The Bugle - 27 April 2007
In news this week
Regional NRM group stories
- NRM Regional Chairs Forum 2007 a great success
- Teaching the teachers - NRM educators talk linkages
- Kids join the fight against pest fish
Government updates
- Longer leases offered for good NRM practices
- Local government boundaries under review
- Croc count will help conservation planning
- The 'long paddock' is under review
- Giant snails slide into Australia
Reef updates
Natural resourcesnews
Regional NRM group stories
NRM Regional Chairs Forum 2007 a great success
The NRM regional chairs forum was held in Brisbane last week providing a valuable opportunity for the Chairs of the 56 regional NRM bodies around Australia to workshop key issues facing regional NRM and present these directly to the national Natural Resource Management Ministerial Council.
The forum was a great success providing an opportunity for the Chairs to talk to members of the Natural Heritage Trust Advisory Committee, key government officials and the Queensland Regional Groups Collective who also attended.
More details about the workshop will be available in next week's Bugle.
Teaching the teachers - NRM educators talk linkages
The Queensland Partnerships in NRM Education Workshop will be held on 24-25 May in Cairns. The aim of the workshop is to enhance collaborative partnerships between NRM educators and identify some key principles and strategies for effective school linkage programs. The workshop will also explore opportunities to promote enterprise learning principles within a NRM framework.
The workshop is supported by FNQ NRM and the Department of Natural Resources and Water. Support for one night's accommodation is available for participants. The program includes case study presentations by national, state and regional representatives, facilitated discussions and field visits to projects on the Atherton Tablelands.
For further information, email Moni Carlisle or Mary Rowland. For logistical support please email Sarah Rizvi or on 0400 493 964.
Kids join the fight against pest fish
Kids at schools in North Queensland’s Gulf of Carpentaria river catchments are joining efforts to halt the spread of tilapia fish. This noxious pest is the star of a new activity book for schools.
The books are a part of the Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries' campaign to stop the pest fish - also known as Mozambique mouth brooder and black mangrove cichlid - from spreading to the region.
Senior fisheries scientist, Dr Zafer Sarac said the invasive African species posed a real threat to Gulf catchments.
Tilapia are already established in some northern east coastal catchments such as the Burdekin and if they spread further to the Gulf they could really impact on commercial and recreation fisheries.
Dr Sarac said infestations were caused by people moving fish between waterways, and stressed school children had an important role to play in containing the pest.
"School children are the fishers of tomorrow so they need to appreciate the problems associated with pest fish," he said.
"We are trying to impress upon everyone the importance of not moving these fish, and not using them for bait or for any other purpose."
Government updates
Longer leases offered for good NRM practices
Under new leasehold land provisions, farmers and graziers who lease state government land will be able to get longer leases if they improve the condition of their land, as part of innovative land reforms passed unanimously in the Queensland Parliament recently.
Natural Resources Minister Craig Wallace said the support for the new leasehold land agreement called Land and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2007 would allow leases of 50, 40 and 30 years com-pared with the current maximum of 30 years. Almost 65% of Queensland is state-owned land leased to land managers.
"The Bill facilitates state leasehold rental reforms which gives the government the tools to address huge jumps in rent otherwise due this year," the Minister said.
These include the ability to introduce averaging of valuations to smooth rental increases and to putting in place a cap to enable excessive increases to be addressed.
"The government will now consider how to apply these tools to deliver a fairer rental system," Mr Wallace said.
For the full media release visit Queensland Ministerial statements online.
Local government boundaries under review
A seven-member Queensland Local Government Reform Commission will spend the next three months considering new boundaries for the State’s 157 councils with a focus on the long-term sustainability of local government across the state.
The Reform Commission will be tasked with providing a recommendation on the amalgamations of neighbouring councils in all areas of Queensland.
The Premier said that 88 councils "service populations of 5,000 people or less and in the grand scheme, that's unsustainable."
Local Government Minister Andrew Fraser said the Commission would report back to the Government by August 1. Proposed boundary changes and amalgamations would then be put before the Parliament by September.
For the full media release visit Queensland Ministerial statements online.
Croc count will help conservation planning
The true nature of Queensland's estuarine crocodile population will be assessed as part of the draft Statewide Crocodile Conservation Plan currently out for public comment.
Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service (QPWS) will carry out a survey targeting 24 rivers in central and northern Queensland.
The survey will identify the current distribution and abundance of crocodiles in waterways and will allow the QPWS to compare current numbers with historical data to determine trends in population change. The last comprehensive survey was completed in 2000.
The surveys will involve a spotlight count, travelling up the rivers at night and shining a powerful light onto the water making the crocodiles' eyes shine and then counting the sets of eyes.
Visit the EPA website for further information.
The 'long paddock' is under review
The 'long paddock', our stock route network, is a vital artery for the bush with its rich historical and heritage significance because of the way it helped shape Queensland.
This network is being used increasingly for drought relief and more than ever it needs to be managed and maintained for use by travelling stock.
The Queensland Stock Route Network Management Strategy 2006-2009, which was approved by Cabinet last month, formalises current management arrangements and also allows for the implementation of the new management framework.
This framework will assist local government to manage stock routes, so they are maintained in a healthy condition for the future. Over the next 12 months stock routes will be reclassified according to their use to assist planning.
The strategy recognises that while stock routes have multiple uses, the primary purpose is for use by travelling stock.
Travel and agistment fees will also be revised as local government and industry have advised the Department of Natural Resources and Water that current collections do not provide for stock route maintenance. Administration also will be streamlined to provide greater service consistency for users.
Further details about the new stock route management framework and the Queensland Stock Route Network Management Strategy is available on the NRW website.
Giant snails slide into Australia
Common garden snails eating your vegetable patch is bad enough, but can you imagine the environmental impact of an escargot the size of a grapefruit?
The African giant snail is among was one of the stowaways hauled in from Cairn’s ports by Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service.
The super snail is one of the rarer pests to slip into the country, usually hitching a ride aboard shipping containers, AQIS's Ryan Langler said.
More commonly, environmental threats lurked in unsuspecting travellers luggage, he warned. Furred and feathered fashions, wooden idols and exotic foods could all carry pests and diseases capable of wreaking environmental havoc.
"If the borers (from wood souvenirs) got in, it would make it hard for our farmers to sell their exports and with the others, it's to protect Australia’s animal and human health," Mr Langler said.
Mr Langler said, naiveté was behind the bulk of environmentally risky imports, over zealous gardeners have tried to conceal seeds in shoes, secret compartments in wallets - even in the under wire of a bra.
For more information visit DAFF website.
Reef updates
Daily Reef bleaching risk assessments
A new tool has been developed which provides daily updates of the risk of 'coral bleaching' in the Great Barrier Reef (Reef) and other reefs in the Coral Sea.
Developed by CSIRO Marine and Atmospheric Research, the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA) and the Bureau of Meteorology (BoM), ReefTemp is the newest of a suite of tools using satellite observations to detect environmental impacts within a changing climate.
CSIRO Wealth from Oceans Research Flagship scientist, Dr Peter Turner, says the tool provides the highest resolution (2km x 2km) assessments of bleaching risk of any product in the world.
The GBRMPA Climate Change Response Programme's Jeff Maynard says mass coral bleaching events, caused by higher than normal sea temperatures, are widely considered to be one of the greatest threats to the Reef. Mr Maynard also says so far this summer, there have been some observations of minor, isolated bleaching on some reef flats but the risk of widespread coral bleaching during the 2007 summer in the Reef region is currently 'low'.
Natural resources news
Recognition for NRM volunteers
Queensland Water and Land Carers are encouraging NRM professionals to show their appreciation of NRM volunteers during National Volunteer Week (14-21 May 2007).
"The NRM volunteer workforce plays a vital role in landscape management on a regional scale," said QWaLC executive officer Vickie Webb.
"In the past month alone we’ve had 360 new volunteers register with QWaLC.
"Queenslanders continue to show us that they’re prepared to act on issues such as climate change."
National Volunteer Week is an opportunity to highlight the contribution of volunteers to the NRM sector.
"Without volunteers most NRM community groups simply wouldn’t be able to function," said Webb.
More information about the Week can be found at QWaLC website.
Prize draw for survey on disc seeders' performance
Zero-till and no-till growers across Australia are being urged to complete a national survey aimed at improving the general performance of disc seeders in Australian cropping systems.
The survey, supported by growers and the Australian Government through the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC), is being conducted by the University of South Australia's Agricultural Machinery Research and Design Centre (AMRDC).The centre's Dr Jack Desbiolles urged growers and contractors with experience operating disc seeders in zero-till or no-till cropping systems to complete the survey.
Disc seeders are an integral part of zero-till farming systems, Dr Desbiolle said as they disturb the soil less than tine-based no-till systems, enabling large quantities of undisturbed surface residues to be retained.
"The survey aims to capture the disc seeder experience of zero-till and no-till croppers under a range of Australian soil and rainfall conditions," Dr Desbiolle said.
This will be combined with current research knowledge to develop guidelines for disc seeder selection and operation, including paddock management and cropping strategies.
The AMRDC will work closely with regional farming systems groups to extend results of the national survey to growers.
Growers and contractors with disc seeder experience can also go into a no-till prize draw if they complete the survey before 30 June.
To access the survey online, growers should visit UNISA website.
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 web site 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:
Burnett Mary Regional Group Inc.
Position: Sustainable Use Regional Coordinator
- Attractive salary package
- Opportunity to 'make a difference'
- Location – Negotiable (initial one month placement training required in Bundaberg).
The Burnett Mary Regional Group offers a relaxed family-friendly environment and is a leading community based NRM Organisation in the Burnett Mary region.
Reporting to the NRM Program Manager, you will coordinate and lead strategic planning and implementation of the Sustainable Land Use Action Program, to achieve regional targets.
The role will be responsible for providing planning and program management services relevant to grazing, cultivation, forestry & extractive industries to key internal and external stakeholders. You will be actively involved in linking projects and on-ground works to achieve regional priorities.
A position description, including selection criteria, is available from the BMRG website or by emailing BMRG or phoning 4181 2999.
Closing date: Friday 11 May 2007
Thought for the week
Don't tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do and let them surprise you with their results.
Second World War U.S. General George S. Patton (1885-1945)
We welcome your contributions and feedback. If you have any comments or suggestions for The Bugle please contact Carl Glen or Shona Strachan.
View past issues of The Bugle.
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 08 January 2008