Burdekin Bites

Fish of the Burdekin Dry Tropics

The Burdekin Community told us they wanted a healthy population of native fish in our rivers and streams, so BDTNRM has been working with Alluvium Consulting to see how fish are faring in the Burdekin.  Jason Carter and Jim Tait from Alluvium are keenly interested in native Australian fish and after months of extensive community consultation they have come up with a guide to fishes of the Burdekin Region ( Click here for publication) and a list of over 1000 barriers preventing fish from moving freely through our catchment. Visit the Surface Water and Wetlands home page for more information.

Improving fish habitats

A Fish Ladder

BDTNRM and Ocean Watch Australia have teamed up with Sunfish, Canegrowers Burdekin, DPI&F and Australian Centre for Tropical Freshwater Research and together we have identified six activities to improve fish habitat and get fish moving through our rivers and streams.

Community Coastcare (Applications Close, 25 July)

Community Coastcare is part of the Australian Government’s $2.25 billion Caring for our Country initiative providing grants to help local communities better protect coastal environments. It will provide two levels of funding–small grants up to $50,000; and larger-scale grants up to $250,000: both are required to contribute to the Caring for our Country national priorities by protecting and rehabilitating coastal environments and critical aquatic habitats, and enhancing community skills, knowledge and engagement.
Project activities may target all coastal environments including inter-tidal zones, beaches, dune ecosystems, estuaries and coastal wetlands, islands and reefs and coastal vegetation. Coastal environments also include coastal waters i.e. near-shore marine areas, and those areas immediately landwards of the coastal waters where there are processes or activities that affect the coast and its values.

Community Coastcare will support the following outcomes: protection and restoration of coastal habitats, including native coastal vegetation communities; improved water quality and restoration of coastal waterways; prevention and control of invasive weeds and pests; dune restoration and prevention of coastal erosion; improved resilience of ecosystems and biodiversity to climate change; improved skills, knowledge and engagement of volunteers and communities, including Indigenous.
Further details about who can apply, what can be funded, application forms, etc. can be found at
www.nrm.gov.au/funding/coastcare.html . BDTNRM’s contact on this program is Rachel Allen, Coastal and Marine Coordinator, 4724 3544 or rachel.allan@bdtnrm.org.au

Water Quality Monitoring Programme

BDTNRM’s Water Quality Monitoring Programme, run in conjunction with the Australian Centre for Tropical Freshwater Research (ACTFR) and more than 60 volunteers scattered along the rivers and streams throughout the region, has produced a good picture of where we should be putting our effort to maintain and improve good water quality. Together with Burdekin Sugar Experiment Station (BSES) and the Department of Primary Industries (DPI) we are providing $605,000 in incentives to help growers improve the quality of the water leaving their properties. BDTNRM and the Burdekin Bowen Integrated Floodplain Management Advisory Committee (BBIFMAC) are also working with more than 60 cane growers who are interested in monitoring their water quality. We have also doubled the number of workshops about sustainable use of farm chemicals we have been running with the Burdekin Productivity Services because they were so popular.

BDTNRM Staff

BDTNRM’s people are our most valuable asset and our staff, as well as our board members are community leaders in many ways above and beyond their work with us. Sam Savage’s new role with the Australian Rural Leadership programme is an opportunity of a lifetime for him and yet another example of the leadership and drive typical of BDTNRM and those working with us. Read more here. For those of you living outside Townsville our community engagement team is there for you. Anne Doak Ann Doak is based at the DPI office in Charters Towers, Peter Arthofer is based at Bowen Shire council offices in Bowen and Jenny Russell is based at DPI offices in Emerald. Paul Wuth is our community engagement officer based in Townsville.

Changes to Funding

Our Chairman Mark Stoneman discusses how the change in federal government has lead to changes in our funding arrangements and to a lesser degree in our programme emphasis. Click here to read what it will mean for BDTNRM, our staff and community over the next 12 months.

Employment opportunities

If you are interested in working in a Corporate Services position BDTNRM has a number of employment opportunities coming up. For more information visit the Employment section of our website – www.bdtnrm.org.au.

Position available with WetlandCare Australia

The successful candidate will be working alongside the existing WetlandCare Australia (WCA) officer in the Townsville region to assist in delivering wetland condition improvement to wetlands in the Lower Burdekin region.  WCA is a not-for-profit organisation that aims to support the community to protect and restore Australia's wetlands. The candidate will also be expected to actively promote WCA and seek new work opportunities in the region. This is a unique opportunity to join a team dedicated to the practical side of on-ground rehabilitation in wetlands across Australia. For more information about WetlandCare Australia, please see the website www.wetlandcare.com.au.  Any enquiries, please call or email Cassie Price, Senior Projects Coordinator (Qld); 02 6681 6169 cassieprice@wetlandcare.com.au. Please address ALL selection criteria given in the position description and include your resume and cover letter in your application. Closing date for applications is Fri June 27, 2008. The position description can be found http://www.wetlandcare.com.au/Content/articlefiles/668-Townsville%20PO%20position%20description%20and%20selection%20criteria.pdf

North Queensland Field Days

BDTNRM’s Karen Stapleton talks to someone from the community using our interactive corkboard

BDTNRM staff hosted a successful display at the North Queensland Field Days on May 14 and 15. The opportunity to get up close and personal with the rare and endangered Irwin’s Turtle drew in the crowds and staff got plenty of feedback from the community on sub-catchments in the Burdekin Dry Tropics region with our interactive cork board map. Some of the GIS team were on hand to chat to landholders and the banners highlighting the Fish of the Burdekin Dry tropics region and the display of native fish were also a hit with visitors to the BDTNRM tent who could see first hand the efforts we have been making to provide safe fish passages in the catchment.

Banksia Environmental Awards Finalists

Congratulations to Girringun Aboriginal Corporation for achieving finals selection. Winners will be announced on 18 July 2008 at the Annual Banksia Awards Gala Dinner Presentation at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre. For more information visit: www.banksiafdn.com/

Student challenge – call for applications

Earthwatch Institute is looking for five high school students over the age of 16 to assist Dr Steve Williams with his field work on a student challenge team from June 29 – July 5. Dr Williams is looking at populations of rainforest animals near Paluma to determine whether they will survive as the planet warms. Students will spend a week at small research station at Paluma learning how to be a field scientist and about climate change in our region. Interested students need to contact Alice Molan on (03) 9682 6828 or AMolan@earthwatch.org.au.

Implementation Strategy Meeting

A meeting to discuss the implementation strategy for the Water Quality Improvement Plan and Reef Rescue Package will be held on June 16 from 9am to 1pm at the Ayr DPI Research Station. RSVP to Toni Anderson (tanderson@bses.org.au) by this Friday (June 13).

Wetland Protection and Rehabilitation Field Day

A Wetland Protection and Rehabilitation Field Day will be held on Thursday July 3, 2008 at the Serpentine Lagoon (Baringha Station) from 1.30pm to 4pm. Machinery demonstrations will be held on the day including an Elrott plough mounted on bobcat and a track loader and mulcher. There’ll be a tour of the Serpentine wetlands and two guest speakers including John Dowe from ACTFR. RSVP to Amber Webster ph: 4724 3544 m: 0421 848 085 or Amberwebster@wetlandcare.com.au. 

Queensland Wetlands Workshop July 4, Townsville

The Queensland Wetlands Programme is running a series of free workshops around the state to provide government and local council representatives, conservation and industry groups with an opportunity to view the latest information and tools for managing wetlands. The one-day workshops offer opportunities to consider local case studies, to network with wetland managers and a chance to provide feedback on current wetland management activities. If you are interested in attending or for further information please email Angela Reed or call 3006 4621.

Water Quality Improvement Consultation

As part of the process of developing a Water Quality Improvement Plan for the Townsville City catchments, Creek to Coral will be conducting stakeholder consultation workshops to determine the environmental values of waterways in the area. The three workshops to be held in late July will cover: (1) Rural areas (Crystal Creek to Black River and Ross Dam catchment); (2) Urban areas (Black River to Cape Cleveland); (3) Magnetic Island.

Contact Andrew Hannay, Project Support Officer on 0413019359, 47278728 or andrew.hannay@townsville.qld.gov.au

Cleveland Bay Declared Fish Habitat Area

This new Fish Habitat Area (FHA) was officially launched by Primary Industries and Fisheries Minister Tim Mulherin in Townsville on May 26 in recognition of its environmental importance and economic contribution to the State’s fisheries. It stretches south of the mouth of the Ross River to Cape Cleveland and includes almost 22,000 ha of important fish habitats such as mangrove lined estuaries and extensive seagrass beds.

For more than five years Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries officers conducted studies and consulted with representatives from recreational and commercial fishing sectors, indigenous owners, industry groups, community groups, education organisations and individuals. Declaration as an FHA offers protection from coastal development but does not restrict legal fishing, boating and community access.

For more information contact Rebecca Sheppard, Fisheries Resource Officer on 4722 2656 or go to: www.dpi.qld.gov.au/cps/rde/xchg/dpi/hs.xsl/28_1238_ENA_HTML.htm.

Rollingstone Creek clean up

The Nywaigi people, aboriginal people with tribal connections to the Rollingstone area, will this week embark on a project to improve the Rollingstone Creek. The project will be carried out on the northern bank of the Rollingstone Bridge where gravel will be laid and trees planted where large guinea grass and weeds have taken over. A waterway close the lower bridge will be cleared of exotic weeds and allowing local children to be able to enjoy a shallow and safe dip. The spokesman for the Nywaigi people, Mr Nat Surha, said he was excited about the Caring for Country project. “Rollingstone falls within the boundary of our ancestors who are recognised as the traditional owners for various parts of this region.” Funding for the project comes as part of the Tide to Table – Burdekin Dry Tropics programme. Under this programme the area was identified as needing rehabilitation to restore the fish habitat values of this section of Rollingstone Creek by controlling the exotic grasses that have invaded the creek, cleaning up litter in the area and planting a fringe of vegetation along the creek. It is hoped the project will be extended to other parts of Rollingstone Creek. Mr Surha said he wanted to hear from other people or organisations who wanted to work on similar projects in the local and surrounding areas. He also thanked OceanWatch Austrlaia and BDTNRM for their financial support. You can contact Nat Surha on (07) 4723 8497 or 0421 391 606.

Peter Andrews Field Day

Peter Andrews doing a demonstration on the day. ( Photo by Nina House)

On May 28 the Desert Uplands bought Peter Andrews to the region for a field day on Natural Sequence Farming. The day, funded by Burdekin Dry Tropics NRM through the Property Management Planning project, was a huge success with over 60 landholders attending making it one of the Desert Uplands Committee’s most successful field days. The day started with a presentation by Peter where he discussed the principles of Natural Sequence Farming and then everyone went out into the paddock to participate in a practical demonstration. With the continuous opportunity of asking questions and expressing their opinions, landholders found the day very informative and enjoyable. ABC reporter Julia Harris was there along with David Thompson from Desert Channels Queensland who recorded that day. Peter Andrews discussed several issues.  He said that the Australian landscape has changed significantly, particularly since the adoption of farming and other management practices that are based around the European system of freezing and thawing. The exact opposite occurs here. By reinstating the natural processes and using the latest technologies, production levels should increase to those noted by the early pastoralists in the late 1800’s. Further information can be accessed on the ABC’s website:  www.abc.net.au/local/stories/2008/06/04/2265041.htm?site=westqld.

Workshops on Program Design, Economic Issues and NRM, and Extending Community Engagement, 29–31 July, Melbourne

Roberts Evaluation are delivering a series of workshops on practical tools and techniques for those working in the NRM sector especially, but also in related fields and the government sector generally. Dr Kate Roberts, Byron Pakula and Jacqueline Storey will deliver this series of workshops.

29 July, Program Design: The role of program design in program planning and evaluation.
30 July, Economic Issues and NRM: An overview of how economics can help improve NRM especially in the context of the new Federal funding arrangements.
31 July, Extending Community Engagement: The ways in which the community can be engaged and how human capital can be turned into social capital. Go to: www.robertsevaluation.com.au

Non-Government Links from BDTNRM’s Website

• Wildlife Friendly Fencing: This project has mainly been funded through the Threatened Species Network of the World Wide Fund for Nature. Other sponsors include RSPCA Queensland and Bat Conservation International.
• Get Farming: was formerly on our page as ‘Farmers Info’, now updated.

For both items follow the links from www.bdtnrm.org.au/links/nongovernment.html)

’Our Land: Your Story’ Using PlaceStories Software

Stories prepared by Landcare and catchment groups participating in this project, funded through a Department of Natural Resources and Water Community Awareness Grant, can be viewed by following the links from http://landcare.placestories.com/story/200007/200008/200047/

The Atlas of Living Australia

This is a five year project funded under the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy to develop a biodiversity data management system linking Australia's biological knowledge with its scientific and agricultural reference collections. For more information on the ALA, and to keep abreast of its progress, visit the ALA web site at www.ala.org.au/.

Conferences, Forums

• 25 June, Queensland Conservation Council Business Sustainability Breakfast Forum, 7–10am, Brisbane: Further information is available at www.qccqld.org.au.
• 30 June Landcare Conference, 21–24 September,Monto: Early bird registration closes. For further information, go to: www.qldlandcareconference.com.
• 9–11 July, Local Government Environment, Cairns: ‘Valuing the Environment’, the first National Local Government Environment Conference, aims to draw out the opportunities and challenges for councils in managing and adapting to climate change, natural resource management, sustainable purchasing, land use planning and waste management. Registration information is available from: http://www.lgaq.asn.au/portal/dt?action=content&provider=JSPTabContainer
• 10– 11 September, Local Government Sustainable Development Conference, Sydney: For further details, visit: www.environs.org.au
• 19–23 OctoberVeg Futures, Toowoomba: Hosted by Greening Australia and Land & Water, it will focus on the most pressing issues facing Australia’s unique natural landscapes: climate change, water conservation, management, and maintaining and promoting biodiversity within a native context. For more details visit: www.greeningaustralia.org.au/vegfutures/.

Grants

• Applications close 27 June, National Reserve Systems: Building Australia's National Reserve System of parks, reserves and other protected areas is one (to conserve native plants and animals) of six priorities for national investment under Caring for our Country. For more information about funding in 2008–2009, see www.nrm.gov.au/funding/nrs.html
• Applications close 30 June, Coca-Cola Regional Scholarships: This program offers 34 scholarships worth $2000 each for students studying agriculture related subjects and who are members of Agriculture Show Societies. For further information or application information contact Geoff Fader at gfader@bigpond.net.au, or visit: www.acas.asn.au/coca-cola/
• Applications close 25 July, Community Coastcare Grants: Community Coastcare is an element of the Australian Government’s $2.25 billion Caring for our Country initiative providing grants to help local communities better protect our precious coastal environment. Small grants up to $25,000 as well as large scale grants up to $250,000 are available, see www.nrm.gov.au/funding/coastcare.html.
• Nominations Close 25 July, Environs Australia 2008 Sustainability Awards: These awards in nine categories recognise progressing sustainability at the local level by: Local Government Individuals (councilors and officers); Local Government Authorities; and Local Government Partnerships. Judged by an independent panel the awards are structured at two levels (Gold and Silver’) and against two themes (Council and Partnerships. The Awards will be presented at a GalaDinner on September 10 of the Local Government Sustainable Development Conference in Sydney. For further details, visit: www.environs.org.au
• Applications close 30 September, Small Grants for Small Rural Communities: A small grants program for small rural Australian communities; will offer grants to benefit people in rural and remote communities. More information available at www.frrr.org.au.

CSIRO Move

CSIRO will integrate some of its animal science teams from the Rendel Laboratory in Rockhampton with colleagues at the Davies Laboratory in Townsville. Rockhampton science teams whose work focused on animal genetics and genomics will move to CSIRO Livestock Industries in Brisbane. CSIRO will continue to lease the 3800 hectare property 32 km north of Rockhampton for field experimentation and also continue its current research programs at the Belmont Research Station.

Agforward Workshops

19 June, Hughenden –  GPS essentials.
To register for this workshop contact Bree Robertson on 3238 6039. More information about Agforward workshops can be found on http://www.agforward.org.au/.

AgForward will take a break from workshop delivery in July to finalise its schedule for the period August to December, so if you’d like to arrange workshop/s in your region, please contact Bree (as above).

Queensland EPA State of the Environment Report 2007

To download the complete report, its 'key findings' and the Queensland Government's response go to: www.epa.qld.gov.au

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

Deadline for contributions to next month’s Burdekin Bites is Wednesday 2 July.

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.