31 May-01 June: Bushfire in a Heating World,
Sydney
31 May: Grazier Workshop, Belyando Crossing Roadhouse
31 May: Feedback from facilitators due, on Report “Enabling
Regional Natural Resource Management Boards”
01 June: Applications close, Peter Doherty Awards for
Excellence
01 June: Weed Spotters competition closes
02 June: Northern Beaches Festival, Thuringowa
03 June: Eco Fiesta, Townsville
03 June: 9th Queensland Weeds Symposium
04 June: Water ’07, Melbourne
05 June: Prof. Bob Miles Public Forum on the Potential Impacts of
Climate Change in Nth Qld
05 June: World Environment Day
06 June: Pesticide Forum, Townsville
08 June: Palm Creek Festival
08 June: Competition closes for 'Drawing Together'
08 June: World Oceans Day
08 June: Towards 2020 Climate Change Conference and Expo, Twin
Waters Resort
11 June: Registration closes, Queensland Rainforest Recovery Forum,
25-27 June
15 June: Science and Innovation Awards for Young People
17 June: World Day to combat drought and desertification
22 June: Closing date for applications, Community Water Grants
Round 3
25 June: Recovering Rainforest - Queensland Rainforest Forum
Recent additions to our “What’s On”
web page:
2 June: Official Opening Tyto Wetlands Centre, Ingham
4 June: AGRICHAR BIOCHAR Presentation, Ayr
5 June: Prof. Bob Miles Public Forum on the Potential Impacts of
Climate Change in Nth Qld
7 June: Early bird registration closes, Biodiversity Extinction
Crisis Conference, July 10-12
18 June: RSVP for Dalrymple Landcare Committee Good Land Management
Awards, 22 June
22 June: Dalrymple Landcare Committee Good Land Management Awards,
2-4pm, Charters Towers
29 June: Nominations close, Queensland 2007 Smart Women - Smart
State Awards
30 June: Last day, “Old Phones, New Trees” campaign
10-12 July: The Biodiversity Extinction Crisis – An
Australasian and Pacific Response Conference
16 July: Applications close for AgFund
20 July: Closing Date: Coastal Management Plan Funding
Applications
3-6 September: Riversymposium
For more information on the events above and
more, go to www.bdtnrm.org.au/news/on/index.html
- BDTNRM Biodiversity Web Pages Expanded
- Links Added to our ‘Non-Government
Organisations’ Page
- Burdekin Dry Tropics NRM Constitution
- GIS Training
- Bringing Back the Beach Scrub
- ‘News Links’ Addition:
- AAA FarmBis subsidy scheme
- Change of Dates, Inaugural Queensland Coastal
Conference
- Ministerial Councils Meeting
- ABC Program “The war on
weeds”
- Farmers Info:
- Spur Throat Locust Alert
- Indigenous Water Policy Group
- Integrated Weed Management Manual -
Cropping Weeds
- State-level Investment Projects
- Landcare and Mobile Muster Initiative for
old Mobile Phones
- Prof. Bob Miles Public Forum on the
Potential Impacts of Climate Change in Nth Qld
BDTNRM Biodiversity Web Pages Expanded
Our biodiversity section of web site has been significantly
expanded to provide readers with more information. Collaborative
projects undertaken with the BDTNRM are described in detail. In
addition, information on the significance of the region’s
biodiversity and the threats it is facing, are elaborated with
links to other agencies where appropriate. To view: www.bdtnrm.org.au/bio_portal/
Any comments, suggestions, corrections to the information can be
emailed to Bronwyn.houlden@bdtnrm.org.au
Links added to our ‘Non-Government
Organisations’ page
Australian Agriculture and Natural Resources Online; Firenorth;
Greening Australia; Invasive Animals CRC; North Australian
Indigenous Land and Sea Management Alliance (NAILSMA)
Go to: www.bdtnrm.org.au/links/nongovernment.html
Burdekin Dry Tropics NRM Constitution
Proposed amendments to the Constitution were presented to
Members at a recent General Meeting of BDT NRM (Burdekin Solutions
Ltd). The changes were not passed and the existing structure of the
Board of Directors remains. This also means that the Partnership
Panels are not included in the Constitution and will have a lesser
role as the representative component for stakeholders.
GIS Training
The Regional Groups Collective (RGC), in an initiative to build
regional skills and capacity, is conducting accredited GPS and GIS
training for landholders and regional NRM staff. Geographic
Information Systems (GIS) officer Dustin Edge, hosted by BDTNRM, is
part of a team running these workshops across Queensland. The
workshops have been conducted every fortnight, and since December,
75 people have completed the GPS training while 50 people have
taken part in the GIS training program.
The next training course will be now be held on
13– 17th August at Collinsville. For more
information please contact Perry Langeberg at BDTNRM.
Bringing Back the Beach Scrub
In February, the Mackay Whitsunday NRM Group, BDTNRM and the
Fitzroy Basin Association secured funding for bringing back beach
scrub, through the 'Back on Track' species prioritisation
framework. The project called 'Bringing Back the Beach Scrub' will
assess the distribution, condition and conservation significance of
beach scrub on coastal dunes between the Fitzroy River and
Thuringowa to guide on-ground management actions at priority sites.
This beach scrub supports a number of high priority species for
conservation, including five plants and eight animals including the
northern quoll.
For further information on BDTNRM’s 'Back on Track'
involvement visit our page: www.bdtnrm.org.au/bio/bio/pgm/bio/bd_bot_bdt.html
‘News Links’ Addition:
ABC’s Landline has been added to our page: www.bdtnrm.org.au/news/links/index.html
AAA FarmBis subsidy scheme
This scheme can provide farmers with rebates of up to 65% of
training cost, and subsidise accommodation and childcare. Current
training on offer can be found on www.farmbis.gov.au
However, if a group (or individuals in specific cases) has a
specific training need for improved management (e.g. financial,
production, land management and/or social/family communications
business planning), that isn't listed they can approach training
organisations to construct a course and put it to FarmBis for
approval.
Contact Ian Durham our local networker, on 47222511, or 0428 103
043, or Ian.Durham@dpi.qld.gov.au
.
Change of Dates, Inaugural Queensland Coastal
Conference
Originally the advertised dates for the Conference were 17
– 20 September, however the actual dates of the Conference
have now been changed to 17 – 19 September. More information
on our What’s On page: /news/on/index.html
Ministerial Councils Meeting
Natural Resource Management, Environment, Water and Primary
Industries Ministers from across Australia met in April to consider
issues impacting on Australia’s natural resources and primary
production sectors:
Next steps for salinity, water topics (accounting, metering,
trading, data sharing, benchmarking and pricing, planning, urban
water reform, National Water Recycling Guidelines); impacts of
drought, water availability and climate change on agriculture; the
National Agricultural Monitoring System; bushfire; rural research
and developments, the Australian Biosecurity System for Primary
Production and the Environment; National System for the Prevention
and Management of Introduced Marine Pest Incursions; Red Imported
Fire Ant and Electric ant Eradication Programs; Australian Pest
Strategy; and Cost-sharing for Management of Four Tropical Weeds in
Queensland.
For more about these decisions go to: MAFF website .
ABC program “The war on weeds”
This program examined Australia's $4 billion weed problem and
the impending closure of the Weeds CRC. It also raises the idea of
an Australian Centre for Weed Research, a new national weeds
research body being suggested by the Weeds CRC. www.abc.net.au/landline/content/2006/s1926593.htm
For more information on the proposal for a new national weeds
research body (currently before the Federal Government) go to:
www.weeds.crc.org.au/main/weeds_crc_to_end.html
Farmers Info:
The latest issue has an item on Nutrient Management Zones which
impact on the Great Barrier Reef. Follow the link from our news
page: www.bdtnrm.org.au/news/links/index.html
Spur Throat Locust Alert
Landowners across western Queensland are being asked to report
any sightings of spur-throated locust swarms during the winter
months to the Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries. This
warning has been prompted after discovering significant numbers of
spur-throated locusts throughout the west. Locusts tend to swarm
and roost during the winter months, usually in heavily timbered
country and finding and treating these swarms in winter is the best
means of combating this pest which poses a significant threat to
crops and grazing lands. Biosecurity Queensland shares coordination
of locust control operations with the Australian Plague Locust
Commission.
For more information visit Biodiversity Queensland .
Indigenous Water Policy Group
The Indigenous Water Policy Group recently met in Darwin to
discuss Indigenous issues relating to the National Water Initiative
(NWI) and the recently proposed National Plan for Water Security.
Research programs are being developed for selected catchment case
study areas. The selected case studies aim to build the capacity of
Indigenous organisations in north Australia in order to understand
and influence the NWI policy agenda.
For more information about IWPG follow our link to North
Australian Indigenous Land and Sea Management Alliance from our
non-government links page: www.bdtnrm.org.au/links/nongovernment.html
Integrated Weed Management Manual on Cropping
Weeds
Weeds CRC has released a 250-page manual on 20 of the worst
weeds of Australia's cropping areas. It includes individual weed
management tactics, as well as details on how to develop and assess
effective weed management programs. The manual also contains a
section on herbicide resistance. Two sections can be downloaded
free from: www.weeds.crc.org.au/publications/iwm_manual_flyer.html
State-level Investment Projects
Updated catalogues of these products have been compiled for each
SIP theme to and are now available on the regional NRM
website
Landcare and Mobile Muster Initiative for old Mobile
Phones
MobileMuster, the official recycling program of the mobile phone
industry, in partnership with Landcare Australia, has launched its
“Old Phones, New Trees” campaign, which will see the
planting of a native tree for every mobile phone handed in for
recycling between now and the end of June 2007. The stockpile of
old and unused mobile phones is estimated at 15.5 million, but over
90% of the plastics and metals can be turned into new products like
jewellery, stainless steel and plastic fence posts.
To locate your nearest MobileMuster drop-off point or for
further information visit www.mobilemuster.com.au or contact 1300 730
070.
Prof. Bob Miles Public Forum on the Potential
Impacts of Climate Change in Nth Qld
Coastal Dry Tropics Landcare Inc., supported by BDTNRM, are
hosting a public forum featuring Professor Bob Miles, from Central
Queensland University, who will be discussing the ‘Potential
Impacts of Climate Change in North Queensland - The Way
Forward’. Everyone is invited to attend
Date: Tuesday 5 th June 2007
Time: 6.30 for 7pm
Venue: Victoria Park Hotel, Beer Garden, Boundary St. Sth
Townsville
For more information contact: Sari Mangru, Chairman CDTL Inc. ph:
0428 444 453
David Reid, BDTNRM: 4724 3544
********************************************************************
This edition as well as past Burdekin Bites can be found on our
website: www.bdtnrm.org.au/news/burdekinbites/index.html
Burdekin Bites is produced by BDTNRM, compiled and
edited by Deborah Cavanagh and Kim Pritchard.
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