The Bugle - 22 August 2008
In news this week
- BMRG awards and showcase in September
- Queensland regional NRM digital case studies now online
- Former chair of FBA passes away
- Culling feral animals in western Queensland
- Reef Catchments officially opens its doors
Government updates
- It only takes five minutes to help regionaNRM
- Register now for the Designer Carrots National MBI Forum
- Weedbuster Week is almost here
- Brisbane to host Australia's first ecosciences centrepiece
- Turning salt water sludge into clean fuel
- Science on show during this week's National Science Week
Reef updates
Natural resources news
- Catchment Detox is an online sensation
- Healthy Waterways News direct to you inbox
- AgForward workshop update
- Get a job in NRM!
Regional NRM group stories
BMRG awards and showcase in September
The Burnett Mary Natural Resource Management Awards will be held in Bundaberg on the 1 September and will coincide with the Burnett Mary Partnership Showcase being held on 1-2 September.
The Burnett Mary Regional Group (BMRG) has received over 50 quality nominations for the awards which demonstrates just how much work people in the region have done in partnership with BMRG to address NRM issues throughout the region.
Over the past three and a half years the BMRG has partnered with various organisations across the region to carry out close to 400 activities. As regional NRM move into a new phase, it is fitting to determine what has been learnt and achieved over the period of the Natural Heritage Trust.
BMRG invites you to join them in September to acknowledge the exceptional work that both individuals and organisations have made to NRM in the region.
Visit the BMRG website for more information and to RSVP.
Queensland regional NRM digital case studies now online
You can now see and hear about the on-ground achievements of Queensland's regional NRM bodies and their many partners, via the internet, through digital case studies.
The new Queensland regional NRM section of the PlaceStories website features both state wide and regional projects, placing a spotlight on the people and places where these projects occur.
The first state-level digital story, Protecting and Expanding Queensland’s Nature Reserves, is available at the Landcare PlaceStories website for viewing.
PlaceStories is hosted by Landcare Queensland in partnership with Feral Arts. They are continuing to working closely with Landcare groups and regional NRM bodies to develop the PlaceStories digital storytelling system and customising it to the specific needs of the NRM network.
More collaborative state stories showing how regional NRM bodies and partners are addressing the six national priorities under Caring for our Country are underway and will be available on the PlaceStories website soon.
Former chair of FBA passes away
Instrumental in shaping the success of the organisation, former chair of the Fitzroy Basin Association (FBA) Barbara Wildin passed away in July.
Barbara led the FBA after retiring from local government in 2000 until July 2005, when due to illness, she retired her position as the chair.
FBA's Claire Rodgers said Barbara's leadership and energy saw FBA expand from four staff to an organisation of around 30 staff investing more than $25 million dollars over three years.
"During this time, Barbara continued and expanded FBA's work of bringing stakeholders together to plan wise management of our region's resources," Ms Rodgers said.
"Barbara is remembered for her drive and enthusiasm, her perseverance in the face of obstacles, and for her friendship to staff and stakeholders alike," Mrs Rodgers said.
Culling feral animals in western Queensland
The Queensland Murray-Darling Committee's (QMDC) two-year project to reduce feral animal numbers in the Toowoomba region moved to the culling phase recently.
QMDC is monitoring six sites for feral pigs, cats and foxes; three are control sites, and three areas will undertake shooting, baiting and trapping of feral animals. The six areas are Kingdon, Nindigully, Southwood National Park, Middle Creek, Talwood and Crowders Creek.
QMDC's Darren Marshall says the group is looking to see what impact the culling will have on animal numbers.
"We're going to put some collars on some feral pigs just to see where they spend their time in the landscape, if it's on food, water or shelter, mainly so that we can target where we put the traps or where we bait and be more targeted in that coordinated control rather than just blanket baiting," Mr Marshall said.
He says pig density is very low at the moment because of the drought, but the project will tell them how quickly the numbers come back after the culling.
"It's a really good time for us to target them (pigs) because while the numbers are so low we can have a real impact if we knock them back now," Mr Marshall said.
For more information visit the QMDC website.
Reef Catchments officially opens its doors
Reef Catchments has officially opened.
Previously known as Mackay Whitsunday NRM Group, the new name and office premises was recognised officially at a launch party on 14 August.
The federal Minister for Capricornia Kirsten Livermore opened the new office with a ribbon cutting ceremony. The Queensland Minister for the Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries Tim Mulherin also attended, along with the Member for Mirani Ted Malone .
Reef Catchments CEO Rob Cocco said, "It's been a long process to get to this point and we're pleased to be able to start the new financial year with our new name and office."
The Reef Catchment office is located at 174 Victoria Street, Level 1, Mackay, however the entrance is on Macalister Street.
The name Reef Catchments was chosen out of 21 possibilities. It encapsulates the area of the 33 different catchments within the Mackay Whitsunday region as well as providing a small indication of its location close to the Great Barrier Reef.
"These are exciting times, especially with new projects for us coming online such as Reef Rescue. It was also important for us to raise the bar in terms of our ability to compete in a wider commercial arena. We feel our Reef Catchments name and logo puts us in a new league which will professionally reflect who we are and will lead to less confusion," Mr Cocco said.
Government updates
It only takes five minutes to help regionaNRM
If you have five minutes to spare, then why not fill out the RegionalNRM website user survey and help the Department of Natural Resources and Water's Catchment Programs to build a better online resource.
Catchment Programs is revamping the RegionalNRM website and would like to hear from you about how it could be improved. Simply go to the online survey and follow the prompts.
The questionnaire will take you a couple of minutes to complete and will close on 12 September.
With your help we will improve the way the website delivers information. Thanks for helping to develop a better RegionalNRM website.
Register now for the Designer Carrots National MBI Forum
Whether its carrots or sticks that you use for natural resource and environmental management, the Designer Carrots National Market Based Instruments (MBIs) Forum has the right incentive for you. The forum is the finale of the one-year National MBI Capacity Building Program.
The forum has been specifically designed for policy makers, MBI implementers, and researchers to come together to share ideas and lessons, and to help set the future direction of MBIs in Australia. It will include an interesting mix of keynote speakers, panels, facilitated discussions, workshops and a debate.
The forum has two broad themes – big picture issues and issues relevant to specific applications of MBIs, or environmental problems – each with a number of topics and themes for discussion.
The forum will be held in Brisbane on 30 September and 1 October 2008 at Rydges South Bank in Brisbane, close to the river and the city centre, and in the heart of the lively South Bank precinct. There is no charge to attend.
The forum is being organised by the Department of Natural Resources and Water (Queensland) for the Designer Carrots Program, and is funded by the Australian, state and territory governments through the National Action Plan for Salinity and Water Quality.
For more information about the program or to register online visit the Designer Carrots website.
Weedbuster Week is almost here
September is fast approaching, and with it Weedbusters, the annual awareness program focusing community attention on the damaging environmental and economic impacts of weeds and how to deal with them.
Weedbusters is taking place throughout Australia from 1-7 September.
This year Weedbusters is promoting the message that people should select and grow non-invasive plants, and wherever possible, species local to their area. Planting local species has many benefits including 'drought-proofing' gardens, protecting biodiversity and providing habitat for wildlife.
Members of the community interested in organising a Weedbuster event are invited to register their event online on the Weedbuster website. Weedbuster merchandise (shirts, caps, water bottles, stubby holders, and more) is available for purchase online, and there are limited giveaway items that can be obtained by contacting the Weedbusters coordinator directly on 3224 7704.
Every Weedbuster event, no matter how small, is helping spread the message about the damage weeds are doing to our environment, our agricultural systems, our economy, and what people can do to help. Events held previously include onground activities such as weeding, weed displays with local alternatives and field trips. Events have also incorporated food, guest speakers, tree planting, media releases, competitions and promotional giveaways.
For more information, go to the Weedbusters website or email the Queensland Weedbuster Coordinator Petra Skoien or call on 3224 7704.
Brisbane to host Australia's first ecosciences centrepiece
Construction has started on an Australian-first, $280 million Ecosciences Precinct centrepiece being built within the Boggo Road Urban Village redevelopment at Dutton Park.
Queensland of the future faces great challenges and this centre will bring more than 1000 scientists and researchers to address major challenges such as climate change, water and the sustainable growth of Queensland's industries.
When complete in 2011 it will house scientists from the CSIRO, the Queensland Climate Change Centre of Excellence, and Queensland Government departments Natural Resources and Water, Primary Industries and Fisheries, Mines and Energy, and the Environmental Protection Agency.
The centre will create greater collaborations and coordination between state and federal government researchers, along with new partnerships, research projects and world-class facilities.
The Ecosciences Precinct will be part of 109 Central, a concept integrating four new and existing science and education themed precincts into a world leading environmental and biomedical research community.
109 Central will also include the Princess Alexandra Hospital Health Science and Education Precinct, the University of Queensland Precinct and the Mater Hospital Precinct.
Read the full media release on the Queensland Government media statement website.
Turning salt water sludge into clean fuel
The Australian Government has approved a $1.89 million grant to fund a bio-diesel research project that aims to produce fuel from salt water algae, as part of Australia's commitment to the Asia-Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate.
Described as 'one of the most promising bio-fuel options on the planet', algae is anticipated to produce low levels of carbon emissions and more than 10 times the oil of other agricultural bio-fuel stock. Growing algae in saline water on barren land also means the bio-fuel feedstock does not compete with food production.
Murdoch University will lead the four-year project in partnership with the University of Adelaide, the South China Institute of Technology and Parry Nutraceuticals in India.
The project will assess every step of fuel production, from species selection to the operation of reliable sustainable high-oil yields and biomass disposal, to demonstrate the technical and commercial feasibility of creating oil from saline ponds of algae, as well as the life-cycle emissions-reduction benefits of large scale culture of micro-algae in Australia, China and India.
Read more about this story in the Murdoch University's Explore newsletter available from the Murdoch University's website or the turning algae into fuel story can be seen online at the Murdoch University's YouTube news site.
Science on show during this week's National Science Week
National Science week runs from the 16–24 August and aims to increase the community's awareness of science, engineering and technology. More than 700 000 participants are expected to have taken part in the 700 events around Australia.
The Department of Natural Resource and Water's (NRW) Science hosted a series of seminars and forums throughout this week to highlight how NRW's work is delivering innovative, relevant and quality sciences in the areas of remote sensing, environmental flows and salinity-risk mapping.
Visit the NRW website to learn more about NRW Science.
Reef updates
North's cane farmers rise to reef challenge
North Queensland cane farmers have become increasingly aware of the important role they can play in sustaining the long-term health of the Great Barrier Reef.
As part of the Queensland Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries' (DPI&F) Reef Extension Project, more than 100 cane farmers from Cairns to Home Hill have been engaged over the past three years.
The project puts in place a dedicated team of extension specialists tasked with assisting producers in the voluntary adoption of management practices capable of supporting profitable sugar production systems, whilst also improving the quality of water leaving farms and entering the Great Barrier Reef.
"We worked to showcase how environmentally sensitive management measures could be incorporated into farming systems without having to compromise profitability," project manager Adam West said.
"Working in partnership with regional natural resource management bodies and industry, the project delivered a range of services including on farm demonstration trials, workshops and economic assessments," Mr West said.
Senior project officer Rob Milla teamed up with FutureCane and BSES officers to promote relevant farming system components including best practice nutrient, soil health and irrigation management, controlled traffic, legume crops and computer based software tools to enhance record keeping and decision making.
The project assisted the development of an agreed set of Best Management Practices tailored to the Lower Burdekin sugar sector, with a specific emphasis on reducing nutrient, sediment and agri-chemical loss.
For more information, contact the DPI&F Business Information Centre on 13 25 23.
Natural resources news
Catchment Detox is an online sensation
Catchment Detox is a new online game about catchment management which is a lot of fun and highly addictive.
The game is set in a hypothetical river catchment and is intended to illustrate some of the broader principles common to many Australian catchments, in particular the variability of rainfall (the game is based upon actual rainfall data) and threats from salinity.
The game puts people in charge of their own catchment where they can decide what activities to undertake, such as planting crops, logging forests, building factories or setting-up national parks. The aim is to fix environmental problems and provide food and wealth for the population.
The model behind the game was developed by Nick Marsh, Sylvain Arene and Stuart Minchin in collaboration with the CSIRO Division of Land and Water and the eWater Cooperative Research Centre. It is based upon an original idea by NRM advisor Tim Stubbs and consultant Lucy Broad.
For two weeks from 25 August, ABC local radio will be broadcasting a special radio series about the real life issues modelled in Catchment Detox. The show will detail how different communities across Australia are grappling with managing our most precious natural resources. At the end of each piece, Tim Stubbs will give extra hints and tips on the game.
Check out the Catchment Detox game online to try to repair a damaged river catchment and create a sustainable and thriving economy. A trip for two to the Kimberley could be yours by simply playing the game.
Healthy Waterways News direct to you inbox
SEQ Healthy Waterways has launched a new monthly e-newsletter packed full of great articles about events and activities going on in the catchment.
The first edition (August 2008) of Healthy Waterways News is available online or you can visit the SEQ Healthy Waterways website to subscribe.
For more information contact SEQ Healthy Waterways senior marketing and communication officer Anna Walker on 3403 4525.
AgForward workshop update
The AgForward team present a range of workshops to landholders, including GPS essentials, computer mapping, vegetation management, and AgForest's native forest field days.
Upcoming workshops include:
- 26 August: Belyando Crossing - GPS essentials
- 27 August: Mt Coolon - GPS essentials
- 27 August: Bowen - GPS essentials
- 27-29 August: Bundaberg - QRWN Conference - AgForward staff will be presenting at this event
- 2 September: Nebo - Computer Mapping Essentials
- 3 September: Duaringa - Computer Mapping Essentials
- 4 September: Calliope- Computer Mapping Essentials
- 9-10 September: Longreach - Westech Field Day – AgForward staff will be present at this event
- 9 September: St George - GPS Essentials
- 10 September: Goondiwindi- GPS Essentials
- 11 September: Texas - GPS Essentials
To register for the workshops contact Bree Robertson on 3238 6039. To register for the AgForests Field Day contact Rohan Allen on 0408 769 918.
More information on these workshops can be found on the AgForward website (under 'Workshops').
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 or NRMjobs 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: Queensland Murray-Darling Committee
Title: Vegetation Technical Officer
Tenure: Full time
Salary range: Attractive salary package that includes professional development, superannuation and personal well being allowance.
Location: Goondiwindi
Thought for the week
Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.
Theodore Roosevelt
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The Bugle is a weekly newsletter published by Catchment Programs, the Department of Natural Resources and Water, highlighting regional NRM activities around Queensland.
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Last updated 03 September 2008