The Bugle - 15 February 2008
In news this week
- Regional NRM efforts recognised in report
- Stakeholders key to sawfish success story
- Locals use bugs for pest control
- Fire management for the future in Mt Isa region
- Snap a stormwater scene to win big prizes
- Indigenous sea rangers return from Mexico
- Sawfish set to star in Seaweek 2008
- Project money controls the wild
- How the South West was one
Government updates
- PM's apology opens new chapter in Australia's history
- New Wild River Rangers for the Gulf and Cape
- Queensland regional NRM in good hands
- A safe and secure Drought Exit Strategy for SEQ
- Funds flow for irrigation projects
- Love is all around in Queensland
Reef updates
Wetlands updates
Natural resources news
- Go, go banana power
- Sunshine State's students shine at science awards
- It's easy being green in Brizzy
- Travellers tempted to try out toadbusting
- Clean up begins at school
- Get a job in NRM!
Regional NRM group stories
Regional NRM efforts recognised in report
Regional NRM groups' collective efforts have been recognised as comprehensive and well-focused on addressing significant risks in a National Audit Office Report on Australia's flagship environmental programs, the Natural Heritage Trust (NHT) and the National Action Plan for Salinity and Water Quality (NAP).
Mike Berwick, Queensland Regional NRM Groups' Collective chair, welcomed the report's comments which also drew attention to the need for an NRM funding boost for continual improvement.
The report also states that achieving the target of reversing water quality, biodiversity and land condition decline may take 200 years.
"Without commenting on the precise time frame, the report acknowledges Australia's 56 regional bodies are under-resourced to deliver such a massive task," Mr Berwick said.
"We also agree with the Audit's assessment of the need to be able to measure changes in landscape condition to ensure government investment is well targeted," he said.
"Queensland has initiated a meeting of Australia's peak farming and conservation sectors to provide advice to the Australian Government about improvements to programme delivery and reporting," he said.
"We believe there is sufficient common ground between these sectors to achieve broad agreement and provide sound advice," he said.
The Audit also proposes a more strategic approach to program delivery.
"We read this as a need for improved alignment of the various Australian and State Government investments in natural resource management," Mr Berwick said.
Visit the RGC website for the full media release.
Stakeholders key to sawfish success story
Stakeholders and sawfish proved a winning combination in gaining critical insight into the life of this unique animal in the Gulf region.
A juvenile freshwater sawfish (Pristis Microdon) in the Gulf of Carpentaria was recaptured by the Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries (DPI&F) and Southern Gulf Catchments NRM sawfish project team.
The young female sawfish was initially captured, tagged and released by a local commercial fisherman working voluntarily with the sawfish project team.
The sawfish was tagged in the estuarine section of the Leichhardt River and recaptured over the Australia Day long weekend only a couple of kilometres upstream from where it was first tagged.
Over the six months since it was tagged the sawfish had grown a whopping 24.5cm, over 1mm day!
Without community support, opportunities to gain critical life history and post capture and release information on a species such as the sawfish is lost.
Many thanks must go to the local commercial fisher for participating in the sawfish tag and release program.
For more on the sawfish project contact Southern Gulf's Matthew Vickers on 4743 1888
A sawfish handling guide is available online at the DPI&F website.
Locals use bugs for pest control
Local land managers are turning to nature to help combat unwanted pests in the region. Cat's Claw Creeper, a declared pest, now dominates some parts of local waterways and is flourishing under favourable growing conditions in recent months.
Atkinson Buaraba Creek Catchment Landcare and Esk Shire Council have joined forces with SEQ Catchments and Biodiversity Queensland to use bugs as the frontline attack on the creeper.
Populations of a leaf sucking bug as well as a leaf tying moth have been released at trial sites at Buaraba Creek and the Brisbane River near Fernvale. Both the bug and moth feed on the Cat’s Claw Creeper, damaging and slowing down the growth of the plant.
The leaf sucking bugs (tigids) were first released mid-last year, and the moths, released in December, have produced noticeable results in only a few weeks at some sites. Atkinson Buaraba Creek Catchment Landcare is documenting the bug releases and trial findings on a DVD which will be available later in the year.
The more common chemical and mechanical methods of creeper control have proved expensive and labour intensive, and have not been successful in halting growth.
Cat's Claw Creeper can strangle creek bank trees creating erosion, reduced water quality and loss of habitat for local koalas and other wildlife, including pest predators. Providing refuge for predators means fewer crops lost to pest attack.
The bugs and plants undergo regular monitoring as part of the trials and indications as to the success of these bugs in controlling the creeper may take up to two years.
A field day on the project has been organised for 26 February. Contact Robyn McIntosh from ABC Landcare on 5426 4304 for further details.
Fire management for the future in Mt Isa region
Decades of research into fire ecology has shown that fire is instrumental in shaping the environment and that active fire management is required for conserving species, cultural heritage and ecological communities.
Dr Leasie Felderhof of Firescape Science is assisting Southern Gulf Catchments (SGC) to develop a detailed project proposal for addressing fire management issues in the Greater Mt Isa region.
SGC is responding to concerns that changed fire regimes since European settlement have resulted in vegetation change and species loss.
The influence of fire on the landscape means that land managers committed to sustainable land management need to address fire management issues.
This is the basis of SGC promoting best-practice fire management in the Greater Mount Isa area.
The use of fire for sustainable land management is recognised by the Fire and Rescue Service Act 1990, administered by the Queensland Fire and Rescue Service, but significantly more emphasis is placed on fire safety, fire prevention and reducing fire hazard.
Dr Felderhof has been working on a draft project framework with modules for fire planning, implementation, knowledge gathering, acquiring new knowledge, and extension.
She will be consulting with the SGC and holding a workshop in March to consult with stakeholders, community members and potential partners to finalise this framework which will be used to seek funding for the project.
For more information on the workshop or the project, please contact Kate Masters or Mark Van Ryt, Southern Gulf Catchments, on 4743 1888.
Snap a stormwater scene to win big prizes
Snap a stormwater scene and win Camera House goodies and your photo on canvas!
If you're feeling creative, or know of anyone else that may feel that way, then you need to enter the Burnett Mary Regional Group (BMRG) Stormwater Photography Competition.
Details are available on the stormwater website or contact Cheryl List at BMRG on 4181 2999 ext 205.
Get snapping the competition closes 17 March.
Indigenous sea rangers return from Mexico
A week-long international celebration of Indigenous cultural practices and management of marine turtle may have finished in Mexico, but the experience gained by four Indigenous land and sea managers from the Torres Strait and North-East Arnhem Land will last a lifetime.
The small seaside town of Loreto, on the Mexican Baja California Peninsula, hosted this year's Symposium on Sea Turtle Biology and Conservation. Over 1000 scientists, conservationists and Indigenous land and sea managers from 60 nations converged on the town to explore the theme, "Native Oceans".
The delegation from Australia was sent to Mexico through a partnership between the North Australian Indigenous Land and Sea Management Alliance (NAILSMA), the Torres Strait Regional Authority (TSRA), Dhimurru Land Management Aboriginal Corporation, James Cook University and the United States organisation, Ocean Revolution. The delegates' attendance was made possible through travel funding provided by James Cook University and The Christensen Fund.
The exchange linked Indigenous people from Australia's northern coastal regions with the Seri Indians of Mexico and facilitated the exchange of both cultural and technical information of marine turtle species.
The TSRA's chairperson Mr Toshie Kris, said he was pleased that three representatives from the Torres Strait, including the TSRA's Dugong and Marine Turtle Project Liaison Officer and JCU Masters student Mr Frank Loban, participated in the international event.
"Such opportunities are invaluable and with the marine turtle playing a critical role in the Torres Strait's culture and way of life, it is important that our people learn how to sustainabably manage this importance species," said Mr Kris.
The exchange extends this network internationally and will be reciprocated next year when the Seri people travel to Australia for the 2009 Symposium to be held in Brisbane.
Visit the NAILSMA website for more on the symposium.
Sawfish set to star in Seaweek 2008
"Extinction - a Saw point" highlighting the plight of the declining sawfish is the theme of this year's Seaweek.
Seaweek 2008, running from 2 to 8 March, is a national educational campaign that aims to acknowledge those involved in marine environmental education and further acknowledge actions for the conservation and sustainable management of the marine environment.
It is conducted annually to focus community awareness, provide information and encourage an appreciation of the sea. Seaweek is committed to the United Nations "Decade of Education for Sustainable Development".
The Marine Education Society of Australasia (MESA) is working in partnership with the Northern Gulf Resource Management Group (NGRMG) as the official sponsors of Seaweek 2008. The sponsorship recognises NGRMG's work with the Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries' Stirling Peverell on sawfish projects.
Seaweek 2008 will largely be web-based to reduce its footprint, so keep your eyes peeled as more great materials are developed. Anyone with materials of links you might be aware of to support the sawfish theme are encouraged to send them to MESA, to be incorporated into their resources.
Visit the Seaweek website for loads of information, support materials and events in your area. If you are running any form of Seaweek event please register the event on the site.
Stay tuned for more stories in The Bugle.
Project money controls the wild
Through the Defeating the Weeds Menace Prickly Acacia Project, Desert Channels Queensland (DCQ) will be assisting landholders from around Aramac, Muttaburra, Barcaldine and Longreach in controlling prickly acacia infestations.
These identified areas are outside the National Prickly Acacia Containment Line and therefore to date have received little or no funding support for on-ground works.
DCQ is providing funds for contract labour with landholders contributing the supply of chemical and diesel. This proposal will enable landholders to continue with their regular duties while the control works are carried out.
Landholders and contractors engaged in the project met in Longreach last Friday with Ron Beezley, NRM Facilitator and Brett Carlsson, Pest Management Coordinator to plan the "attack".
All pre and post treatment is to be recorded and mapped to show progress and results. Each landholder was given an A3 satellite image of their property so that the weed control areas (past and present) can be marked and the data entered into the DCQ weed database. All work needs to be completed by 30 May 2008.
For more information on this project and the work of DCQ call 4658 0600.
How the South West was one
South West NRM (SWNRM) has rounded up a posse of their finest and is heading off with a caravan on a whirlwind tour of their region.
The group will visit 13 towns in the region over 15 days to discuss the future direction of land management in South West Queensland.
With the current South West Regional NRM Plan expiring on June 30 staff will consult with the public on a new five year plan starting in Tambo.
This is an opportunity for landholders to have their say on a new NRM Plan and learn about the programs and services offered by South West NRM.
A full list of towns and dates visit the SWNRM website.
Government updates
PM's apology opens new chapter in Australia's history
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has delivered the long-awaited apology to Australia's stolen generations in the House of Representatives on 13 February.
Kevin Rudd has said sorry for the pain, suffering and hurt of the stolen generations, their descendants and families left behind.
Addressing a packed House, Mr Rudd said the Parliament apologised for laws and policies which had "inflicted profound grief, suffering and loss on these our fellow Australians."
Mr Rudd said he hoped today's apology would open a new era in Australian history.
The apology brought the nation to a stand-still including hundreds of people outside Parliament House in Canberra. People on their way to work stopped in Brisbane’s Queen Street Mall to watch the live telecast on restaurant televisions.
Celebrations to mark the day took place across the nation from schools to Aboriginal communities and even the lawns in front of Parliament House including Indigenous performers and a community barbecue.
A live webcast of the national apology was made available from the Parliament of Australia website.
New Wild River Rangers for the Gulf and Cape
Gulf of Carpentaria and Cape York are set to get twenty new Indigenous rangers to manage pristine and near pristine wild rivers in the region.
The first 10 rangers will be working by the end of the month with the remaining 10 rangers appointed to various areas after negotiation with local indigenous people.
The Wild River Rangers will be employed to work with landholders, communities and traditional owners to protect and promote the state's new wild river systems.
"The program not only provides protection for the world-class natural values of the area but also creates much-needed full time jobs in remote Aboriginal communities," Minister for Natural Resources and Water Craig Wallace said.
"These locally employed rangers will work with elders to preserve wetlands and ecosystems of high biodiversity or cultural significance."
The program will assist indigenous people to manage their own land and environment and give real employment opportunities to those who join the program. The skills the rangers develop will be passed on to the next generation and will ensure the Cape and Gulf's unique ecologies are better managed and preserved.
Their role is to record traditional stories, local species and habitats, look after visitor management, and manage weeds, feral animals, fire and other threats to the river systems. Being locally employed, the rangers already have close links with the traditional owners of the country they will be caring for.
Last year the Queensland Government declared the state's first six wild rivers, the Settlement, Morning Inlet, Gregory and Staaten in the Gulf and Hinchinbrook and Fraser islands. Declaration as a wild river protects pristine and near-pristine rivers for future generations by controlling activities in high impact areas immediately adjacent to those rivers.
Three rangers are currently employed full time at the Pormpuraaw Land and Sea Centre and one ranger is employed full time operating out of the Kowanyama Aboriginal Land and Natural Resource Management Office.
Interviews for the remainder of these first 10 ranger positions will be held later this month and the rangers are expected to commence shortly after in the Gulf. A further 10 rangers will be appointed to various areas after negotiation with local indigenous people.
Queensland regional NRM in good hands
A National Audit Office Report on the performance of environmental programs, the Natural Heritage Trust (NHT) and the National Action Plan for Salinity and Water Quality (NAP), released last week has highlighted the efforts of Queensland regional NRM processes.
Queensland has been recognised by the Australian Government as having the best process for collecting 'on the ground' performance data, including clear and consistent business rules supporting the collection and collation of performance data.
The state has also led the way with the development of the enQuire system, which streamlines the collection of data from regional bodies to the state level and is recognised as the only system in Australia to cover all aspects of regional and state reporting.
In 2005 Queensland addressed the issue of quality and measurability of targets in the regional plans by developing a 'Protocol for changing management action and resource condition targets'. This protocol has been adapted for use by other states and territories.
Business improvement reviews have enabled the effective evaluation of regional administration structures and practices
In order to strengthen the management of risks to program outcomes, Queensland has a register of final reports for all NHT and NAP activities which outlines achievements against objectives, unintended outcomes, lessons learned and implications for the future.
Many of the issues raised in the report regarding the monitoring, evaluation and reporting of NHT and NAP are being addressed through the development of a new national Monitoring, Evaluation, Reporting and Program Improvement (MERI) framework.
The full report can be downloaded from the Australian National Audit Office website.
A safe and secure Drought Exit Strategy for SEQ
South East Queensland's combined dam levels will have to reach 40 per cent before there is any easing of general water restrictions under the Drought Exit Strategy outlined by the Queensland Water Commission (QWC).
The trigger point was carefully chosen as the result of detailed modelling analysis, updated for the latest data on dam inflows, climate change risks, consumption trends and population growth.
Also taken into account is the fact that thanks to the efforts of the community South East Queensland (SEQ) has a completely different water using culture supported by the widespread installation of rainwater tanks and fitting of efficient appliances.
The Drought Exit Strategy is based on careful consideration of the latest analysis, rather than following a plan developed years ago before the community embraced Target 140.
It is also supported by the extensive work behind the QWC's long-term strategy for securing the region’s water supplies that will be released in the near future.
Details of the exit strategy and restrictions are available on the QWC website.
Funds flow for irrigation projects
Grants totalling $4.6 million have been awarded to 14 irrigation water providers to develop modernisation plans for reducing water loss in the water infrastructure that they own and operate.
Minister for Climate Change and Water, Senator Penny Wong said, “The purpose of the grants is to help these water providers identify and consider the range of options available to them to modernise their water delivery infrastructure.
"The water saved by modernising delivery infrastructure will be used to keep our rivers healthy. It can rejuvenate wetlands and floodplains, and help to conserve the native fish, plants and animals in our rivers, and reduce the risk of salinity and algal blooms."
Senator Wong said the grants of up to $500 000 would allow water providers to obtain independent professional expertise and facilitate workshops to assist with modernisation planning.
"For example, Southern Rural Water in Victoria's Gippsland is receiving $500 000 to undertake an extensive study of the options to replace its 90-year old infrastructure with a modern supply system."
"The scope of the modernisation plans will suit the conditions in each irrigation district. I expect each modernisation plan to consider issues affecting the individual irrigation district in a strategic and integrated manner. Consultation with stakeholders, including irrigators and the wider community, is essential to this process.
"An example of this is the North and South Burdekin Water Boards in Queensland, which are working together to undertake an assessment of its current water delivery systems and the efficiency of local water use, as well as an analysis of alternative infrastructure and the type of crops grown in the area."
Senator Wong said successfully obtaining Irrigation Modernisation Planning Assistance does not guarantee funding for on-ground infrastructure work.
"A separate application and assessment process will be undertaken in relation to on-ground infrastructure works, the details of which will be released soon," she said.
A list of all the successful applicants can be found on the Department of the Environment, Water Heritage and the Arts website.
Love is all around in Queensland
To mark Valentine's Day this week it's interesting to reflect on the numerous place names in Queensland that tug at the heartstrings.
Queensland is full of place names that are about love and romance.
In South East Queensland place names include Love Creek in Pine Rivers Shire, Heart Lagoon in Beaudesert Shire and of course Kissing Corner in Nanango Shire.
Fitzroy Shire is home to Sweet Water Creek and both Fitzroy and Livingstone Shire can boast a Valentine Creek.
North Queensland features Lovers Bay and Kissing Point in Townsville City, Mount Sweetland in Mackay City, Mount Valentine in the Mareeba Shire and Rose Hill in the Torres Shire.
The romance continues with the Darling Downs and Lilly Lagoon and Rosebud Homestead in Cloncurry Shire.
For those contemplating a commitment this Valentine's Day, perhaps an ideal proposal location could be Bride Creek (Blackall Shire) or Groomsville (Crows Nest Shire), Ringstead Parish (Diamantina Shire), Honeymoon Lagoon (Burke Shire) or Honeymoon Waterhole (Broadsound Shire).
Other ideal locations include Dove Point (Livingstone Shire), Mount Candlelight (Fitzroy Shire), Starlight Waterhole (Carpentaria Shire), Little Moonlight Creek (Dalrymple Shire) and Moonlight Waterhole (Quilpie Shire).
Precious stones for that special ring can be found across the state with the Valley Of Diamonds (Crows Nest Shire) and Ruby Creek (Mount Isa City), not to forget Emerald (Emerald Shire) and Mount Emerald (Mareeba Shire). Valentines Day gifts feature noticeably on the Queensland map with Teddy Bear Creek (Livingstone Shire), Champagne Creek (Taroom Shire) and Champagne Gully (Dalrymple Shire).
Romantic place names are featured in the place names database administered by the Department of Natural Resources and Water.
Reef updates
Schools pledge to protect Great Barrier Reef in 2008
School is back and with the start of 2008, thousands of students and teachers along the Queensland coast are expected to reaffirm their commitment to protecting the Great Barrier Reef.
Now in its sixth year, the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority's (GBRMPA) Reef Guardian Schools programme supports schools that are working towards reducing their ecological footprint and thereby helping to protect the Reef.
Reef education coordinator Megan Sperring said she is looking forward to an exciting year in which students will develop innovative projects and activities to improve environmental sustainability in and around their schools.
"With this year being the International Year of the Reef, we are expecting big things from our schools," she said.
Some of the exciting projects in the pipelines include water quality testing in the Burdekin, sustainable fishing camps in the Mossman area, turtle nesting research in Mackay and one school in Gladstone is looking to convert to 100 per cent solar energy.
"Many of the schools have been a part of the programme since its inception in 2003 and each year they build on the projects they have been doing and make them bigger and better or they take on a completely new focus," Ms Sperring said.
This year the Reef Guardian Schools programme will offer new resources and training such as teachers workshops along the Great Barrier Reef coastline and will continue to support successful programmes like the Future Leaders Eco Challenges where students from various schools meet to workshop environmental issues in their regions.
For more information on how to get involved in the Reef Guardian Schools programme contact GBRMPA on 4750 0700 or visit the ReefED website.
Wetlands updates
Healthy wetlands boost fish stocks
The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA) and Burdekin Shire, under the Reef Guardian Council program, are urging the community to consider the importance of wetlands to the local environment and the health of the Great Barrier Reef.
GBRMPA chairman Dr Russell Reichelt said that over the last 150 years many wetlands have been lost due to coastal development and agricultural growth.
"Wetlands play a vital role in filtering out nutrients and sediments before that water reaches the Great Barrier Reef lagoon," Dr Reichelt said.
"Water quality is a critical issue for the Great Barrier Reef and if we are to have a Reef that is resilient in the face of climate change then healthy wetlands are pivotal."
Burdekin Shire Council mayor, Cr Lyn McLaughlin said as just one of four Reef Guardian Councils in Queensland her council took its responsibility to look after wetlands seriously.
"Wetlands play a vital role in our Shire in filtering out some pollutants while also providing a nursery ground for important fish stocks," Cr McLaughlin said.
Burdekin Shire is undertaking a project of re-establishing passage for native fish at Horseshoe Lagoon which will result in improved fish stocks in downstream estuarine areas such as Barramundi Creek.
Natural resources news
Go, go banana power
The thought of powering your house on banana waste may sound a little unrealistic, but, two years ago, University of Queensland researcher associate professor Bill Clarke proved it was a possibility.
Between 2004 and 2005 Dr Clarke, supported by the Queensland Government through the Queensland Sustainable Energy Innovation Fund (QSEIF), Ergon Energy, and The Australian Banana Growers' Association Inc, uncovered the potential to produce energy from banana waste.
Growcom has recently transformed Dr Clarke's research into a commercial scale project in North Queensland, a location where bananas are far from scarce. This venture is also supported by an additional QSEIF grant.
"We demonstrated in 2004-2005 that waste bananas and stalk material within the banana bunch are a great source of methane," Dr Clarke said.
"Methane is produced by loading the bananas into an air tight reactor, with careful control of pH and, ideally, temperature," he said.
The biogas, a combination of methane and carbon dioxide, produced from bananas could potentially be used as an alternative energy source.
"The biogas can either be stored at moderate pressure, possibly for use as a transportation fuel, or directed to a gas engine to generate electricity, as is currently done in Australia at a number of landfills," Dr Clarke said.
For more information on the project contact Dr Clarke on 3365 6464 or Penny Robinson on 3365 9723.
Sunshine State’s students shine at science awards
Queensland state schools stood out at this year's BHP Billiton Science Awards, Australia's most prestigious student science awards.
The awards recognise students who have undertaken practical research projects, which demonstrate innovative approaches and thorough scientific procedures.
Shaun Williams, Keebra Park State High School (KPSHS), received second prize for 'Chlorella protothecoides as a carbon sink and bio diesel source.' He was awarded $1200 and will compete at the International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF). Shaun also received the GRDC (Grains Research and Development Corporation) Award. The GRDC Award is given to the student whose project best communicates original research on sustainable plant agriculture.
Third prize was taken out by another Queenslander, also from KPSHS. Sally Barrett was awarded $500 for 'The effect of anthropogenic carbon dioxide on the shell development of ostracods.'
Albany Hills State School teacher Cheryl Capra also scored recognition, receiving the Teacher Award and will travel to ISEF.
The national winners were chosen from 16 state and territory finalists who attended a science camp in Melbourne from 9 to12 February. All state and territory finalists received cash prizes.
The BHP Billiton Science Awards have been sponsored by BHP Billiton since 1981 and are managed by CSIRO.
It’s easy being green in Brizzy
Brisbane City Council (BCC) is making it even easier for residents to be green with its CitySmart vans coming to a suburb near you.
CitySmart vans are set to visit selected Brisbane shopping centres and attend Neighbourhood Fairs offering a range of advice on gardening, how to use less power and water and reduce your impact on the environment.
Bring the family to enjoy a free sausage sizzle and lots of entertainment for the kids.
Other great green BCC programs include CitySmart Green Up mornings and CitySmart Green Up afternoons featuring Wipe Out Weed events and the opportunity to speak with qualified nursery staff.
More information on CitySmart Neighbourhood Fairs is available on the BCC website.
Travellers tempted to try out toadbusting
Sightseeing? Check. Surfing? Check. Toadbusting?
That's right, make way for toadbusting, the latest craze with travellers looking for quirky adventure in Western Australia.
The Kununurra-based Kimberley Toadbusters' volunteers now include local residents, Aboriginal communities, backpackers and holidaying Australian families.
Even Vietnam veterans have caught the bug, combining bush camping with doing something positive for the country.
Ex-military men make great toadbusters, according to Kimberley Toadbusters president Lee Scott Virtue, because toad-busting is "like a military operation" that requires good reconnaissance to find the toads' routes and destroy them in areas that are being invaded.
Toadbusting tours may soon make an appearance in Lonely Planet guides, toadbusting groups have been contacted by Lonely Planet for details about the trips every weekend from Kununurra.
A toadbusting adventure weekend includes a 450km drive over the border into the Northern Territory, camping in remote bush sites, barbecues, and sometimes riding on quad bikes or in a gyrocopter to get to remote toad-infested waterholes.
Perth-based toadbuster Sandy Boulter said local Aboriginal children were treated like heroes at school if they had been out toadbusting all weekend.
Story sourced from the Sunday Times
Clean up begins at school
Since 1992 children all around Australia have turned out in their hundreds of thousands to help Clean Up Australia.
Schools Clean Up Day is specifically designed to allow students to participate in Clean Up Australia as part of a school activity.
The next Schools Clean Up Day will be held on 29 February.
It's a great way for students of all ages to learn about how to reduce the impact of waste on our environment and make a real difference in their local community.
Visit the Clean Up Australia website for more information, to register or to download an education kit.
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: Desert Channels Queensland
Title: Project coordinator
Tenure: 12 months
Salary range: Salary will be negotiated in the range of $45 000 to $55 000 per annum
Location: To be negotiated, but will most likely be based in either Charleville or Longreach.
Closing date: 14 March 2008
This position is to coordinate and manage a one-off project entitled, "Enhancing Biodiversity Hotspots Along Western Queensland Stock Routes".
The successful applicant will be working with the communities within the regions of Desert Channels Queensland, South West Natural Resource Management, Queensland Murray-Darling Committee and Southern Gulf Catchments Natural Resource Management. Extensive travel, including remote areas, will be required.
For a full position description and selection criteria contact Brittany Wakefield on 4658 0600.
Thought for the week
The time has now come for the nation to turn a new page in Australia’s history by righting the wrongs of the past and so moving forward with confidence to the future.
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd - apology to the Stolen Generations
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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