$1 million of BDTNRM funding to improve
water quality in the Burdekin Basin
BDTNRM is funding Dalrymple Landcare Committee
to the tune of $1,094,380 to tackle land
degradation in two high priority areas in the Burdekin Dry Tropics
region. The East Burdekin area (Mingela to Mt
Coolon) and the Clarke River Catchment (SW of Greenvale) have been
identified as sources of high sediment loads contributing to the
reduced water quality in the Burdekin Basin.
The East Burdekin area includes 68 properties
covering 1,000,000ha while the Clarke River catchment includes 25
properties covering an area of 650,000ha,
Pasture degradation, declining biodiversity, high levels of erosion
in ‘hot spots’, emerging woody weed problems,
overgrazing and woodland thickening have contributed to poor water
quality being generated in these two areas.
BDTNRM, in partnership with Dalrymple Landcare
Committee, is tackling the problem by:
1. Providing Grazing Land Management training
for graziers (in conjunction with the DPI&F)
2. Part funding on-ground works
to accelerate the adoption of improved land
management practices including managing riparian areas, wet season
pasture spelling, conservative stocking rates, use of fire,
protection of endangered ecosystems and critical habitat and
reclaiming specific degraded areas.
3. Monitoring indigenous cultural heritage
sites to ensure they are preserved and protected throughout the
project.
4. Water quality and land condition monitoring
in order to quantify environmental improvements.
5. Improving the management of two endangered
and 34 of-concern Regional Ecosystems and 15 major watercourses
across the two catchments.
Chair of the Dalrymple Landcare Committee, Sue
Bennetto, said that this project will provide the incentives and
training to achieve better management of grazing lands in both
catchments. “The DLC has a long history of project management
and looks forward to working with BDTNRM, DPI&F and JCU on this
major project,” she said.
DPI&F Senior Extension Officer, Bob
Shepherd said that the project will complement an existing project
under the Agricultural State Investment Program which is working in
the same catchments to develop and implement individual property
plans. “The 93 graziers across both catchments are aware of
the project and are keen to make it a success. The subdivision of a
breeder paddock to allow the adoption of a wet-season spelling
program is one simple but effective example of how an incentives
project can lead to improvements in land condition and the quality
of runoff water.” he concluded.
18 July BDTNRM hosts Traditional Owner
annual meeting
Thirty representatives from 16 Traditional Owner groups
throughout the Burdekin Catchment met in Townsville last week to
talk about natural resource management. Two projects under
discussion included getting hold of geographical information
systems to map cultural heritage in the Charters Towers area and an
ecological recording project in the Cardwell area to coordinate all
the data that has been collected over the past ten years and put it
onto a geographical information system.
Looking to the future, the group agreed to begin
discussions about establishing a formal representative body for all
16 Traditional Owner groups. There was strong support
for strengthening Traditional Owner’s capacity to participate
in NRM activities by training people in a range of skills from
learning how to use a computer to upgrading their management
abilities.
Communications between the far flung groups was a hot
topic. In addition to regular updates from the
Thursday morning 4K1G Caring for Country radio program, the group
will produce a newsletter, with assistance from BDTNRM.
For more information about the meeting and the BDT
Traditional Owners contact:
Tonya Booth
Email: Tonya.Booth@bdtnrm.org.au
Phone: (07) 4724 3544
Mobile: 0427 243 001
18 July: $9 million boost for natural resource
management in the Burdekin Catchment.
Burdekin Dry Tropics NRM (BDTNRM) is currently pouring more than
$9 million into the region with the potential to increase that
amount to $20 million over three years. Funded by Natural Heritage
Trust 2 and the National Action Plan for Salinity and Water
Quality, BDTNRM is tackling natural resource management issues
targeted by the local community in their NRM plan and Regional
Investment Strategy.
These projects are investments in capacity building, on-ground
works, resource assessment and planning as well as developing and
maintaining strong relationships with a range of industry,
community, non government and government groups throughout the
Burdekin Dry Tropics. Projects range from GIS mapping of the entire
catchment, to pest and weed management, protecting remnant
vegetation and areas of significant biodiversity, mapping cultural
knowledge about natural resources and community participation in
water quality monitoring during flood events.
For more information about activities currently underway go to
our website www.bdtnrm.org.au or contact our
communications officer, Deborah Cavanagh
Email: Deb.Cavanagh@bdtnrm.org.au
phone: (07) 4724 3544
mobile: 0427 243 001.
11 July: Caring for Burdekin Country
Who: Burdekin Dry Tropics Natural Resource
Management
Where: Mercure Inn, Townsville
When: 11-13 July, 2006
Representatives from 16 Traditional Owner groups throughout the
Burdekin Catchment are meeting in Townsville this week to yarn
about Natural Resource Management in the Burdekin Region.
This week’s workshop will address Burdekin Dry Tropics
Natural Resource Management (BDTNRM) activities in the region as
well as the broader picture of NRM throughout the state and its
future direction.
In December last year BDTNRM launched a Caring for Country Plan.
Burdekin Region Traditional Owner Management Group (BRTOMG)
Chairman, Phil Rist said, “This plan empowers traditional
owners to make informed decisions and become involved in cultural
heritage and natural resource management in the Burdekin
Region.”
While Traditional Owner issues and interests are integrated into
the BDT Natural Resource Management Plan as best as possible, the
plan focuses on resource condition and biophysical matters. This
often excluded the social, economic, cultural and institutional
issues so important to Traditional Owners.
The Caring for Country Plan was developed to address these
equally important issues and to make sure that Traditional Owners
are adequately represented in the region’s natural resource
management activities. BRTOMG developed the plan, launched in
December 2005.
Burdekin Dry Tropics NRM (BDTNRM) is a community based,
not-for-profit company established in 2002 to deliver on-ground
Natural Resource Management activities and enhance the
community’s involvement in those issues throughout the
Burdekin Region. Our funding comes from the National Action Plan
for Salinity and Water Quality and the Natural Heritage Trust.
2
December 2005 Traditional Owners Caring for Burdekin
Country
When: Friday 2 December,
10am-2pm
Where: Sherriff Park, Love Lane, Mundinburra,
Townsville
Speeches and traditional dancing will take place
between 10.30 and 12.00.
ONE of the State’s first comprehensive
action plans identifying how traditional owners can effectively be
involved in environmental management will be released in Townsville
on Friday.
A Caring For Country Plan was developed by traditional
owners from the Burdekin region in conjunction with the
Commonwealth-funded Burdekin Dry Tropics Board.
The plan recognises longstanding and special relationships
traditional owners have with land and sea and their desire to be
involved in natural resource management (NRM).
It is the first time the region’s 16
traditional owner groups have been involved in
NRM planning.
These groups were drawn from the Burdekin
area, which covers 133,430 square kilometres, or roughly eight
percent of Queensland, from Crystal Creek in the north, south to
Bowen and west to Charters Towers, including Magnetic and Palm
Islands.
The Burdekin Dry Tropics borders
Australia’s largest and most diverse world heritage area, the
Great Barrier Reef, and until recently little attention has been
paid to traditional owners’ specific rights, interests and
cultural responsibilities in the region.
The move to include traditional owners was
initiated by the BDTB, a not-for-profit organisation developed in
2002 to deliver environmental and natural resource funding under
the Federal Government’s Natural Heritage Trust 2
program.
A Caring For Country Plan provides
guidelines for traditional owners to be consulted regarding
actions, which may impact on land and sea areas with cultural
heritage or sites of significance.
It also establishes protocols so traditional
owners have the opportunity to be involved in the delivery of NRM
plans.
The plan highlights the issues facing
contemporary traditional owners and their desire to see culturally
appropriate training to facilitate involvement in on-ground
environmental management.
BDTB indigenous representative Joan
O’Loughlin/Phil Rist said the plan aimed to empower
traditional owners to make informed decisions and become involved
in cultural heritage and NRM in the region.
“Our traditional knowledge in land and
sea management practices will enhance and complement future
directions in maintaining sustainable landscapes,” she
said.
“The plan offers direction and
guidelines for engaging traditional owners and also identifies the
potential and capacity of government and industry to achieve
conservation outcomes in an indigenous context.”
BDTB chairman Mike Cannon said the project
developed on the premise the most effective natural resource
management was initiated at community level and developed through
grassroots action.
Mr Cannon said the resulting innovative plan
provided a vital link between contemporary traditional
owners’ aspirations and those of non-indigenous
stakeholders.
A Caring for Country Plan is expected
to set an example for traditional owners involvement in natural
resource management at a community level throughout Queensland.
Contact:
Deborah Cavanagh
Communications Officer, Burdekin Dry Tropics
Board
PO Box 1466 Townsville, Qld 4810
Ph: 4724-3544 Mob: 0427 243 001