The Bugle - 15 May 2009
In news this week
Regional NRM group stories
- Garden gurus get set for Longreach
- Terrain NRM seeks two new recruits to its board
- Graziers lap up reef rescue incentives to improve pasture management
- Soil conservation works across the catchment
- Townsville celebrates regional NRM in May
- Keeping a close eye on water quality without leaving the office
- Taskforce visits Wild River Rangers
- Growing the good wood
- Vintage cars roll off modern bridge
- Green Army recruits wanted
- Sea turtle research TREDS a new path
- Angling volunteers reached a new milestone with school kids
- Bloomin’ green, what does it mean
- Biological breakfasts leave landcarers hungry for more
- Landcare Queensland launches new website
- Green Nomads at camping show
- Bris Science expose on fossil trackway in the Rift Valley
- One for the birds and the graziers
- Huge rewards for Australia’s best farm sprayer
- Get a job in NRM!
Regional NRM group stories
Garden gurus get set for Longreach
Everything from plants to pots, solar energy to seeds, grey water to growing vegetables will be on show as Desert Channels Queensland (DCQ) hosts its first Waterwise Garden Expo in Longreach in late May.
Building on the success of its Growing Great Gardens workshops held across the central west last year, DCQ is bringing together industry specialists and the community to help people manage sustainable gardens.
DCQ Chief Executive Officer Leanne Kohler said the free two day expo will include trade displays, talks from garden gurus and prizes. Organisers have planned something for everyone with a mixture of displays and presentations and a diverse range of information and products available for all gardeners from the novice to the professional.
One of the features is a free bus tour of local gardens and presentations from local garden guru Mike Chuk, renowned landscape architect Lawrie Smith, and North Rockhampton-based horticulturist Neil Fisher.
Lawrie Smith has a string of accolades for his garden designs including the Longreach Linear Botanic Garden and other regional botanic gardens in Gladstone, Bundaberg, Darwin, Mt Isa, Gold Coast, Barcaldine, Townsville, Tweed Heads, Dubbo and Mackay.
Neil Fisher is another passionate gardener who has been advising waterwise garden planning and construction to the mining and rural industries for more than 20 years and more recently to home gardeners to help them reduce water consumption.
The Waterwise Garden Expo is made possible through funding from the Australian and Queensland governments and with support from the Longreach Regional Council.
For further information or to view the program visit the DCQ website or phone 4658 0600.
Terrain NRM seeks two new recruits to its board
One of Queenslands most active sustainable land management groups is seeking two new directors for its board.
Terrain is the NRM regional body for the Wet Tropics in north Queensland. Terrain is building regional consensus on key targets and actions needed to secure the health of north Queensland water, biodiversity, soil, rivers, climate and traditional owner and community assets.
Directors are chosen for their skills and knowledge across a range of fields and the two new directors need to have a knowledge of and empathy with the Wet Tropics region as the board reflects the interests of the community in its decision-making. Members are involved with a broad range of stakeholders including traditional owners, rural and urban communities.
Terrain has enjoyed continued high level growth in 2008-09 as a result of its collaborative partnerships with landholders, landcare and catchment management communities, educators, industry and government.
The organisation has eight offices across the region, supporting a network of project and specialist personnel who assist landholders and communities to achieve their goals. Terrain's membership includes more than 120 local organisations.
For further information visit the Terrain NRM website.
Graziers lap up reef rescue incentives to improve pasture management
A large number of graziers in the Mackay Whitsunday region are eager to participate in the Reef Rescue water quality improvement plan – more than 100 expressions of interest (EOI) have recently been received.
Reef Catchments Key Contact Officer for grazing, Harry Bishop, said the Reef Rescue project is supported through funding from the Australian Government's Caring for our Country and the number of EOI’s received was a great response to the first year of the program.
It indicates that the Mackay Whitsunday grazing industry recognises land management practices to improve water quality will also improve pasture condition and cattle production.
Pasture and stock monitoring activities are the key to achieving improved water quality outcomes and are also essential to achieving better pasture condition and cattle performance.
The implementation process for grazing activities is structured for all participants to undertake the pasture and stock monitoring activity before they are eligible for the strategic fencing, soil nutrient management and grazing land management – pasture and weed control – incentive activities.
Because of the high demand, year one/round one of the Reef Rescue Water Quality Grants has now closed. Landholders who still want to participate in grazing activities need to submit a new EOI on or after 1 July 2009, the commencement date for year two/round 2 funding. EOI forms will be available in June.
For further information or an EOI form please phone Harry Bishop 0408 718 874 or visit the Reef catchments website.
Soil conservation works across the catchment
Farmers in the Border Rivers and Moonie areas have implemented more than 66 kilometres of contour banks and 10 kilometres of waterways to help protect 1320 hectares of agricultural land.
Queensland Murray-Darling Committee (QMDC) Soil Conservation Officer Vanessa Macdonald said many farmers recognised the need for contour banks, and the creation of associated waterways, as an integral part of their farm management plans.
In the past month eight bulldozers have been working across the two catchments constructing contours and waterways designed and implemented by QMDC and Doug Muller from the Queensland Department of Environment and Resource Management.
The earth works are being implemented as part of the sub-catchment planning approach adopted by QMDC to assist landholders to sustainably manage their natural resources.
QMDC are encouraged to see landholders implementing coordinated soil conservation plans across the catchment. Even though it is tempting to address erosion problems on a paddock scale, the problems of uncontrolled runoff need to be addressed on a natural catchment basis.
The high intensity rainfall in the region often causes significant erosion, however earth works incorporated with ground cover management can significantly reduce the likelihood of soil erosion.
The contours – earthen banks constructed at intervals down a slope – were designed to safely carry and dispose of water into stable natural drainage lines or designed waterways. These areas have the capacity to deal with the volume and velocity of water moving through the catchment.
Waterways are especially vulnerable to erosion, due to concentrated runoff discharging into them, therefore they need to be carefully designed, constructed and stabilised to reduce the impact of gullying and failure.
Farm waterways and contour banks play an important role in the overall reduction of soil, sediment and nutrients entering the watercourses. They slow the water before it reaches the rivers and streams, thereby improving the catchment’s water quality.
For further information visit the QMDC website.
Townsville celebrates regional NRM in May
To celebrate five years of regional NRM in Queensland, the Queensland Regional Groups Collective (RGC) is hosting a two day forum in Townsville.
The showcase and celebration will run from 20–21 May 2009 and will feature 32 presentations from Queensland’s regional NRM bodies.
Topics include:
- Engaging people in NRM
- Sustainable agriculture in regional Queensland
- Monitoring outcomes and performance
- Managing Queensland’s biodiversity
- The long and windy road to sustainability
- Beating the tyrant: meeting the communication challenges of the tyranny of distance with the use of new media
- Indigenous engagement in NRM
- New and emerging issues in NRM
- GIS and mapping to support sustainability.
Registrations are open until COB today, 15 May and free to all staff of Queensland’s regional NRM bodies. Everyone is welcome, however there is a fee for others to attend.
For further information visit the RGC website email Lane Pilon or telephone 4699 5000.
Government updates
Keeping a close eye on water quality without leaving the office
Lake Wivenhoe's catchment is home to a trial on an integrated intelligent wireless sensor network for monitoring southeast Queensland’s drinking water.
CSIRO scientists have placed 50 FLECK smart wireless sensor network nodes to cover about 26 kilometres of the lake. Each node gives one-minute temperature updates through the water column. A further 70 nodes have been placed in the surrounding catchment to monitor environmental conditions.
Lake Wivenhoe's catchment spans an area the size of the city of Brisbane and supplies water to the region's 1.5 million residents.
An autonomous solar-powered catamaran with a sophisticated water-quality probe is being used to travel between nodes and also resample at different locations away from the nodes, to gain a bigger picture. The boat is manually controlled through a PDA, web interface or web-enabled mobile phone.
The network has the capacity to monitor events in real time, such as contaminants entering the waterway, high rainfall or droughts. The nodes are being upgraded to measure turbidity, to not only enable scientists to predict where they think the dirty water is - because of a different temperature signal - but also be able to register how turbid the water is.
SEQwater is looking at rolling out the technology to improve the cost effectiveness of its monitoring across all of its 26 storage areas. The pilot project began 12 months ago and phase one finished in November 2008.
For more information on FLECK smart wireless sensor networks, visit the CSIRO website.
Taskforce visits Wild River Rangers
The Australian Government's Northern Australia Land and Water Taskforce met in Weipa in late April. The Taskforce visited the Wenlock River where they met with Mapoon based Wild Rivers Rangers.
The Taskforce was impressed by the ranger program developed by the Queensland Government noting the cooperation between stakeholders with interests in the Wenlock River catchment and the cultural and conservation economies based on the river.
Representatives from the Department of Environment and Resource Management accompanied the Taskforce who were provided with detailed advice on Queensland's regulatory frameworks for water and land management.
The Taskforce reached in principle agreement on a forward program of scientific research which is to be coordinated by the CSIRO. The work program aims to provide the Taskforce with a better understanding of opportunities and potential impacts of development and will establish and illustrate key principles and guidelines for the sustainable development of northern Australia.
The Taskforce was established by teh Australian Government in May 2007 to examine the potential for further developing land and water resources in northern Australia. The Taskforce final report, which will be the most important examination of development opportunities and issues for northern Australia for 60 years, will be delivered in December 2009.
For more information visit the Northern Australia Taskforce website.
Growing the good wood
Queensland's emerging forest plantation sector will receive a welcome boost with the appointment of two new industry development officers.
Minister for Primary Industries, Fisheries and Rural and Regional Queensland Tim Mulherin said the forest industry is a key employer for Queensland, comprising about 2200 businesses and the appointments were part of a statewide project by the Queensland Government and Timber Queensland to develop growth opportunities.
The industry is also an important contributor to the state's economy, with an annual turnover of $2.7 billion, and attracting an estimated $400 million from the private sector towards new forest plantations over the past four years.
The new officers will work closely with plantation companies, timber processors, industry and research organisations, and government agencies to improve services.
The positions will be in place during May and will address critical needs identified by industry, including collaborative partnerships, community education programs and the establishment of a technical knowledge base.
One officer will work with Timber Queensland and the other officer will work with Queensland Primary Industries and Fisheries in the new Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation.
The government is also delivering on a $44.6 million commitment with Forestry Plantations Queensland for an additional 8200 hectares of native sawlog plantations in south east Queensland.
For further information on forestry visit the DPI website.
Vintage cars roll off modern bridge
A series of vintage cars were among the first vehicles to roll across the new Hospital Bridge in Mackay in late April giving a respectful nod to its timber predecessor 100 metres downstream.
Main Roads Minister Craig Wallace said the completed $42.9 million project was a welcome addition to Mackay's road network and a piece of infrastructure of which the community could be proud.
The new bridge is signed at 80km/h with two 3.5-metre wide traffic lanes, designed to ease congestion for commuters travelling between Glenella and South Mackay. The bridge also provides two metre wide shoulders for cyclists and as it is much higher than the existing bridge, it will be less susceptible to flooding.
Member for Mackay Tim Mulherin said, the opening of the bridge to traffic is a great outcome for all involved and one the Mackay community welcome, especially after taking into consideration the two severe wet seasons the bridge workers had to endure.
The Mackay community celebrated the completion of the bridge in huge numbers with 7000 people walking across the new bridge before it was opened to traffic.
Demolition of the old bridge will take place later in the year, although several spans will remain in place as a fishing platform.
For a copy of the full media release visit the media statement website.
Green Army recruits wanted
The Green Army is a State Government initiative which provides a new opportunity for local job seekers and those keen on improving the environment to join forces and become a member of the ‘green army’.
Member for Townsville, Mandy Johnstone is urging local job seekers and those who care about the environment, to join the Green Army by simply registering an interest.
The Green Army plans to provide 3000 jobs across Queensland working on projects of strategic importance to enhance Queensland's natural assets, strengthen its tourism industry and promote increased environmental awareness.
One Magnetic Island organisation which could benefit from Green Army assistance is Magnetic Island Nature Care (MINCA). President Wendy Tubman said MINCA is always pleased to see efforts devoted to the environment. World Heritage Magnetic Island is an environmental treasure subject to considerable pressure, and there are many ways in which the Green Army could help.
There will be 2300 Green Army jobs for paid work placements of up to six months working on projects that conserve and restore the natural environment, green spaces and recreational areas. In addition, 700 Green Traineeship positions will be offered. Green Trainees will have 12 months paid work and training with organisations.
Private sector employers will also be eligible for subsidies for Green Trainees in renewable energy specialities. Community organisations can apply for funding.
For further information visit the Green Army website.
Reef updates
Sea turtle research TREDS a new path
After seven years of development, a new Pacific region database on sea turtle research has been born called TREDS – Turtle Research Database System.
TREDS was recently launched at the Twenty-Ninth Symposium on Sea Turtle Biology and Conservation held in Brisbane. The system collates and standardises marine turtle data, collected throughout the region over the last few decades and is critical to understanding population trends throughout the Pacific.
TREDS can store tag information (flipper, passively induced transponder and satellite), nesting beach and foraging ground data, clutch and hatchling information, and biological sampling i.e. genetic data. It can systematically manage inventory tags used per project, generate project specific and/or site-specific summary reports, and help standardise data collection protocol.
Some sea turtles migrate between the Pacific region and eastern Australia, so a database that stores and collates this information will greatly enhance the knowledge of turtle populations. TREDS will be housed at the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Program in Samoa.
Plans are also underway for a second central database to be managed by the Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Centre – Department of Marine Fishery Resources Development and Management in Malaysia. Together, these agencies will manage and consolidate turtle research data for the 31 member countries in the Pacific Ocean.
For further information visit the Regional Pacific Environment Programme website.
Angling volunteers reached a new milestone with school kids
Sunfish Mackay’s Schoolfish Angler Education program recently reached a milestone of 5000 students.
Sunfish Mackay’s Lance Murray said the program started as a local trial on a shoe string budget over 10 years ago and was adopted as a statewide Sunfish Queensland activity. The success of the program has been attributed to the volunteer effort of the instructors and in-kind and financial support from the Queensland tackle industry and a grant from the Gaming Fund. The Mackay branch have completed 6000 volunteer hours towards the program.
A typical Schoolfish program consists of three different workshops; one in a classroom, then a practical lesson in the school grounds and finally on the beach fishing. All the fish caught are released to live another day.
Each year the Angler education team conducts ‘take a kid fishing day’ and two to three ‘kids fishing adventure days’. One program this year is committed to the Smith Family Group and another will be held with children with disabilities. Another program is run monthly for adults with mental health issues and their carers to go fishing for a few hours and then share a barbeque.
Over the years Sunfish have progressed from sharing rods and reels to acquiring their own equipment to accommodate 100 students.
For further information visit the Sunfish website.
Bloomin’ green, what does it mean
Heavy rain in northern Queensland in the wet season means outflows carrying large amounts of sediment and nutrients from flooding creeks and rivers extend well out to sea.
As a part of this cycle, over time the sediment which makes the water appear brown starts to sink. The nutrients are taken up by algae and other micro organisms creating an algal bloom, making the water a greenish colour.
Depending on the amount of nutrients in flood waters, algal blooms can last from days to weeks and can affect plants, animals and humans. As the algae die off bacteria increase and use up oxygen in the water and can affect the health of fish and plants.
Even non-toxic algal species can cause allergic skin reactions or dermatitis in sensitive skin and people can become ill by swallowing affected water.
While algal blooms are a natural process – Captain Cook saw some on his voyage to Australia – it can be made worse by excess nutrients and sediment in flood water.
Through the efforts of Reef Rescue and the Reef Water Quality Protection Plan (Reef Plan) all levels of government and industry groups are working with landholders to improve the quality of water entering the Great Barrier Reef.
For further information visit the Reef Plan website.
Natural resources news
Huge rewards for Australia’s best farm sprayer
An opportunity to be rewarded for being Australia’s best farm spray operator, has recently been announced in the form of an annual competition to find and offer an exciting reward to the successful winner.
The highly prized reward includes a study tour to the United Kingdom and a spray prize pack valued at $15,000. Prizes are offered to all entrants including a 12 month subscription to Syngenta's Agricast weather and spray window forecast website. However you need to be in it to win it and entries close on 29 May 2009, with the winner being announced in August.
Syngenta trials had revealed that only 40 per cent of the overall performance of a crop protection product could be attributed to the product itself. The remaining 60 per cent of the overall performance comes down to correct spray timing, equipment setup and nozzle selection.
State judging will be held in June and July and will include on-farm assessments.
For further information contact Syngenta on (02) 8876 8444.
Biological breakfasts leave landcarers hungry for more
Landcare groups are enjoying the opportunity to learn about the concepts of biological farming over breakfast. Landcare Queensland, in partnership with Ausmin Australia, has introduced the breakfasts as an opportunity for landcare groups to host a biological farming seminar in their local area.
The biological farming breakfasts are based on Ausmin’s Smart Farming program and an introduction to biological farming. Topics include the use of biological fertilisers and the four steps of Ausmin’s Smart Farming program: test the soil, balance the soil, stimulate the biology and balance the plant.
Ausmin Australia’s David Hardwick, a well respected leader in biological farming practices, developed the Smart Farming program. It focuses on the concepts of biological farming to improve the profitability of farming operations by working with the natural processes of soil, improving the management of inputs, creating healthy soils and understanding practices that may negatively impact soil health.
Several Landcare groups including Beaudesert, Granite Borders and Stanthorpe, North East Downs and Chinchilla have already hosted biological farming breakfasts with more than 60 RSVPs received for the Stanthorpe breakfast alone.
In the changing environmental and economic climate there is a need for information about new approaches to farming methods within the agricultural community. The smart farming breakfast seminars offer Landcare groups a real opportunity to provide relevant information to their network in order for them to work towards more sustainable and cost effective farming practices.
Ausmin Australia have committed one dollar from every tonne of biological fertiliser sold in Queensland over the next two years to Landcare Queensland for education and capacity building events for the Landcare network.
The biological farming seminars allow landcarers to learn more about healthy soil ecosystems and how to maintain and improve soil biology.
For further information to register or host a breakfast email Chloe Tanner or contact Landcare Queensland on 3211 4413.
Landcare Queensland launches new website
Landcare Queensland launched their new website this week.
The updated website has all the features of the old website including updated information about resources, grants and events.
Landcare Queensland have put a great deal of effort into ensuring the new website is easy to navigate and have included up to date resources and information that Queensland landcarers need.
The updated website includes new information about Landcare partners and projects, links to relevant websites and downloadable resources for landcarers across Queensland.
For further information and to check out the new website visit the Landcare website.
Bris Science expose on fossil trackway in the Rift Valley
Dr Michael Westaway, Curator (Archaeology) Queensland Museum will be the key speaker on Australia’s Rift Valley - the archaeology of the Willandra Lakes and investigations of its fossil trackway- on 18 May in Brisbane.
The Willandra Lakes has been described as Australia’s Rift Valley as it contains some of the earliest evidence in the Australasian region of modern human occupation. The discovery of Mungo Lady 40 years ago led to a significant revision of public appreciation of the age and complexity of Aboriginal occupation of Australia.
The landscape provides a comprehensive record of human adaptation to dramatic climate change over a 50,000 year period. The recently discovered fossil trackway site in the northern lakes is one of the most exciting archaeological discoveries within Australia in recent times.
Many of the footprints are perfectly fossilised in a clay unit that is reliably dated to the peak of the Last Great Ice Age around 20,000 years ago. Dr Westaway’s discussion will also provide more information about the Aboriginal people that lived in the Willandra Lakes World Heritage Area.
Dr Westaway will be providing an understanding of the importance of the Willandra, the complexity of Aboriginal occupation and some of the main elements of the archaeological and palaeoenvironmental record, will be provided.
The results of further investigations at the Willandra Lakes fossil trackway including the outcome of a ground penetrating radar survey and redating of the fossil trackway, and a re-evaluation of the trackway speeds derived from data recorded by high resolution digital scanning, will also be discussed.
For further information email Lynelle Ross.
Green Nomads at camping show
An exciting new volunteer placement program called the Green Nomads will be launched at the upcoming 2009 Queensland Caravan, Camping and Touring Holiday Show on 3 to 9 June.
Green Nomads is an exciting new initiative that will bring together travellers who wish to casually volunteer during their travels through Queensland with community NRM groups requiring keen volunteers.
It will draw together Australia’s large transient Grey Nomad population with regional community and NRM groups. The aim is to increase opportunities for regional groups to access people resources and skills, to plan and implement larger more labour intensive projects, resulting in improved conservation outcomes for local communities.
A Green Nomads website is now the primary place to link volunteers with community groups. Interested community groups will be able to advertise volunteering events and Green Nomads will be able to browse, using a map and a calendar, to identify any opportunities on their travels. Details of what’s involved for both community NRM groups and volunteers will also be outlined.
There are no costs associated with being involved, however participating groups must be incorporated and registered with QWaLC. Green Nomads can volunteer on private property, however the landholder must be a member of a registered group and the activity formally approved by the group’s Executive.
QWaLC is currently recruiting groups to become hosts. If any groups are planning to undertake activities with volunteers over the coming months please email Nigel Kimball or phone 0427 029 488, to discuss what’s involved.
For further information about the camping show visit the 2009 Queensland Caravan, Camping and Touring Holiday Show, Green Nomads or QWaLC website for further community group information i.e. news, insurance, registration, and incorporation.
One for the birds and the graziers
It has not taken long after the Gulf of Carpentaria floods in north Queensland for word to get out to the bird world that there is plenty of water around.
From the Burke River, Boulia, to the Norman and Gilbert Rivers outside Normanton and to the Copperfield River at Einasleigh, birds have flocked in their thousands.
Some recent travellers in the region reported seeing thousands of pelicans at a waterhole on Belmore Creek not far from the junction with the Norman River south of the Croydon-Normanton road.
Early this year much of the Gulf area was under water for more than six weeks.
While the birds may be happy, graziers in the Gulf have said the full extent of damage from this year's record flooding is beginning to emerge and stock losses are ‘massive’.
For more information about the Gulf floods visit the ABC NEWS online.
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 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: Sea Turtle Foundation
Title: Project Manager
Tenure: 1 year contract; Full-time (option for extension)
Location: Townsville, Queensland
Applicants must be highly motivated with excellent written and verbal communication skills and demonstrated experience in project management. Experience with other not-for-profit conservation groups will be highly regarded.
Contact: For a full position description and selection criteria please visit the Sea turtle foundation website.
Closing date: Closing date: 21 May, 2009.
Thought for the week
The key to success is for you to make a habit throughout your life of doing the things you fear.
Vincent Van Gogh
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© The State of Queensland 2009.
Last updated 15 May 2009