The Bugle - 09 March 2007
In news this week
- Horticulture producers tackle water woes
- Making natural resources management catchy
- Preparing for rain in the Condamine
- Natural resource innovation grant for student
- Funds aid horticulture NRM incentives
- Extra $2.5m to roll out projects
- RGC funds training across Qld on GIS and GPS
- Fond farewell to Kevin Mahoney
Government updates
- Biosecurity Queensland is up and running
- Happy fifth birthday for the regional NRM communicators
- Import Risk Analysis Report for Bananas released for consultation
- A prickly situation as pastures turn cactus
- AgSIP 13 holds economic valuation workshop
Reef Plan updates
Queensland Wetlands Programme updates
Natural resources news
- Natural method to reduce toad numbers under threat
- Queenslander of the Year Awards now open
- Professionals facilitating change in rural Australia
- Getting involved in sustainable agriculture
- Central Highlands farmers can now dial up weather
- Get a job in NRM!
Regional NRM group stories
Horticulture producers tackle water woes
The Condamine River catchment encompasses a large number of Queensland's horticulture producers, ranging from Chinchilla in the north-west to Killarney in the south-east.
After 12 months of working with growers in the area, Growcom land and water field officer Ro Beveridge recently completed an overview of the key findings from her project, which examines water use efficiency and water quality for the fruit and vegetable industry in the Condamine catchment area.
One of the interesting facts she found was the number of growers had dropped from 140 to just 65 in only three to four years, due to drought and market prices. Ms Beveridge also found climate change was an important issue for growers in the area and they were willing to change the crops they grow to adapt if necessary.
Ms Beveridge said her role assists growers to meet their industry NRM targets and increase the involvement of growers in this area in activities such as water use efficiency, water quality management, farm management systems and property planning.
The Condamine Alliance is providing $218 000 for the project, aiming to identifying horticulture producers and engaging them in NRM activities. Ms Beveridge has been overwhelmed by the positive approach to NRM from growers in the area and looks forward to continuing her project this year.
Visit the Condamine Alliance website for more information.
Making natural resources management catchy
Making the management of pests, salinity, water quality and tree planting interesting or 'catchy' is not an easy task. But this is the task assigned to regional NRM body communication officers who help to increase the community's awareness about these and many more NRM issues.
Of course they are helped by the many great successes from the formation of regional NRM bodies and the subsequent role out of their regional NRM plans and investment strategies.
Many of those successes have been reported to the world by a small group of professional communicators working for the regional groups.
In fact in Queensland over the last three years these communication officers have averaged over 600 storied per year, which is more than two NRM stories ever working day of the year.
Nevertheless, if you ask any communication officer who disserves the praise and they will tell you it is the project managers and land managers making a difference on the ground that need to be praised. However, it is the communication officers who ensure they get public recognition of their results and this acknowledgement of their progress, hopefully leads to public support and additional resources, so more can be done on the ground.
There are still plenty of future NRM challengers for both land managers and communication officers, but NRM is becoming just that little bit more "catchy" as climate change and other NRM issues are becoming more of a focus in the public's eyes.
If you are a project manager or land manager who is making a difference in NRM, now is an ideal time for you to promote your successes, so get in touch with your communication officer and get the recognition your project deserves.
Or you can contribute directly to The Bugle, if you do not have access to a communication officer.
Preparing for rain in the Condamine
While the rains on the Condamine catchment have been welcomed, for some it has been a reminder to protect their soils from erosion problems. Condamine Alliance's George Lambert says there is ample evidence of severe erosion on poorly protected surface soils on the Darling Downs after recent rainfalls. In the past large volumes of water have flown through the catchment resulting in severe erosion.
One of the big problems for land managers affected by drought is there is little or no groundcover remaining and the force of storm rain-drops seals surface soil particles into a hard surface, allowing little water to infiltrate.
Some land mangers recognising the problem have commenced returning cultivated land into pastures. Mr Lambert says these land managers will also need to continue to maintain very good quality groundcover (minimum 70% cover at about seven centimetres in height) to protect the surface and hold the water up for as long as possible.
Central Downs Landcare has used Condamine Alliance funding to help Mrs Simmons convert three paddocks on her 'Glenville Downs' property, at Ryeford near Clifton. Two years latter with heavy Spring rain, Mrs Simmons has been able to graze her 70-breeder herd of Angus and Simmental stud cows and calves at a rate of five beasts per hectare since November.
For more information please contact George Lambert at the Condamine Alliance on 4620 0112.
Natural resource innovation grant for student
Charles Darwin University (CDU), the Cape York Peninsula Development Association Inc (CYPDA) and Savannah CRC are offering a Master of Science student the opportunity to contribute to a study that will model and investigate the economics of fire management on the Cape York Peninsula.
Results will permit pastoralists to gain improved understanding of the overall relevance of fire to sustainable production and environments, while the CYPDA and NRM agencies covering the Cape York Peninsula will gain valuable economic information regarding the coordination of fire management on pastoral properties, conservation areas and Indigenous lands.
The project, funded by the National Landcare Programme through CYPDA, will use current and historical individual pastoral property financial records, environmental trend records, and remotely-sensed fire scar imagery to adapt existing economic models of fire management on the Cape York Peninsula, for further application throughout northern Australia.
Using a combination of remote sensing and interviews with land managers, each property will be assessed as to the relative use of 'early', 'dry' or 'storm' burning and the resulting effect of achieving property management objectives (such as restricting dry season fires, maintaining healthy cattle, preventing/reversing woody thickening). An economic analysis and comparison of these fire management strategies will be undertaken by the project team to compare and contrast the properties.
Stipend support and fieldwork expenses are available for the student to undertake the research over an 18 month period. The successful applicant will work under the supervision of a multi-disciplinary team at CDU's School for Environmental Research (Casuarina campus, Darwin, NT). S/he will be enrolled for semester one, 2007.
Closing date for applications is March 20. Please email Rachel Mayhead or phone 08 8946 6548 for general university information and application forms, or email Professor Stephen Garnett or phone 08 8946 7115 for more information on the project.
Funds aid horticulture NRM incentives
Peak horticulture organisation Growcom has been awarded a $48 000 grant by Queensland and Australian Governments to develop an incentive scheme which will encourage growers to implement farm practices that lead to better water quality and other NRM outcomes.
The project will focus on delivering appropriate NRM strategies for the fruit and vegetable sector in the Burdekin Dry Tropics NRM area first and will later be rolled out to other horticultural areas.
Burdekin Dry Tropics NRM chief executive officer Jan Davis said a similar program had already been successfully developed for sugarcane and grazing by the Mackay Whitsundays NRM Group. It was Growcom's task to adapt this plan for horticulture.
"It is Growcom's role to establish which practices in each crop are best for achieving water quality and other natural resource management targets and to develop appropriate incentives to encourage Growers to undertake the changes to farm management required."
The project will run until September this year and will culminate in a workshop when a project work plan for the horticulture industry will be released.
The project is funded jointly by the Queensland and Australian Governments under the Reeflink project.
Visit the Burdekin Dry Tropics NRM website for more information.
Extra $2.5m to roll out projects
Condamine Alliance has secured $2.5 million of extra funding for the environment from the Australian and Queensland Governments. This will help it to generate more than $17 million in economic activity in the Condamine River catchment in 2007-08.
Condamine Alliance CEO Phil McCullough said "the Condamine catchment region is currently fully covered by Exceptional Circumstances drought declarations.
"The support of grant programs from the state and Australian governments remains vital to our existence and to community engagement in natural resource management."
The Condamine Alliance secured its $2.5 million share from $7.3 million in extra funds granted to six regional NRM bodies in Queensland. All of the additional funds for the Condamine Alliance will go towards environmental works.
Mr McCullough estimates every $1 million invested by the Condamine Alliance results in a flow-on economic effect of $3 million in the community and $4 million leveraged through the work of volunteers or cash contributions from community groups or corporations.
Priority issues for investment by Condamine Alliance include reducing salinity, protecting water quality, controlling pests, protecting biodiversity, engaging industry (dryland, irrigated, and intensive animal farming), urban and peri-urban communities, local government and indigenous communities in on ground works.
For more information please visit the Condamine Alliance website or phone Phil McCullough on 4620 0102.
RGC funds training across Qld on GIS and GPS
The Regional Groups Collective (RGC) is conducting training for regional officers in satellite imagery and spatial imagery capturing.
Geographic Information Systems (GIS) officer Dustin Edge, hosted by Burdekin Dry Tropics NRM, is heading training workshops across Queensland in GIS and Global Positioning Systems (GPS).
Mr Edge said "all the regional NRM bodies have said they need GPS or GIS training and so the Regional Groups Collective we have gone around and created a training package."
The workshops have been running every fortnight since December and are available for regional NRM staff and land managers.
Since December, 55 people have completed the GPS training while 40 people have taken part in the GIS training program.
The next training course for the Burdekin Dry Tropics region will be held in Collinsville from the 19-21 June.
For more information please contact Gale Duell on 4724 3544.
Fond fairwell to Kevin Mahoney
It is with deep sadness that we inform you Kevin Mahoney has passed.
Kev was the first Mary Local Government Director and Deputy Chair on the Burnett Mary Regional Group for Natural Resource Management (BMRG). From December 2001 to December 2006, Kev gave his heart and soul to caring for country, in the hope his grandchildren would be able to grow up enjoying the environment as much as he did as a kid.
In 2006, Kev acted in the position of chair, following the resignation of Harry Bonnano. During this short time, Kev was instrumental in leading the organisation to ensure the region’s plan for natural resource management would be successfully implemented.
Kev was involved with NRM issues for over 35 years. He chaired local government planning schemes, sat on a number of steering committees relative to NRM planning and was appointed to the State Assessment Panel for the Natural Heritage Trust, putting him in good stead to be elected as a Director, Deputy Chair and Executive Committee Member of the BMRG.
BMRG stakeholders had a great deal of respect for Kev and held his opinions in high regard. He had a wonderful relationship with the Board and staff of BMRG and particularly community members.
Our thoughts are with Helene and the Mahoney family at this sad time. Kev will be sadly missed.
Government updates
Biosecurity Queensland is up and running
Commencing this week, Biosecurity Queensland became the new central point of contact for invasive species and diseases across Queensland.
The new Biosecurity Queensland brings together land protection capabilities, plant, animal and marine biosecurity, chemical use and food safety, animal welfare and will shortly include some key areas of the Environmental Protection Agency.
The experience and expertise of more than 500 staff from Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries and around 180 staff from the Department of Natural Resources and Water had been brought together to form the new, single agency.
Over the next few months, the group will be working closely with industry, local government, regional NRM groups and other organisations to gain their input in to getting the structure, priorities and capabilities right for this vital area of business.
For information about Biosecurity Queensland, visit the DPI&F website.
Happy fifth birthday for the regional NRM communicators
The Regional NRM Communicators Group celebrated their fifth birthday with another successful annual meeting held in Toowoomba last week.
The regional NRM communicators group includes all communication officers employed by regional NRM bodies in Queensland. The regional NRM communicators network is a great success story for the Australian and Queensland governments' community empowering regional planning process, which they are funding through the Natural Heritage Trust and National Action Plan for Salinity and Water Quality programs.
The group was initially set up by the Department of Natural Resource and Water (NRW) to support awareness raising processes for the new Queensland regional NRM planning process. In the groups third year, its members became truly 'empowered' as they took over the responsibility of coordinating the group. This group is now run successfully by regional body communication officers while staff from NRW provide administrative support.
At last year's meeting, web sites were the central topic for the entire group. One year later, all Queensland regional bodies now have web sites in place which are assisting local people to access regional body support. These regional NRM web sites are very successful, there were over 47 000 visits to the Queensland regional NRM website alone last year.
Communication officers do more than just write stories and media releases, which was clearly demonstrated by the high level of projects presented by the regional bodies at this years annual meeting.
The Burdekin Dry Tropics communication officer presentation was a good demonstration of the diversity of support a communication officer provides, presenting a vast tool box of branded promotional and educational products from facts sheets, posters and displays to electronic products such as websites and DVDs.
A key topic for this year's meeting was developing processes to encourage regional body staff to promote their projects. So if you are a project manager or land manager who is making a difference in NRM, now is an ideal time for you to promote your successes, so get in touch with your communication officers and get the recognition your project deserve.
Import risk analysis report for bananas released for consultation
Biosecurity Australia has released its revised draft Import Risk Analysis Report for bananas from the Philippines, which outlines disease risk and proposed quarantine measures and concerns. There will be a 90-day consultation period ending 30 May.
Premier Peter Beattie is supporting north Queensland's banana growers by urging the federal government to ensure the needs of these farmers are not forgotten as Biosecurity Australia considers allowing the importation of bananas from the Philippines.
The Department of Primary Industry and Fisheries scientists will review the report and will be talking with the Queensland banana industry. Many in the industry are concerned by the possibility of diseases such as black sigatoka entering the country as nearly 90 percent of Australia's banana industry is in Queensland.
Mr Beattie also reinforced a warning to the Commonwealth that it must be "absolutely vigilant'' following the dismissal this week of appeals against a decision to permit the importation of New Zealand apples. As Queensland also has a thriving apple industry around the Stanthorpe region that could be susceptible to fireblight, a highly contagious disease, endemic in New Zealand.
For the full media release visit Queensland Ministerial media statements online.
A prickly situation as pastures turn cactus
After being introduced as an ornamental plant 110 years ago, harrisia cactus is now spreading through some of Queensland's best livestock pastures. There are major infestations in the Goondiwindi district, the Lockyer Valley, the Darling Downs and as far west as Mitchell in the Maranoa catchment.
Mealy bug can help to control the pest, however it works best after rain. Some farmers have had great success by wearing thick cloves, a knife and tongs in either hand, they cut infected parts off the harrisia cactus and manually spread the mealy bug to other infestations on their property.
Harrisia cactus was first recognised as a serious pest in the Collinsville district about 70 years ago and since the 1950s has been spreading south.
The cactus is a declared pest requiring land managers to control it on their properties and local governments can serve owners with notices requiring they act to wipe it out.
A project team has been set up to look at the problem which is acute in some areas where researchers have counted 125 000 tubers per hectare. The plant, also known as moonlight cactus, produced bright red fruit that contain up to 1000 seeds. The fruit and seeds are a favourite of birds, feral pigs and foxes which help to spread the cactus.
Visit the NRW website to learn more about the treatment of harrisia cactus.
AgSIP 13 holds Economic Valuation Workshop
NRM managers, policy developers and decision makers are invited to attend an Agricultural State-level Investment Project (AgSIP) 13 Economic Valuation Workshop at the Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries' Conference Centre in Brisbane on 24 April.
The AgSIP 13 project has developed a range of material on the costs and benefits of improving NRM outcomes in regional Queensland.
This information can be used to develop an economic valuation of regional investment strategies and projects. The aim of this workshop is to highlight the need for such information and provide a practical framework in which it can be applied.
For further information email Sue Woodfield or by phone on 07 4930 6828.
For more information about the project visit the Central Queensland University website.
Reef Plan updates
Going banana’s to help reef clean up
Growcom has been awarded a $190 000 grant by the Australian Government to assist growers in Far North Queensland optimise their nutrient management and water use efficiency with flow-on water quality benefits for the Great Barrier Reef.
Chief executive offcier Jan Davis said the project aims to show that by using the right amount of fertiliser and water, growers can cut costs and have a positive effect on water quality.
The project, based in the Tully region will initially focus on four banana enterprises as demonstration sites. These farms will have one-on-one assistance to identify how they can optimise their nutrient and water use. Another key component of the project is to introduce other growers in the region to the concepts and encourage them to undertake similar activities.
"We will run a number of farm walks and workshops and develop some case study fact sheets. We know growers are busy so we will try to tailor the information activities to suit growers' needs," said Ms Davis.
The project is an activity to assist implementation of the Reef Water Quality Protection Plan. The project's second phase will continue work with banana growers but will also target other fruit and vegetable commodities to participate as demonstration sites.
Growcom is looking for banana growers in the Tully region who are interested in participating in the project.
Please contact Growcom Land & Water field officer George Russell on 07 4068 2255 to register your interest.
Queensland Wetlands Programme updates
Students introduced to wetland "classroom"
Townsville Central State School students will swap their desks for canoes on the 8 and 9 March under the new wetlands curriculum.
Students have been exploring their local wetlands from the classroom developing an awareness of the environmental concerns facing their region and learning the important role wetlands play in protecting the Great Barrier Reef. The new wetlands curriculum allows students to not only learn about working scientifically in the classroom, but it provides the students with hands on field experience.
Twenty-two students will be taking a two-day canoe trip to get a hands on scientific experience assessing two different wetlands. Students will learn how to sample water quality, insects, vegetation, soil and fish so they can assess the health of the local wetlands.
On the morning of day one, students will commence in the Ross River at Loam Island with canoe training and preparations for the trip, then they will make their way toward the Ross Dam and return back to Loam Island to review results and camp overnight. The students will be collecting information on water quality, soils, riparian vegetation, aquatic macrophytes, fishes and adjacent land uses along the way.
On day two the students will canoe along Stuart Creek and they will again be sampling environmental values before they make their way back to the school for a BBQ and slide show presentation where parents and friends are invited to celebrate the students hard work.
Visit the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority ReefED website to learn more about their environmental education programs for schools.
Natural resources news
Natural method to reduce toad numbers under threat
We may not yet have a log term solution to the cane toad problem, but nature has produced an Aussie hero that is able to eat toads. The keelback, also known as the freshwater snake, is a rarity among Australian wildlife as it is able to eat a meal of cane toads without any ill effect.
While cane toads flourish, the keelback's time on earth is under threat from shovel-wielding people killing it. North Queensland wildlife carer Lana Allcroft says because the keelback is brown coloured snake, people assume it is dangerous.
The keelback is commonly found around rivers in North Queensland and people often confuse it for an eastern brown or taipan snake. There is a simple rule with snakes Lana Allcroft says people should follow. If you leave a snake alone, it will leave you alone.
To learn more about the keelback visit the EPA website.
Queenslander of the Year Awards now open
The Suncorp Queenslander of the Year Awards are now open for nomination. These awards acknowledge Queenslanders who have contributed to the Smart State in areas such as business, community, arts, charity, sport, research and education.
Premier Peter Beattie will announce award recipients during Queensland Week 2007, 3-10 June.
If you know an inspirational person who has made a significant contribution to our State, nominate them for these prestigious awards.
Nominations close 26 March and you can nominate online on the Premiers website or contact Events Coordination, Department of the Premier and Cabinet on 07 3405 5215.
Professionals facilitating change in rural Australia
Professionals working in NRM programs are invited to participate in a national training meeting in Hobart, Tasmania on the 29-30 March.
The workshop, supported by the National Landcare Programme and the Australasia Pacific Extension Network, will showcase options for extension and engagement programs to integrate natural resource management with production. Recent research suggests that low levels of integration in extension programs decreases the uptake of change on farm.
A workshop agenda and registration information can be accessed on the rural development services web site. Contact the event coordinator, Naomi McGrath-Kerr on 03 6231 9033 with any queries.
Getting involved in Sustainable Agriculture
The Queensland Farmers Federation (QFF) Enhancing Sustainable Agriculture Forum on 18 April will focus on water for climate change, backing good farming practices, regional planning and farming.
An invitation is extended to interested persons to attend this important QFF forum which will highlight the current issues impacting on intensive primary industries and potential solutions for a strategic and coordinated approach to sustainable agriculture in Queensland.
Sponsored by Land and Water Australia and the Queensland Department of Primary Industries & Fisheries, the one-day forum will be officially opened by the Minister for Primary Industries and Fisheries Tim Mulherin.
Initial registrations of interest can be directed to Nick Kennedy.
Central Highlands farmers can now dial up weather
An innovative scheme initiated by Central Highlands farmers to install a network of 13 fully automated, real time weather stations in the Comet cropping region has been completed, allowing farmers to use current information to optimise spraying and irrigating decisions.
President of the Comet Sustainable Farming Systems group Murray Melville said, "Dryland farmers and irrigators in the Comet area worked with CHRRUP (Central Highlands Regional Resources Use Planning Cooperative) to apply for funding and develop the network. The aim of the project was to provide landholders, their staff and spray applicators with easily accessible, current weather information to help them make informed application decisions."
Murray said the weather stations have proved to be a very useful management tool.
"I can dial-up or text message to get the exact weather and temperature conditions during the day, and download the information for a permanent record. Supported by climatic modelling, the information is available for all landholders to help agronomic and environmental decision making."
This information can also be used as a main input into climate-based irrigation scheduling tools, or to monitor climate conditions in real-time to give advance warning on disease and insect outbreaks. Other uses for the information could be to drive crop simulation models in real-time, aiding in decision making on nutritional inputs, growth regulant inputs, pest threshold levels and yield goals.
State Landcare Coordinator Rick Kowitz was very impressed with the capabilities of the weather stations and said the project funded by the National Landcare Programme, will be included in a national case-study publication, so that other farming groups around the country can learn from the success of this Central Highlands scheme.
For more information, contact CHRRUP on 4982 2996.
Get a job in NRM!
Are you interested in working with Queensland's regional natural resource management bodies? Then head to the Regional Groups' Collective website where current job opportunities are now available. Be sure to check back regularly to ensure you don't miss out on the job of a lifetime!
Here's a sample of what's on offer:
Southern Gulf Catchments
Applications close 16 April.
Thought for the week
There appears to be a positive correlation between an atmosphere of 'human playfulness' (otherwise known as humour) in the workplace and the improvement of 'innovative activity and creativity'.
"Observer Business Section", 18 April 1999
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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 10 January 2008