The Bugle - 13 July 2007
In news this week
Regional NRM group stories
- Documentary 'Ghosts of the Gulf' airing on the ABC in July
- To flush is not the end of the line
- Question of survival for stay-at-home skinks
- Condamine catchment caught up in flood of development
- A corker at cork!
- Young Bungunya warriors wage war on weeds
- Six new vehicles to help rangers remove ghost nets
- New nature refuge delivers water quality benefits in SEQ
- Human safety paramount in management of crocs in Queensland
- Primary production dips with drought
- 'GOSS' name planted in history
- Citrus replanting ready to roll in Emerald
- There will be no boundaries for farmers to access water
- World’s first temperate network of marine reserves declared
- New nature refuge delivers water quality benefits in SEQ
- Toowoomba Landcare Group crosses the Indian Ocean
- Local Government releases climate change guide
- Following Posselt's epic 'Kayak for Earth' journey
- Signs hopeful for an end to the drought
- Get a job in NRM!
Regional NRM group stories
Documentary 'Ghosts of the Gulf' airing on the ABC in July
Don't miss this terrific documentary about the ghost nets issue airing on the ABC's Message Stick on 31 July at 6pm EST. The documentary showcases the great work performed by Indigenous Rangers attached to the Ghost Net Programme and was completed in late February.
Final filming took place at Mapoon on the western side of Cape York and was unique as it was the first time Indigenous Rangers already involved in the program trained a new group from Mapoon.
Peter and Angela Harper from Napranum along with Richard Woosup from Injinoo took to the task like seasoned professionals and got into the spirit of the project, being 'Saltwater People Working Together'.
For the Project Facilitator Riki Gunn, responsible for initial mentoring and training, it was a proud moment and further proof of the hard work and commitment Indigenous Rangers have shown towards the Ghost Net Program.
Visit the Ghost Nets website to see some of the still images used in the documentary.To flush is not the end of the line
Land managers are being encouraged to minimise environmental damage by actively maintaining their on-site effluent systems, as part of a program called 'To flush is not the end of the line'.
Darling Downs councils and the Condamine Alliance have contributed to the project. This included the provision of technical advice and incentives by local government and production of a DVD-based training package for land managers to gain familiarity with the technical maintenance of on-site systems.
The DVDs are being distributed through Toowoomba, Crows Nest, Jondaryan, Rosalie, Cambooya, Clifton, Stanthorpe, Wambo and Dalby shires.
A technical workshop organised by Crows Nest Shire Council will be held at Highfields later in the year to assist residents with the operation and maintenance needs for on-site systems in the Cooby Dam catchment area.
An incentives program will be offered to the first 100 residents who attend the workshop and will include a voucher for reduced plumbing costs when on-site systems are maintained.
For more information contact Mark Schuster at the Condamine Alliance on 4620 0131.
Question of survival for stay-at-home skinks
The Nangur skink (Nangura spinosa) was discovered in 1992 only 250km from Brisbane in a pocket of scrub surrounded by farmland.
A seven-day search in the Condamine catchment for the Nangur skink, has confirmed suspicions that it may be the most restricted reptile in Australia, known to exist in only two small, isolated, semi-evergreen vine thickets in southern Queensland.
EPA Principal Ecologist Adrian Borsboom and the Condamine Alliance’s Mark Schuster recently surveyed around Kilkivan, Proston, Nanango, Mt Stanley, Blackbutt and the western side of the Bunya Mountains in the Condamine catchment, but failed to find any Nangur skink.
As far as is known there are around 190 Nangur skink living in the two vine thicket patches, one near Kilkivan and the other near Goomeri.
Adrian Borsboom has nominated the lizard as a Threatened Species under the Federal EPBC Act. Further research is needed to determine the factors most likely to affect the Nangur skink's chances of survival.
For more information about the Nangur skink please contact Mark Schuster on 4620 0131.
Condamine catchment caught up in flood of development
The impacts on local landscapes, lifestyles and livelihoods from climate change and industrial and urban development, head the list of concerns for residents of the Condamine River catchment.
These were the key issues to emerge from a series of 10 community meetings, attended by more than 200 people, held by the Condamine Alliance in the past month as part of a review of the NRM Plan for the catchment.
Condamine Alliance invests $4-5 million in Nature Heritage Trust and other public funds annually to lead the catchment management program, combined with about $15 million annually in leveraged investment from land managers and other contributors.
Condamine Alliance CEO Phil McCullough said "Water supply and quality remain key community concerns, but a series of issues is emerging due to the convergence of industrial development, population growth and climate change throughout our region, encompassing the normally highly productive Darling Downs.
"Generally there was a very positive response to the consultation process and the opportunity to have input into the revision of the NRM plan," Mr McCullough said.
The findings will be available soon on the Condamine Alliance website or for more information contact Phil McCullough on 4620 0101.A corker at cork!
At the kind invitation of Rob and Ros Banning, 72 dedicated people swarmed like ants around the Old Cork Homestead and waterhole on the Diamantina River, about 150 kilometres south-west of Winton.
The aim of the Old Cork Waterhole, Sandhill and Homestead Project (an initiative of the Georgina Diamantina Catchment Committee) was to remove rubbish and debris from around the waterhole, the building and the adjacent sand hill; conduct a flora and fauna survey of the area; and to erect interpretive signage near the old building.
By early afternoon on the Sunday, the last of the happy workers had left a dramatically transformed Old Cork Homestead precinct. Over the day and a half the team had:
- collected over 70 tons of rubbish from the immediate homestead site and the surrounding 50 hectares and buried it.
- levelled and tidied two hectares of unsightly gravel heaps and holes.
- cut down and removed five athel pines.
- erected three interpretive signs.
- conducted a flora survey that identified and recorded 48 plant species around the homestead area and 58 on the adjacent sand hill.
- conducted a fauna survey that identified and recorded 26 birds, 11 mammals, two reptiles, two butterflies, four fish and one freshwater shrimp.
The effort of these volunteers restored a degraded site in a significant landscape. The site has high visitation through the tourist season and from local community and with the installation of signage, will improve the understanding, education and awareness of visitors.
The project proved beyond doubt that, in the DCQ region, community collaboration and partnership are alive and well, and above all, effective in getting a difficult job done. It's a credit to all those who participated over the weekend.
Young Bungunya warriors wage war on weeds
The principal of Bungunya State School is leading his students on a battle against vicious and pernicious harrisia cactus infestations in the Waggamba Shire.
Students from Bungunya State School have used the Weed Warriors program to breed and redistribute mealy bugs, a biological control agent, on infestations of Harrisia Cactus in the Waggamba Shire.
Bungunya State School principal Chris Erbacher said the Weed Warriors program not only helps to combat weeds, but it also provides innovative approach for teaching students.
The students worked with staff from the Waggamba Shire Council, Waggamba Landcare Group and Queensland Murray Darling Committee Inc (QMDC) to help develop the project.
QMDC Local Government Liaison Officer Rose Coburn says that the program has helped to develop unique partnerships between Waggamba Shire Council and the community.
Waggamba Landcare Coordinator Tammy Caldicott agrees, saying the Weed Warriors program has increased student and community ownership of actions to beat Harrisia Cactus in the Waggamba shire.
"It's been great to get out in the paddock with the kids and inspire a sense of stewardship at such an early age," Ms Caldicott said.
For more information visit the QMDC website.
Six new vehicles to help rangers remove ghost nets
Carpentaria Ghost Nets Programme Coordinator, Riki Gunn was delighted to accept delivery of the first three of six second-hand Landcruisers purchased with funding from a grant from the Indigenous Land Corporation.
The vehicles will help indigenous rangers in their efforts to collect marine debris and in particular, the silent killers known as ghost nets. One of these nets recently was measured at 19 kilometres in length. The new vehicles all have winches supplied by Lindsell Hoists which will help hoist smaller nets, getting them clear of the shoreline.
Ghost nets are fishing nets lost accidentally or deliberately discarded by fishing vessels. The nets have become a growing environmental concern in north of Australia with over 60 000 metres of nets collected by rangers from 18 indigenous communities in the Gulf of Carpentaria and Torres Strait.
These first three vehicles are destined for Laynhapuy and Marthakal Rangers in the Northern Territory and the Napranum Rangers near Weipa, while the final three will be delivered to Badu and Hammond Islands and Injinoo via a barge from Cairns.
As a result of their involvement in this project, Lindsell Hoists have arranged for an art exchange between a local school in Victoria (where they are based) and the students of Numbulwar in the Northern Territory. Once again this amazing project is uniting the people of the far north with people from all over Australia.
Everyone associated with the Ghost Net project can be justifiably proud of the results of their hard work and one day they may see the Gulf free of these lethal floating environmental disasters.
Visit the Ghost Nets website to learn more.
New nature refuge delivers water quality benefits in SEQ
SEQWater's corridor project, in partnership with SEQ Catchments, will restore remnant vegetation in the catchment around Wivenhoe, Somerset and North Pine dams - storages owned and operated by SEQWater and responsible for supplying 85 percent of the south east region's drinking water.
A new nature refuge over southeast Queensland's major water catchments will deliver major conservation and water quality benefits.
Environment Minister Lindy Nelson-Carr said the 8195ha SEQWater Nature Refuge was part of a million dollar plan to protect the region's largest biodiversity corridor, linking the Brisbane Valley Riparian Corridor with the D'Aguilar Range.
More than 250 properties, covering more than 560 000ha, have been declared under the nature refuge program across Queensland. National Parks alone can't protect all of Queensland's rich variety of plants and animals. Through the protection of nature refuges, private and commercial landholders can play a part, sustaining natural habitats, voluntarily sharing their properties with our native wildlife, while balancing production and other uses on the property. This nature refuge will protect 26 different regional ecosystems and provide habitat for many rare and threatened species, including the endangered red goshawk the vulnerable koala and the rare black-necked stork.
Ms Nelson-Carr said the state government's Department of Natural Resources and Water, through the Environmental Protection Agency's Nature Assist program, would provide $120 000 to SEQWater to manage the area under the nature refuge conservation agreement.
The SEQWater Biodiversity project, including the nature refuge, will take 12 months to roll out and will include retaining and managing re-growth; encouraging natural regeneration; re-vegetation of large areas; managing bushland with fire; weed and pest animal control; repairing serious erosion sites; and associated fencing and stock-watering infrastructure.
These projects will be delivered in partnership with SEQWater, SEQ Catchments, Green Fleet and, most importantly, SEQWater lessees and private landowners in the catchment.
Government updates
Human safety paramount in management of crocs in Queensland
Environment Minister Lindy Nelson-Carr says the prompt investigation of all reported croc sightings showed the state government's Crocodile Management Plan placed a high importance on human safety.
The Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service responds to all reported crocodile sightings and has removed 44 problem crocodiles over the past three years, with the majority of these animals relocated to licensed zoos or wildlife facilities.
The management plan, which is currently under review, carefully balances human safety considerations with the conservation of estuarine crocodile populations. The review of the Crocodile Management Plan is expected to be finalised by the end of the year. The review will look at the best ways to manage crocodiles in Queensland over the next 10 years.
Contrary to recent stories in the media, QPWS records shows the number of crocodile sightings reported has not increased since the 2004/05 financial year. 207 crocodile sightings were reported in that financial year, while just 101 sightings were reported in 2005/06 and 122 in 2006/07. The reported increase in numbers is likely to be due to seasonal variations, as the animals become more visible when they are warming themselves by basking in the sun.
Each and every reported crocodile sighting is investigated by QPWS officers and each animal was assessed against set criteria to determine if it was a problem croc. If after this assessment they were found to be a problem croc, they were targeted for removal.
For the full media statement visit Queensland Government's Ministerial media statements.
Primary production dips with drought
Queensland's devastating drought has been the major contributor to the fall in the estimated value of Queensland's primary industries and fisheries.
The Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries' (DPI&F) Prospects Update for June 2007 estimates the gross value of production of Queensland's primary industry commodities in 2006/07 at $10.485 billion which is four per cent lower than 2005/06.
This figure is however almost $100 million more than DPI&F's initial forecast for 2006-07 and reflects the resilience of Queensland’s primary producers and fishers in extremely difficult circumstances.
Currently there are 85 shires and two part-shires drought declared by the state government, which is 62.5 per cent of the state.
There has been a marginal improvement in the seasonal outlook throughout most of Queensland with a 50-70 per cent chance of getting median rainfall up to August. The current report states:
- the gross value of production (GVP)of sheep and lambs sold for slaughter in 2006/07 is now forecast at $45 million, 10 per cent less than 2005/06.
- a lack of water affected the nursery, landscape, cut flowers, and turf sectors; at $1.22 billion with lifestyle horticulture's GVP at 18 per cent lower than 2005/06.
- the GVP of cotton in 2006/07 is now forecast at $120 million, less than half the original forecast for the year and 70 per cent lower than 2005/06.
- the GVP of grain sorghum in 2006/07 is forecast at $185 million, 23 per cent lower than initial forecasts, due to a smaller planting and reduced yields expected to result in production falling to 690 000 tonnes.
- the GVP of the 2006 sugarcane crop is now estimated at $1.075 billion, 17 per cent higher than initial forecasts, mainly due to better prices than originally expected.
- the gross value of fisheries production in 2006/07 is forecast at $275 million, 20 per cent lower than 2005/06.
'GOSS' name planted in history
Former Queensland Premier Wayne Goss has been honoured for his commitment to conservation by having a group of plants named after him, the genus Gossia.
Launching the latest Queensland flora census at the Queensland Herbarium in Brisbane, Environment Minister Lindy Nelson-Carr said the new genus Gossia arose from a review of the classification of that group of plants.
New species are being discovered on a regular basis with 300 new species identified in Queensland in the past five years. This new classification and naming recognises Mr Goss's significant contribution to this State.
As Premier from 1989-1996, Mr Goss signed off on the Nature Conservation Act (1992), increased the area of national park estate, and approved construction of the Queensland Herbarium building.
The genus Gossia, has 20 described species occurring in Queensland and further species occurring in Papua New Guinea and New Caledonia. The Gossias include such interesting species as the python tree (Gossia bidwillii), which was around when dinosaurs roamed the earth, and can withstand harsh summers and very dry conditions.
The 2007 plant census is based on the extensive collections of 730,000 specimens housed at the Queensland Herbarium, managed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Visit the Queensland Herbarium on the EPA website to learn more. The census is available in book and CD formats.
Citrus replanting ready to roll in Emerald
The National Citrus Canker Eradication Program reached a much-anticipated milestone on 1 July with commercial citrus trees being allowed back into the Emerald district for the first time in three years.
Growers have begun bringing approved planting material into the Emerald Pest Quarantine Area, an area that has been the 'Fort Knox' of quarantine for three years, and it is all part of starting to replant Emerald's commercial citrus orchards.
The first consignments of trees under went stringent inspections by DPI&F inspectors at their source nurseries outside the Pest Quarantine Area to confirm they were free of the disease before they went into the area. Approximately 180 000 trees will be planted over the next three months.
DPI&F, together with other national funding partners, have invested millions of dollars and thousands of hours to get to this point. However, despite celebrating this big step, the Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries (DPI&F) advises there is still a lot of hard work to be done before Australia can be officially declared canker-free.
For more information about the National Citrus Canker Eradication Program, visit the DPI&F website or call 13 25 23.
There will be no boundaries for farmers to access water
Queensland and New South Wales (NSW) will be allowed to trade water for the first time under a landmark deal.
Amendments to the Border Rivers Water Resource Plan will allow Queensland irrigators to sell or lease water allocations on either side of the border and be able to buy more water from NSW to expand production.
Minister for Natural Resources and Water Craig Wallace said the National Water Initiative required the elimination of state barriers to water trading.
"Water does not obey state boundaries and nor should the efficient trade in water," he said.
Water trading is expected to commence by September.
For the full media statement visit the Queensland Government's Ministerial media statements.
World’s first temperate network of marine reserves declared
The Australian Government today announced the legal protection of the world’s first temperate deep sea network of marine reserves, off the south-east coastline of Australia.
Totalling 226 000 square kilometres, the area is over three times the size of Tasmania, the network includes 13 new marine reserves in waters off southern New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania and eastern South Australia
The reserves contain representative examples of the unique marine life and the undersea features of the region. They include undersea mountains higher than Mt Kosciusko, canyons deeper than the Grand Canyon, and unique marine species that inhabit these ecosystems, found nowhere else on the planet.
The reserves will come into effect on 3 September and comprise five different zones:
- sanctuary zones, where extractive uses are prohibited
- benthic (sea floor) sanctuary zones, where extractive uses are prohibited in the area from 500 metres below sea level to the sea floor
- multiple use zones, where only low-impact fishing methods and other activities are permitted
- special purpose zones, where all commercial fishing is prohibited, but oil and gas activities and recreational fishing are permitted
- recreational use zones, where recreational and charter fishing are allowed, while other extractive activities are prohibited.
Further details on the South-east Commonwealth Marine Reserve Network are on the Environment and Water Resources website.
Reef updates
Agricultural industries making a difference to protect the Reef
Since the inception of the Reef Water Quality Protection Plan (Reef Plan) five years ago, agricultural industries have been working hard to implement their key activity to meet the goal of the Reef Plan.
Agricultural Industries have reported over 80 per cent of farmers in the cane industry now use trash blanketing which is helping to reduce run-off. The cane industry has actively promoted improved nutrient management practices with application rates falling around 20 per cent for nitrogen and 30 per cent for phosphorus over the past decade and an estimated 700 growers have completed Farm Productivity Assessments through the Bureau of Sugar Experiment Stations.
Industry representatives also reported there has been widespread uptake of the Cotton Best Management Program which has seen an 80 per cent reduction in the use of pesticides and chemicals. The Rural Water Use Efficiency program has seen huge improvements in irrigation practices and hence reductions in runoff.
Industry groups have also been working with regional NRM bodies with over 200 land managers in the Mackay Whitsunday region participating on the Mackay Whitsunday NRM Sustainable Landscapes farm planning and improvement program. Programs to improve water quality in horticulture have also been undertaken in far North Queensland and Bundaberg.
With Growcom’s recent release of its Farm Management System, the implementation of farm best practices will be ramped up which will result in major benefits to the Reef, adjacent river catchments and the future sustainability of agriculture.
For more information about the Reef Plan visit the Reef Plan website.
Growcom launches FMS
Growcom has launched its Farm Management System (FMS) which has been developed to assist growers in responding to the numerous pressures placed on their operations, from water availability to supply change management.
The FMS tool will help growers identify areas needing improvement and provide guidance on how to address the issues. The Growcom FMS is in a modular format with each focusing on the potential risk areas and opportunities for improvement, for example, in water use efficiency, soil nutrition, pest management and workplace health and safety.
Each module of the FMS includes 25 questions addressing a growers current management practices. The FMS generates an action plan with target dates for the grower to work towards.
Currently, only the water FMS module is being rolled out and the nutrient and soil health module is being trialled. Growers interested in using the program will have a one-on-one with a Growcom field officer, who will take growers through the module. They will also provide growers with information on further training through Growcom’s Knowledge Plant as well as information on specific problems not covered by the modules, such as the Horticulture Code of Conduct, farm mapping and training requirements.
Growcom's FMS program has been designed to be complementary to existing extension and accreditation programs.
For further information contact Growcom's Land and Water Program leader Rachel Mackenzie on 3620 3844.
Natural resources news
Toowoomba Landcare Group crosses the Indian Ocean
Toowoomba Landcare Group has successfully established a Sister Catchment Program with a like-minded group in the state of Madhya Pradesh, India.
Toowoomba Landcare Group's Scott Graham travelled to India to establish the program and make the necessary arrangements for it to blossom. A grant from the Australian Government Australia-India Council made the trip possible.
In what was a mind-expanding journey, Scott examined the watershed management work of three different non-government groups and some government run programs. Scott visited 24 rural Indian villages in nine districts across two states. He saw first hand the problems, the social and institutional structures and the great work that has already been done in these villages.
A special evening showcasing the Sister Catchment Program and Scott's experiences in India is being held by the Toowoomba Landcare Group on 17 July at the University of Southern Queensland's Toowoomba Campus. Invitations are open to anyone interested in hearing more about the program and finding out what activities are planned for the coming year.
The evening will start with an Indian supper at 6:30 pm, so bookings are essential. Please call the Toowoomba Landcare Group on 4637 6285 to secure your place and to find out further details.
Information about the program can be found on the Toowoomba-India website.
Local Government releases climate change guide
The Local Government Association of Queensland (LGAQ) has released a guide to support Queensland councils in respond to emerging climate change threats.
LGAQ have developed the guide to provide practical, step-by-step process for councils to identify risks associated with climate change and put in place adaptive plans to address them. The guide aims to help in building the capability of councils to assess risks related to climate change and offers a checklist of possible adaptation measures. It also includes case studies of councils that have implemented simple action plans to help them avoid the risks posed by climate change.
An advisory group, which included representatives from the Australian Greenhouse Office, the state government, Insurance Australia Group, Queensland Resources Council, Commerce Queensland and local government councillors and officers, was established to help with the development of the guide.
LGAQ president Cr Paul Bell said "Much of the climate change debate to date has focussed on emissions control. However, the new guide presents climate change as something that is inevitable and concentrates on what other practical steps can be taken by councils to prepare for the future."
Download the LGAQ Guide to Adapting to Climate Change.
AHS conference in Cairns in November
The chair of the East Australia Region of the Australasian Hydrographic Society, John Maschke, hopes those of you with an interest in hydrography will participate in the international conference on hydrography, Hydro 2007–Focus on Asia: Meeting the Interface Challenges of the Littoral Zone being held in Cairns between 22–24 November.
There are still openings to participate in the trade exhibition which will commence on 21 November and the event will offer a unique opportunity to grapple with the current issues, learn of new developments in technology and the industry, plus make new alliances and friendships.
It is expected more than 300 delegates will attend from within Australia and overseas and with a focus on the Asian region, there will be opportunities for mutual cooperation and relationships with other countries in the region.
For more information about the conference visit the Australasian Hydrographic Society website.
Following Posselt’s epic 'Kayak for Earth' journey
There has been a lot of interest since we ran a story a few weeks ago in the Bugle on Steve Posselt.
Steve is paddling and walking his kayak over 6000 kilometres down the river systems between Brisbane and Adelaide to help raise awareness about the impacts of climate change.
At the last website report Steve was at Hebel on the New South Wales border.
You can follow along on his journey and provide support through the Kayak for Earth website.
Signs hopeful for an end to the drought
Experts say there are signs Australia's worst drought in a century may finally be coming to an end.
A key rainfall indicator, the Southern Oscillation Index, hit a 13-month high last week after the rains in the southeast of the country.
While it needs to stay high for at least another few months before the drought can be declared over, forecasters say it is a promising sign.
A Bureau of Meteorology report released recently said international models show there is a good chance that a drought-breaking La Niña weather pattern could soon form.
All major international coupled models show further cooling of the equatorial Pacific Ocean over the coming months suggests there is a distinct likelihood of a La Niña event occurring in 2007.
El Niño is an occasional warming of the central and eastern Pacific Ocean that typically happens every four to seven years and disrupts weather patterns from the western seaboard of Latin America to East Africa for 12-18 months.
It is often followed by a La Niña weather pattern, which occurs when the Pacific cools, increasing rainfall.
Visit the Bureau of Meteorology website to learn more.
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:
Regional group: Cape York Peninsula Development Association
Title: Chief executive officer
Tenure: Full-time
Location:Cairns
Closing date: COB 31 July
Thought for the week
Our feelings of dissatisfaction, unhappiness, loss of hope and so forth are in fact related to all phenomena. If we do not adopt the right outlook, it is possible that anything and everything could cause us frustration. Yet phenomena are part of reality and we are subject to the laws of existence. So this leaves us only one option: to change our own attitude. By bringing about a change in our outlook towards things and events, all phenomena can become friends or sources of happiness, instead of becoming enemies or sources of frustration.
The Dalai Lama's Book Of Wisdom (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 22 January 2009