The Bugle - 01 December
In news this week
Regional NRM group stories
- Indigenous elder women 'caring for country'
- 'Pong and sludge' reduced by coastal community's actions
- Picture Cape York in 2020
- Queensland has win with new national framework
- MPs hear direct of successes and challenges
- Applications open for community landcare funding
- Workshop showcases world’s best practice
- SIP evaluation needs your input
- CHRRUP state winners in regional achievement and community awards
- Junior Landcare demonstrates value of urban-rural exchange
Indigenous elder women 'caring for country'
Indigenous elder woman from across southern Queensland and northern New South Wales will unite to record the region's oral histories, to ensure they are preserved in the future, and to share them with others.
Elder women from Roma, St. George, Goondiwindi, Boggabilla, Mungindi and Moree will attend a two-day oral history workshop in Moree and Boggabilla, on 29-30 November, to learn about oral history recording.
The workshop will be a joint initiative of the Regional Aboriginal Elder Women's Steering Committee and natural resource management groups Border Rivers-Gwydir CMA and the Queensland Murray-Darling Committee.
Regional coordinator of QMDC's Indigenous Program, Fiona Wellington, said "We are working together to ensure maximum benefits flowing both ways, to Aboriginal community programs, as well as natural resource management programs."
This is the first of a number of oral history workshops planned across northern NSW and southern QLD. For more information about future workshops, or to register your interest, contact Fiona Wellington on 0428 180 600.
'Pong and sludge' reduced by coastal community's actions
Have your beaches been tainted with a strange, pungent 'pong'? Have your waters been replaced by an ugly brown 'sludge'?
Chances are you've got Trichodesmium.
Up close, Trichodesmium 'blooms' have grey, green and purple colouration due to to the photosynthetic pigments they contain...but when the bacteria releases a clear toxin in the water, its colour changes to the rust-brown slick on the water's surface. These blooms can stretch over water hundreds of kilometres wide - sizable enough to be visible from space!
This smelly marine bacteria performs a vitally useful function in marine ecosystems - similar to the nitrogen-fixing bacteria in soil. It captures the nitrogen in a form otherwise unavailable for use by plants and animals in the sea's food web, converts it, then returns it in a useable form essential for sustaining marine life.
However, it is the bacteria's access to phosphorus that will determine its spread.
The Sustainable Landscape and the Healthy Waterways Monitoring programs, both run by Mackay Whitsunday NRM, are helping to determine why Trichodesmium reacts to the chemical this way, while finding solutions to stopping the phosphorus run-off at their source.
For more information about this and other projects, contact the Mackay Whitsunday NRM Group or visit their web site.
Picture Cape York in 2020
Cape York Peninsula Development Association is encouraging young Cape York Peninsula residents to put on their best and most creative thinking caps and imagine what the Cape York Peninsula community and environment might be like in 2020.
The 'Picture Cape York Peninsula in 2020' Youth Art Competition encourages young people to think about Cape York Peninsula's culture and environment, and express their visions for the future.
Only young people who are residents of Cape York Peninsula and will be between the age of four and 14 at 1 January 2007 are allowed to apply. Prizes will be awarded to best pictures by a 4-6 year old (Rainforestation Prize), 7-10 year old (Rainforestation Prize) and 11-14 year old (Harley's Educational) categories.
To be considered for judging all entries must reach the CYPDA by 31 January 2007. Entries should be sent to:
Picture Cape York in 2020
Cape York Peninsula Development Association Inc
PO Box 646N
North Cairns QLD 4870
For more information contact MaryBeth Gundrum, CYPDA, on 4031 3432.
Inaugural NRM grazing workshop a success
Fifty people took part in the inaugural NRM grazing workshop in Rockhampton on 14-15 November.The jointly coordinated gathering was hosted by a small group
The workshop provided an opportunity to share results from current grazing investments in NRM, analyse results, apply lessons learnt and identify 'where to from here'.
The workshop highlighted:
- the progress of many projects funded through AgSIP, regional NRM bodies and state agencies.
- the role economics play to evaluate the effectiveness of land management decisions.
- the recognition of the nexus between conservation of natural resources and production.
Some workshop speakers have since been inundated with requests to present at different forums such as AgForce or on regional body and agency boards.
Offers of closer scientific collaborations have also emerged. Some of the participants have also decided to convene a specific biodiversity workshop with key experts early in 2007.
Presentations and proceedings will be uploaded onto the AgSIP web site before the end of 2006. For enquiries and a full rundown on the workshop outcomes contact Valerie Sapin, DPI&F, on 4160 0739.
For more information about the grazing management practices in the AgSIPs contact Chris Chilcott, DPI&F, on 3362 9628.
People's well-being threatened by accelerating loss of ocean species
The loss of biodiversity if profoundly reducing the ocean's ability to produce seafood, resist disease, filter pollutants and rebound from stresses such as over fishing and climate change, an article in the November 3 edition of Science recently claimed. An international group of ecologists and economists revealed that every marine animal or plant species lost causes a faster unravelling of the overall ecosystem.
Boris Worm of Dalhousie University in Canada said "In losing species we lose the productivity and stability of entire ecosystems. I was shocked and disturbed by how consistent these trends are - beyond anything we expected.
"Whether we looked at tide pools or studies over the entire world's ocean, we saw the same picture emerging."
The reverse is also true as every marine animal or plant species recovered increases the overall productivity and stability of the ecosystem and its ability to withstand stresses.
Additionally, reducing the pressures on ecosystems from these stresses can help marine animals and plants to recover. Reducing pressure on the ecosystem includes reducing pollutants in runoff from agricultural production or from urban storm water.
Learn what you can do to improve water quality and help to protect the Great Barrier Reef's marine animals and plants by visiting the Reef Plan web site.
Queensland has win with new national framework
Queensland had a win late last week when Australia's natural resource Ministers agreed to a new framework for regional natural resource management after June 2008.
The state's Natural Resources and Water Minister, Craig Wallace, said Queensland community NRM and Landcare groups would benefit from the long-term commitment to continued funding.
They will also benefit from a new single program that will combine the major elements of the Natural Heritage Trust and the National Action Plan for Salinity and Water Quality.
"The decision means...that local community groups can continue the excellent work they do looking after Queensland's precious environmental assets," Mr Wallace said.
"The program will support property-level work to help landowners improve the environmental health and productive capacity of their land.
"It will also help achieve regional outcomes, such as improvements to the quality of water entering the Great Barrier Reef."
Queensland will now negotiate with the Australian Government to get the funding where it is needed most and it will push to ensure that all funding is delivered through regional groups.
Like its' predecessors, the Trust and NAP, the new program will be a partnership between the Commonwealth and Queensland.
Download the complete media release.
MPs hear direct of successes and challenges
Regional body chairs and CEOs presented their successes and challenges direct to Minister for Natural Resources and Water Craig Wallace, 14 other Queensland Members of Parliament and six departmental executives at a dinner in Brisbane this week.
This dinner follows a similar event held in Canberra in August for federal MPs from Queensland and federal departmental chiefs.
On both occasions MPs expressed their gratitude and spoke of the benefit in having the regions present in person.
"The regional bodies also appreciate the opportunity to showcase their successes and share their challenges with the MPs in person," said Regional Groups Collective CEO Andrew Drysdale.
"Much of delivering NRM outcomes successfully is built on the foundations of trust, and events such as this build confidence and trust between MPs and regional body members."
Mr Drysdale said the Collective was seeking certainty from government in terms of continued support for the present regional model; commitment through ongoing funding, preferably dollar for dollar; and alignment of effort, with government NRM agencies aligning planning and operational activities with regional NRM plans and associated investment strategies.
For more information, contact Andrew Drysdale on 0407 634 224.
Applications open for community landcare funding
Applications are now open for funding of projects in 2007-08 under the Australian Government's National Landcare Programme.
To ensure that projects are consistent with regional NRM priorities, project proponents should talk to their regional NRM bodies before they submit their applications.
Regional bodies may submit their own proposals; however, they should include documented support from the local landcare or farming communities, and clearly highlight the landcare activity their proposals will support.
Projects should also complement regional work under the Natural Heritage Trust and National Action Plan for Salinity and Water Quality.
To find out more information, or to download guidelines and application forms, visit the National Landcare Programme web site.
Workshop showcases world’s best practice
Australia’s 56 regional groups and their public and private-sector partners showcased the nation’s world-leading position in natural resource management at the first national NRM workshop at the Gold Coast last week.
The knowledge-sharing workshop, hosted by the Queensland Regional Groups Collective, drew 360 delegates to hear 52 case studies, demonstrating successful partnerships, planning processes, implementation mechanisms, and governance best practice.
Key issues emerging from the workshop included the need for a long-term planning and resourcing horizon, and flexibility in arrangements to allow regions to deal with emerging issues such as drought and climate change in the context of NRM.
Agriculture Minister Peter McGauran opened the event, telling delegates that Australia leads the world with the only national-scale intensive program of its kind in NRM.
He said there was strong support for the regional model in government and growing acceptance of the concept of stewardship payments, in which environmental outcomes are purchased from primary producers.
Dianna Reilly, State Member for Mudgeeraba, who opened the second day of the workshop, said that community participation and the way it has been facilitated through the regional process is a key success in delivering NRM in Queensland.
Regional Groups Collective chair Gordon French welcomed the announcement of support by the state and Australian governments, however, he said regional bodies were eager to establish the level of funding for the new program.
He thanked the Australian and Queensland governments for their support of the event and the value they placed on this inaugural knowledge sharing workshop.
For more information contact Andrew Drysdale on 0407 634 224.
SIP evaluation needs your input
Have you ever been involved in one of the state-level investment projects? Then the SIP evaluation team wants you...to provide feedback into the SIP Evaluation Report.
The report will determine the effectiveness and appropriateness of national investment in the SIPs, and recommendations from the report are likely to influence the next stages of existing projects, as well as provide advice to future programs.
Everyone who has been involved in the SIPs is strongly encouraged to participate. Two surveys have been provided:
- SIP Project Feedback (for those directly involved in a specific SIP project).
- General SIP Feedback (for those involved in regional NRM who are aware of the SIPs and would like to provide general feedback).
The surveys are can be found on the University of Queensland web site. Opportunities to provide feedback will close on Friday 15 December.
For more info contact Suzanne Hoverman, Natural Resources and Water, on 3239 3884 or Ross Bigwood, Natural Resources and Water, on 3239 6892.
CHRRUP state winners in regional achievement and community awards
The CHRRUP team was cheering at the Queensland Regional Achievement and Community Awards last Saturday night as they were announced the state winner of the Environment and Landcare category.
The Central Highlands Regional Resources Use Planning Cooperative is staffed by only four full-time and 1 part-time staff, covering an area of 95 000 km2. To date, the group has undertaken 12 000 ha of river and creek restoration and 480 000 ha of property management planning.
Over two years, with CHRRUP's assistance, more than $3 million worth of environmental improvements have been undertaken by the community in the Central Highlands, with landholders contributing more that $1.76 million in time, resources and cash.
The group was nominated for the award by the Central Highlands Regional Organisation of Councils.
The CHROC chair Cr Peter Maguire said CHRRUP "...is an organisation that is supported by local and regional bodies and individuals, and it has been coordinating projects that provide for future environmental sustainability of [the Central Highlands], which will...benefit our future and future generations."
For more info about CHRRUP visit their web site.
Junior Landcare demonstrates value of urban-rural exchange
Over the last two weeks more than 60 Junior Landcarers participated in two consecutive field trips to exchange ideas and help bridge the urban-rural divide.
The exchange began two weeks on Friday 17 November when 55 students from Beaconsfield State Primary School went on a bus trip to Mirani State Primary School to see their Outdoor Learning Facility and native tree plot.
Although they were noticeably outnumbered, eight students from Mirani embraced the exchange opportunity and stood tall and proud as they explained the history of their projects to their guests from Beaconsfield. It didn't take long before it was all hands on deck when it came to mulching, repotting native seedlings and guided walks through the tree plot.
In response to this opportunity, Beaconsfield welcomed the Mirani students last Friday 24 November to learn about their Reef Guardian program.
Beaconsfield's program also includes a native tree plot which they began on National Tree Day in July this year. In comparison, Mirani's tree plot is well established with six years more growing time. The two schools were able to compare their sites and appreciate their similarities and differences such as age, size, species, people involved and challenges.
The field trips were part of an urban-rural exchange program coordinated by the Queensland Landcare Foundation and funded by the 2005 Community Awareness Grants from the Department of Natural Resources and Water.
for more information about these field trips or Junior Landcare contact Jane Eales, Pioneer Catchment & Landcare Group, on 4955 8674.
Thought for the week
"Women have an eight-land superhighway for processing emotion, while men have a small country road (but what Dave and Mike want to know is do the women have their street directories? - Ed.)"
Dr Louann Brizendine, Courier Mail article, 29 November 2006
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We welcome your contributions and feedback. If you have any comments or suggestions for The Bugle please contact Shona Strachan (Paul Rees will be away for the next three issues).
Past issues of The Bugle are also available.
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 05 December 2006