The Bugle - 17 November 2006
In news this week
Regional NRM group stories
- New blackberry fungus 'fantastic'
- Bangalow rainforests targeted for recovery
- Weeds on the way out as conservation takes priority
Government updates
- New officers to accelerate property management systems
- Reflecting on performance of a year gone by...
- The Social and Economic SIP team needs your help!
Reef Plan updates
Wetlands updates
Natural resources news
- Managing weeds in remnant vegetation
- Burdekin River regeneration underway
- Global warming could wipe out most birds: WWF
- Spatialise: prioritising regional investment
- Enhancing community engagement in south east Queensland
- Register now for Science Day
New blackberry fungus 'fantastic'
A new bilogical control agent for European blackberry was released at two sites near Stanthorpe last Monday.
The new strains of the Phragmidium violaceum fungus were developed by CSIRO Entomology and the Cooperative Research Centre for Australian Weed Management. The strains will be tested nationally over three years.
The Stanthorpe Shire Council and a private wool producer near Stanthorpe are the first sites in Queensland to participate.
Scott Jamieson's sheep property, 'Karalea', has stuggled to control blackberry infestations, and he looked to his Landcare group and the Queensland Murray-Darling Committee for help.
"The blackberry closes up areas of the property to sheep, competes with pastures and native vegetation, and increases rabbit numbers because it's such a good habitat for them," Mr Jamieson said.
CSIRO Entomology hopes to find additional release sites in these areas to test the effectiveness of the new fungus strains.
For more information about the project visit the QMDC web site or the CSIRO web site.
Bangalow rainforests targeted for recovery
Development of a recovery plan for the management and recovery of the Bangalow rainforests is about to begin.
The rainforests are located in south east Queensland's scenic rim and the Border Ranges of northern New South Wales, and are some of the most precious natural assets of these states. Pests and inappropriate land use are beginning to threaten this beautiful and diverse area.
SEQ Catchments is coordinating a series of workshops to gain community input into the plan's development. Workshops will be held between 11—26 November at West Burleigh, Upper Tallebudgera, Beaudesert, Boonah and Bangalow.
Experts involved in the plan will be available to answer questions about data already collected, advise where information gaps exist and outline the recovery plan process. Attendees will receive a kit of preliminary information and will have the oppotunity to provide feedback. Afternoon tea will be provided.
To get involved or to find out more information contact Liz Gould, SEQ Catchments, on 3816 9723.
Weeds on the way out as conservation takes priority
Exotic weed control and nature conservation projects have dominated round 3 of South West NRM Ltd's FUTURESCAPES funding.
Over $614 000 has been allocated to 28 successful projects in what was an extremely competitive funding round. Over the past three round of FUTURESCAPES South West NRM Ltd has invested in excess of $1 974 000 to achieve targets for the protection and sustainable management of natural assets in the Bulloo, Paroo, Warrego and Nebine/ Mungallala/ Wallam catchments.
Forty projects were funded during rounds 1 and 2 of the program, many of which are nearing completion. Monitoring and evaluation of these projects is scheduled to start over the next six months to measure the environmental benefits these on-ground works will have for the region.
South West NRM Ltd's FUTURESCAPES funding is aimed at providing financial support to implement on-ground works that improve the condition of priority natural resources in the region in a cost effective manner. The program is funded through the Natural Heritage Trust, National Action Plan for Salinity and Water Quality and the National Landcare Program.
New officers to accelerate property management systems
Another major project of the Blueprint for the Bush has been released.
The Property Management Systems Initiative, led by the Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries, will improve the productivity and sustainability of primary industries in partnership with AgForce, the Queensland Farmers' Federation and the Regional Groups' Collective.
The development of the initiative contributes to the government's obligations under the Farm Management Systems Memorandum of Understanding with QFF and the Reef Water Quality Protection Plan.
The initiative will increase the adoption of voluntary Property Management Systems approaches on-farm, and will focus on the enterprise or property level to increase landholders' bottom line while demonstrating sustainable NRM.
Twenty new officers will be appointed to accelerate the development of property management systems and related incentives on-farm, focusing on achieving practice change for profitability and sustainbility outcomes.
Expressions of interest are now open. The closing date for applications is Friday 24 November. Operating principles, guidelines and application forms are all available from the DPI&F web site or through the DPI&F call centre on 13 23 25.
Reflecting on performance of a year gone by...
Some people say you must look back before you can go forward.
With that in mind the Queensland Regional NRM Reflection summary, developed by the the Department of Natural Resources and Water Learning and Evaluation team, looks back on the achievements and highlights from the 2005-06 performance reports.
The summary draws on information submitted by the regional NRM groups in their 2005-06 performance reports. It acknowledges and congratulates the groups for their hard work, and highlights some of their achievements.
The report shares what has been learnt to improve management styles, systems and operations, and to avoid the difficulties and challenges experienced by others.
The summary is not exhaustive and represents only some of the achievements in 2005-06.
The Social and Economic SIP team needs your help!
Communication of social and economic state-level investment program achievements is about to improve.
The Social and Economic SIP team has contracted Econnect Communication to develop a communication plan and related products, that are as beneficial as possible to regional NRM groups and practitioners.
And they need your help.
A web survey has been developed to determine the needs of the team's stakeholders. The survey takes approximately five minutes to complete, and a bottle of Bollinger champagne will be given to one participant (selected at random) who completes the survey by COB Wednesday 22 November.
For more information about the survey contact Jenni Metcalfe, Econnect Communications, on 3846 7111.
People will be going bananas this Christmas to help the Reef Plan
Santa has come early for some this year, with bananas due back on the shelves in normal capacity over this year's Christmas/New Year period.
Banana growers are using an innovative internet-based forecasting system developed by the Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries. Crop information and projections for harvesting are entered on the Banana Crop Forecasting System, which are then used to assess the overall trend for supply. An increase in the number of North Queensland bananas appearing on supermarket and fruit shop shelves is predicted for the coming months.
The heart of Australia's banana growing region, Innisfail, was devastated by Cyclone Larry in March this year and the supply of North Queensland grown bananas fell from around 400 000 cartons per week to just 40 000.
Farms are being reestablished with vast improvements such as vegetated levy banks to reduce erosion and thus helping to implement the Reef Water Quality Protection Plan and protect the Great Barrier Reef.
The Australian Banana Countdown has begun! Learn more by visiting the Australian Banana Growers' Council web site or visit the Reef Plan web site to see how you can help improve water quality in your area.
Online guides for wetland management
A series of online guides are available to help landholders manage wetlands on their properties.
The Queensland Wetlands Programme Wetland Management Profiles contain advice on a wide range of management issues that affect wetlands, such as changes to land use and water quality. They also contain practical recommendations for pest, weed and fire management.
Well-managed wetlands can help maintain a property's productivity, and landholders are being encouraged to use the profiles in managing coastal melaleuca swamp wetlands, salt marshes, mangroves and coastal grass/sedge wetlands.
There are 15 profiles, all of which are available on the Queensland Wetlands Programme web site. The Programme is a joint initiative of the Queensland and Australian Governments.
For more information about the guides, contact Angela Pattie on 3006 4621.
Managing weeds in remnant vegetation
Queensland Conservation Council, with assistance from the Department of Natural Resources and Water, is demonstrating effective weed control.
The QCC and NRW have been working together on the Vegetation Futures project. The project's aim is to provide landholders with practical solutions for weed management according to the Vegetation Management Act 1999 and the vegetation assessment codes attached to the legislation.
A major event for this project will be the field day Effective Weed Management in Remnant Vegetation. The field day, being held on a property near Conondale on 22 November, will feature a range of presenters from NRW and the non-government sector, and demonstrate innovative weed control methods.
Date: Wednesday 22 November, 9.30am—5.00pm
Venue: Crystal Waters Village (near Conondale in the upper Mary Valley)
For more information visit the QCC web site (PDF), or contact Nigel Parratt on 3221 0188.
Burdekin River regeneration underway
Work has begun on the regeneration of the Burdekin River catchment in North Queensland.
The Burdekin is one of nine Australian rivers to be targeted by Greening Australia's Rivers to Recovery program.
Spokesman Bob Osbourne says the Burdekin is one of the most endangered ecosystems in Queensland, with the project to take up to 20 years, and cost around $20 million.
"We're trying to get less nutrients in the water, which means more money for farmers; get rid of weeds in the water system, that brings back oxygen, that brings back fish and that gets the community in," Mr Osbourne said.
"The other thing we're trying to get (is) recycling bits for irrigators so they can use the nitrogen before it goes back into the system."
Global warming could wipe out most birds: WWF
Conservation group WWF says unchecked climate change could drive up to 72 per cent of bird species in some areas into extinction but the world still has a chance to limit the losses.
A new study by the group says from migratory insect-eaters to tropical honeycreepers and cold water penguins, birds are highly sensitive to changing weather conditions and many are already being affected badly by global warming.
The report was launched at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Kenya on 6-7 November.
"Birds now indicate that global warming has set in motion a powerful chain of effects in ecosystems worldwide.
"Robust evidence demonstrates that climate change is affecting birds' behaviour - with some migratory birds even failing to migrate at all.
"As habitat ranges shifted, the more extreme scenarios of extinctions could be prevented if tough climate protection targets were enforced and greenhouse gas emissions cut to keep global warming increases to less than two degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels."
Spatialise: prioritising regional investment
A new web tool has been developed for regional NRM bodies to assist prioritising management actions.
Spatialise allows the bodies to load datasets, define management actions and the criteria for assessing them, all free of charge. Criteria can include environmental, social and economic factors.
Regions will also have the ability to produce suitability maps that show the best actions for a certain location. These maps can then be prioritised by weighted criteria to assist investment prioritisation.
New users will need to register at www.spatialise.org. For more information contact Rowan Eisner, NRW, on 3896 9601.
Enhancing community engagement in south east Queensland
Community engagement practitioners will have a chance to discuss recent findings when the AgSIP 18 project hosts a workshop in Brisbane on 4 December.
The AgSIP 18 project 'Enhancing community engagement for NRM in the SEQ Western Catchments' identified limited monitoring and evaluation of engagement practice. The purpose of the workshop is to discuss findings of recent community engagement research, and to benchmark engagement practice.
When: Monday 4 December, 10.00am—5.00pm
Where: Level 3, Queensland Biosciences Precinct, 306 Carmody Road St Lucia
RSVP: by Monday 27 November to Tim Smith, CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems, on 3214 2331.
More information on the AgSIPs can be found on the Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries web site. Information on the other SIPs is available from the regional NRM web site.
Register now for Science Day
A one-day conference will be held on 29 November to celebrate the scientific achievements of the National Action Plan for Salinity and Water Quality state-level investment Projects.
Presentations will cover scientific outcomes relating to each of the SIP themes:
- Water quality
- Salinity
- Sustainable agricultural production
- NRM capacity building
- Social & economic aspects of NRM
Where: Riverglenn Conference Centre, 70 Kate Street, Indooroopilly
When: 29 November
Cost: Free (including catering) but online registration is required for entry and must be submitted by 20 November.
To register or obtain further information, including program details visit the Science Day web site or email Ralph Dowling.
Thought for the week
The grand essentials of happiness are: something to do, something to love and something to hope for.
Allan K. Chalmers
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The Bugle is a weekly newsletter published by Community Partnerships, the Department of Natural Resources and Water, highlighting regional NRM activities around Queensland.
Last updated 21 November 2006