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Regional natural resource management

The Bugle - 30 November 2007

In news this week

Regional NRM group stories

Government updates

Natural resources news

Regional NRM group stories
FBA meeting climate change challenge

How do you plan for the future management of central Queensland's natural assets, while taking into account the unpredictability of climate change?

This is the challenge being faced, and met, by the Fitzroy Basin Association, central Queensland's regional natural resource management group.

CEO Suzie Christensen said FBA was part of a Practical Adaptation to Climate Change in Regional Natural Resource Management project funded by the Australian Greenhouse Office.

"The project will enable FBA to better incorporate the realities of climate change into our work promoting improved natural resource management," Ms Christensen said.

"Several regionally-specific scenarios were developed in consultation with the local community, which were then tested using a range of computer modelling programs," she said.

"This has provided a clearer picture of the potential impact of different outcomes, such as increases or decreases in rainfall and temperatures.

"Based on this modelling work, the project is now developing practical tools and processes that will help inform FBA's planning and investment in various on-ground works, strategies and scientific research."

Ms Christensen said FBA's grass-roots approach to working with the community to improve natural resource management was also proactively addressing climate change in central Queensland.

"FBA supports landholders to undertake property planning, manage riparian areas and access education programs to improve their farming practices," she said.

"These activities will greatly enhance our region's ability to face climate change challenges while supporting sustainable regional development."

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Burnett River stories in Aboriginal documentary

The significance of the Burnett River to Aboriginal people has been recorded in a new documentary sponsored by the Burnett Mary Regional Group.

Aboriginal people in the Burnett region feature in Source to Sea, first screened in Eidsvold on 24 November.

They speak of their love for the Burnett River, their sadness in seeing it change and the spiritual connection and stories which have been handed down from previous generations.

Aboriginal land management facilitator Selina Hill said that the documentary preserved the stories before they were lost.

"Many of our people are getting older, and their information would have been lost," she said.

She said that the people wanted to tell the wider community of the way that the Burnett River was an important part of their lives.

"Aboriginal people have been connected to the river for thousands of years.

"It is sad to hear how the waterholes that were once so deep and productive are now silted up and dry," she said.

The documentary also explains the Aboriginal significance of Ban Ban Springs, which is now a merely a trickle of water.

"It is a tragedy that the springs, which flowed permanently for thousands of years, are almost dry," Selina said.

To obtain a copy of Source to Sea, contact Selina Hill, BMRG, on 07 4181 2999 (ext. 115).

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Futurescapes funds far reaching

South West NRM has approved projects covering 13 800 hectares in the first quarter of the financial year.

The July to September period has seen projects such as erosion control and ecosystem preservation approved through South West NRM's Futurescapes program.

Gary Butler, South West NRM's programs manager, said the variety of projects was something to be happy about.

"It's great that there is such a wide range of projects covering such a wide area," Mr Butler said.

Nearly $240 000 has been injected into the projects. Mr Butler said it was not just the money, but the community awareness that is also important.

"With these projects, awareness of South West NRM and what we do and why we do it has certainly been lifted," Mr Butler said.

"That'll help us to get more projects into the community."

Projects must be assessed through both a Technical Assessment Panel and a Community Assessment Panel before they are approved.

"The engagement in the NRM process from the community and applicants has been quite good to see," Mr Butler said.

The breakdown of project types, area covered and money funded is as follows:

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Bug released for first time to target Cat's Claw

A bug native to South America has been released into Australia for the first time as a biological control agent in central Queensland.

The Tingid Bug was released at four trial sites in the Boyne Valley area near Gladstone recently with the aim of controlling cat's claw creeper infestations.  It was the first release of the bug in Australia since its official approval after extensive testing.

The trial is supported by the Calliope Shire Council, the Gladstone Area Water Board and the region's peak natural resource management body, the Fitzroy Basin Association (FBA).

It takes over ecosystems and poses a very severe threat to native bushland biodiversity and grazing land productivity. It can eventually smother and kill large trees in waterways that then fall over, causing severe erosion and choking up the river systems.  

Cat's claw creeper has large root tubers and is difficult to kill with herbicide treatment and manually removing the plant is very labour intensive and expensive. The Tingid Bug is a tiny sap sucking insect, which sucks the chlorophyll from the cat's claw leaves which ultimately defoliates the plant, debilitating its growth and seed set.  

More than 200 potted cat's claw plants infested with various stages of the bug from eggs to adult were planted amongst cat's claw creeper infestations. The bugs are expected to migrate from host plants to local plants and multiply to tackle the infestations.

Recent monitoring at the sites revealed a small migration from host plants to local plants, but the project is still in its early stages and it could be two years before a positive result is seen.

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Community's chance to repair Burdekin fish habitats

OceanWatch Australia and Burdekin Dry Tropics NRM (BDTNRM) are angling to repair fish, crab and prawn breeding grounds and habitat in a joint project called Tide to Table. BDTNRM has provided $250 000 for on-ground works projects.

Applications are being sought from landowners, local governments, community groups or other organisations interested in undertaking on-ground works to restore fish habitat.  Projects may include such works as removing or modifying fish passage barriers, rehabilitating tidal lands, riparian revegetation, aquatic weed removal and water quality improvement. 

Dr Rachel Allan, BDTNRM coastal and marine coordinator, said "The Tide to Table project is a fantastic opportunity for BDTNRM to engage with both the recreational and commercial fishing industries in our region, to promote the importance of looking after land based fish habitat for sustainable fishing and, of course, to actually improve fish habitat".

Five Tide to Table programmes are currently in operation throughout Queensland and NSW. These works improve fish habitats, water quality and connectivity that in turn support and builds sustainable fisheries resources.

Ms Carla Wegscheidl, project manager for Tide to Table – Burdekin Dry Tropics says "Tide to Table illustrates the linkages between what happens in our catchments and waterways with fish production and the seafood we like to eat". 

Funded by BDTNRM through the Natural Heritage Trust program, this project will run until June 2008. In that time, the programme will fund at least five on-ground rehabilitation projects throughout the region, extending from Crystal Creek to Bowen. If successful, Tide to Table – Burdekin Dry Tropics could continue for a further five years.

Tide to Table – Burdekin Dry Tropics will also have a strong education component, to increase public awareness of the importance of healthy fish habitats to ensure productive fisheries.

If you are interested in undertaking some on-ground works to improve fish habitats or would like more information on the project, please contact Carla Wegscheidl, OceanWatch Australia, on 07 4722 2528.

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Drought just another management challenge

The younger generation of dairy farmers on the Darling Downs have spent most of their careers in drought conditions.

Despite this, they have supported the Darling Downs Young Farmers Network and eagerly invested time, cash and resources in on-ground works with a significant natural resource benefit to their farms and the wider community.

"Most of the 49 members of this network have only ever managed natural resources (land, water, vegetation) in the worst possible circumstances, and yet they are making a really good go of it," said Penny Hamilton of the Condamine Alliance, which helped to establish the network.

"They recognise the need to change their practices to be both resource-efficient and to maintain or improve productivity whilst conserving or enhancing the environment."

The provision of financial incentives of $120 000 from the Natural Heritage Trust through Condamine Alliance proved to be a catalyst for 29 on-farm NRM projects worth $597 000, the farmers contributing $477 000 (cash and in-kind).

"Condamine Alliance has been proactive in fostering the basis of a successful model that the dairy industry now wishes to roll-out across Queensland," said Bronwyn Ford, natural resource management coordinator for Queensland Dairyfarmers' Organisation (QDO).

With extra funding of $260 000 from the Department of Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs, QDO is expanding the Darling Downs network, and starting new networks in the Gympie and West Moreton regions.

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Burnett wine growers acquiring a taste for salinity

Drinking more wine could have long-term benefits for the environment with the introduction of research into how grape growing could decrease salinity in the South Burnett by using less water.

Improving grapevine tolerance to salinity using rootstock genetics is the challenge currently being undertaken by the South Burnett Wine Industry Association.

The project is a collaboration between vineyard owners from the South Burnett Wine Industry Association, Queensland Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries, the Burnett Mary Regional Group for NRM (BMRG), and the Burnett Catchment Care Association.

BMRG CEO David Brown said the aim of the project is to uncover salinity management strategies which will increase productivity from salt-affected lands or utilise excess water in the landscape.

"BMRG is extremely excited about this project as it holds great potential for the wine industry not only in the South Burnett but in other grape-growing regions of Australia," Mr Brown said.

"There will be much to learn from the data once it has been collected and analysed."

Salinity has been a land use issue in the South Burnett since the 1880s, and with the increase in grape plantings across the region for wine production, comes the need to address the nagging problem.

Wine industry development officer Cameron Playsted, from DPI&F, said that as part of the project, rootstock trials have the potential to increase the tolerance of the vines to salt in irrigation water.

"As a result of the soil and water monitoring in this project, we hope to better understand the effects of salinity on grapevines so we can learn to manage our vineyard systems in a sustainable way," Mr Playsted said.

Thanks to the Rural Weekly - Wide Bay for this story.

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Government updates
Metrics are a key component of a successful MBI process

An incentive mechanism such as a competitive tender allows land managers to bid for providing natural resource management services. Depending on the objective of the tender, different bids may propose different activities to achieve different types of environmental outcomes.

To be able to evaluate and compare the different bids, there needs to be a way of scoring the environmental benefits of each bid. A metric is a way of determining that score. A metric allows the assessment of the various bid prices to determine which bids offer the best value for money.

Using a well-designed metric helps ensure that bids are assessed in an efficient, transparent, and equitable manner.

Designing a metric can be a complex activity requiring specialist skills that a regional NRM body may not have in-house. However, organisations such as the Department of Natural Resources and Water, the Department of the Environment and Water Resources, and the Environmental Protection Agency can help.

A number of factors influence the design of a metric, including the desired improvements wanted, the current condition of the natural asset and if the biophysical data is available to be measured.

The two most important elements of a metric are spatial relations and quality or quantity as compared to the baseline.

Other elements are often used to weight the quality or quantity element. Before constructing a metric, there is a need to examine the relevance of the following key elements and decide if they need to be incorporate into the metric such as relative change; location; timing; implementation risk; outcome uncertainty; irreversibility or thresholds; and adverse impacts.

If the outcome is going to be difficult to measure directly, it is possible to use a surrogate outcome that is easier to measure or it is possible to measure the outputs.

Pilot programs run under the National Action Plan for Salinity and Water Quality have developed metrics for water quality, biodiversity, carbon, surface water flows, nutrient transportation, irrigation salinity, stream bank and riverine quality, and water table recharge. So it is a good idea to check first if a metric already exists that can be tailored to meet your needs.

For more information on metrics visit the regional NRM website or contact the Social and Economic Unit of Community Partnerships on 07 3224 7741

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Giant vine threatens native rainforests

A fast-growing, smothering vine with huge root tubers weighing up to 70kg has been identified in the Mackay and Mirani shires.

Minister for Primary Industries and Fisheries, Tim Mulherin, said the Thunbergia vine was a Class 1 weed pest with an alarming potential to spread rapidly.

"DPI&F is working with local government authorities to keep this invasive weed in check before it becomes endemic in our rainforests," Mr Mulherin said.

Two species of Thunbergia had been positively identified by the Queensland Herbarium.

"Infestations have been located at Eungella National Park in the Mirani Shire and in the north Mackay suburb of Mount Pleasant," Mr Mulherin said.

"There were also recent discoveries of Thunbergia in the Mackay suburbs of Glenella and Mount Pleasant.

"These are the only known Class 1 pests within Mackay and Mirani shires and they must be eradicated."

Biosecurity Queensland land protection officer Corey Bell said the most common species was Thurbergia grandiflora, a Class 2 pest commonly known as blue trumpet vine or blue sky vine.

"It has large, deeply scalloped leaves and attractive hanging groups of large 8cm long trumpet-shaped flowers. The flowers were yellowish inside with fiver rounded pale lavender-blue petals," he said.

"The T. lauriflora has similar flowers with an oval leaf and is commonly referred to as laural clockvine."

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Gold Coast's flora and fauna gain new ally in Green Guardians

Gold Coast's wildlife and environment has a new ally with the launch of Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary's Green Guardian conservation partnerships program.

Minister for Sustainability, Climate Change and Innovation, Andrew McNamara, launched the program at Currumbin Sanctuary earlier this week.

"The Green Guardian conservation partnership program is a dedicated Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary program aiming to promote community and corporate support for the welfare and research activities carried out by the sanctuary," Mr McNamara said.

"The Green Guardians program provides an innovative approach to supporting the wildlife welfare and conservation activities undertaken by the sanctuary.

"Community members and corporations can become Green Guardians in a variety of ways from making a donation, adopting a wildlife child, sponsoring a research project or being active through direct wildlife protection and identification of community environmental issues."

Mr McNamara encouraged all Queenslanders to get involved in community-based conservation activities to protect our native wildlife against the impacts of urban development and the effects of climate change.

"Government will continue to play its lead role, but we can't do it all," Mr McNamara said.

"We need proactive people like Currumbin's Green Guardians to be out there helping to ensure that our wonderful natural wildlife and environmental values aren't lost."

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The Joint Steering Committee visits the Condamine

Joint Queensland/Australian Government NRM Steering Committee (JSC) members and agency staff toured the Condamine region 15-16 November 2007.

Day one of meeting 34 was held at the Burke and Wills Quality Hotel, Toowoomba, followed by a relaxing dinner with guests from many areas of the Condamine and representatives from the Queensland Murray-Darling Committee.

Day two included a field trip of the region. Members and staff were introduced to a local dairy farmer from Gowrie Junction, met a traditional landowner in Gummingurru, a quick stop at Jondaryan township, followed by an inspection of Bowenville Reserve – and the fish restocking project.

Members were treated to a delightful lunch at White Mischief Chocolate Factory, Mount Tyson.

There was plenty of commentary throughout the trip to keep guests up to date on peri-urban issues, weed projects, diversity of land use and a general impact on natural resource management.

A special thank you to Condamine Alliance for hosting meeting 34 of the JSC and making everyone welcome.

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Natural resources news
International Volunteer Day

International Volunteer Day on Wednesday 5 December is an opportunity to show appreciation for the thousands of natural resource management (NRM) volunteers in Queensland. 

In 1985, the United Nations General Assembly designated 5 December as an annual celebration of voluntary action by people, communities and governments of the world.

Queensland Water and Land Carers (QWaLC) is once again promoting this event as an opportunity for NRM professionals to appreciate the contribution made by volunteers to the NRM sector. 

NRM volunteer groups work with regional bodies, all levels of government, NGOs and commercial organisations to roll out hundreds of projects through the provision of on-ground labour and expertise. 

"In some regions NRM volunteers make up to 2% of the population," said QWaLC Chair Esma Armstrong.

"that percentage is rapidly increasing as concerns over climate change continue to grow." 

Since July, the number of new groups registering with QWaLC has accounted for over 500 NRM volunteers. The peak body is on track to represent more than 20 000 volunteers by 2009.

More information on International Volunteer Day is available on QWaLC's website.

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Brisbane's urban invaders

Hearing the terrified cries of lap dogs and home-loving pet cats as they are snatched away is a distressing experience becoming all too common in some Brisbane neighbourhoods.

In the past two years, 21 wild dogs have been trapped in the Pullenvale district alone, with another 17 caught in the Bardon-Mt Coot-tha area.

Crossbred dingoes, running wild in packs and frequently desperately hungry, are growing adept as small animal thieves. Along with foxes, pigs and deer, they are a daily pest problem for Brisbane City Council (BCC) and its neighbouring local authorities.

Wild deer, first noticed within the city boundaries a decade ago, have the potential to treble in number every three years. Groups of up to 120 deer have taken over in some areas.

Visit some of Brisbane's most affluent neighbourhoods, and it's easy to see why deer do so well. All through suburbs like Pullenvale and Brookfield, many residents build their homes near roads running along ridges and crests, and own a few hectares extending down into natural bush along creeks.

Dozens of these feeder valleys, all linking with Brisbane River and its tributaries, make a perfect network of green corridors through which deer, wild dogs, foxes and feral pigs roam with ease.

This month, council officers have begun setting up steel pens to trap deer, which are then quickly shipped up the Warrego Highway to an approved deer farm.

It's a difficult situation for any council. Residents are divided into those who see deer as cute eye candy, and "Santa's reindeer", and those who view them as environmentally destructive, potentially dangerous menaces.

When catching deer, the BCC has to follow all RSPCA requirements, relevant animal ethics legislation and the Land Protection (Pest and Stock Route Management) Act 2002.

Rusa are potentially the biggest deer problem in Brisbane, says Victor Kaniuk, team leader of the council's invasive species strategy team.

"Of the three feral deer species residing in Brisbane, rusa deer are creating the greatest concern. Rusa deer are strong swimmers and are often sighted swimming creeks and the Brisbane River. They are increasing their territorial range each year. Sightings are being reported from new areas each year," he said.

Because deer can go crazy, potentially injuring themselves, when caught in the cage traps, council officers will monitor them carefully.

"Traps are only set during late evening and trapped animals are moved during darkness in an enclosed vehicle," Kaniuk said. "Being in an enclosed vehicle restricts the animal's sense of sight and movement. Trapped animals are relocated to an approved deer farm and released into a large fenced area, prior to daylight."

Thanks to The Courier Mail for this story.

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CSI: Noosa

You can run but you can't hide, you sneaky inorganic nitrogen.

Scientists armed with CSI-like technology are coming to a Noosa River waterway near you and they promise to hunt you down and wipe you out.

Noosa Landcare and Noosa Council, keen to maintain their Healthy Waterways A-rating, have won $44 747 in federal funding to investigate raised levels of inorganic nitrogen and identify the exact cause of that increase, which is not dangerous.

"Organic nitrogen comes from nature but inorganic nitrogen occurs once an animal eats something and processes it through its stomach," the council's environmental services manager, Ben McMullen, said.

"Fertiliser can contribute also and these two things are likely to be the cause.

"We will examine the nitrogen and we can even use very sophisticated chemical analysis to determine where it came from, whether it's from a sewage treatment plant or a septic system.

"It can even distinguish between different types of animals, whether the nitrogen is from a marsupial, a chicken, or cattle."

University of the Sunshine Coast staff will work on the 18-month project, which begins with public workshops next month.

Thanks to the Sunshine Coast Daily for this story.

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NRM prioritisation tools workshop

A workshop highlighting NRM prioritisation tools was held recently to share knowledge and experience between Queensland's regional NRM bodies and the tool developers.

The workshop was a collaboration between the Regional NRM Groups Collective (the RGC), the Department of Natural Resources and Water (NRW), and the NRM Science Panel.

The tools - developed by CSIRO, NRW, the University of Queensland (UQ), and the Bureau of Rural Sciences - demonstrated methods for prioritising NRM investments, mapping, systems modelling and multi-criteria analysis. Eight of the regional NRM bodies participated and shared their experiences with using prioritisation tools. They also provided ideas and feedback on the tools presented.

Highlights included:

The tool developers are available to visit regions to support them in using these tools. If this is of interest, or if you would like a copy of the notes from the workshop, contact Rowan Eisner.

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Call to action - help save the dugong

The dugong - those large, vegetarian marine mammals - need your help.

Weighing 400kg at adult weight, these docile creatures feed solely on seagrass. Sadly, seagrass beds are threatened by erosion, which is escalated by poor land-use practices such as land clearing, deforestation, overgrazing, unmanaged construction activity and road building.

Populations of dugong have shown marked declines of around 95 per cent throughout southern Queensland over the past 50 years. This decline has occurred in the more developed and urbanised coastal areas and is related to the lack of seagrasses.

The movement of unconsolidated sediment (erosion) finds its way into watercourses and ends up in the ocean. Extreme sediment loads in these marine systems leads to a destruction of seagrass beds, and ultimately to the demise of the dugong.

The Black Mountain Range Catchment project, a Landcare initiative, is doing its bit for the marine environment, but needs the community's help to plant trees to prevent continued erosion.

Funded by the Burnett Mary Regional Group for NRM, and supported by Noosa Council, the project aims to increase plant-based biodiversity in the Black Mountain Range sub-catchment. Noosa Council has conducted similar works around Lake Macdonald, which flows into Six Mile Creek, and into the Mary River.

By planting creekside vegetation, creek banks will stabilise and erosion reduced. Freshwater vegetation will also act as a sediment and nutrient filter to help keep the water clean.

The benefits gained in the hinterland region will filter through the rest of the catchment into the Mary River, and eventually into Hervey Bay, preserving seagrass beds in an important dugong breeding and feeding ground.

To find out how you can help, contact Paul Sprecher, Noosa Landcare, on 07 5485 2155.

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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 body: Burdekin Dry Tropics NRM

Title: Finance clerk

Salary range: Between $45 000 and $53 000

Location: Townsville

Closing date: COB 3 December

If you would like to know more about the position, get a copy of the position description and selection criteria from the Burdekin Dry Tropics NRM website, or contact your potential new manager, Orlanda, on 07 4724 3544 for more info.

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Thought for the week

There is more to life than simply increasing its speed.

Mahatma Gandhi

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We welcome your contributions and feedback. If you have any comments or suggestions for The Bugle please contact Carl Glen, Shona Strachan or Aleisha Domrow.

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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 04 December 2007

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