The Bugle - 29 September 2006
In news this week
Regional NRM group stories
- Beaudesert l ocals gain water wisdom
- Pioneer Catchment and Landcare to host state-wide conference
- Alliance taps into USQ's science stream
- No future for wild dogs in the Quilpie Shire
- Landcare and catchment dinner provides food for thought
Government updates
- $27m flows for water study
- Reinforcements in attack on pests and weeds in Queensland
- Introducing Wallace Yuen
- Senate water policy committee transcript now available
Reef Plan updates
- Zoning plan protects coral and fish while Reef Plan protects water quality
- Reef team certification an environmental first
- Looking towards a new direction for education for sustainable development
Queensland Wetlands Programme updates
Natural resources news
Beaudesert locals gain water wisdom
Forty enthusiastic Beaudesert locals put their water wise minds together recently at Beaudesert State High School for the "water wisdom" community information forum, hosted by the Logan and Albert Conservation Association.
The forum was organised in response to community interest in water recycling technology, and was supported by LACA, Wild Mountains Trust, Beaudesert Shire Council, SEQ Catchments and the Australian Water Association.
Water supply, treatment and recycling were the topics of three thought-provoking presentations.
Jenifer Simpson, author and water management advisor, spoke about the Queensland's water shortage and alternative water management approaches. Ms Simpson stated at least half of what is used now could be used for recycling, and discussed the advantages of water recycling.
Dr Heather Chapman, program leader for the Sustainable Water Sources Program, spoke about water treatment technology and myths surrounding hormones and disease in water treatment.
The final presenter was Councillor Di Thorley, mayor of Toowoomba. Ms Thorley discussed the water shortage in Toowoomba, gave an overview of the water supply and recycling issue in Toowoomba, and the circumstances surrounding the water recycling poll held in July.
For more information contact Samantha Lloyd, SEQ Catchments, on 3211 4404.
Pioneer Catchment and Landcare to host state-wide conference
The 18th annual Queensland Landcare Conference will be held in Mackay, from 23-25 August 2007.
Hosted by Pioneer Catchment and Landcare, with the theme "making a difference", the conference promises to offer the best of central Queensland's hospitality and landscapes, as well as a full program of Landcare-related workshops, field trips and keynote speakers.
Sponsorship and trade packages will be available from December, and further information about the event in general is available from Samantha Morris on 3211 4413.
Alliance taps into USQ's science stream
The Condamine Alliance and University of Southern Queensland in Toowoomba have teamed up to develop a PhD program to tackle environmental challenges in the Condamine River catchment.
The Alliance has committed $240,000 over three years to fund a research fellow to support PhD projects that will include determining a sustainable yield of groundwater to meet regional demand, and managing the environmental impact of the booming coal-seam gas industry.
The PhD underwriting partnership is a first for a regional body such as the Alliance, enabling it to leverage resources from both USQ and the Alliance to find solutions that are scientifically valid.
USQ's Australian Centre for Sustainable Catchments (ACSC) will appoint the research fellow to initiate and manage the postgraduate projects, which also include river ecosystems, floodplain assets and natural resource management extension.
"While the community has a high involvement in what we do, it is important that the data we work with are scientifically validated, and that the data address our knowledge gaps in key areas," Condamine Alliance CEO Phil McCullough said.
"The partnership is an important milestone for the ACSC and USQ in linking with the Alliance and forging strong local and regional alliances in the area of natural resource management," said ACSC co-director Dr Jerry Maroulis.
Closer ties between the university and the regional body will also give rise to other opportunities for cooperation.
"As well as the benefits of getting the local university involved in environmental issues which have global ramifications, there is the added benefit of opening up career opportunities for students in natural resource management," Mr McCullough said.
For more information, visit the USQ web site.
No future for wild dogs in the Quilpie Shire
Great advances in natural resource management don't always have to be expensive. Sometimes a small investment can reap excellent rewards as was evident in a recent FUTURESCAPES project undertaken by Quilpie Shire Council.
The project aimed at reducing wild dog populations in the region has helped to contain the feral population on nearly six million hectares of land.
Extended drought in the region had raised concern about wild dogs in the shire. Dogs were increasingly driven to invade properties, looking for food and water as supplies dried up.
The Quilpie Shire Wild Dog Advisory Committee wanted to expand its coordinated baiting program. Cheaper meat needed to be sourced and stored in a way that would ensure it was available to landholders on demand.
The group applied for Round 2 FUTURESCAPES funding to purchase a 20ft cold room for storing bait meat that would be available to all landholders for use between coordinated baiting campaigns. The purchase and placement of the cold room at the Quilpie Shire Council ensured that it was accessible and managed appropriately.
With just a small amount of funding through the FUTURESCAPES program, Quilpie Shire has been able to greatly expand the effectiveness of its wild dog baiting program.
For more info, email Raelee Brier, Soth West NRM Communication and Education Officer, phone her on 4654 7382 or visit the South West NRM web site.
Landcare and catchment dinner provides food for thought
One hundred and twenty-six guests from the Roma district received plenty of food for thought as they heard from farmer Peter Andrews at the annual catchment management and Landcare dinner recently.
Peter Andrews is the author of the soon to be released Back from the Brink and recently featured on the ABC's Australian Story.
Peter challenged diners with his thoughts on using the natural sequence processes to reduce drought severity and boost farm productivity. Many went home scratching their heads but were given the opportunity to discuss the theories with Peter in person at a field trip on the banks of Bungeworgorai Creek the following morning.
More than 30 locals joined Peter and local Landcare coordinator Alexis Wegener for a walk along the creek, where Peter further explained some of his land management theories. Peter's relaxed manner and clear responses encouraged participants to ask questions. In responding, Peter stressed the advantage of local experience and knowledge.
Summing up his approach to land management, Peter said, "the problem is not the lake, it's the catchment. Fix the catchment and the lake will be alright."
"I found Peter very relaxed, an excellent communicator," Alexis Wegener said. "He really encouraged participants to ask questions pertinent to their own situations and stressed the benefits and advantages of local experience and knowledge, something our local Landcare groups often try to utilise."
Community member and former treasurer for the Maranoa-Balonne Catchment Management Association, Dorinda Schwennesen, said, "my lasting impression of Peter's presentation was that of his sincerity and depth of knowledge."
Peter's presentation was part of the annual general meeting for the Maranoa-Balonne Catchment Management Association and the Maranoa Regional Landcare Association. For more info, phone Pam Fisher, Education Officer, on 4622 2993 or 0428 228 727.
$27m flows for water study
Scientists will be given $27 million to study rivers and coastlines in tropical Australia as part of a major water announcement by Prime Minister John Howard.
The federal government will kick in $16 million towards the project, which aims to improve the understanding of the rivers and coastlines from Cape York to Cape Leveque, 220km north of Broome, in Western Australia.
Mr Howard told guests at the Cairns Chamber of Commerce lunch the water project would provide valuable information for future supply issues and that water was the greatest challenge Australia faced in the conservation area.
Key elements of the proposal include:
- $16 million to study tropical rivers and coastal environments
- $1.75 million to assess and manage groudwater systems including extra monitoring and metering projects
- $500,000 to map potential connections between surface and groundwater systems across the country
- $300,000 to check the accuracy of water meters outside city areas.
Read the Prime Minister's media statement
Reinforcements in attack on pests and weeds in Queensland
The Queensland Government is seeking reinforcements in its attack on pests and weeds.
Natural Resources and Water Minister Kerry Shine said applications were being invited for funds available under the $11 million Reclaim the Bush – a Pest Offensive program announced by the Government as part of the Blueprint for the Bush.
Mr Shine said the program aimed to address pest management issues facing regional Queensland over the next three years.
"The program encourages local governments, State agencies, regional natural resources management bodies and indigenous communities to work together on targeted projects tackling the pest menace," Mr Shine said.
"The Department is looking for proposals that demonstrate a clear, co-ordinated approach to managing pests."
The minimum grant under the program is $50,000.
The closing date for applications for funding under the pest offensive program has been extended to 13 November 2006. Further information is available at the NRW web site
Introducing Wallace Yuen
Wallace Yuen has joined the Community Partnerships Contract Management Team in the Department of Natural Resources and Water
Mr Yuen is Principal Project Officer (Funds Management), with responsibility for managing the financial aspects of the team. He is a CPA and has worked with a number of organisations in the public and private sectors both in Australia and Hong Kong for the past 25 years.
You can contact Wallace Yuen by phoning 322 51608.
Senate water policy committee transcript now available
Hansard of the 15 September hearing of a Senate committee inquiry into Water Policy Initiatives is now available online.
Zoning plan protects coral and fish while Reef Plan protects water quality
Preliminary research on fish numbers in the Great Barrier Reef has shown fish populations are rapidly recovering in the Reef's new "no-take" zones.
Fish and corals are being surveyed on near-shore reefs by James Cook University, while long-term monitoring is being conducted on mid reefs and outer-shelf reefs by the Australian Institute of Marine Sciences (AIMS).
Prior to rezoning in 2004, fish levels in designated fishing areas and areas marked for "no-taking" were roughly the same. However, surveys conducted by AIMS in the past 12 months, in 26 newly closed reefs and 25 open reefs open, have shown that coral trout have increased 50% in the no-take zones.
While the zoning plan only protects the Reef from water-based activities, the Reef Water Quality Protection Plan (Reef Plan) protects the Reef from the impacts of land-based activities.
The Reef Plan aims to improve the quality of water entering the Reef lagoon by diffuse sources of pollutants such as excess soil, nutrients and chemicals entering Reef catchment waterways.
Visit the Reef Plan web site to find out more about the Reef Plan.
Reef team certification an environmental first
The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority's Environmental Impact Management Major Projects team has been recognised as Certified Environmental Practitioners by the Environment Institute of Australia and New Zealand (EIANZ).
The team manages the environmental impacts of $20 billion worth of industry, and is the first team to be recognised as "certified practitioners".
EIANZ president Bill Haylock said the new program aimed to boost business and community confidence in environmental professionals.
"Certified practitioners must meet high standards of professional and ethical conduct, and it is anticipated the scheme will drive environmental practice to new levels," Mr Haylock said.
"The Certified Environmental Practitioner Program provides an opportunity for environmental professionals to be given due recognition in line with their professional counterparts from engineering, accounting, planning and architecture."
GBRMPA has long been viewed as a world leader in marine research, and it is extending its skill into the management of land-based activities through the Reef Water Quality Protection Plan (Reef Plan).
The Reef Plan was developed after 20 years of research showed reduced water quality on inshore coral reefs due to land-based activities such as farming.
Looking towards a new direction for the sustainable development education
A new National Action Plan for Sustainable Development Education is being developed by the Australian Government to help direct future NRM efforts.
The inaugural plan, released in July 2000, provided a framework and federal priorities for environmental education. It is being reviewed to identify gaps and needs for the new plan.
Environmental education has long been considered a necessity for managing natural resources. Knowledge and skills for sustainable management must be provided to combat undesirable side effects on our natural resources, including those that lead to a decrease in water quality and detroy coral reefs.
The new plan will have a broader focus on the social, environmental and economic dimensions of sustainable development, in line with internation efforts under the United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development.
Since 2000, the action plan has guided the development of several initiatives in environmental education, including the establishment of the National Environmental Education Council, the National Environmental Education Network, and the Australian Research Institute in Education for Sustainability.
To find out more about the national action plan, visit the Department of Environment and Heritage web site.
Introducing Angela Pattie
New Queensland Wetlands Programme communication manager Angela Pattie is keen to get in touch with regional NRM groups to get them involved in her program.
"I'm keen to keep in touch and get involved in many of the activities NRM bodies are doing. I attended the communications workshop at the Landcare conference recently and was excited by the breadth and scope of communications across the state," Ms Pattie said.
"So, if you have an event coming up or advertising/editorial opportunities, I would be keen to hear about them. My contact details are below. Feel free to drop me a line or give me a call." The Queensland Wetlands Programme is a joint initiative of the Australian and Queensland governments to protect Queensland's wetlands. There are more than 20 projects funded under the program, all of which are producing tools or information to help the community manage and protect wetlands. For more info, visit the Queensland Wetlands Programme web site. Contact Angela Pattie by phoning 3006 4621 or 0410 506 206.
Call for 2008 Landcare Conference hosts
The Queensland Landcare Foundation, in partnership with Queensland Water and Land Carers, is calling for nominations for hosts of the 2008 Queensland Landcare Conference.
The annual event provides the host organisation with plenty of opportunities for growth and capacity development, and support is available from state-wide organisations to manage the event.
An information pack is available by contacting Tess McGlone on 3211 4409 or Samantha Morris on 3211 4413.
Earth's temperature nears million-year high
Earth may be close to the warmest it has been in the last million years, especially in the part of the Pacific Ocean where potentially violent El Nino weather patterns are born, according to an ABC news report.
James Hansen, of NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies in New York City, says this does not necessarily mean there will be more frequent El Ninos, which can disrupt normal weather around the world. But he says it could well mean that these wild patterns will be stronger when they occur.
Thought for the week
Tea is nought but this: First you heat the water, then you make the tea. Then you drink it properly. That is all you need to know.
Rikyu (Grand Tea Master, 1522-1591)
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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 28 September 2006