The Bugle - 14 July 2006
In news this week
Regional NRM group stories- SEQ Catchments seeks volunteer water monitors
- Big money flows to the Burnett Mary
- Testing times for fruit and veg growers
- What's good for the grass is good for the gander
- It's that time of the year again: annual performance reports due today
- JSC heads to Brisbane
- Queensland increases investment in Great Artesian Basin
- One Plan to cut red tape for rural landholders
- More than $400,000 allocated to environment and heritage groups
- Fighting ferals
- Last chance to have your say
Natural resources news
- Landcare offers leadership bursary and innovation award
- Survey finds most farmers active in NRM
- Calling all young people - are you Ambassador material?
SEQ Catchments seeks volunteer water monitors
SEQ Catchments is looking for volunteers to help monitor water quality in the upper Brisbane River catchment.
Water quality is a big issue across Queensland, but especially so in the south east with the effect of prolonged drought and the threat of erosion and salinity. It's vital that water quality be monitored over time to assess whether targets for the health of rivers and streams are being met.
The SEQ Catchments water monitoring team pride themselves on producing high-quality data. Team members are properly trained and have a monitoring plan. The team leaders maintain the equipment, keep quality assurance and quality control records, and do shadow testing with the EPA to ensure data collected is of a high standard.
The data is used by landholders, Landcare and catchment groups, councils, schools, universities, industry, SEQ Catchments and the Ecosystem Health Monitoring Progarm.
If you would like to be part of this team or are interested in further information, contact email Cheryl McLeod, SEQ Catchments Community Water Quality Monitoring Officer for Upper Brisbane River Catchment or phone her on 5422 0516.
Big money flows to the Burnett Mary
The Burnett Mary Regional Group's board has allocated $1.3 million to on-ground activities in the region.
This is in addition to the $3.1 million worth of on-ground projects already underway under BMRG's regional plan, Country to Coast – a healthy sustainable future.
These activities include $431,000 for the development and support of conservation partnerships in the Mary catchments; $126,000 towards an exciting new partnership with Conservation Volunteers Australia providing volunteer support and resources to community groups in the region; $210,000 for the implementation of incentive programs in partnership with Queensland Dairy Organisation trialling an exciting new approach to market-based incentives and; $143,100 towards the development of plans to lessen the impact of barriers to fish movement and management regimes for water.
BMRG's newly appointed independent chair, Russell Stewart, said these on-ground works were of critical importance to the environmental health of the region.
For more information, email BMRG Acting Executive Officer Carolyn Taylor or phone her on 4132 8333.
Testing times for fruit and veg growers
The Condamine Alliance's joint program with Growcom to improve water-use efficiency and water quality for fruit and vegetable growers is making good progress, with an inventory of industry completed and contacts established.
Engaging producers to participate in the two-year, $300,000 Water Use Efficiency program is among the challenges facing Rowena Beveridge, the officer employed earlier this year to link the Condamine Alliance, Growcom and the national Horticulture for Tomorrow initiative.
It was thought the industry involved 150 growers in the Condamine catchment, however Rowena has found there are only 65 active producers and they are struggling with a combination of low prices and lack of irrigation water.
Most growers do not rely only on their fruit and vegetable crops, but combine them with livestock and broad-acre cropping. Rowena will establish a skills development program for these producers and develop farm management systems and incentives for on-ground implementation to save their soil and improve water quality.
For more info, phone Rowena Beveridge at the Condamine Alliance on 4613 1077.
What's good for the grass is good for the gander
A two-year study has shown that burning seasonal wetlands helps native grasses and magpie geese.
The burning and grazing trial is being undertaken by the Burdekin Dry Tropics NRM Group, QPWS and the CSIRO in the Long Swamp of the Town Common Conservation Park.
The trial was designed to evaluate the best way to stop the weed para grass smothering native grasses and sedges. Most wetland birds, such as magpie geese, don't use sections of swamp choked with para grass.
Following the first year of burning and grazing, the para grass thinned out somewhat and there was an increase in the abundance of a few native grasses. Birds, especially brolgas, fed within the areas of thinned para grass prior to the wet season.
After the second year, the major change occurred in the wettest paddocks, where native rice grass exploded in abundance and distribution. Native rice is most common in the two burnt paddocks, and within those paddocks, it is abundant in areas where the 2005 fire was most intense. Some native rice can be seen in an adjacent grazed paddock, but not in untreated paddocks. The re-established native rice attracted the magpie geese, where they fed and nested in the patches of native rice.
Trial results indicate that restoration of this weed-infested habitat requires energetic management and it is clear that fire has a crucial role in these seasonal tropical wetlands.
The trial will continue for a few more years, with additional experimentation to look into the best ways of establishing native rice and a rare grass Paspalidium udum, recently found in a separate section of swamp by local ranger Andrew Collett.
For more info, email Deb Cavanagh at Burdkein Dry Tropics or phone her on 4724 3544.
It's that time of the year again: annual performance reports due today
Regional NRM groups, State-level Investment Projects (SIPs) and statewide projects have been busily preparing their annual performance reports.
Performance reporting is an opportunity to report achievements and performance against milestones, request any variance to funded projects and identify any risks associated with project completion.
Performance reporting has four main components:
- Narrative reports – due to CP.PerfReporting@nrm.qld.gov.au by 14 July 2006
- Financial reports – due via ViSTA by 14 July 2006
- Target reports – due via ViSTA by 14 July 2006
- Output reports – due via ViSTA (or offline to CP.PerfReporting@nrm.qld.gov.au) by 14 July*
* output reports from regional NRM groups reporting via ViSTA at the project level are due 28 July.
The Joint Queensland-Australian Government NRM Steering Committee (JSC) uses these reports to make decisions on how funds will be invested.
The Australian Government also uses this information to produce national reports on the NHT and NAP investments. The NAP and NHT Regional Programs Report 2004-05 is available from the Australian Government NRM web site.
Regional NRM groups and other proponents can use reporting information to promote their achievements and the value of properly managing our natural resources to the community, media and politicians. They can also use the lessons learnt during each reporting period to help improve the way our land, water and vegetation are managed.
In addition, NRMW's officers value the reports as they help keep the department in touch with the great work that's happening on the ground in the regions.
For more information about performance reporting, email Nicole Blackett or Claire Carter from NRMW's Community Partnerships.
JSC heads to Brisbane
The Joint Queensland-Australian Government NRM Steering Committee will meet in Brisbane on 21-22 August.
The meeting will focus on reviewing performance reports from regional NRM groups, SIPs and state-wide projects.
For more info, email Debbie Guzek or phone her on 3225 2676.
Queensland increases investment in Great Artesian Basin
The Queensland Government is increasing its investment in a program to save water drawn from the Great Artesian Basin used by rural landholders, Water Minister Henry Palaszczuk said this week.
Addressing a Local Government Association of Queensland conference in Longreach, Mr Palaszczuk said the government was allocating an additional $500,000 over three years for the Great Artesian Basin Sustainability Initiative, increasing the government's commitment to the program to up to $15 million.
Mr Palaszczuk said the Government's 10-year Blueprint for the Bush strategy provided for the increased investment in GABSI.
One Plan to cut red tape for rural landholders
The $3 million, four-year commitment by the Queensland Government to streamline regulatory requirements for property planning by various departments will slash red-tape for rural landholders, Natural Resources Minister Henry Palaszczuk said this week.
Mr Palaszczuk said the OnePlan initiative was part of the Government's 10-year Blueprint for the Bush strategy developed in partnership with the Local Government Association of Queensland (LGAQ) and AgForce Queensland.
Addressing the LGAQ conference in Longreach, Mr Palaszczuk said OnePlan would to coordinate and standardize existing regulatory and government financial support programs, producing a consistent and coordinated set of guidelines to facilitate regulatory property level planning and minimise duplication.
More than $400,000 allocated to environment and heritage groups
The work of 144 voluntary environment and heritage groups around Australia received a significant boost with the announcement of $413,200 in grants under the Australian Government's Grants to Voluntary Environment and Heritage Organisations program.
The Australian Minister for the Environment and Heritage, Senator Ian Campbell, said this was on top of the $354,000 already given to the recipients in the last round.
Read the Minister's statement and view the list of recipients
Fighting ferals
The Australian Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Peter McGauran, announced funding of more than $700,000 for 19 new projects to find better ways of controlling feral animals.
Four of the projects are in Queensland.
Farmers and the environment are losing $500 million a year to feral animals, including rabbits, foxes and feral pigs.
"Feral animals kill or compete with livestock and native animals, damage crops, degrade the environment, and could spread exotic diseases if they were to enter the country," Mr McGauran said.
Read the Minister's statement and see the list of projects
Last chance to have your say
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The Bugle team
Wetlands a hot topic in the tropics
A number of major projects under the Queensland Wetlands Programme will be showcased at an international conference in Cairns this week.
The projects relate to mapping wetlands in the Great Barrier Reef catchment, monitoring the extent and condition of wetlands, and retaining, maintaining and delivering information on wetlands.
Hundreds of scientists and wetland managers are attending the conference, the major focus of which is the vital role and value of wetlands in the terrestrial and marine environments.
For information about these projects and others being run under the program, please visit the Queensland Wetlands Programme web site.
The Australian Department of the Environment and Heritage and the Queensland Environmental Protection Agency, which are the lead agencies for the Queensland Wetlands Programme, are conference sponsors.
Landcare offers leadership bursary and innovation award
Queensland Landcare Foundation has called for nominations from Queensland-based project officers and community groups for its leadership bursary and innovation award.
The Landcare Leadership Bursary offers a $2000 cash prize to a professional Landcare worker in Queensland, while $12,000 worth of SKM consultancy services is on offer to an innovative community NRM group under the SKM Landcare Innovation Award .
The Leadership Bursary prize, which is awarded biennially, can be spent on education, travel, study or cultural exchange that contributes to personal and professional development, career advancement and increased diversity and understanding in Landcare.
The SKM Landcare Innovation Award, a new biennial award sponsored by Sinclair Knight Merz, will reward an innovative approach to environmental issues in Queensland.
Selection criteria and guidelines are available by emailing Queensland Landcare Foundation or phoning 3211 4413.
Nominations close Monday 31 July, with the winners to be announced at the 2006 Queensland Landcare Conference Dinner, 22 August.
Survey finds most farmers active in NRM
More than nine out of ten Australian farmers reported undertaking some form of natural resource management activity during 2004-05, according to an Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) Natural Resource Management survey released recently.
Weed and pest management were the most common natural resource management activities farmers undertook nationally.
Most (86%) farmers reported having at least one natural resource management issue on their holding, with weeds and pests again topping the list.
Native vegetation, land and soil and water-related issues were other natural resource management issues reported by farmers.
Calling all young people - are you Ambassador material?
Conservation Volunteers Australia is calling for nominations for its Green Ambassador program.
This is the second year that Conservation Volunteers Australia and the Commonwealth Bank have come together to recognise, reward and support 20 young Australians who demonstrate leadership in environmental conservation.
Green Ambassadors are aged between 16 and 23, active in their local Landcare, Bushcare, Coastcare or other community group, promoting environmental responsibility at their school or campus, or contributing to environmental initiatives within other groups.
Commonwealth Bank Green Ambassadors will receive:
- Greater experience in conservation leadership through volunteering on a five day conservation experience with Conservation Volunteers Australia
- A formal qualification with the Certificate 1 in Active Volunteering
- A digital camera to record their experiences
- A Commonwealth Bank Green Ambassador t-shirt
- Membership of Conservation Volunteers Australia.
See the CVA web site for info on how to nominate.
Thought for the week
"Every living individual is dependent on other individuals for its very existence and for the perpetuation of its kind. That dependence is not just on parents, but on unrelated individuals that are part of the same ecosystem."
Wild Solutions: how biodiversity is money in the bank
We welcome your contributions and feedback. If you have any comments or suggestions for The Bugle please contact Paul Rees or Shona Strachan.
To view past issues of The Bugle visit the regional NRM web site.
The Bugle is a weekly newsletter published by Community Partnerships, the Department of Natural Resources, Mines and Water, highlighting regional NRM activities around Queensland.
Last updated 28 July 2006