paid out in the last month. It also means an additional $15 million has been allocated this financial year."
Premier Peter Beattie announced beneficial changes to the criteria for this assistance at the AgForce conference in July last year.
"I would also like to pay tribute to officers of the Department of Natural Resources, Mines and Water and QRAA for encouraging greater take-up of this assistance," Mr Palaszczuk said.
"These officers have held a series of seminars across the state on the issue of vegetation management assistance."
Seminars were held in Warwick, Inglewood, Tara and Jandowae, Toogoolawah, Toowoomba, Beaudesert and Gatton last week.
For more information contact Kirby Anderson on 0418 197 350.
Wild dog baiting under way at Mt Tamborine
Authorities are carrying out a baiting program in response to concerns about an increasing number of wild dogs at Mount Tamborine in the Gold Coast hinterland.
A representative of the Department of Natural Resources, Mines and Water says wild dogs kill livestock, pets and wildlife and may pose a danger to people.
Land protection officer Lyn Willsher says the program will run until May 27.
"There's concern from residents about the impact they might have on wildlife up there and also in the past there have been incidents where domestic pets have been attacked by wild dogs, so we are just trying to have a baiting campaign just to keep the numbers down," she said.
Rain hampering Cape cyclone recovery efforts
The Queensland Government says it appears that emergency crews are doing everything possible at this stage to help cyclone Monica affected communities on Cape York.
The cyclone hit last month, but constant rain since then has caused severe flooding.
General Peter Cosgrove - who is in charge of the cyclone Larry recovery mission - visited the Cape yesterday.
Deputy Premier Anna Bligh says he has told her that flooded and damaged roads are a major problem.
"We're going to keep working with the mayors in those shires to get the roads operational as soon as we can get the water off them," she said.
"But at this stage the emergency workers that are on the ground are doing everything that can be done until such time as the rain stops and roads clear and we can get on with repairing them."
10th Queensland Arbor Day Awards
Queensland communities are being urged to honour people who work with trees, by nominating them for the 2006 Queensland Arbor Day Awards.
Over the past decade the Awards have recognised the many individuals, groups and companies who help care for our native vegetation.
The Awards have been a major incentive for the planting and management of millions of native trees throughout the state. These trees contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and the spread of acid soils, while providing valuable shade in rural and urban areas.
Due to the state's varied climate, Queensland celebrates two Arbor Days – North Queensland on Tuesday 9 May and South Queensland on the second Tuesday in October. The awards are sponsored by a number of environmental, government and business groups who have a special interest in improving the state’s stock of native trees and plants and creating natural shade cover.
With a total of five categories covering individuals, schools, local councils, business and community groups, the awards include six regional winners and a $2,500 cash prize for the Minister’s Choice Award, presented by the Minister for Natural Resources, Mines and Water, Henry Palaszczuk, at a celebration in October.
Entry is free to anyone or any group who worked with trees over the past three years - weed clearing, seed gathering or landscape planning – or any activity that helped to establish or manage native vegetation and create natural shade.
Entrants may self nominate or be nominated by others. Guidelines and entry forms are available from the Queensland Arbor Day Awards web site at www.queenslandarborday.org
Entries close on 31 July 2006.
For more information contact Sarah Bishop on 3902 4404 or 0400 144 221
Thought for the week...
"I think we are challenged as mankind has never been challenged before to prove our maturity and our mastery, not of nature, but of ourselves."
Rachel Carson
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Last updated 02 June 2006