| Home | Help | Contact |
Search:

Regional natural resource management

The Bugle - 26 September 2008

In news this week

Regional NRM group stories Government updates Natural resources news

Regional NRM group stories
Dump-Ezy makes dropping off waste easy

There is a welcome growth in tourism in the Burke Shire and this growth requires methods to manage the impacts on natural assets, which are a key draw card to the region. Burke Shire Council with funding from Southern Gulf Catchments has installed two Dump-Ezy units, one in Gregory township and the other in Burketown.

It is hoped the installation of these facilities to dispose of chemical toilet waste will reduce the dumping of this waste in the bush, which creates a significant hazard to the environment and to people.

Southern Gulf Catchments Kate Masters said, "Managing chemical toilet and other waste has been [an] issue for a long time particularly in the Gregory area. The Dump-Ezy facilities provide the opportunity for tourists to dispose of waste in an environmentally and community friendly way."

Tourism is an important part of the economic development for the region and a significant proportion of the visitors are self funded retirees in caravans and mobile homes who stay in the region for long periods.

Burke Shire Councillor Annie Clarke said, "The installation of these units are very much appreciated by the community and I hope the facilities will prevent the tourists’ waste storage units being washed out in the communal river."

For information on the locations of Dump-Ezy facilities, call the local tourist information centres.

Top

Carbon markets will affect our future

The Fitzroy Basin Association (FBA) is hosting a forum entitled, the Carbon Market – Friend or Foe for Agriculture, on Friday 24 October.

The forum will be held in the Rockhampton Plaza Hotel, George Street, Rockhampton.

Further details will be provided once arrangements have been finalised with guest panelists for the event. 

Please RSVP by 17 October by emailing Karlee Goodsall or call 4999 2827.

Visit the FBA website for more information on the forum.

Top

Communities to address local unemployment and skills shortages

People will get a chance to have their say in October about a community employment strategy, which aims to address education, employment and business opportunities existing in the natural resources and agricultural industries.

Organised by the Queensland Murray-Darling Committee (QMDC), a series of public meetings will be held across southern Queensland to map out potential training and employment opportunities in order to fill existing skills gaps across these two industries.

QMDC's Border Rivers Catchment coordinator Julia Telford said, "We work with a lot of different sectors within the natural resources and agricultural industries, and we've seen so many labour gaps, and specific skill gaps, which are making it hard for these industries to continue their roles as stewards and economic drivers of the area.

"So, we hope to bring a range of people together during these meetings and discuss which skills shortages exist, and what opportunities there might be to address unemployment levels and fill these shortages at the same time," Ms Telford said.

QMDC will use information from these meetings to build a specific Aboriginal Employment Strategy for the region as part of a Department of Employment and Workplace Relations funded project, to provide the region with a framework to address Aboriginal employment issues.

For more information on dates and venues, visit the QMDC website, or to register attendance, contact QMDC's Border Rivers Landcare and Catchment Centre in Goondiwindi on 4671 7900.

Top

Scaly workshop for Myall Park Botanic Garden

A reptile identification workshop will be hosted at the Myall Park Botanic Garden, near Glenmorgan, on 4 October to launch a new threatened species toolkit.

Organised by the Myall Park Botanic Garden, the Queensland Murray-Darling Committee (QMDC) and the Environmental Protection Agency, the workshop will include an early morning bird walk as well as reptile species and habitat identification activities.

The day will also include the launch of a new information toolkit, funded by the Threatened Species Network, on 16 reptile species found in the Brigalow Belt bioregion that have recently become the target of recovery actions.

Dalby Regional Council Mayor, Ray Brown, will be attending to launch the toolkit.

People wishing to attend the workshop should RSVP by 1 October to Alison Goodland 0427 651 906 or Gill Kidd 4663 0720. Cost for the day will be $5 per person, or $10 for a family, which will include a copy of the toolkit, and a BBQ breakfast.

Top

Bohle River Rehabilitation a boon for local fish stocks

The future fish stocks of Townsville have been given a boost with the completion of a rehabilitation initiative in the declared Bohle River Fish Habitat. The initiative was a Townsville City Council partnership with OceanWatch Australia and through the Burdekin Dry Tropics' Tide to Table program.

In what is hoped will be the first of many projects to restore and protect the Bohle Fish Habitat, the targeted rehabilitation initiative on a 4.9ha site is planned to reduce the threats of contamination and sedimentation in Stoney Creek and the Bohle River. This will improve the quality and biodiversity of the Bohle River Fish Habitat Area and the viability of its fish stocks.

Four truckloads of household goods including washing machines and air conditioners were removed from the site along with a large amount of green waste. Guinea grass and lantana were then controlled to allow for planting of over 300 native plants.

The work was implemented last month by Greening Australia and Townsville City Council will now maintain the works as part of its commitment to the project. The council hopes the project’s location along Marina Drive, will demonstrate to residents and particularly recreational anglers the importance of caring for these fragile areas and the need to protect them for the future

Tide to Table is an OceanWatch Australia initiative, to rehabilitate the areas that fish rely on for food, shelter, breeding and nursery grounds.

Visit the  Burdekin Dry Tropics NRM website for more information.

Top

Awards night recognises special environmental efforts

The efforts of individuals and organisations were rewarded at the Burnett Mary Natural Resource Management Awards held earlier this month.

Chair of the Burnett Mary Regional Group, Russell Stewart, said the awards publicly recognised the dedication and work being done by people in the region. 

"It is vitally important to restore the health of our natural resources, not just for the economy, but for our lifestyle as well," Mr Stewart said.

"There are so many people working away quietly, without seeking any publicity or making any fuss, and these are the people we want to thank with the awards."

He said that there was a big response when the group called for nominations.

"It was very difficult to decide the finalists, and even harder to decide the winners," he said.

"Without the everyday commitment of these people, the environment would be worse off and our region would not be such a great place to live."

The winners of the awards are:

Top

Government updates
Last chance to register for the Designer Carrots National MBI Forum

The Designer Carrots National Market Based Instruments (MBIs) Forum program is packed with guest speakers from all over Australia. It will provide you with the ideal opportunity to learn about MBIs and how you can apply them to your organisations programs.

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 Hotel, Southbank, close to the river and the city centre, and in the heart of the lively Southbank 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.

Top

New biosecurity council to advise on pests and disease

A new advisory group will bring together biosecurity experts and industry leaders to provide advice to better protect Queensland's primary production and environment from disease and pests.

Primary Industries and Fisheries Minister Tim Mulherin announced the formation of the Biosecurity Queensland Ministerial Advisory Council at the State AgForce conference in Proserpine.

"The Queensland Biosecurity discussion paper, currently out for consultation until the end of September, provides the opportunity to shape a robust strategy for our future," Mr Mulherin said.

"While the strategy is still open for consultation, we are already moving forward with shaping our future approach to biosecurity.

"The new council will provide the Government with independent strategic advice on Queensland's biosecurity into the future.

"The Biosecurity Queensland Ministerial Advisory Council will operate across the spectrum of primary production and environmental biosecurity, and will be asked for advice on a range of state wide, regional and industry specific issues," Mr Mulherin said.

It is expected that senior level representatives of key stakeholder bodies will sit on the Council along with members with specialist expertise.

"We will shortly be seeking nominations for these positions. We will be looking to appoint people who bring with them a high level of public recognition for their particular fields of expertise," Mr Mulherin said.

Top

Statewide evaluation of Sustainable Agriculture

The report produced from the review of the Alignment of regional NRM activities to the Natural Heritage Trust and National Action Plan for Salinity and Water Quality sustainable agriculture objectives has been published on the regional NRM website.

The evaluation, commissioned by the Department of Natural Resources and Water and conducted by the RMCG consulting group identifies and assesses the impact of investment in sustainable agriculture in Queensland under the Trust and NAPSWQ since 2002.

The evaluation found that there is a strong commitment and willingness to develop agricultural practices and systems that are more resilient and profitable and can contribute to improving the condition of the natural resource base.

The report states that while there is a lot of activity occurring within regions and industry, there is ample scope to improve the situation.

The evaluation report provides recommendations in the following areas:

This evaluation is the final of six state-level evaluations funded by the Australian Government through the Natural Heritage Trust, conducted to investigate the success of regional delivery of NRM objectives in Queensland and bordering northern Australia regions.

For more information, contact Nicole Blackett on 3224 2154.

Top

Cape York Advisory Committees appointed

Minister for Natural Resources and Water Craig Wallace and Minister for Sustainability, Climate Change and Innovation Andrew McNamara have announced the creation of two new advisory committees to assist with the implementation of the Cape York Peninsula Heritage Act 2007.

The creation of the Cape York Peninsula Regional Advisory Committee and the Cape York Peninsula Region Scientific and Cultural Advisory Committee is a key step forward for the historic Act, which was passed by parliament in November 2007.

The creation of these committees will provide the Government with independent community and industry based advice on all aspects of land use and natural resource management on the Cape.

Minister Wallace said, "The creation of these committees will help us to strike a balance between the Cape York community's need for economic development opportunities and the need to protect the natural and cultural values of the region.

"This is about the long-term sustainable management of Cape York Peninsula's unique natural assets and the future of important industries such as grazing, tourism and mining."

Minister McNamara said, "The scientific and cultural advisory committee will be composed of professionals appointed for their high levels of expertise and experience in matters relating to the environment, rural and regional development, cultural heritage and economic development."

The regional advisory committee is a community-based team, with a strong Indigenous representation, comprising members with a wide range of experience in areas such as conservation, grazing, mining, tourism and local government.

Visit the Queensland Government media statement website to see the full media statement which provides a list of the members for both committees.

Top

Government invests $44.6 million in new hardwood forestry plantations

The Queensland Government will invest $44.6 million over seven years to help its commercial plantation forest grower, Forestry Plantations Queensland (FPQ), establish 8200 hectares of new native hardwood sawlog plantations in south east Queensland.

This commitment delivered on a key component of the Queensland Government's Western Hardwoods Plan to secure a sustainable hardwood plantation-based resource.

Minister Mulherin said, "To kick off the program, the Queensland Government has allocated $5.6 million in the 2008-09 State budget as a first installment.

"This investment will further boost a sector that currently contributes around $500 million to the Queensland economy each year.

"This plantation resource is expected to encourage new private sector hardwood plantation ventures and generate substantial new investment in our hardwood processing capability in south east Queensland," Mr Mulherin said.

Land for the new program will be secured through FPQ/landowner joint venture and land rental agreements, and also through freehold land purchases.

"Land rental and joint venture agreements provide landowners with an opportunity to diversify their existing primary production enterprise and also to secure a new long-term income stream," Minister Mulherin said.

The main species to be planted in the new plantations are native to south east Queensland and include Spotted Gum, Western White Gum and Gympie Messmate.

Top

Farmers and researchers keen to close gaps in climate change research

Projects to increase soil carbon are among more than 200 expressions of interest lodged by research and primary industries groups under the Australian Government's $46.2 million Climate Change Research Program.

Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Tony Burke said the Australian Government is investing in research, to help farmers prepare for the future challenge of climate change as they have the most to lose in a changing climate, but could also benefit from improved resilience and productivity.

"We are asking farmers and researchers to work together to develop innovative new farming techniques in Australia," Mr Burke said

"This program will focus on delivering the benefits of new research on-farm – not leaving it in a lab.

"Our farmers are already leading the way in sustainable land management and this $46.2 million will build on that good work," Mr Burke said.

The Climate Change Research Program will encourage partnerships between research providers and farmers to put new technology to work on their properties.

The expressions of interest will be assessed by a panel with expertise in climate change and primary industries research.

The government expects the first projects will be underway early in 2009.

For more information on the Climate Change Research Program visit the Australia's Farming Future website.

Top

Natural resources news
Invitation to the Health Report Card launch

The Ecosystem Health Monitoring Program (EHMP) is one of the most comprehensive marine, estuarine and freshwater monitoring programs in Australia. It delivers a regional assessment of the ambient ecosystem health of the South East Queensland catchment highlighting where the health of the waterways is getting better or worse.

The Ecosystem Health Report Card provides 'A to F' health ratings for the waterways of SEQ and is released annually by the SEQ Healthy Waterways Partnership on behalf of its various partners and is implemented by a large team of experts from the Queensland Government, universities and CSIRO.

It is the culmination of 12 months of scientific monitoring at 389 freshwater, estuarine and marine sites throughout the region.

The Report Card will be released at four launch events across South East Queensland on 22 October including:

To find out more about the Ecosystem Health Monitoring Program or to attend one of these launches please call  3403 4206 or email the Healthy Waterway team.

Top

Weed weapon launched

GRDC Western Panel Chair Neil Young and Western Australian Department of Agriculture and Food (DAFWA) Director General Ian Longson launched a new 'paper weapon' against weeds at the 2008 Dowerin Machinery field days.

The book, 'Managing wild radish and other brassicaceous weeds in Australian cropping systems', originally developed by the CRC for Australian Weed Management, is a compilation of on-farm tools for integrated weed management.

Mr Young said it was a valuable tool for growers and contained the most recent information on chemical and non-chemical weed control techniques that could be used strategically during the lifecycle of the plant.

"Wild radish costs WA growers millions of dollars each year in lost production," Mr Young said.

"This weed is becoming increasingly resistant to different herbicide groups and if growers can circumvent this by an integrated approach, cropping in WA will be much more productive.

"Of course, some of the tools suggested carry great risk of doing damage if not handled carefully," Mr Young said.

Free copies can be downloaded from CRC Weeds website or by contacting Neil Young on 0428 918 766.

Top

Darling Downs landscapes under the spotlight

Landscapes in the Darling Downs and Lockyer regions will be under the spotlight when a major national vegetation conference, Veg Futures 08 comes to Toowoomba on 20-23 October.

Over 500 vegetation management practitioners from around Australia are set to converge on Toowoomba to use local vegetation management issues as a focus point for discussions on a range of NRM issues.

Convened by Greening Australia and Land and Water Australia, the conference program will explore the role and value of vegetation in regional Australia and the competing demands for conservation and production in the face of climate change pressures.

Western Queensland regional manager for Greening Australia Steve Cupitt said, "Building on the success of the previous conference in Albury in 2006, Veg Futures 08 will give delegates the opportunity to share their expertise and knowledge on the role of native vegetation in productive landscapes, as they apply to the Toowoomba region.

"The format, which includes a broad range of keynote speakers and practical workshops, forums and paddock sessions should appeal to all those with an interest in practical native vegetation management," Mr Culpitt said.  

The paddock sessions focus on peri-urban issues, biodiversity, multiple landscape use, water in the landscape, and Indigenous interpretation in the Bunya Mountains.

Further information is available online from the Greening Australia website.

Top

CHRRUP appoints new executive officer

Rolfe Ellem has accepted the position of executive officer with Central Highlands Regional Resources Use Planning Cooperative (CHRRUP) and was formally welcomed to the organisation at the September board meeting.

CHRRUP Chair Annette Smith said, "We are delighted that Rolfe has taken on this important leadership role, and we look forward to establishing a close working relationship. As CHRRUP moves through the transition to the Caring for our Country program, and commences projects in two new catchments, Rolfe's experience in community groups will provide valuable direction to the team."

Mr Ellem has worked as a project development advisor for community groups overseas and as a farm financial counsellor for the Queensland Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries. Mr Ellem has a Bachelor of Agricultural Economics and his specialist fields include agricultural extension, farm management economics, community liaison, animal production and agricultural marketing.

Mr Ellem said, "The next 12 months will be a period of learning and re-aligning processes to fit in with the federal government's priorities.  We aim to improve the sustainability of natural resource use and management in the Central Highlands by encouraging greater coordination, improved planning and stronger partnerships between industry and community groups."

Top

Over 100 new sharks and rays classified

Australian scientists have completed an ambitious 18-month project to name and describe more than 100 new species of sharks and rays.

Conducted by scientists working under the auspices of CSIRO's Wealth From Oceans National Research Flagship, the project named a third of Australia's, and about a tenth of the world's, shark and ray species.

CSIRO's team leader Dr Peter Last says analysis of DNA sequences was used to clarify the identity of closely related species.

"Additional taxonomic information like this is critical to managing sharks and rays, which reproduce relatively slowly and are extremely vulnerable to over-fishing and other human impacts," Dr Last said.

"Their populations are also sensitive to small-scale events and can be an indicator of environmental change."

More than 90 of the new species were identified but undescribed in the 1994 book, Sharks and Rays of Australia, by Dr Last and CSIRO's Dr John Stevens. The new names and descriptions will feature in a revised edition of the book in 2009.

You can view some images of some of these sharks at CSIRO website.

Find out more on the CSIRO website.

Top

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:

To register for the workshops contact Bree Robertson on 3238 6039. To register for the AgForests Field Days contact Rohan Allen on 0408 769 918.

More information on these workshops can be found on the AgForward website (under 'Workshops').

Top

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/organisation: Reef Check Australia

Title: Science Operations Manager; Business Manager (two positions)

Tenure: Reef Check Australia is looking for two highly skilled and dedicated individuals to join the team as Science Operations Manager and Business Manager.

For full position descriptions visit the  Reef Check Australia website.

If you have any questions about this position please contact Jos Hill on 4724 3950.

Closing date: A selection of applicants will be called to interview towards the end of October for the Science Operations Manager and November for the Business Manager Position.

Top

Thought for the week

Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going.

Jim Ryun

Top

***

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

View past issues of The Bugle.

Queensland Government logo

The Bugle is a weekly newsletter published by Catchment Programs, the Department of Natural Resources and Water, highlighting regional NRM activities around Queensland.

If you no longer wish to receive this newsletter, or it has been sent to you in error, you can unsubscribe. If this newsletter has been forwarded to you, you can subscribe to receive future issues directly.

Last updated 22 January 2009

| Copyright | Disclaimer | Privacy | Feedback.

© The State of Queensland 2007.

| Queensland Government Gateway |