Mark Dent’s Public Seminar on Water Reform and Management: 4 March, Townsville and Ayr

To be held at the Ayr Showgrounds Hall, Corner Edward & Craig Streets, Ayr, 4.00 pm (tea/coffee served afterwards).

Dr Mark Dent, from the University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, will speak on lessons emerging from South Africa’s efforts to implement integrated water resources management (IWRM) policy and legislation, with a focus on the roles of community stakeholders and scientific expertise.

He will also touch on: sustainability as an emergent property arising from healthy multi-stakeholder communication; mismatches between the nature of water resources challenges and the institutions that manage these; knowledge power equity between stakeholder groups; learning through visiting the consequences of our actions; transcending barriers to IWRM; and how we often get in our own way in our quest to implement IWRM. Mark is in Australia as a guest of the CSIRO and is presenting a six city seminar series. His visit is primarily sponsored by the International Centre of Excellence in Water Resources Management (ICE WaRM), the Cooperative Research Centre for Irrigation Futures and the National Water Commission.

Free of charge but please RSVP to Dianne Schultz 07 4783 9812 by 29 February to assist with catering.

AgForward Workshops

4,5,6 March     Desert Uplands Area (TBC)          GPS Essentials (3 Workshops)
13 March         Winton                                       GPS Essentials

These half day workshops provide practical training in the use of GPS (Global Positioning System) units for landholders. Participants learn about setting up a GPS correctly, understanding GPS accuracy, working with waypoints and tracks, measuring areas and distances and downloading and uploading information into a computer. AgForward provides use of GPS units for those without their own, plus a GPS workbook and Pocket Guide (an illustrated booklet of how to use the GPS). Workshop cost is $50 per enterprise. 
For more information contact Bree Robertson on (07) 3238 6039.

Bushland Beach Coastcare Meeting: 5 March, 6pm, Ocean Palms Motel, Bushland Beach

This meeting is to establish the level of interest in the Bushland Beach community for participating in small projects such as dune and foreshore stabilisation and rehabilitation, native vegetation replanting weed eradication, the establishment and maintenance of formal beach access-ways and community education programs.

For more information or to RSVP, contact Adam King, BDTNRM Coastcare Facilitator and Coastal Education Officer for Conservation Volunteers Australia, aking@cva.org.au or on 4721 4077 or 04 2941 8884.

WQ PIXEL Project

This project provides participating growers with water quality kits containing simple but effective methods for measuring key water quality parameters, as well as the necessary training to use the kits.
Interested growers are invited to get involved in this exciting project, which will give them valuable experience and greatly assist in enhancing the sustainability of the irrigation area. The project is funded by BDTNRM and managed by BBIFMAC.

If you wish to get involved or would like more information, please contact the BBIFMAC office on secretary@bbifmac.org.au  or 4783 4344.

Not-For-Profit Association Conference: 13 March, Canberra

Senior staff working within industry bodies and professional associations will be briefed on key issues affecting the sector in a succinct and focused format. Delegates will also have the opportunity to discuss their own perspectives and solutions and network with other delegates. Topics covered include: dealing with boards, income generation, human resource management, member recruitment and retention, managing relationships with different organisational components, and other issues integral to creating and maintaining strong, successful associations. Members $349, Non-members $399. For more information, go to: www.nfpn.com.au

EOI closes 14 March for Northern Brigalow Belt Biodiversity Funding: EOI closes 14 March

Greening Australia is inviting expressions of interest from landholders in the Northern Brigalow Belt to take part in a stewardship arrangement under the Australian Government’s Maintaining Australia’s Biodiversity Hotspots where landholders would be provided with financial support to better protect conservation habitat. Areas targeted for this program are coastal regions Bowen to Rollingstone, and the Bowen, Broken and Bogie Catchments.

Interested landholders can arrange a free, on-site ecological assessment of their land with a qualified conservation advisor who can assist with the development of a biodiversity management plan and identify recommended management actions. Landholders are then able to set their own price for the actions they are prepared to undertake. This price will be compared to the other bids received from the region and successful bids will be those that are assessed as offering the best value for money. All landholders with native vegetation on their properties are encouraged to participate.

For more information, contact Greening Australia on hotspots@qld.greeningaustralia.org.au or 4796 0444.

Lantana Threat – Call for Nominations of Sites

Lantana has been confirmed as one of the worst environmental weeds according to a recent study by the NSW Department of Environment, Climate Change (DECC) and Biosecurity Queensland.

The study is part of a new plan to identify native species at risk from lantana invasion; then identify priority sites for lantana control. Land managers who have lantana and any of the identified high priority native species at risk on their land are being asked to provide site details up until the end of March 2008 for inclusion in the plan.

The final plan will be used to guide future investment in lantana management for biodiversity conservation at a national, state, regional and local scale. For more information visit: NSW National Parks website.

2nd International Salinity Forum: 31 March – 3 April, Adelaide

The Forum aims to provide an opportunity for international and Australian audiences to:
Exchange knowledge about the science, policies and management practices relating to salinity.

For more information go to: www.internationalsalinityforum.org/

Places are still available for the 5-day pre-forum field trip to the Murray Basin to examine salinity science and management and limited spaces are also available for Field Trip 2 - Groundwater Salinity Management and Field Trip 3 - Yorke Peninsula. For more information on these go to: www.internationalsalinityforum.org/11_SocFuncts.html

Weed Spotter Workshop: 19 April, 9am to 3pm

This workshop on how to collect, press and preserve weed specimens will be held on Saturday at Pimlico Campus Barrier Reef Institute of TAFE (Room H105, Horticulture Building), Corner of Hugh St and Fulham Road Townsville. Enter Horticulture area and car park via Desailly St.

The workshop covers the need to collect weed specimens; equipment and permits required; using a GPS in the field, safety and hygiene issues, as well as the procedures for collecting, pressing and preserving specimens.

Places are limited so bookings are essential, contact: Chris Gardiner, christopher.gardiner@jcu.edu.au or on 4781 5738 or 0419 203037.

Peter Andrews Workshops: 28,30 May

The Desert Uplands Committee in conjunction with Desert Channels will be hosting two Peter Andrews NSF workshops:
Desert Uplands region will be held on-property at ‘The Lake’ Aramac on Wednesday 28 May
Desert Channels region on Friday 30 May (to be determined).

For more information contact: Andrea Lingard on 4651-1002 or andrea.lingard@desertuplands.org.au

Change of Scene for BDTNRM Board Member

Congratulations to our board member Gary Martin, on his successful appointment as Group Manager of Infrastructure and Transport with the Whitsunday Regional Council. The Board will benefit from his continued expertise.

BDTNRM Community Engagement Team in Full Swing

Ann Doak and Paul Wuth (BDTNRM Community Support and Engagement Facilitators) assisted the HESROC (Health and Environment Regional Organisation of Councils ) Regional Pest Animal Coordinator, Mike Spinaze, in facilitating a wild dog and feral pig forum.

Participants at the Feral Animal Forum working their way around perceived barriers.

The BDTNRM community engagement team plays a range of roles including building local networks within communities; providing localised community support; gaining an understanding of local communities; supporting local projects; facilitating feedback from the community to BDTNRM; and promoting BDTNRM and its processes.

The team is available to assist with BDTNRM sponsored or community projects related to natural resource management. It is important that community engagement is considered early in the project development and planning stages.

If you would like more information or require input or assistance from this BDTNRM team please contact:
Judy Warner, Townsville: 4724 3544
Peter Arthofer, Bowen: 4785 2229
Ann Doak, Charters Towers: 4761 5166
Paul Wuth, Townsville: 4724 3544

Turf and Flower Soils Workshop

Turf producers from Townsville and Thuringowa got their hands dirty last week at a soil and water workshop run by the Queensland Turf Producers Association (QTPA) and the Flower Association of Queensland Inc (FAQI).

Amanda Laurie, Land Soils and Agriculture Officer at BDTNRM was one of the participants making mud worms, learning how to identify soil textures, and calculating how much water soils can hold to enable turf growers to fine tune their irrigation scheduling and produce a better quality turf product, as well as improving the sustainability of the industry.

Funding from the National Landcare Programme enabled workshops to be held outside of south-east Queensland for the first time, and according to Steve Capness, Regional Industry Development officer for the QTPA, our region had the highest number of participants at a workshop.

Another workshop will be held near Mackay on the 11th March 2008. More information can be found at www.qtpa.com.au, phone 0422 523 126 or 3488 0917, or email rido@qtpa.com.au.

NatureAssist

NatureAssist which supports land management activities that have positive environmental outcomes on land of significant natural and/or cultural value (including threatened ecosystems and species, areas of high plant and animal diversity, landscape linkages and corridors, intact landscapes and cultural heritage. Examples of suitable activities are:

• revegetation (e.g. removing weeds and planting local native species)
• protecting environmentally sensitive areas through fencing or establishing off-stream watering points

Funding is distributed following a competitive tender process. A major component of the Queensland Government’s Blueprint for the Bush initiative, it is administered by the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department for Nature Resources and Water. Regional NRM groups across the state and the Commonwealth Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts are also important partners.
If interested in the scheme, submit a one-page Expression of Interest during the advertised period (approximately one round per year): then contact is made, the property assessed for its suitability and assistance is given if invited to develop and submit a tender.

To find out more go to www.epa.qld.gov.au/naturerefuge or call 1800 603 604.

The Australian Green Grants Guide 2008

This annual publication is a one-stop guide to over 300 environment and heritage grants relating to seven themes: Water; Biodiversity; Energy; Greenhouse; Heritage Sites; Land; and Waste

For more information visit: www.molinostewart.com.au/Green_Grants_Guide.htm

Staff Changes at BBFIMAC

Tom McShane, a driving force in establishing grower and community ownership of natural resource issues in the Burdekin, has taken a position with the East Gippslands Shire Council (Victoria) where he will be working with groups to strengthen rural communities in the region. Linda Kirk, the Office Manager is retiring to spend more time with her family, and Maria Lange, the Project Officer for the WQ PIXEL Project has taken a new position with the Snowy Mountains Environmental Corporation in Townsville.

Tamika Savorgnan, now the Office Manager, can be contacted on secretary@bbifmac.org.au or 4783 4344.

Centre for Groundwater Studies Short Courses and Workshops

These programs aim to improve understanding of groundwater as a key natural resource. CGS offers an annual program of fundamental and specialist groundwater short courses catering to a wide range of attendees. Fundamental groundwater courses have been designed for three levels of attendees: ABCs of Groundwater; Getting to Know Groundwater; Australian Groundwater School. Specialist groundwater courses are also offered to help expand knowledge in key areas such as groundwater contamination, groundwater modelling and aquifer recharge. For more information go to: www.groundwater.com.au

Smarttrain Chemical Accreditation Workshops

Held on various dates, (16 April to 29 May) at locations including Augathella, Barcaldine, Charleville, Charters Towers, Collinsville, Cunnamulla, Julia Creek, Kingaroy, Rockhampton, Springsure, Taroom and Winton. This accreditation covers both agriculture and veterinary applications. $250 per Agforce Member ($270 for non members). For details on the dates and more information, visit www.agforceqld.org.au/tsagforcetraining.asp or contact Kate Scott on 4699 5520 or katescott@agforceqld.org.au.

Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) – An Environmental Resource

Australia's Environment: Issues and Trends 2007 released by the ABS presents a range of statistics of interest and relevance to natural resource management, such as the following:

“Farmers reported spending more than $3.3 billion on Natural Resource Management (NRM) in 2004-05, one-third of which was spent on weeds management”.

For more interesting statistics and trends, browse the website at www.abs.gov.au

Help Care for Wetlands

Wetlands play a vital role in helping improve water quality on the Great Barrier by filtering out nutrients and sediments in catchment run-off before reaching the reef lagoon. Interested people can help look after local wetlands by becoming involved in Creekwatch, a partnership initiative of the Townsville City Council and Conservation Volunteers Australia. There are six Creekwatch projects throughout the Townsville area. For more information about Creekwatch, go to www.soe-townsville.org/creekwatch

Townsville Region Bird Observers Club (TRBOC) Website

This newly created website contains news of their current activities, calendar of activities for the next few months and some great bird photos. Information about good bird watching places in the region will be added as soon as possible. Go to: www.trboc.org.au

AgForce Biotechnology Forums

AgForce will be conducting a series of Biotechnology Forums in Dalby (2 April) Emerald (2 April) and Mackay (April 3rd AM). In collaboration with the Department of Agriculture Fisheries and Forestry, AgForce is holding these forums to educate producers on ethical considerations for the use of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO), and to provide expert opinion on industry specific technology applications and commodity marketing/consumer attitudes. For more information visit www.agforceqld.org.au.

Ergon Energy Tidy Towns

A reminder that 2008 Tidy Towns entrants’ fees have been waived this year. 
The State Awards are being held in Cairns this year in conjunction with the LGAQ annual conference.
For more information or to register, visit www.keepaustraliabeautiful.org.au/qld.

Water Reserves

With all the recent rain there is a lot of interest in dam capacities and levels.

For latest updates on water levels of the Ross River Dam and Paluma Dam, go to: www.nqwater.com.au/?page=87

For the latest updates on a number of other dams (including the Burdekin Falls Dam) go to: www.sunwater.com.au/pdf/water/CurrentStorageSummary.pdf

Lantana Threat – Remote Detection

A $450,000 project involving the Departments of Primary Industries and Fisheries and Natural Resources and Water is innovatively mapping outbreaks of lantana by using remote sensing. The programme has uncovered some massive infestations at several centres including Mackay, Rockhampton and Emerald.

Coral Climate Challenge

Scientists from Queen’s University in Canada and the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) have developed population genetic models to explore factors that could affect the rate at which resistance to coral bleaching might evolve. The study helps understand how coral reefs might evolve in response to climate change. For more about this study visit: www.aims.gov.au

Call for 2008 Events

We are still seeking details of appropriate activities for inclusion in our 2008 calendar of events. Please forward any items to Deb.Cavanagh@bdtnrm.org.au. Please note that usually at least a month’s advance notice should be allowed for consideration for inclusion into the Burdekin Bites.

For more information on the events above and more, go to www.bdtnrm.org.au/events/

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 Kim Pritchard and Deborah Cavanagh.
We welcome your comments, ideas and contributions for future e-bulletins.