The Bugle - 22 May 2009
In news this week
Regional NRM group stories
- Monto graziers improve catchment health
- Students help the community lower their carbon footprint
- Naturally resourceful rural women
- Bribie focuses on climate change
Government updates
- Queensland’s clean, green technology teams with the USA
- Research links renewed between Queensland and USA
- Vaccine research will keep the beef industry alive
- New chair and board members for Murray–Darling Basin Authority
Reef updates
Wetlands updates
Natural resources news
- Calling all earthlings, Your Planet Needs You!
- Missing link benefits aquatic scientists and natural resource managers
- Students get hands-on with NRM activities
- Breakfast forum to address sustainable population in South East
- Get a job in NRM!
Regional NRM group stories
Monto graziers improve catchment health
A Monto grazier is doing his part to improve the health of the Burnett River catchment.
Neville Galloway has received funding through the Better Catchments program to help build additional fencing to allow paddock rotation and spelling of pasture.
Better Catchments is an initiative of the Burnett Mary Regional Group, funded by the Australian and Queensland Governments. The program aims to provide incentives to landholders to assist in implementing activities that will improve catchment health within the Nogo, Three Moon and Upper Burnett subcatchments. In the inland Burnett, the Burnett Catchment Care Association is assisting landholders to apply for and implement the offered incentives.
Mr Galloway said the Better Catchments funding allowed him to install additional infrastructure on his property under a grazing management plan. Not only does he have the ability to spell his pastures, but also the additional fencing will make it easier to muster.
Programs Manager for the Burnett Catchment Care Association Katie Muller said many landholders within the Monto and Eidsvold districts undertook erosion control, fencing of different landtypes to allow for better grazing management, weed control and revegetation of riparian areas. Applicants only had four months to implement their on-ground activities.
For further information visit the Burnett River Catchment website or contact Katie Muller on 4165 3551.
Students help the community lower their carbon footprint
Ballandean students plan to help lower the carbon footprint of their whole community.
The school, helped by the Queensland Murray-Darling Committee (QMDC), were successful in gaining a community grant awarded through the Low Carbon Diet Community Funding Program, a ClimateSmart initiative.
Ballandean State School Principal Kath Wenban said the students would build on the school’s existing sustainability activities and they were encouraged to raise awareness of climate change and sustainability in the wider community.
The school has a chook pen, nine water tanks and a compost bin up and running and with the grant they have even more incentive to become more sustainable, not only at school but also at home.
The school is involved in the Queensland Environmentally Sustainable School Initiative and works closely with QMDC, resulting in a coordinated, school-wide approach to sustainable education which has led to the development of the Ballandean Environmentally Sustainable Team (BEST).
QMDC Education Officer Renee Fletcher said it is important to involve the whole school from the beginning when planning for sustainable education to provide a base for long term success.
It is also really important to engage the community. Ballandean State School will hold the first Ballandean Low Carbon Diet Challenge workshop on 27 May 2009.
Sessions include: recycling reusing and energy efficiency for all participants and climate change and home energy audits for parents and members of the wider community. The Solar Matilda energy trailer will also be on show, demonstrating power generation through the use of wind and solar.
For further information contact the Ballandean State School on 4684 1254 or QMDC on 4637 6224.
Naturally resourceful rural women
Naturally Resourceful is a free two day workshop for rural women to be held in the Boulia Shire hall on 16 - 17 June 2009.
The program has been designed to build on the resourceful nature of rural and regional women and enhance their involvement in natural resource and grazing management.
The workshop will help women to build their skills, knowledge and understanding about NRM and property planning. In addition it aims to provide a pathway for women to take leadership responsibilities within the NRM field, as well as within social, producer and political groups and committees.
The course is also designed to encourage women to take action for improved management of the environment and to increase their understanding about the links between good NRM practices and social and economic viability.
Workshop topics include: grant writing; biodiversity; financial and succession planning; planning for positive change, arts, health and wellbeing.
Naturally Resourceful has been developed by Swift NRM and will be delivered in partnership with Desert Channels Queensland (DCQ) and funded by the Queensland Government’s Blueprint for the Bush program through the Desert Channels Landholders Support Service Project.
For further information or to register contact DCQ on 4658 0600.
Bribie focuses on climate change
Climate change and its effect on Bribie Island were discussed at a recent meeting of the Bribie Island Community Association.
University of the Sunshine Coast Associate Professor Peter Waterman was guest speaker and he presented scientific evidence that climate change is occurring.
SEQ Catchments Susie Chapman talked about the partnership program between residents and local and state governments to plan for climate change.
Ms Chapman said that Bribie Island now had a working group which was looking at the various areas of concern for sustainable living and life on the island in the future.
The group is considering a shared community vision incorporating five things residents value about Bribie Island.
The working group along with members of SEQ Catchments will hold their next public meeting on 4 June.
For further information contact Simon Brown at SEQ Catchments on 0400 910 683.
Government updates
Research links renewed between Queensland and USA
Trade Minister Stephen Robertson has renewed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), for four years, with members of the Queensland Washington Alliance Group (QWAG) enabling faster access to northern markets.
Almost $10.5 million has been invested by the Queensland Government in collaborative projects with Washington State. This money has been matched by contributions from Washington-based research institutes and interests.
The value of Queensland maintaining and building on its close ties with Washington State includes a sharing of research expertise and a commitment to developing knowledge-intensive industries like biotechnology, life sciences, ICT and aviation. Queensland researchers will also continue to increase their significant international profile as a result of this MOU.
A Queensland-Washington web portal designed to accelerate collaboration between the two states was also launched recently. Queensland's biotechnology expertise is now recognised globally, with Queensland researchers leading programs in population health, dengue fever and banana biofortification. Worth over $30 million the research is funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
Closer partnerships between the two states can also help develop collaborative state-to-state opportunities in research, industry development, education, commercialisation and trade.
Another important partnership has been the K-12 project, which focuses on preschool to year 12 trans-Pacific student interaction, undergraduate and post graduate student exchange and teacher education. One of the outcomes involved 10 Queensland secondary students attending Seattle's BioQuest Academy earlier this year, where they learnt about infectious diseases and the emerging challenges in global health.
For a copy of the full media release visit the media statement website.
Vaccine research will keep the beef industry alive
Almost two million dollars is earmarked for the University of Queensland (UQ) to lead international efforts in developing an E. coli vaccine for cattle, an organism which when passed to humans can cause severe food poisoning and is potentially fatal.
Trade Minister Stephen Robertson said the funding will be provided via the Government's Smart Futures Fund, National and International Research Alliances Program.
E. coli is a bacterium commonly found in the digestive system of animals such as cattle. Researchers at UQ and Queensland Primary Industries and Fisheries will continue working with their counterparts at Washington State University, the University of Idaho, the Washington Vaccine Alliance and the CSIRO's Food Science Australia to develop an effective method of vaccine delivery.
The vaccine will help protect both Australian and US cattle from a variety of the bacterium's strains. For Queensland this means the ability to further safeguard our $3.6 billion meat export industry.
Mr Robertson said the National and International Research Alliances Program funds collaborative science and innovation research and development projects that build on Queensland's national and international alliances. It assists in the delivery of research, development and innovation outcomes benefiting all Queenslanders.
Australia is the world's fifth largest centre for biotechnology and Queensland is fast becoming a major player in areas like tropical disease treatment and prevention, regenerative medicine, diagnostics and gene therapy.
For a copy of the full media release visit the media statement website.
Queensland’s clean, green technology teams with the USA
International partnerships in green technology, product and service sectors have the potential to help Queensland and its trading partners through the global economic crisis.
Trade Minister Stephen Robertson made the announcement at the International Trade Outlook 2009 conference in Los Angeles, a meeting of 200 business and community leaders.
Mr Robertson was in the USA this week leading a delegation of 70 Queensland representatives at the BIO International Conference in Atlanta, Georgia and said Queensland's focus on clean coal, solar energy, biofuels and biotechnology research and development in recent years made the State a prime candidate to build on valuable global partnerships.
Climate change and carbon emission issues, which are a challenge for industry and business, also have significant potential to become a major driving force for business growth in the 21st century.
The increased global focus on addressing climate change means the demand for clean, green technologies, products and services is on the increase, and because of ongoing government and industry investment, Queensland is in a position to help meet much of this demand.
For several years Queensland has invested in research and development of renewable energy sources including solar, wind, geothermal, biomass, hydroelectricity, wave and tidal power, clean coal and biofuels.
Biotechnology is also emerging as a future avenue to achieve better environmental outcomes in areas like food and fuel production or developing medicine. In tough economic times, close international collaboration will continue to be a key to promoting and commercialising green technologies, which in turn has the potential to help global economies get back on track.
For a copy of the full media release visit the media statement website.
New chair and board members for Murray–Darling Basin Authority
The independent Murray-Darling Basin Authority (Authority) will play a crucial role in helping Basin communities, irrigators and the rivers prepare for a future with less water.
The Authority members will draw on their expertise and experience to prepare a Basin Plan that will, for the first time, set a long-term sustainable limit on the use of both surface and groundwater in the Murray-Darling Basin. In developing the Basin Plan, the Authority will consult widely with state and territory governments and key stakeholders, including rural communities.
Minister for Climate Change and Water Senator Penny Wong recently announced the appointment of the Chair and Members of the Authority.
Michael Taylor AO has been appointed for four years as the Chair along with part-time members Dianne Davidson, David Green, Diana Day and Barry Hart.
Michael Taylor has held senior positions in the Commonwealth and Victorian public services for 17 years. Senator Wong said “Mr Taylor's leadership qualities and breadth of experience and expertise in water, the environment, NRM and agriculture makes him an ideal choice for this important new role.”
For the full media release visit the Climate Change and Water website.
Reef updates
New Queensland enzyme will keep global waterways healthy
Farmers around the world are expected to benefit from the successful Queensland trial of an enzyme that breaks down the herbicide atrazine in run-off water.
CSIRO Entomologist Dr Colin Scott said when the enzyme was added to a holding dam filled with run-off contaminated with atrazine, more than 90 per cent of it was removed in less than four hours.
CSIRO’s search for the enzyme began with a search for bacteria that ‘fed’ on atrazine. Once identified, the team isolated the enzyme that broke down the chemical into non-toxic components and developed it into a product suitable for low-cost production and delivery into a range of situations.
Atrazine is a widely used herbicide and has been found as a residue that persists in water for sometime after application. The new enzyme will reduce the potential for atrazine's off-farm water contamination.
The Queensland trials were held in the Burdekin sugar growing region near Ayr, in a collaborative venture between Queensland Primary Industries and Fisheries (QPI&F), James Cook University and the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA).
The QPI&F’s Rob Milla said the initial field test results were very encouraging and the next steps will be to apply the enzyme in standard operating situations to ensure there are no impediments to its easy and effective use, from the farmer’s perspective.
The CSIRO bioremediation team is now focusing on improving the production and application of the enzyme, to provide farmers and water consumers around the world with a cost effective bioremediation product to address triazine contamination.
For further information visit the GBRMPA website.
Caring for flowery and camouflage cod
Research on flowery and camouflage cods is helping to ensure sustainable fishing for these species.
James Cook University’s Dr Rachel Pears conducted the research in collaboration with commercial and recreational fishers. It has helped Queensland Primary Industries and Fisheries (QPI&F), the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA) and the fishing industry to better manage reef cod species.
The research was used by the Management Advisory Committee for the reef line fishery (ReefMAC) and its scientific advisory group to help the QPI&F determine the most appropriate fish size limits which came into effect on 1 March 2009.
The new size limits – minimum 50cm and maximum 70cm – apply to both species as it’s very difficult to tell them apart.
Importantly, the research found the old size limits (minimum 50cm and 100cm maximum) were ineffective in protecting mature breeding fish, particularly flowery cod. Through ReefMAC, it was recommended the maximum size limit be reduced to better protect these species.
The research found both species share several biological characteristics which make them vulnerable to over-fishing, and large females of both species are important breeders because they produce many times more eggs than smaller females.
A critical part of this management process has been the discussions with industry members who strongly supported the new size limits.
For further on this research visit the GBRMPA website.
Wetlands updates
More to love on WetlandInfo
WetlandInfo, the ‘first stop shop’ for online resources and information about wetlands, has recently been updated.
There’s more to love about WetlandInfo with the addition of wetland stressor models to complement the site’s existing suite of conceptual models. The stressor models show how human activities interact with the natural processes occurring in wetlands and how these ecosystems are impacted. These allow for the identification of pressures on, and condition of, wetlands to be determined.
New education tools have also been uploaded to WetlandInfo. Now primary school teachers can find a full term teaching module, plus field units, a catchment role-play game and an indigenous-learning inspired story thread unit on the site.
In addition, a face lift has been given to the Wetland Fauna Indicator Species list and the content has been updated to include some new orders.
There’s more to love about WetlandInfo in the AquaBAMM section too. The Aquatic Biodiversity Assessment and Mapping Method (AquaBAMM) was developed by the Department of Environment and Resource Management to assess conservation values of wetlands. Results for the Baffle Creek and Condamine River assessments are now available.
WetlandInfo is a product of the Queensland Wetlands Program, a joint initiative of the Queensland and Australian governments to protect and restore wetlands across the state.
Enjoy exploring the new additions and updates now live on the WetlandInfo website.
Celebrate with a wetlands walkabout in Mackay
Wetland Walkabout is a free family event that celebrates and acknowledges the work of local people and organisations making a real difference in Mackay wetlands.
The open day on 31 May, is an opportunity for the community to not only visit a vibrant wetland in the heart of Mackay but also to learn more about how wetlands work and how they are being managed.
The Wetland Walkabout is through the wider McCreadys Wetlands which includes freshwater and tidal wetlands with mangrove, melaleuca forests and riparian zones.
The wetlands provide important ecological services for the region, reducing sediments and nutrients entering the Great Barrier Reef lagoon and providing habitat and nursery grounds for freshwater, marine and land species.
However, the location of the wetlands presents many challenges as its located amongst agricultural land and a rapidly expanding urban area. Fortunately, the wetlands have attracted help from a range of local organisations to assist in rehabilitation work.
Rehabilitation work has been carried out with the support of Pioneer Catchment Landcare Group and Reef Catchments and includes breaching a levy bank to recreate an inter-tidal zone, building islands to provide habitat for local and migratory birds and extensive work to manage weeds.
Mackay Regional Council and the Mackay Port Authority have worked to eradicate substantial infestations of broadleaved pepper tree and installed a pollutant trap to prevent litter from entering the estuarine areas. Local schools have also got involved in the rehabilitation efforts with both staff and students at Mackillop Primary School revegetating and rehabilitating the wetland margin.
For further information visit the Reef Catchments website.
Natural resources news
Calling all earthlings, Your Planet Needs You!
Landcare Australia is calling on all Australians to put up their hand to volunteer in the spirit of World Environment Day on 5 June.
This year’s theme is ‘Your Planet Needs You’ and Landcare Australia has launched a nation-wide campaign in search of volunteers to support local environmental initiatives.
Everyone who registers will receive a subscription to the new electronic Australian Landcare magazine and go into the draw to win a Fraser Island holiday.
There are more than 6000 volunteer Landcare and Coastcare groups across Australia who need support, and although on-ground help is always needed there are many other ways to get involved.
People are also needed with a trade or skills in other fields including design and administration or who are willing to help with fundraising. So don’t delay, register today! It’s so easy, simply go to Our Planet Needs You website before 5 June to register your skills.
Your organisation may also wish to help raise funds for Landcare and Coastcare by inviting staff to wear ‘blue’ on World Environment Day and donate a gold coin to support the work of Landcare Groups in Queensland.
For further information or to participate email Chloe Tanner or call Landcare Queensland on 3211 4413.
Missing link benefits aquatic scientists and natural resource managers
Valuable insights and lessons learnt in one river system can be transferred to another system according to new research recently released.
Land and Water Australia’s Innovation Program has funded a project lead by Dr Brad Pusey from Griffith University to develop a continental-scale regional classification of Australia’s rivers based on ecologically relevant aspects of their hydrology.
Research has discovered flow regimes in Australia’s rivers follow 12 distinct patterns, suggesting insights and lessons learnt in one river or region can be validly transferred to another that follows the same pattern.
The information gathered in the project will benefit aquatic scientists and natural resource managers alike. The research is fundamentally useful for relevant analyses of environmental flows and for examining changes in flow regimes. The findings could also link with a range of other studies.
In addition, the project has added a spatial framework of streams and nested catchments and a data matrix of hydrological units by landscape attributes.
For further information email Dr Brad Pusey.
To view the full technical report visit the Land and Water Australia website.
Students get hands-on with NRM activities
More than 700 high school students descended on the Emerald showgrounds recently, to attend an interactive expo designed to highlight the importance of managing the natural resources in local communities.
Central Highlands Regional Resources Use Planning Cooperative (CHRRUP) Executive Officer Rolfe Ellem said the primary school event was so successful last year, that CHRRUP applied for funding to host another expo for Year 9 and 10 staff and students on the Central Highlands.
Educating young people about sustainable NRM is essential to Queensland’s future economic growth, environmental well-being and social development. The response was overwhelming with students travelling from Clermont, Blackwater, Capella and Dysart and local Emerald high schools.
Many aspects of water management, cultural heritage, water quality and biodiversity are relevant to students of Science and SOSE. In order to provide students with practical, hands-on experience 22 businesses and agencies were invited to provide interactive displays at the expo.
There was plenty of interaction on the combined Fitzroy Basin Association and Department of Environment and Resource Management stand. They involved students in a game which divided them into four stakeholder groups, with each group then putting their case forward as to why they deserved a greater allocation of resources.
The game generated plenty of lively debate from students representing urban, mining, farming and environmental sectors. The students gained a deeper understanding of some of the complications involved in land management issues from the game.
For further information visit the CHRRUP website.
Breakfast forum to address sustainable population in South East
Business Sustainability Breakfast Forum registrations are open for the next event on 17 July, focusing on ‘what constitutes a sustainable population for South East Queensland’.
Key note speaker features the former Environment Minister, Andrew McNamara and a dynamic panel which includes: Urban Development Institute of Australia Chief Executive Officer Brian Stewart; Redland City Council Mayor Melva Hobson; Sustainable Population Australia Simon Baltais; and the Member for Noosa and Shadow Minister for Climate Change and Sustainability Glen Elmes.
Everyone is invited to join Brisbane’s business leaders, agency staff, local community groups and political representatives to discuss what a sustainable population for South East Queensland could look like and whose responsibility it is to make it a reality.
Queensland Conservation is hosting the forum generously supported by SEQ Catchments. So don’t delay! Register today, as registrations are essential.
For further information contact the event manager on 5538 5109 or email Samantha Morris.
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: Burnett Mary Regional Group for Natural Resource Management (BMRG)
Title: Geographical Information Systems Officer
Salary range: Attractive salary package
Location:Bundaberg, Queensland
Contact:A Position Description including Selection Criteria is available via the BMRG website, by email toadmin@bmrg.org.au or phone 4181-2999
Closing date: 1 June 2009
Thought for the week
By swallowing evil words unsaid, no one has ever harmed his stomach.
Winstone Churchill
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Last updated 22 May 2009