The Bugle - 15 September 2006
In news this week
Regional NRM group stories
- NRM groups to meet for national workshop
- Round table supports on-ground action in upper Brisbane catchment
Government updates
- Premier announces new Queensland ministry
- $11 million available to fight pests and weeds
- Community Partnerships improves service to regional groups
Reef Plan updates
- Changing of the guard at Reef Plan Secretariat
- Reef Plan flows into Riversymposium
- Turning straw into gold and improving water quality
Natural resources news
NRM groups to meet for national workshop
Sharing the Experience - Learning through Collaboration and Innovation will be the theme for the first national workshop for regional natural resource management.
The Regional Groups' Collective is organising the workshop, which will be held at the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre on 21-23 November.
The organisers have called for papers.
"The 56 natural resource management regions around Australia have made wonderful progress in their role as contributors to the sustainable management of Australia's natural resources. There is, however, so much more to do. The key is learning how to do it smarter," Regional Groups' Collective Chair Gordon French said.
"The first national NRM workshop ... will be the first attempt to bring together all 56 regions to 'share the experience'.
"In the past four years, Chairs have made a combined presentation to the Ministerial Council on matters judged to be of concern. However, there has been no attempt to bring the practitioners together to learn from each other.
"The Australian Government has also recognised this and is supporting the workshop. The program is designed for all regional bodies and their supporters."
For more info and to download workshop registration forms, visit the Regional Groups' Collective web site.
Round table supports on-ground action in upper Brisbane catchment
SEQ Catchments recently held a community round table for landholders and community representatives in the upper Brisbane catchment to discuss the state of the area's natural assets and action needed to address the threats.
Representatives from local Landcare groups (Toowoomba, Ravensbourne, Crows Nest Creek, Rosalie North), Crows Nest and Rosalie Shire Councils, and other community groups, including the Wildlife Preservation Society and Toowoomba Field Naturalists, attended.
The afternoon provided an opportunity to view and discuss the latest resource condition mapping of local areas; continue the process of identifying new partnerships and building upon existing ones for the regional investment strategy; and review NHT and NAPSWQ investment in the area.
Participants built valuable knowledge, capacity and networks for on-going and future activities in the region. Outcomes included:
- interest in pursuing subcatchment and property planning and geographic information systems training
- interest in capacity building for community engagement
- exploration of opportunities for links with education programs
- linking past riparian and biodiversity-focused projects in local areas
- examination of research opportunities
- discussion on building on Crows Nest Shire's linear reserves project to protect and enhance ecological values and corridors on local roads, riparian areas and reserves.
For more info, contact Bruce Lord, SEQ Catchments Community Partnership Manager – Upper Brisbane, on 5422 0516.
Premier announces new Queensland ministry
Premier Beattie has announced the new Queensland Government ministry.
The Premier and his deputy, Anna Bligh, have taken responsibility for implementing a water grid in south east Queensland. As Deputy Premier, Treasurer and Minister for Infrastructure, Ms Bligh will also have responsiblity for the Office of Urban Management.
In other changes relevant to natural resource management, the new Minister for Natural Resources and Water is Kerry Shine and Lindy Nelson-Carr has been named Minister for Environment and Multiculturalism, while Tim Mulherin has retained the Primary Industries and Fisheries portfolio.
Eleven parliamentary secretaries have been appointed, including Michael Choi (Environment and Multiculturalism), Jan Jarrat (Primary Industries and Fisheries) and Craig Wallace (North Queensland).
Read the Premier's media statement
New Natural Resources and Water Director-General appointed
Scott Spencer is the new Director-General of the Department of Natural Resources and Water.
Mr Spencer, a former deputy director-general in the department, returns from the Department of the Premier and Cabinet.
$11 million available to fight pests and weeds
The fight against pests and weeds has intensified, with the Department of Natural Resources, Mines and Water calling for applications for funding under the $11 million Reclaim the Bush – a Pest Offensive program.
Regional natural resource management groups, local governments (including Aboriginal shires and Island councils), government agencies, and other collaborative partners operating in Queensland are encouraged to apply for funding.
The minimum grant under the program will be $50,000, with preference given to partnerships and collaborations.
Applicants should ensure their proposals are in accordance with regional natural resource management plans and show how they benefit regional Queensland outside the south east and the major regional centres.
The Pest Offensive has six targets:
- Prevention of new threats
- Woody weeds
- Wild dogs
- Feral pigs
- Prevention of weed spread
- Indigenous community pest management
Applications for Pest Offensive funding can be downloaded from the department's web site www.nrm.qld.gov.au.
Reclaim the Bush – a Pest Offensive is part of the Queensland Government's Blueprint for the Bush. Under the Pest Offensive, $11 million will be available over the next three years to fight regional Queensland's worsts pests and weeds.
Community Partnerships improves service to regional groups
Community Partnerships has improved its service to regional NRM groups by allocating specific finance officers to each regional group.
The finance officers will complement the work regional liaison officers do with regional NRM groups.
Regional groups should contact their finance officer for any financial matters, and the regional liaison officer for any other matters.
| Region | RLO | Finance officer |
|---|---|---|
| Burdekin | Kate Eden (3224 8408) | Arani Alvarenga (3225 2622) |
| Burnett Mary | Chris Rinehart (3224 2152) | Adam Coles (3224 8627) |
| Condamine | Adam Richardt (3239 3860) | Adam Coles (3224 8627) |
| Cape York | Kate Eden (3224 8408) | Shakuntala Ram (3238 3187) |
| Desert Channels | Mike Bradby (3224 7026) | Arani Alvarenga (3225 2622) |
| Fitzroy | Mike Bradby (3224 7026) | Arani Alvarenga (3225 2622) |
| Mackay Whitsunday | Mike Bradby (3224 7026) | Arani Alvarenga (3225 2622) |
| Northern Gulf | Mike Bradby (3224 7026) | Arani Alvarenga (3225 2622) |
| Queensland Murray-Darling | Adam Richardt (3239 3860) | Adam Coles (3224 8627) |
| SEQ Catchments | Chris Rinehart (3224 2152) | Adam Coles (3224 8627) |
| Southern Gulf | Mike Bradby (3224 7026) | Arani Alvarenga (3225 2622) |
| South West | Adam Richardt (3239 3860) | Adam Coles (3224 8627) |
| Torres Strait | Kate Eden (3224 8408) | Shakuntala Ram (3238 3187) |
| FNQ | Kate Eden (3224 8408) | Arani Alvarenga (3225 2622) |
Changing of the guard at Reef Plan Secretariat
Andrea Leverington has changed roles within the Environment and Resource Policy Unit of the Department of the Premier and Cabinet. Last Friday was her last day leading the Reef Water Quality Protection Plan (Reef Plan) Secretariat.
Andrea would like to thank those people involved in the Reef Plan for their support over the past 15 months.
She leaves the Reef Plan in the very capable hands of Dr Liz Young, who many of you may know from earlier Reef Plan days, as Liz helped to write the Reef Plan.
You can contact Liz Young by emailing Liz.young@premiers.qld.gov.au.
Reef Plan flows into Riversymposium
The Reef Water Quality Protection Plan (Reef Plan) was showcased at the Riversymposium last week in Brisbane. More than 500 people attended the conference hosted by the Queensland Government, Brisbane City Council and Channel Nine.
The symposium focused on managing rivers in an environment of climate change and expanding population. Topics discussed included managing wetlands, community catchment management, managing flood plain rivers, environmental flows, and incentive approaches and ecosystem services, which are focus areas for the Reef Plan.
The Reef Plan team presented the paper Rivers to reef – a cooperative, whole of catchment approach to sustainable agriculture for the Great Barrier Reef. They also shared a display with other Australian Government water programs, such as the Queensland Wetlands Programme and Australian Government Water Fund.
The Riversymposium was an ideal opportunity to demonstrate and discuss some of the great work being done to protect the reef through the Reef Plan.
Visit the Reef Plan web site to find out more about what you can do to help improve water quality.
Turning straw into gold and improving water quality
Rumpelstiltskin's infamous claim may finally be possible, with a modern environmental twist. The straw has been replaced by algae, which filter chemicals from waste water, remove greenhouse gases, and are then turned into fuel. With rising fuel prices, the new bio-diesel fuel might just be a potential gold mine.
This great idea removes carbon dioxide, a gas many scientists tie to global warming and cleans-up waste water, by having algae turn it into bio-diesel fuel and clean water. More than an idea, this new technology is being tested on either side of the world, firstly by New York State and in a second application by a company in New Zealand.
This New Zealand company has successfully turned sewage into bio-diesel. The company announced it has produced a sample of bio-diesel fuel from algae in sewage ponds with the algae taking most chemicals out of sewage. To get the fuel, the algae are processed into a pulp before lipid oils are extracted and turned into bio-diesel. The cleaned water can be used for stock food or irrigation.
In New York, algae are being used to remove carbon dioxide and produce fuel. In the presence of light, one ton of these single-celled algae remove an average of one ton of CO2 from New York's streets to produce the energy that fuels plant life.
In the future, the algae might be used in dairy farms and food processors waste streams in reef catchments and help water quality in the Great Barrier Reef.
To learn what is currently being done to improve water quality in the Great Barrier Reef, visit the Reef Plan web site.
Turning waste water into wood
In Queensland, there is an increasing challenge of disposing wastewater efficiently, effectively and in an ecologically sustainable way.
Queensland Government scientists are working with local governments on a solution to this challenge by reusing secondary-treated effluent in forestry plantations and hay production.
Agriforestry is a complementary agricultural system where timber trees and pasture are grown together. Both activities require very large amounts of nutrient and water, with deep rooted trees also effective at stabilising slopes and preventing elevated water tables and outbreaks of salinity.
Hay production is an expanding agricultural industry in tropical Queensland and is one of the most effective methods of removing nutrients from an area, with very large quantities of biomass harvested and removed every year.
The scientists have found the natural alternative of using secondary-treated effluent water to irrigate tree plantations/pastures and native forests (Melaleuca woodlands) can provide councils and industry with another option for safe, sound and useful disposal of wastewater.
Workshop targets soil and water managers
A workshop for people interested in improved management of soil and water resources in the Fitzroy and Callide catchments will be held on Friday 22 September.
The program includes:
- Decision-making theory and ideas for improving decision-support tools
- Limits of logical reasoning and information – "the difference between optimum management and real management"
- "The drain game", an action-learning activity about salinity risks and rewards
- Current decision-support tools explained
- A proposed framework for assessing priorities and impacts of investments in natural resources.
The workshop is suited to people seeking technical or social change in agriculture and natural resource management.
The venue is the Rockhampton offices of the Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries, Bruce Highway (corner of Yeppoon Road), Parkhurst, Rockhampton.
The workshop is part of a project on decision support for deep drainage and salinity under AgSIP 07.
For more info, contact the workshop organisers and presenters Dan Rattray, Brett Robinson or David Freebairn.
Thought for the week
It is a common experience that a problem difficult at night is resolved in the morning after the committee of sleep has worked on it.
John Steinbeck (via Ed Wensing)
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 15 September 2006