The Bugle - 23 June 2006
In news this week
Regional NRM group stories
- Condamine catchment goes under microscope
- Pingers warn marine mammals to stay away from nets
- Local governments to target weeds and pests
- Maranoa-Balonne gets more river-water know-how
- Subsidies still available for weed control
- Introducing SEQTOLSMA
Government updates
- Last chance for Landcare groups to nominate a state representative
- Land manager surveys for regional bodies
- Record budget for Natural Resources, Mines and Water
Reef news
Natural resources news
- NatureAssist - security through nature refuges
- Plea for army in the toad battle
- Doomsday vault - an agricultural Noah's ark
Condamine catchment goes under microscope
Three members of the Condamine Alliance staff have visited more of the catchment in the past two months than ever before, as part of a complex survey.
Mo Whittam, Rex Weldon and George Lambert conducted the management practice adoption survey to gain a consistent baseline of adoption levels of current recommended management practices by both broadacre cropping and grazing landholders.
This survey builds on previous pasture condition surveys undertaken by the Alliance and could be the most rigorous on-ground survey yet undertaken by a regional NRM group in Queensland.
A total of 980 survey points were scored using an electronic survey sheet programmed into a Trimble GPS unit. Landscape photographs were also taken at each point, to be used as a benchmark to assess changes in land condition over time.
The main focus of the project is to determine, on a sub-catchment and land-use basis, whether current rural management practices follow current recommended practice. It will contribute to the environmental snapshots of the catchment's 19 sub-catchments.
Parameters such as landscape type, cropping regime, groundcover, presence or absence of weeds, tillage practice, and evidence of erosion were recorded for each site.
Once analysed in GIS format, the results will aid in more sustainable catchment management practices and will provide extension personnel with invaluable data to aid producers and landholders.
For more information contact Mark Schuster at the Alliance on 4620 0131.
Pingers warn marine mammals to stay away from nets
Non-target species, including dolphins and dugongs, sometimes become entangled in gillnets. This is highly distressing for the mammals and often results in drownings.
The Northern Gulf Resource Management Group has provided funding to support the Gulf of Carpentaria Commercial Fishers Association, the Northern Fisheries Centre (DPI & F), Seanet and Ecofish in a combined effort to reduce marine mammal bycatch in gillnets in the Gulf.
The groups have two objectives—the first is to develop, produce and test 'pingers' or underwater acoustic alarms that deter the mammals from swimming too close to the nets. The second is to develop a 'listening device' to allow fishers onboard to detect the presence of marine mammals, enabling them to avoid contact.
Twelve pingers will be supplied to all inshore and estuary gillnet commercial fishers, with Seanet responsible for ensuring correct use and daily maintenance.
It is hoped that the listening device, which feeds information into an on-board computer, will be voluntarily tested by up to 10 volunteer fishers.
These devices will help to reduce the bycatch of marine mammals while still allowing unrestricted commercial gillnet fishing in the Gulf.
For more information contact Ian Beeton on 40621330
Local governments to target weeds and pests
Local Government Incentive Schemes are now being run to target weed and pest problems in shires throughout the Maranoa-Balonne and Border Rivers catchments.
Funded by the Natural Heritage Trust, and coordinated by the Queensland Murray Darling Committee (QMDC), councils throughout the region will have the chance to apply for financial and technical support to implement weed and pest control measures in their area.
QMDC Weed and Pest Animal Coordinator Darren Marshall said, "Through these incentives, we hope to work with local authorities across our region to achieve a more integrated, coordinated approach to weed and pest animal management. However, these incentives are not for emergency situations, or 'rapid response' programs."
Eight local governments have already applied for the incentives.
Projects approved for funding so far include control methods for mother of millions, harrisa cactus, green cestrum, African boxthorn and parthenium.
For more information about QMDC's Local Government Incentive Schemes, please contact your local Landcare or Catchment Management Centre on 4622 8446 (Roma) or 4671 7900 (Goondiwindi).
Maranoa-Balonne gets more river-water know-how
People in the Maranoa-Balonne catchment will benefit from the addition of a new river health expert in the region.
Rebecca Burnett joined the Queensland Murray-Darling Committee (QMDC) on June 5 as the new Riverine and Floodplain Technical Officer.
Rebecca will be based at the Landcare and Catchment Centre in Arthur Street, Roma, and will provide advice to locals on river and water management issues throughout the catchment.
To contact Rebecca Burnett, phone 4622 2993.
Subsidies still available for weed control
Land managers in Bungil and Roma Town shires could still be eligible for financial assistance from councils for weed control.
Problem weeds, green cestrum and African boxthorn, have infested local creeks, and the two councils, in conjunction with the Queensland Murray Darling Committee (QMDC), have provided subsidies in order to clean up areas adjoining council lands.
QMDC Technical Officer, Kathleen Macdonald, said "Roma Town and Bungil Shire councils have chosen a subsidy option that rewards landholders who are actively controlling these weeds and provides the impetus for others to also become involved."
Those who voluntarily undertake control activities before August 2006 will be eligible for the subsidy. Landholders who do not participate by this date will be issued with a notice from council to comply.
Landholders along the Bungil Creek are urged to contact their local council to find out if they are eligible.
Introducing SEQTOLSMA
The South East Queensland Traditional Owners Land and Sea Management Alliance (SEQTOLSMA) has been acknowledged as the voice for traditional owners in Natural Resource Management in South East Queensland.
Natalie Mogg, the recently employed Coordinator for SEQTOLSMA, ensures that the organisation's mission is achieved—to provide an effective process for traditional owner involvement and inclusion of traditional owner cultural values in land, water and natural resource management.
Natalie has an in-depth understanding of the issues affecting traditional owners in natural resource management.
The SEQTOLSMA office is located at the head office of SEQ Catchments, Level 2, 183 North Quay, Brisbane.
Natalie Mogg can be contacted on 3211 4404 or 0419 009 180.
Last chance for Landcare groups to nominate a state representative
Nominations for community representatives to sit on the Board of Queensland Water and Land Carers (QWaLC) close on 28 June 2006, so forward your nominations now.
QWaLC is seeking community members from the following regions:
- Fitzroy Basin
- Desert Channels
- Cape York and Torres Strait
- Burnett Mary
- Burdekin Dry Tropics
- Mackay Whitsundays.
This is a great opportunity for community members to make a difference for the on-ground volunteer sector in Queensland. For more information, please go to the QWaLC web site or ring Tess McGlone on 3211 4409.
Land manager surveys for regional bodies
Land manager surveys have been conducted in Queensland for three NAPSWQ regional NRM bodies (Burdekin Dry Tropic, Burnett Mary and QMDC). These bodies undertook the surveys as part of their planning process, initiating the activity themselves. South West NRM is currently undertaking a telephone survey to benchmark the attitudes and awareness of landholders in their region.
The land manager surveys provide valuable information on socio-economic characteristics, adoption of current recommended practice, attitudes towards NRM, constraints to change and preferred incentives—information necessary for developing strategies to overcome constraints, build capacity and develop incentive programs.
However, the remainder of the NAPSWQ regional NRM bodies (Fitzroy Basin Association, South East Queensland Catchments and Condamine Alliance) do not currently have access to similar information relevant to their location.
To rectify this situation, the social and economic SIP team have engaged the consultants Forest Images Pty Ltd to undertake land manager surveys for these four regional bodies; the consultancy will run until October 2006 and focus groups will come together in each region in July to refine the surveys.
For more information contact Dr Beth Clouston on 3224 7734.
Record budget for Natural Resources, Mines and Water
A record $650.5 million is forecast to be invested by the Department of Natural Resources, Mines and Water (NRMW) to manage Queensland's natural resources as announced in the 2006-07 state budget this month.
Natural Resources, Mines and Water Minister Henry Palaszczuk said the record funding for NRMW reflected the Queensland Government's strong commitment to the management of the state's water, land, vegetation, mineral and petroleum resources.
"The increased investment in NRMW is made up of $570.4 million for spending on natural resource management services and $80.1 million for spending on mineral and petroleum services," Mr Palaszczuk said.
Reef Plan plunges into the big pond
The Reef Water Quality Protection Plan (Reef Plan), a joint initiative of the Australian and Queensland Governments, now has its own web pages on the web site of the Department of the Premier and Cabinet.
These new pages have been developed to ensure they describe the Reef Plan business in a comprehensive yet easy-to-understand manner.
The web pages are a portal for accessing information about the Reef Water Quality Protection Plan and the progress of its activities including copies of the Reef Plan annual reports. They are also a central location for learning what can be done to reduce sediment, nutrients and chemicals entering the waterways that flow into the Great Barrier Reef lagoon, and include links to information on other Reef Plan participant's web sites.
Please use the site and refer it to your friends, family, work colleagues and the general public.
Any feedback on the pages or suggestions for future developments should be directed to Carl Glen on 3234 1387.
NatureAssist – Security through nature refuges
NatureAssist is an exciting new incentive scheme for landholders, providing the opportunity for financial assistance to protect and actively manage the natural assets on their properties.
By agreeing to a nature refuge, landholders achieve a vital balance between conservation and production.
NatureAssist recognises the dedication of landholders who protect their property's natural areas. The program is committed to developing partnerships with landholders to help them achieve their conservation goals in a way that is consistent with their business activities.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) coordinates this state-wide program, which brings together funding from the Queensland and Australian Governments, regional natural resource management groups and not-for-profit organisations, to meet the needs of landholders and the environment.
For more details see the EPA NatureAssist fact sheet.
Plea for army in the toad battle
The fight to halt the cane toad's advance across northern Australia has taken a military turn with a call for the army to intervene.
West Australian Environment Minister Mark McGowan has written to Defence Minister Brendan Nelson asking for soldiers to help prevent the toads marching into the state from the Northern Territory.
The state also wants to take the fight to the toads by gaining access to a Territory military training ground that might be harbouring the pests.
The cane toad front, 170 km from the northern West Australian border, has stalled while the Territory experiences its dry season.
Mr McGowan wants to capitalise on the standstill and said he hoped Dr Nelson would make a quick decision.
Doomsday vault - an agricultural Noah's ark
Norway has begun constructing a "doomsday vault", a vast top-security seed bank in a mountain near the North Pole, to ensure food supplies in the event of environmental catastrophe or nuclear war.
Built with Fort Knox-type security, the $US3 million ($A4.1 million) depository will preserve around two million seeds representing all known varieties of the world's crops at sub-zero temperatures.
"This facility will provide a practical means to re-establish crops obliterated by major disasters," Cary Fowler, executive secretary of the Global Crop Diversity Trust, said in a statement.
Mr Fowler said crop diversity was imperilled not just by a cataclysmic event, such as a nuclear war, "but also by natural disasters, accidents, mismanagement, and short-sighted budget cuts".
The vault will be built deep in permafrost in the side of a sandstone mountain on the Norwegian island of Spitsbergen, 1000km from the North Pole.
A metre of reinforced concrete will fortify the chamber walls. Arctic permafrost will act as a natural coolant to protect the samples which will be stored in watertight foil packages should a power failure disable refrigeration systems.
The thick walls, airlocks and doors mean that even if global warming accelerates badly, it would take many decades for hotter air to reach the seeds. So the seeds can survive for hundreds, and in some cases thousands, of years.
Thought for the week
Civilization as we know it is fragile. Since the last ice age, there have been some thirty urban civilizations ... during the last 270 years our society has become the only global civilization.
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Last updated 23 June 2006