The Bugle - 12 June 2009
In news this week
Regional NRM group stories- Roma regional knowledge management workshop will be postponed
- Tiny the endangered little tern makes its debut
- Noxious fish discovered in Wide Bay Burnett region
- Sisal Hemp weed eradication
- Students build skills in property management
- Registrations and submission now open for the Island Arks Symposium
- Garden gurus gather in May
- Your help is needed for a national knowledge management workshop
- Endangered regrowth Moratorium extended
- Volunteer program harnesses people power for environment
- National network of Landcare coordinators to continue
- National Reserve System Strategy released
- Queensland primary industries strong despite global financial crisis
- Largest national park now near Brisbane’s CBD
- Students learn about the perfect coastal plants for their backyard
- Seaweed may not take over the reef
- Climate change issue discussed at ABARE conference
- Look out rascally rabbits, your about to be Google mapped
- Boaties reminded it’s whale season
- Get a job in NRM!
Regional NRM group stories
Roma regional knowledge management workshop will be postponed
The regional workshops due to be held in Roma for Catchment Program’s Data Hub project will be postponed as a key staff member has been caught up in mandatory Swine Flu quarantine procedures on return from the United States of America. The workshop will definitely be going ahead and a new date for it will be advised as soon as possible. The Cairns and statewide workshops are not affected.
For more information about the Cairns regional workshop please email Reuben Sinclair at Terrain NRM or call on 0407 403 296.
Tiny the endangered little tern makes its debut
NQ Dry Tropics and Townsville Regional Bird Observers took part in the Million Paws Walk held by the RSPCA during May.
Tiny the endangered little tern made its debut to raise awareness about the impacts of dogs chasing birds on beaches.
Leashes were distributed to dog owners on the day, which said 'keep me on a leash and out of reach of birds on the beach'.
To follow on from this event NQ Dry Tropics will showcase Tiny the Tern at schools throughout the region during the next school term.
To learn more about the Tiny the Tern please visit the NQ Dry Tropics website.
Noxious fish discovered in Wide Bay Burnett region
Dubbed the ‘cane toad of our waterways’ tilapia is a highly invasive and pest fish which was recently discovered in two locations in the Wide Bay Burnett region.
Queensland Primary Industries and Fisheries investigated the discovery of tilapia on a Bullyard property earlier this year and the Burrum Heads waterways late last year.
Tilapia was introduced to Australia as an aquarium fish. They are hardy and able to withstand water which is highly saline or low in dissolved oxygen. These rapidly breeding fish protecting their eggs in a nest then carry their young in their mouths to protect them from predators.
These attributes make tilapia a highly successful invader. They will dominate waterways competing for habitat and food with native fish and ripping out water plants when building their nests. If left unchecked, they can displace Australian icon species like barramundi and mangrove jack.
Tilapia are identified by a pale olive to silver-grey body with two to five indistinct dark blotches on the side. It is important not to move tilapia from one waterbody to another (inadvertently or otherwise) as this is the main way they are spread. If you catch one, remember, it may have over 1000 live eggs or fry in its mouth and these can survive up to three days out of the water, so do not use tilapia as bait, alive or dead.
Please help eradicate this menace before it becomes established in waterways by reporting tilapia sightings to QPIF on 13 25 23.
Sisal Hemp weed eradication
A landholder lucky enough to have a property located within the beautiful Eurimbula National Park has been working hard to eradicate the weed sisal hemp which has been taking over the endangered rainforest on the property. The property is located in the Baffle Catchment about 112 kilometres north-west of Bundaberg.
Sisal hemp has been growing in the Burnett Mary region since the early 1900’s when early settlers grew it for its strong fiber properties to make rope and other items. Since its introduction all those years ago it has steadily been taking over the rainforest.
The landholders of the property are taking part in the Burnett Mary NRM Group’s Rainforest Recovery project and has received funding to undertake chemical control of the weed. A lot of hard work has resulted in some promising results with the rainforest beginning to regenerate well.
The rainforest which is classified as regional ecosystem 12.2.2, is endangered, and there is very little rainforest of this type left intact within the Baffle Catchment.
This project is essential to protecting the rainforest that is left, and the landholders are enthusiastic about protecting their patch of this rainforest. They are so passionate about preserving their beautiful property they are currently looking into obtaining Nature Refuge status for the 254 hectare property.
Students build skills in property management
It was a day out in the fresh air with a purpose for high school agriculture and geography students from across southern Queensland on 26 May.
More than 60 students took up the challenge to design a working property management plan for a farm as part of the Property Planning program offered by the Queensland Murray-Darling Committee (QMDC).
QMDC Education Officer Renee Fletcher said the Property Planning program takes students through the steps involved in developing a property management plan. To complete the plan, the students have to take into consideration all of the natural resource assets on the property and then judge the health of those assets, as well as any threats.
Property owner Dawn Heath said “The skills gained by the students in property planning are a vital part of property management and help to address natural and cultural resource issues at a property and catchment scale.”
“It doesn’t matter if your property is a smaller lifestyle block or a large broadacre cropping or grazing operation, property planning is a vital step toward sustainability and economic security,” Ms Heath said.
Schools involved in the day included Stanthorpe State High School, Warwick State High School, Downlands College and St Saviour’s College.
Registrations and submission now open for the Island Arks Symposium
Island Arks Symposium 2009 will be Australia’s first national conference on Island ecosystem management and will be held on the 7 -11 December 2009 in the Whitsunday Islands, Queensland.
Sustainable use of island ecosystems requires a strong inter-disciplinary knowledge base including terrestrial and marine ecology, coastal engineering, fire ecology, invasive species management, waste management, communication and marketing, and environmental economics.
The symposium aims to bring together practitioners in these disciplines to identify, discuss and resolve management challenges including identifying pathways for long-term conservation of island ecosystems and sustainable use.
Keynote speakers will include Bob Pressey, a professor at James Cook University; Raymond Nias, the Director of Conservation in WWF Australia; and, John Woinarski principal scientist with the Northern Territory's Department of Natural Resources Environment The Arts and Sport and an adjunct professorial fellow at the School for Environmental Research, Charles Darwin University.
Also giving presentations will be Graeme Wood, 2008 Suncorp Queenslander of the Year and co-founder of the Wotif group, and Andrew Burbidge a renowned conservation biologist with many years of experience in island conservation and management, particularly in Western Australia.
Garden gurus gather in May
Everything from plants to pots, solar energy to seeds, grey water to growing vegetables was on show as Desert Channels Queensland (DCQ) hosted its first Waterwise Garden Expo from 22 to 23 May at the Longreach Civic Centre.
Building on the success of its Growing Great Gardens workshops held across the central west last year, DCQ brought together industry specialists and community to help people manage their gardens and home environment more sustainably.
DCQ Chief Executive Officer Leanne Kohler said the two day expo included trade displays, talks from garden gurus and prizes. She said there was no admission fee and each day had a unique program with Friday’s program focussing on larger scale gardens and Saturday covering issues for every home gardener.
Guest speakers included Neil Fisher who has been advising on waterwise garden planning and construction to the mining and rural industries for more than 20 years, and Lawrie Smith who has a string of accolades for his garden designs and his work includes regional botanic gardens in Gladstone, Bundaberg, Darwin, Mt Isa, the Gold Coast, Barcaldine, Townsville, Tweed Heads, Dubbo and Mackay.
The Waterwise Garden Expo was made possible through funding from the Australian and Queensland governments and with support from the Longreach Regional Council.
To find out more about the Expo visit the DCQ website.
Government updates
Your help is needed for a national knowledge management workshop
If you have ever experienced the frustrations of not knowing where the information you need resides to support informed NRM decision making we are seeking you to participate in a state wide workshop.
By attending the workshop you will be able to help map the NRM knowledge landscape across Queensland and identify areas of improvements and linkages to develop state wide recommendations for future work in knowledge brokering in the state.
The workshops will also provide information on the progress of two pilot projects, one with the Queensland Murray Darling Committee (QMDC) and the other in north Queensland with Terrain NRM. Both groups have been working with other regional stakeholders including local and state government and adjacent regional NRM bodies.
The workshop will be held on Friday 17 July at 80 George Street (Meeting Room 4) Brisbane from 9am to 4.30pm. Attendance will be capped at 40 participants so please register your interest as soon as possible. Some support for regional NRM bodies to attend is available.
For more information please email Kirstin Kenyon or call on 3224 7734. Alternatively email Phil Maher or call him on 3224 7221
Endangered regrowth moratorium extended
The moratorium on clearing endangered regrowth vegetation has been extended for a further three months following a meeting with peak rural and conservation groups that discussed the way forward for the long-term protection of Queensland's endangered regrowth vegetation.
Minister for Natural Resources, Mines and Energy Stephen Robertson said, "It became clear at the meeting that considering the number and complexity of submissions received and the diverse range of issues to be examined the moratorium needed to be extended.”
"Under the Act I can make only one extension to the moratorium for a maximum of three months, from 7 July to 7 October 2009.” Mr Robertson said.
This time will be used to develop a practical framework that will improve the protection of critical vegetation, and recognise existing sustainable land management practices.
Mr Robertson said he will progress reforms to streamline the administration of vegetation management laws and will release a Regulatory Impact Statement proposing new fees for vegetation related applications. The proposed new fee structure will be more equitable and will not result in fee increases for applications for routine activities by landholders, like thinning, fodder harvesting and fence construction.
Easy-to-understand guides to help landholders better understand the moratorium are available on the DERM website or by calling on 13 13 04.
To read the full media statement visit the media statements website.
Volunteer program harnesses people power for environment
A new 'Green Nomads' program has been launched aimed at harnessing people power for environmental projects across the state.
Green Nomads is a new casual environmental volunteer placement program targeting the resources and skills of Australia's largest transient population, grey nomads.
This is an avenue for people who may have some spare time on their hands to assist in the protection and conservation of our unique natural resources. The initiative will have many benefits with volunteers working to care for the environment, while also building ties with fellow workers and the communities they assist.
Championed by Queensland Water and Land Carers (QWaLC), a new Green nomands website will link interested volunteers with environmental projects in the area they live or the areas where they are planning to travel. The website also allows conservation groups looking for volunteers to register. Possible environmental projects range from tree planting to gathering seeds of local native species.
Joining the program involves paying an annual subscription, which gives volunteers access to a 'member only' section of the website, where they can browse and reigister to attend volunteering events that fit in within their travel itineraries. there are three levels of subscriptions available: $22 for an individual; $33 for a couple or $44 for a family. To celebrate the launch of Green Nomads they are currently offering a two for one special on all new subscriptions. When you first sign up you will be given an extra years membership for free. This offer is only valid until the end of August 2009.
National network of Landcare coordinators to continue
The Australian Government has announced a national network of local Landcare facilitators will continue, with a total $33.6 million committed over four years. From next year, up to $8.4 million will be provided annually under Caring for our Country to fund up to 56 Landcare coordinator positions across Australia.
The Australian Government will provide immediate transitional funding, to allow current Landcare coordinators to continue in their existing positions until the end of the year. The current coordinators are based in regional NRM groups however from next year, coordinator positions will be funded under an open, competitive process to ensure broad representation across different regions and agricultural industries.
The coordinators will work closely with producers to help them continue work improving the sustainable management of their farm businesses. They will promote sustainable farming practices, to help secure the productivity of agriculture in the face of climate change.
Landcare was established in 1989 and it is estimate around three-quarters of Australian farmers are involved or benefit from the shared knowledge. Farmers have consistently said the Landcare network is a social glue as well as an important sustainable farming initiative.
To learn more about Landcare facilitator/coordinators who link and support Landcare and production groups involved in sustainable farming practices and on-farm NRM, please contact your local regional NRM body.
National Reserve System Strategy released
The recently released Australia's National Reserve System Strategy 2009-2030 has been developed by the commonwealth, states and territories, who have all agreed to work towards clear targets to secure long-term protection for our terrestrial biodiversity.
The identified national targets for the National Reserve System (NRS) include the protection of critical refuge areas for climate change resilience. The NRS adopts the latest guidelines from the International Union for Conservation of Nature to ensure world's best practice in the way protected areas are managed.
Despite some very real environmental challenges, from feral pests to climate change, all levels of government are determined to safeguard Australia’s landscapes and native species for future generations. One tool being used to secure this natural life support system is Australia's National Reserve System (NRS) – the nation-wide network of parks, reserves and private protected areas.
The NRS is a network of 9000 protected areas covering over 90 million hectares which is more than 11 per cent of the continent. The Australian Government has made the NRS a priority under Caring for our Country, significantly increasing investment in the system to $180 million over five years to expand the protected area network.
The strategy formally recognises the work of governments at all levels and the investment and effort by farmers, Indigenous Australians and conservation groups whose support ensures the protection of some of Australia’s most important areas for biodiversity. It identifies how all partners will work together to protect examples of at least 80 per cent of Australia's native ecosystems by 2030. States and territories have been asked by the Australian Government to prepare five-year plans, taking into account the regional differences in areas needing protection and the conservation challenges they raise.
In recognition of the growing role of private landholders and conservation organisations, who have already protected nearly 2000 properties with more than 2.6 million hectares of habitat, the Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts (DEWHA) will establish a NRS Partners' Forum.
The Strategy is available on the DEWHA website.
Queensland primary industries strong despite global financial crisis
Queensland's billion-dollar primary industries continue to perform well in the face of the global financial crisis. The March 2009 Prospects Update from Queensland Primary Industries and Fisheries reports a five per cent increase in total value of the State's agricultural sector since last December.
Queensland's primary industry commodities are forecast at $13.04 billion, which includes gross value of production at the farm gate and first-round processing. The State's diverse agricultural industries are not only helping to make Queenslanders Australia's healthiest people, they are also driving the economy and providing jobs for thousands of people.
Despite the fall in prices of some agricultural commodities as a result of the financial crunch and environmental conditions, agricultural export earnings are not expected to be severely affected. This is mainly due to food and fibre being relatively insensitive to changes in income.
There have been increases in live cattle exports, wheat and fruit such as watermelons, pineapples and grapes, while sugarcane, chickpeas and soybeans also recorded an increase in price.
Queensland's cattle and calf industry is forecast to increase slightly to $3.46 billion. Sugarcane crops are forecast to achieve substantial improvement, with an increase of 23 per cent to $920 million, mangoes are forecast at $65 million, grapes at $50 million and turf is worth $81 million.
The macadamia industry has recorded three successive years of growth and is now worth $30 million, an increase of 20 percent on last year and poultry production increased by 10 percent, to $330 million while Queensland's egg industry is forecast at $120 million, an increase of nine percent.
The prospects can be found on the QPIF website and to receive future updates, subscribe online.
Largest national park now near Brisbane’s CBD
D'Aguilar National Park at The Gap is one of Brisbane's most popular national parks and now it has effectively expanded by more than 35,000 hectares. It has expanded from 2400 to a massive 38,000 hectares making it Australia's largest national park within 20 kilometres a state capital city CBD.
The State Government has added areas in Enoggera, Mt Glorious, D'Aguilar and Mt Mee Forest Reserves to D'Aguilar National Park, providing permanent protection for biodiversity and green space in Brisbane's backyard. A total 74,400 additional hectares of south-east Queensland forest have been converted to national park or conservation park.
The national park covers the D'Aguilar Range from Brisbane city to Mount Mee, encompassing large parts of the area known as Brisbane Forest Park. The new national park forms a significant wildlife corridor for a diverse range of fauna and flora, including the giant barred frog, koala, and over 800 species of plants.
Visitors can enjoy the new areas of D'Aguilar National Park by walking and cycling along a wide network of tracks, and by visiting the many lookouts, picnic and day-use areas. Vegetation includes lush rainforest, tall wet eucalypt forest and open woodlands.
The expansion and other national park declarations brought the State Government closer to its goal of converting 425,000 hectares of state forests in south east Queensland to protected areas. It also helps achieve the Government's Toward Q2 target of expanding Queensland's national parks by 50 percent by 2020.
The latest national park gazettals also include a significant increase to Littabella National Park, near Bundaberg and the creation of two new national parks, Wrattens National Park and Oakview National Park in the Gympie area.
Reef updates
Students learn about the perfect coastal plants for their backyard
From the banana bush to the yellow mangrove, students are learning all about coastal plant species thanks to an innovative new teaching kit.
The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA) teamed up with NQ Dry Tropics and Greening Australia to deliver coastal plant teaching kits to schools throughout the Burdekin Dry Tropics region.
GBRMPA Reef Guardian Schools Project Officer Leonie Maddigan said almost 30 schools signed up for the program and would each receive 20 native coastal plants (or seedlings) and 30 copies of the ‘Coastal Plants of the Burdekin Dry Tropics’ booklet as a class resource.
"The schools will also receive a series of plant activities to learn about the importance of native plants and the role they play in coastal ecosystems," Leonie Maddigan said.
The 60-page booklet called ‘Coastal Plants of the Burdekin Dry Tropics’ was produced by NQ Dry Tropics in conjunction with Coastal Dry Tropics Landcare Incorporated. It contains profiles for 50 species of native coastal plants that are all suitable for residential gardens.
GBRMPA and NQ Dry Tropics are encouraging students, and by extension the community, to help protect the delicate coastal areas by planting coastal natives in the backyard and avoiding exotic species. Planting native trees provides habitat for animals and will possibly attract a wealth of butterflies and birds into backyards.
The booklets are free and available from NQ Dry Tropics by phoning 4724 3544.
Seaweed may not take over the reef
Recent research findings by the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) has helped to clear up a 30 year misconception that coral reefs are being overgrown by seaweed in many parts of the world.
Hugh Sweatman from AIMS and four other scientists found while there were moderate local increases in seaweed cover during the 10 year study period, only four per cent of reefs worldwide were dominated by macroalgae -sea weed - and most of these were in the Caribbean.
Mr Sweatman said the common view of seaweed replacing coral began in the Caribbean in the 1980s. Hurricanes, disease and overfishing saw coral cover on several Jamaican reefs decline from about 70 per cent to less than 10 per cent, with seaweeds rapidly becoming dominant when reef-grazing species of fish and urchins were fished out or died of disease.
The study team said while their analysis suggested the incidence of reefs dominated by seaweed had been overstated, the degradation of Jamaican reefs was a powerful warning of the consequences of natural and human disturbances.
The global survey of 1800 reefs found if conditions do combine to reduce the amount of coral, the shift is most often from high coral cover to low coral cover, not from high coral cover to high cover of seaweed.
Dr Sweatman said the finding reinforced the need for strict management principles to be applied to Queensland's reef to protect it from similar ravages as the inshore reefs are at risk from run-off which contains nutrients that encourage weed growth that can kill corals by smothering.
This study was published in the journal Ecology and it is the first such global-scale analysis.
Wetlands updates
Tyto wetlands called nature's opera house
Since rehabilitation eight years ago, the Tyto Wetlands have become a magnet for birdlife as well as birdwatchers from around the world.
Located near Ingham in North Queensland, the Tyto wetlands are affectionately called the ‘opera house’ by locals owing to the hundreds of birds calling the area home.
Premier Anna Bligh recently announced a $4 million grant from the Queensland Government's Q150 Legacy Infrastructure Program for the Tyto Precinct project. The project will protect the wetlands and provide visitors with an insight into the sensitive habitat.
Tyto wetlands are named after the eastern grass owl (Tyto Capensis) which live there and they are also known to have two crocodiles, around 1000 wallabies and more than 225 different species of native birds, making them a nature-lover's paradise.
Their other claim to fame is as Australia's largest wetland rehabilitation project with more than one-third of the 120 hectare wetland now covered by a beautiful lagoon. Visitors can wander through the extensive network of walking tracks which weave throughout the site, taking time to stop at the many lookouts, bird hides and interpretive signs.
While being close to civilisation, situated just 500 metres from the heart of Ingham and less than a kilometre from the Bruce Highway, there are plenty of picturesque spots for picnics and places to pause and appreciate the surrounds and observe wildlife in its natural environment.
Tyto is a unique experience because it gives people the chance to observe this unique facet of nature while not interfering with the habitat and surrounds.
Natural resources news
Climate change issue discussed at ABARE conference
Climate change is high on the list of topics these days at any conference dealing with agriculture, natural resources or the environment.
At the recent Kingaroy ABARE conference the main questions from the audience dealt with the hope that any carbon or emission trading scheme would not be taken over by dealers making large profits at the expense of rural producers.
ABARE's research scientist into climate change Catherine Tulloh said there will be winners and losers in agriculture. She said most agricultural properties will fall below the C02 production threshold and will not be included in any scheme. The Australian Government is establishing a Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme as part of an effective framework for meeting the climate change challenge.
Also at the conference Bureau of Rural Sciences Dr John Sims said soil carbon trading will require measurable changes to the soil carbon content. Dr Sims said that increasing soil carbon content is a factor of rainfall and land management practices, such as zero or minimum till and better pasture management. Increased soil-based carbon can also increase soil fertility and water holding ability as well as stabilising soil pH.
Finally, Gatton Research Station based QPIF advisor Peter Deuter spoke about the horticulture industries' contribution to lowering greenhouse gas emissions and said the industry was already a good way down that particular track. Horticulture has coped by utilising new cultivars, by adopting water saving irrigation such as drip instead of spray and by embracing integrated pest management practices for many crops.
Nitrous oxide (a serious greenhouse gas) is a big issue for crop growers as its production is a function of applying nitrogenous fertilisers. As fertiliser costs are expected to rise with emission trading more efficient use is also saving farmers dollars.
Look out rascally rabbits, you're about to be Google mapped
Councils from all over Queensland are encouraging people to help scientists map rabbit populations by scanning their local area for rabbits and signs of their damage, and adding that to a Google Map.
Landholders in particular are being encouraged to join the national challenge to record data about rabbits, with the project hoping to record more than 5000 sites across Australia.
To participate or learn more log on to the RabbitScan website and you can get a guide on how to find and map local rabbit threats, using Google Maps.
The RabbitScan Challenge is an initiative of the Rabbit Management Advisory Group (RMAG) and the Invasive Animals Cooperative Research Centre.
The national RMAG is a collaborative and independent group of landholders, industry, scientific and government experts, individuals and groups who are concerned about the impacts of rabbits on both environment and productivity. Visit the RabbitScan website to learn more about the RMAG and this program.
Boaties reminded it’s whale season
Boaties have been asked to be more alert and cautious over the next six months as huge humpback whales start to migrate along Queensland's coast. While the annual whale migration is an awesome sight, some weigh more than a fully loaded semi-trailer and should be given a wide berth.
Regulations are in place for Queensland waters to protect boats and their passengers and the whales. Last year, some boats crowded around whales on the Gold Coast and skippers put themselves, their passengers and the whales at risk. A number of boaties were given warnings last whale season and the Queensland marine rangers intend on ramping up their monitoring efforts this year.
The following regulations apply to protect all whales during their migration:
- boats cannot go any closer than 100 metres from a whale and if three or more boats are already within 100m of a whale, any additional boats cannot go any closer than 300 metres to the whale
- boats cannot go any closer than 300 metres if moving in a similar direction to or behind a whale, moving at more than four knots
- no boat can go closer than 300 metres to a whale in the whale protection zones of the Whitsunday, Lindeman and Gloucester island groups
- swimmers should exercise caution and move carefully away if a whale approaches or surfaces near them.
Penalties apply for breaching these regulations without reasonable excuse. The maximum penalty for intentionally moving closer to a whale than permitted under the conservation plan is $12,000. On-the-spot fines ranging from $300 to $500 may also apply for various contraventions of the conservation plan.
Information about whales and regulations for whale-watching can be viewed on the Department of Environment and Resource Management website.
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: South West NRM
Title: District Natural Resource Management Coordinators (2 vacancies)
Tenure: Full-time positions
Location:Cunnamulla and Quilpie
Contact:To apply for the position, please send a resume and application addressing selection criteria to Positions Vacant South West NRM PO Box 630 Charleville QLD 4470 or email swnrm@southwestnrm.org.au.
Closing date: 4:45pm Friday 19 June 2009.
Thought for the week
Determination gives you the resolve to keep going in spite of the roadblocks that lie before you.
Denis Waitley
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The Bugle is a weekly newsletter published by Catchment Programs, the Department of Environment and Resources Management, highlighting regional NRM activities around Queensland.
Last updated 12 June 2009