The Bugle - 1 September 2006
In news this week
Regional NRM group stories
Government updates
- Cape York land and sea management centre funding to be reviewed
- Market improvements needed to achieve water policy objectives
Reef Secretariat updates
Natural resources news
Burdekin plans for climate change
Burdekin Dry Tropics NRM and Burdekin Shire Council are planning for climate change through a project which is the first of its kind in Queensland.
Newly appointed Planning for NRM Change Project Officer Paul Wuth is managing the project based at the Burdekin Shire Council.
By developing a strategic plan for adapting to climate change within the Burdekin Shire, this project is leading a national push for local councils to address the looming impacts of climate change that science strongly suggests will soon affect everybody.
Mr Wuth is adamant that such a strategy will provide an essential framework for implementing actions to reduce the impacts.
"CSIRO climatologists predict that by 2070 the average daily temperature may rise by six degrees. That might not sound like a huge deal for the average person living in the Burdekin but this is misleading; there is no doubt it will have adverse affects on every person in our community," Mr Wuth said
Burdekin Shire Mayor Lyn McLaughlan said she was delighted to be leading the way for local government in addressing climate change.
"Climate change will affect far more than just our weather patterns. Rising temperatures and changes in rainfall will have impacts on human health, agricultural practices, the tourism industry, sea level rise and local ecology – these issues are of the highest priority and must be examined now," Mayor McLaughlan said.
Mr Wuth will be conducting a series of workshops with local government, community and industry to examine the potential impacts of climate change on their communities and business. The issues raised in these workshops will provide a basis for actions outlined in the strategy for climate change adaptation.
Workshops will be held between now and Christmas. For more information about these workshops, or if you would like Mr Wuth to address your community group, phone him on 4783 9878 or 0429 489 421.
Cape York land and sea management centre funding to be reviewed
Australian Minister for the Environment and Heritage, Senator Ian Campbell, and Australian Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Peter McGauran, have announced a review of Natural Heritage Trust funding arrangements for land and sea management centres in Cape York Peninsula.
Senator Campbell said that with project reports pointing to mixed results from on-ground work in the Cape, it was appropriate to review the land and sea centres and ascertain what needed to be done to improve program delivery.
The review will be undertaken by an experienced external organisation, which will make recommendations on future funding as well as reporting on progress to date. It is expected to be completed by early October 2006.
Market improvements needed to achieve water policy objectives
There is scope for markets to play a greater role in improving the efficient use of water, including for environmental purposes, according to the Productivity Commission.
In a final report released recently, Rural Water Use and the Environment: The Role of Market Mechanisms, the Commission suggests that governments should give greater recognition to the integrated nature of water resources and use markets to more efficiently allocate water among competing users.
According to the report, water for environmental purposes can be obtained cost effectively through purchasing a range of water products from willing sellers on the open market, including, but not limited to, water entitlements. This can often be more cost effective than investing in new infrastructure works.
Unless accounted for, climate change, farm dams, vegetation and land-use change, groundwater extractions or changes in irrigation management have the potential to undermine efforts to achieve environmental goals and affect the reliability of existing entitlements, the report found.
Read the media release, key points from the report and the full report
Reef Plan spreads the news through Landcare
The Reef Water Quality Protection Plan was showcased at last week's Queensland Landcare conference in Brisbane. More than 500 people attended the conference, which was hosted by Queensland Landcare Foundation.
A number of the sessions at the Queensland Landcare conference focused on improving water quality and demonstrated what people could do to help.
The conference also looked at similarities between urban and rural communities and highlighted some of the great work being done by urban and rural Landcare groups. Topics discussed included the vital role of revegetating creek and river banks, incentive approaches and ecosystem services, which are all major focus areas for the Reef Plan.
The Reef Plan had a display at the conference and it was an ideal opportunity to demonstrate and discuss some of the great work that is being done to protect the reef through the implementation of the Reef Plan.
Visit the Reef Plan web site to find out more about what you can do to help improve water quality.
Researching the Reef researchers
The Consortium for Integrated Resource Management (CIRM) Reef Catchment Working Group has produced a review of current research and development in the Great Barrier Reef catchment, in support of Action F4 of the Reef Plan.
A significant body of research work has already been done in trying to understand the natural systems and processes at work that link land use to water quality and reef condition. Priority areas for future R&D to tackle the water quality problem and improve the health of the near-shore reefs are identified in the report.
The report highlights the current research being done in the Reef catchment. More than 90 different research projects, delivered through research organisations, universities and government agencies, have been listed in the report as contributing to Reef Water Quality Protection Plan.
Forum focuses on social sustainability
There's an interesting afternoon in store for anyone interested in social sustainability.
Two presentations, Developing a social sustainability framework for SEQ and Social sustainability: the Portland Story will be the subject of a forum organised through the Department of Communities' Engaging Ideas Seminar Series.
Dr Michael Cuthill, Director of UQ Boilerhouse Community Engagement Centre, and Dr Steve Johnson, Consultant and Trainer, Portland State University USA, will present at the forum.
The seminar will be held from 1.45pm to 4pm, Thursday 14 September at Room 2, 80 George St Brisbane.
If you would like to attend this free event please RSVP to Joanne Wells by Tuesday, 12 Sept 2006 at research@communities.qld.gov.au or phone 3227 8579.
Weeds web site updated
The Weeds Australia web site has been updated to enable searching of its weed identification tool by NRM region.
You can find the general jump off page at http://www.weeds.org.au/ntmap.htm or you can go directly to your respective state jump off pages at:
ACT and NSW - http://www.weeds.org.au/nswmap-nrm.htm#map NT - http://www.weeds.org.au/ntmap-nrm.htm#map Qld - http://www.weeds.org.au/qldmap-nrm.htm#map SA - http://www.weeds.org.au/samap-nrm.htm#map Tas - http://www.weeds.org.au/tasmap-nrm.htm#map Vic - http://www.weeds.org.au/vicmap-nrm.htm#map WA - http://www.weeds.org.au/wamap-nrm.htm#map This tool is built on the WEEDeck identification cards - for details see the WEEDeck web site.
Thought for the week
If liberty and equality, as is thought by some, are chiefly to be found in democracy - they will be best attained when all persons alike share in the government to the utmost.
Aristotle - Greek critic, philosopher, physicist, and zoologist (384 BC - 322 BC) via Ed Wensing
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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 31 August 2006