To find out about what is happening in the Region - events, grant deadlines, workshops, meetings and date claimers - go to our What’s On Calendar at: www.bdtnrm.org.au/

1. 19 March: Workshops to assess the impacts of lantana on biodiversity, Townsville
2. 20/21 March: AgForward Vegetation Management Workshop, Bowen / Collinsville
3. 21-22 March: Northern Beef Research Conference, Townsville
4. 22 March: AgForward Vegetation Management Workshop, Belyando
5. 26 March: Nominations close for Queenslander of the Year Awards
6. 26 March: Applications close, Blueprint for the Bush Rural Service Access
7. 28/29 March: Workshops for soil health
8. 28-30 March: River Management in North Queensland
9. 29 March: Sugarcane Workshop on Adaptation to Climate Change
10. 29-30 March: NRM national training meeting, Hobart
11. 3 April Desert Uplands Committee General Meeting Notice
    
12. 18 April: Queensland Farmers Federation Enhancing Sustainable Agriculture Forum
13. 24 April: AgSIP 13 Economic Valuation Workshop, Brisbane
14. 26-27 April: IPAA Regional Symposium, Townsville
15. 27 April: Applications close for Envirofund
16. 30 May: Consultation period ends , Import Risk Analysis Report for Bananas
    
17. Video Case Study - Water efficiency and sustainable agriculture
18. Woody Weed Control video clips
19. Biosecurity Queensland centralized
20. Incentive scheme for Improved Water Use in Horticulture
21. Carbon Trading Program for Farmers
22. Weed pest - Harrisia cactus
23. Additions to BDT News Links page: RIRDC Newsletter, ALGA News, FarmBis Queensland
24. Nutrient Management and Water Use Efficiency Project
25. Addition to BDT Non-Government Links page: HESROC
    

19 March: Workshops to assess the impacts of lantana on biodiversity, Townsville

These workshops aim to gather small groups of people together who have either been managing lantana or native species in lantana infested areas. For more details go to: www.bdtnrm.org.au/news/on/index.html

20/21 March: AgForward Vegetation Management Workshops: 20 March, Bowen / 21 March, Collinsville

This vegetation management workshop is available to Landcare and Catchment groups, and primary producers and rural landholders to help understand the requirements of the Vegetation Management Act 1999 (VMA), especially those who have not completed PMAVs. Please contact Bree on 07-3238 6039.

21-22 March: Northern Beef Research Conference, Townsville

Presenting some of the latest technical information and research, the conference will include a choice of two field trips inspecting research activities in the nearby Burdekin catchment. For more information go to: www.bdtnrm.org.au/news/on/index.html

22 March: AgForward Vegetation Management Workshop, Belyando

This vegetation management workshop is available to Landcare and Catchment groups, and primary producers and rural landholders to help understand the requirements of the Vegetation Management Act 1999 (VMA), especially those who have not completed PMAVs. Please contact Bree on 07-3238 6039.

26 March: Nominations close for Queenslander of the Year Awards

The Suncorp Queenslander of the Year Awards are now open for nomination. These awards acknowledge Queenslanders who have contributed to the Smart State in areas such as business, community, arts, charity, sport, research and education. Premier Peter Beattie will announce award recipients during Queensland Week, 3-10 June. You can nominate online on the Premiers website ; email the Events Coordination , Department of the Premier and Cabinet; or phone 3405 5215

26 March: Applications close, Blueprint for the Bush Rural Service Access

Queensland Department of Communities funds are available aimed at helping rural and remote communities set up local transport schemes through the Blueprint for the Bush Rural Service Access Initiative. For more information go to: www.communities.qld.gov.au/community/regional/blueprint/

28/29 March: Workshops for soil health

The workshops planned for the Tully and Mareeba areas focus on: What is soil health; how productive results can be obtained by working with ecological systems; management practices that can improve biological diversity, nutrient recycling, water use efficiency and increase stable soil humus;and how these practices will benefit catchment areas. There is a possibility of a third workshop in the Bowen/Burdekin area, however this is yet to be confirmed. For more information, or to register, please contact Naomi King, Total Grower Services, Tully on 0429 685 063 or naomi@totalgs.com.au

28-30 March: River Management in North Queensland

A Workshop in Best Practice Management for NRM Organisations, River Improvement Trusts and Local Government, Townsville. For more details go to: www.bdtnrm.org.au/news/on/index.html

29 March: Sugarcane Workshop on Adaptation to Climate Change

An SRDC-funded research project is helping the Australian sugarcane industry to identify options, as well as set R&D priorities, for adapting to climate change. Adaptation planning is a matter of trying to tip the balance of impacts in favour of any potential benefits. Findings from the project’s Maryborough workshop will be presented at an industry-wide workshop. To register, visit www.srdc.gov.au .

29-30 March: NRM national training meeting, Hobart

The workshop, for professionals working in NRM programs, is supported by the National Landcare Programme and the Australasia Pacific Extension Network. It will showcase options for extension and engagement programs to integrate natural resource management with production. Recent research suggests that low levels of integration in extension programs decreases the uptake of change on farm. For workshop agenda and registration information go to rural development services website , email Naomi McGrath-Kerr .

3 April Desert Uplands Committee General Meeting Notice

Belyando Crossing All land managers and interested parties are welcome.
Please contact the Desert Uplands office if you wish to attend for catering purposes
RSVP: 28th March 2007, To: Rob Cameron Email: rob.cameron@desertuplands.org.au

18 April: Queensland Farmers Federation Enhancing Sustainable Agriculture Forum

The Forum on will focus on the current issues impacting on intensive primary industries and potential solutions for a strategic and coordinated approach to sustainable agriculture in Queensland. Sponsored by Land and Water Australia and the Queensland Department of Primary Industries & Fisheries, initial registrations of interest can be directed to Nick Kennedy .

24 April: AgSIP 13 Economic Valuation Workshop, Brisbane

Of interest to NRM managers, policy developers and decision makers is the Agricultural State-level Investment Project (AgSIP) 13 Economic Valuation Workshop. The AgSIP 13 project has developed a range of materials on the costs and benefits of improving NRM outcomes in regional Queensland. This information can be used to develop an economic valuation of regional investment strategies and projects. The workshop aims to highlight the need for such information and provide a practical framework in which it can be applied. For further information email Sue Woodfield or phone on 07 4930 6828.

26-27 April: IPAA Regional Symposium, Townsville

Sponsored by the Department of Local Government, Planning, Sport and Recreation, this Symposium will focus on tools and tips you can take away to better work with other agencies in your region. Full details are online at: www.qld.ipaa.org.au .

27 April: Applications close for Envirofund

Individuals and community groups are invited to apply for up to $50,000 for natural resource management projects from Envirofund Round 9. For more details go to: www.bdtnrm.org.au/news/on/index.html

30 May: Consultation period ends, Import Risk Analysis Report for Bananas

Biosecurity Australia has released its revised draft Import Risk Analysis Report for bananas from the Philippines, which outlines disease risk and proposed quarantine measures and concerns.

Department of Primary Industry and Fisheries scientists will review the report and will be talking with the Queensland banana industry as nearly 90 percent of Australia's banana industry is in Queensland. Many in the industry are concerned by the possibility of diseases such as black sigatoka entering the country. For more information visit: www.daffa.gov.au/about/media-centre/ba-releases/2007/revised_draft_import_risk_analysis_report_for_bananas_from_the_philippines

Video Case Study - Water efficiency and sustainable agriculture

A video case study (Queensland Farmers' Federation & Growcom in liaison with Fairfax Media) features a fruit grower, who also does nursery production, telling how he runs a successful exporting operation with zero reliance on town water. View on The Brisbane Times’ recently launched web site (scroll down to the 4 ^th case study) at: http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/multimedia/watermap_feb07/watermap.html .

Woody Weed Control video clips

View 2 short video clips on woody weed control in Dalrymple Shire as part of the SPIRAL program on: www.placestories.com/app/nav_maps4_2.php . " Casabella " focuses on woody weed control and gully erosion control in the northern goldfields country. " Milestone " draws on the outcomes of many years of work to control woody weeds, sub-divisional fencing, installation of watering points and innovative erosion control using large contour banks. For more information on SPIRAL ( Strategic Partnership Incentives in Revitalising Active Landcare in the Burdekin Rangelands) /initiatives/spiral.html

Biosecurity Queensland centralised

Biosecurity Queensland, the new central point of contact for invasive species and diseases across the state, officially began operations on March 1. It brings together land protection capabilities, plant, animal and marine biosecurity, chemical use and food safety, animal welfare and will shortly include some key areas of the Environmental Protection Agency. More than 500 staff from the Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries (DPI&F) and around 180 staff from the Department of Natural Resources and Water (NRW) had been brought together to form the new single agency. For more information visit: www.dpi.qld.gov.au

Incentive scheme for Improved Water Use in Horticulture

Recently featured in the news is this Burdekin Dry Tropics NRM project. For more information go to: /initiatives/horticultincent.html

Carbon Trading Program for Farmers

Landcare Australia has launched a new carbon trading program for farmers. Under the scheme farmers can earn an income through planting trees on their property funded by businesses or individuals wanting to offset their carbon use. A pilot scheme is already up and running in NSW and the organisation has received funding to conduct a scoping study in Queensland. For more information go to: www.carbonsmart.com.au

Weed pest - Harrisia cactus

Introduced as an ornamental plant 110 years ago, Harrisia cactus was first recognised as a serious pest in the Collinsville district about 70 years ago and has been spreading south since the 1950s. It is a declared pest requiring land managers to control it on their properties and local governments can serve owners with notices requiring they act to wipe it out. A project team has been set up to look at the problem which is acute in some areas where researchers have counted 125,000 tubers per hectare. The plant, also known as moonlight cactus, produces bright red fruit that contain up to 1000 seeds. The fruit and seeds are a favourite of birds, feral pigs and foxes, all of which help to spread the cactus. To learn more visit: http://www.nrw.qld.gov.au/pests/index.html

Additions to BDT News Links page

Links to these three newsletters have now been placed on our page: www.bdtnrm.org.au/news/links/index.html

RIRDC Newsletter: The Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation is a partnership between the Australian Government and industry that funds and manages priority research across three key areas - new rural industries, selected established industries, and national rural issues

ALGA News : Provides items with a national scope and of interest to Local Government.

FarmBis Queensland: Latest information relating to case studies, training, etc., of interest to farm business.

Nutrient Management and Water Use Efficiency Project

Growcom has been awarded a $190,000 grant by the Australian Government to assist growers in optimising their nutrient management and water use efficiency as well as assisting the implementation of the Reef Water Quality Protection Plan. The project aims to show that by using the right amount of fertiliser and water, growers can cut costs and have a positive effect on water quality benefits for the Great Barrier Reef. Based in the Tully region, the initial focus will be on four banana enterprises as demonstration sites. Other growers in the region will then be introduced to the concepts and encouraged to undertake similar activities. The second phase will continue work with banana growers but will also target other fruit and vegetable commodities to participate as demonstration sites. Growcom is looking for banana growers in the Tully region who are interested in participation: contact George Russell on (07) 4068 2255.

Addition to BDT Non-Government Links page

A new link to this organisation has now been placed on our page: www.bdtnrm.org.au/links/nongovernment.html

HESROC - Health & Environment Regional Organisation of Councils: Facilitates local government areas of Burdekin, Charters Towers, Dalrymple, Hinchinbrook, Thuringowa and Townsville in addressing natural resources management and environmental health issues in North Queensland. Includes information on how to access resources and funding.

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