Archives for December 2012

Free soil health workshops in January

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Land managers will have the opportunity to participate in workshops to improve soil health this January under the guidance of soils expert Professor Ross Coventry from JCU.

Reef Catchments will partner with Sarina Landcare Catchment Management Association, Pioneer Catchment and Landcare Group, and Whitsunday Catchment Landcare to offer two full-day soil health workshops with Professor Coventry.

The workshops will be an opportunity for local farmers from all industry sectors to learn more about farm management practices that will improve soil health, including advice on increasing soil carbon levels.

The FREE workshops will be held at Wests Leagues Club in Walkerston on 17 January the Proserpine RSL on 18 January.

Registrations to attend the Walkerston workshop on 17 January should be forwarded to Claire Bartron on 4944 1979 or Claire.bartron@reefcatchments.com.

To register your attendance at the Proserpine workshop on 18 January phone Christine Peterson on 4945 1017 or Christine.Peterson@whitsundayrc.qld.gov.au.

Reef Rescue grazing update

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The Reef Rescue Grazing team has worked tirelessly to make the final year of Reef Rescue Grazing the best yet. Graziers from Clare View to Bowen have been keen to take advantage of the available funding for on-farm projects to help improve water quality leaving the farm.

In 2012 alone 91 graziers joined the program, constructing a little over 160 km of riparian and land-type fences and 130 off-stream watering points to help manage the cattle’s access to the creek and river systems around their farms.

Up to 50 per cent of the total cost of pasture and stock monitoring, stream protection works, off-stream watering points, land-type fencing and projects aimed at reducing soil erosion have been funded through the Reef Rescue program, with many graziers coming back to complete or add to existing projects

If you know anyone that would like to get involved in the Reef Rescue Grazing program please contact Scott Underdown on 0437 344 851 or drop into the Reef Catchments office at 172 Victoria Street, Mackay to lodge your expression of interest.

Reef Rescue stock watering point
One of 130 off-stream watering points funded through Reef Rescue during 2012.
Reef Rescue fencing
The Reef Rescue program helps fund fencing projects to assist in managing stock access to creeks and river systems.

Reef Rescue counts big wins

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We are now in the final 6 months of Reef Rescue and it’s a good time to reflect on the great outcomes and look ahead to the potential opportunities to continue the great work into the future.

For more than four years regional NRM organisations* have worked closely with agricultural producers and industry bodies to implement projects that improve water quality leaving farmland and flowing out into the Great Barrier Reef Lagoon. Reef Rescue projects are funded through the Australian Government’s Caring for our Country program.

The initial target set for engagement across the Great Barrier Reef catchments was 650 graziers representing 3.8 million hectares and 1300 producers in the sugarcane, dairy, grains, cotton and horticulture industries. After only the first four years of the program these number were reached and far exceeded, with 900 graziers covering 6 million hectares and 2213 other producers engaged. These numbers will increase once we include the fifth and largest year.

Demand for the program continues to grow, highlighting the agricultural community’s willingness to invest in improved land management to support the Reef, as well as the appropriateness of the program.

In the Mackay Whitsunday region the Reef Rescue program has been immensely successful at engaging landholders and fostering change in their land management practices. At the end of the fifth year nearly 60 per cent of local sugar producing enterprises will have participated in the program and 100 per cent of the land under cane production will have benefited from the program through projects run by the local industry and extension bodies.

Local grazing enterprises have also been keen to get involved. In the first four years 184 projects have been undertaken constructing 314 km of fencing and 154 watering points to prevent stock from entering waterways.

Over the last four years the Reef Rescue program has injected more than $22 million to improve water quality in the Mackay Whitsunday region. This investment has been more than doubled by local landholders who have contributed at least 50 per cent, with over $50 million invested to ensure the long term health and resilience of the Reef.

With the increasing demand from landholders and the growing awareness of the importance of maintaining and improving the health of the reef there is the potential to continue to improve the water quality reaching the Great Barrier Reef through the agricultural community and programs such as Reef Rescue.

Reef Rescue counts big wins

*Reef Catchments Mackay Whitsunday Isaac, Fitzroy Basin Association, Burnett Mary Regional Group, NQ Dry Tropics, Terrain and Cape York Sustainable Futures.

Monitoring the breeding patterns of low-flow spawning fish in Cattle Creek

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Reef Catchments’ Land and Water Coordinator for Healthy Waterways, Melanie McSwiney, is undertaking an Honours research project through CQUniversity that is investigating species composition and abundance patterns of low-flow spawning fish larvae in upper Cattle Creek.

Why do this Research?

The research will collect accurate data that may be used to enhance water quality management strategies. In particular it will improve our understanding of the requirements of ecological assets critically linked to water flow.

Project Aims

The project will seek to:

  • confirm which low-flow spawning fish species are present in upper Cattle Creek
  • improve understanding and certainty of critical water requirements and spawning periods of low-flow spawning fish , and
  • produce data that can be used in models to assess potential risks to the guild.

Melanie said the project is a great opportunity to incorporate her university research work with her Reef Catchments work.

“I really love being able to incorporate my research with my work at Reef Catchments and feel very lucky to have the support of Reef Catchments in undertaking this project,” she said.

“Being part of CQUniversity’s Centre for Environmental Management also allows me to access a fantastic level of support, both financially through the provision of necessary equipment and consumables, and through the invaluable direction of my supervisors, Dr Judith Wake and Dr Leo Duivenvoorden.

“The Department of Natural Resources and Mines Water Services Natural Resource Operations Group—Central Region is also providing support for the project, allowing me use of their larval fish traps and providing expert advice and assistance, for example with species identification.”

Melanie McSwiney from Reef Catchments
Melanie with a larval fish trap, Cattle Creek, Pioneer Valley.

 

Healthy Waterways team expands to Proserpine office

The Healthy Waterways team is now represented locally in the Whitsundays region, with Melanie moving to Prossy to take up residence in the new Reef Catchments office at 45 Main Street, Proserpine.

Mel says she is keen to become familiar with the region, particularly local waterways, and encourages locals to get in contact with her on 0407 171 046 or melanie.mcswiney@reefcatchments.com.

Keeping Watch on the Engineered Log Jam Demonstration Reach

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The engineered log jams recently constructed on the O’Connell River to stabilise a 200m stretch of failing streambank will be closely monitored over the coming wet season to watch the way the structures change the behaviour of water in the river.

Reef Catchments has installed time-lapse cameras at the site, which will provide a complete record of what happens on the reach as the river changes throughout the wet season.

Kerri Woodcock from Reef Catchments
Reef Catchments’ Kerri Woodcock assists with installing the time-lapse cameras in a tree at the streambank stabilisation demonstration reach.

Capping off a year of Coastal Community Activities

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The final Coastal Community Activities of 2012 were held on Saturday 1 December at Bucasia and Haliday Bay.  Over 30 dedicated volunteers celebrated the first day of summer at the event, coordinated by Reef Catchments and Mackay Regional Council.

Volunteers planted over 600 trees to improve the condition of coastal dunes at Bucasia Beach and Haliday Bay. Following the Activities, volunteers gathered for free BBQs and were treated to free plants, Coastcare hats and T-shirts, and reusable cups to thank them for their support and contribution to the Coasts and Communities program throughout 2012.

Coastal Community Activities have been widely supported by local residents throughout the year, with 96 volunteers contributing over 400 hours of time looking after our local beaches.

The events on 1 December also launched Coastcare week, which ran from 1 to 8 December. Coastcare is an Australia-wide community of volunteers who care for their coast.  A major element of the Coasts and Communities program is to work with coastal communities to identify local environmental problems and achieve practical solutions.

The work of Coastcare volunteers complements the full suite of on-ground activities that are occurring across Mackay Regional Council’s 23 coastal residential communities, from Midge Point in the north to Armstrong Beach in the south.

On-ground achievements of the Coasts and Communities program include:

  • 3,343 native species planted to improve the condition of coastal dunes to stabilise our coastal dune system and provide habitat for native animals
  • 180 hectares of coastal environments cleared of invasive weeds to promote native rehabilitation across an area the size of 265 football fields
  • 27 truckloads of rubbish and marine debris removed from our beaches and coastal reserves to prevent rubbish from smothering native vegetation or ending up in our waterways and oceans
  • 1,658 metres of coastal fencing installed to protect and define dune rehabilitation areas and define pedestrian access tracks to protect nationally threatened beach scrub habitats
  • 144 beach access tracks maintained to ensure public access to the beach for all.

To volunteer at Coastcare events in 2013, subscribe to our email updates to find out what projects are happening on our coast by emailing kerri.woodcock@reefcatchments.com or call 4968 4207. Coastcare events will begin again in February 2013.

Coasts and Communities is a joint initiative of Mackay Regional Council and Reef Catchments with support from Mackay Regional Council’s Natural Environment Levy and the Australian Government’s Caring for Our Country initiative.

2012 year in review

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As another busy year draws to a close, it’s timely to look back on all that we’ve achieved, both as an organisation and as a community.

Here we review our achievements during each month of 2012, from hosting the Island Symposium in Canberra in January to the final 2012 meeting of the Healthy Waterways Panel in December.

January

  • 7–9—Developed and coordinated by Reef Catchments, the second Island Symposium, which was held in Canberra, attracted 120–150 delegates, some of whom are national and global leaders in conservation planning for islands. Over two days, delegates heard about key works and deliverables and also developed key future aspirations and policies as they relate to the management of Australia’s island systems.
  • 12—Reef Catchments commenced the development of a new project and account management system.

February

  • 27–29—Reef Catchments and partners ran the second annual Project Catalyst Forum in Townsville. Project Catalyst combines the skills and passion of three NRM regional bodies, WWF, Coca Cola and 75 innovative sugarcane farmers and their families. The program seeks to identify and validate innovation in sugarcane farming practices via a program that supports farmers via the provision of grants incentives, extension and validation services in terms of production impacts and economic and water quality assessments. Outputs from the program are then communicated to the wider sugar production audience.
  • 29—Reef Catchments launched its new-look website and also commenced the use of social media platforms for enhanced communication and engagement with collaborators, stakeholders, members and the general community.

March

  • 19—Reef Catchments presented its Ngaro co-management program at the annual National Land and Sea Indigenous Protected Areas Workshop. The program offers coordination and management supervision to the Ngaro people for coastal land focus areas in our region.
  • 24—State election was held and we all went to polls—the change in government kicked off a range of department changes and policy redirections that required Reef Catchments to effectively engage and support local members and ministers and work with new agency staff.

April

  • 2–4—Federal and State government teams visited the region to inspect project delivery actions as they occur on the ground. The visit allowed Reef Catchments to showcase some of its major project initiatives and offer commentary towards program improvements.
  • 16–19—National NRM conference was held in Adelaide—representatives from all forms of government, along with staff from the 56 regional NRM bodies in Australia, came together to hear about key program actions and to debate and discuss delivery arrangements and policy actions aligned to natural resource management in Australia.
  • 28—Local government elections were held—the results saw significant changes to local government mayors and councilors, resulting in Reef Catchments commencing a new set of engagement and awareness meetings with respective local governments in our region.

May

  • 5—Reef Catchments participated in the Australian Small Islands Forum. Located on Lord Howe Island, the forum provided an opportunity for Reef Catchments to table the Island Arks Symposium platform and to update delegates on regional actions being undertaken to conserve and rehabilitate key islands in our region.
  • 15—Inaugural meeting of the Reef Catchments Partnerships Committee. This committee is responsible for providing feedback to the Reef Catchments board on improved NRM operations as viewed by the regional community.
  • 20—Reef Catchments hosted a ‘back on country’ field trip for the Ngaro Elders. The field trip allowed Reef Catchments to work with the traditional owners and discuss key opportunities for future programs.
  • 25—Reef Catchments coordinated the operational agreement between the Ngaro people and Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service (QPWS) for co-land management in focus areas in the region.
  • 30—Reef Catchments successfully prepared a broadscale wild-fire risk assessment for road corridors in Central Queensland for the Department of  Transport and Main Roads.
  • 31—Reef Catchments board meeting, which commenced the following key actions:
    • Approval of the 2012/13 year budget
    • Sign off on the commencement of investigation to establish a key operational centre in the Whitsundays
    • Support for the funding and delivery of a new NRM Regional Plan, which is to be a key activity over the next two years and will include a state of the environment report, NRM plan, investment strategy and communication/engagement program
    • Support for the evaluation of Reef Catchments looking towards the purchase of a new building complex that would take effect in early 2013.

June

  • 1—Inaugural Reef Rescue Grazing Forum—over 100 delegates (partners and interested graziers) attended the forum to hear about sustainable grazing practices and operations being undertaken in the region.
  • 6–7—Review of Project Catalyst operations. Partners met in Brisbane to undertake a detailed review of Project Catalyst operations and plan for the future growth of the initiative.
  • 13—Healthy Waterways  Symposium and Awards—collaborators, investors and those interested in regional water management issues came together at CQU for two days to hear about key project actions seeking to improve the health of our regional waterways, culminating in a formal dinner and awards night where local efforts to care for our waterways were awarded.
  • 15—Commenced service delivery for Carpentaria Land Council to develop local fire management guidelines and fauna survey training. The contract with Carpentaria Land council marked the first commercial fire service project undertaken by Reef Catchments Solutions.
  • 21—Reef Catchments commenced discussion with 25 other regional NRM bodies throughout Australia to investigate the development of a commercial carbon trading entity. Subsequent discussions and planning resulted in Reef Catchments determination that due to other priorities it is not able to offer the level of financial support required, but remains interested in working with others to further opportunities aligned to carbon aggregation servicing.

July

  • 12—Mackay Regional Council hosted its inaugural Eco Mackay Open Day. The day was resounding success with Reef Catchments, along with other exhibitors, overwhelmed with the level of community interest.
  • 16—Discussion with Industry Groups about opportunities aligned to Best Management Practice (BMP) and its linkage with a Reef Rescue 2 program.
  • 19—CQU held its annual University Open Day. Reef Catchments took on an exhibition booth to showcase to current and future students the opportunities that exist in the field of natural resource management.

August

  • 28–29—Annual Reef Rescue forum held in Brisbane. The forum brought together NRM, industry, government and NGOs providing regional, industry and government updates on the key deliverables achieved during the past year. This year’s forum included an opportunity for all collaborators to offer insight towards what a Reef Rescue 2 program might look like and what additional operations would be of value.

September

  • 20—Whitsunday Major Projects Summit. This year’s summit included a focus on the environment and ways in which the extractive mining industry could better align its operations with requirements for landscape sustainability and repair. Environment Minister Andrew Powell formally opened the summit, with Reef Catchments taking advantage of the opportunity to talk with industry leaders and collaborators and to table a set of new approaches towards better engagement between the mining industry and NRM groups.
  • 27—Reef Catchments Annual AGM. Three directors are voted into office.
  • 27–28—Completion of the region’s first logjams, in which trees and excavation works are used to create new flow paths and water hydrodynamics in streams and rivers and reduce stream bank erosion, creating habitat for key species following the wet season. The program’s purpose is to monitor the effectiveness of the logjams compared with more traditional rock bank systems. If proven successful more logjams could be established, reducing costs and creating better environmental outcomes.

October

  • 20—Reef Catchments sponsored the Sustainability Award at the Whitsundays Tourism Awards. As part of its program of increasing awareness of sustainability, Reef Catchments chose to sponsor an award that recognises the efforts of tourism operators and communities focused on deliverables aligned with a healthy environment and links to tourism in the region.
  • 29—Reef Catchments commenced its early investigations towards a new facility to house its staff in Mackay post June 2013.

November

  • 1—Inaugural meeting of the Reef Catchments Solutions board. Reef Catchments Solutions is a wholly owned subsidiary of Reef Catchments Limited and is the commercial arm of Reef Catchments. This facility allows for greater transparency of Reef Catchments’ operations and a separation of our public services role from the commercial services also now provided.
  • 10—Final release of the Mackay Regional Council Natural Environment Plan. Commissioned by Mackay Regional Council and developed by Reef Catchments, the plan incorporates the leading science and prioritisation processes, offering Council the ability to plan for current and future investment options for its environmental fund.
  • 22—National NRM CEO meeting.
  • 26–29—The CEO and Chair of Reef Catchments attended the annual Bonsucro AGM and conference. Held in London in 2012, the annual conference brings together about 70 global leaders in sugar end-of-supply-chain companies, mills, producers, intermediate supply chain users, commodity marketers, financial institutions and civil society groups. The conference and AGM allows members and interested parties to hear about key sustainability actions being undertaken in sugarcane production and processing throughout the world. At the 2012 AGM and conference Reef Catchments presented an overview of Project Catalyst and discussed future ambitions for the program.
  • 30—Celebration of the coastal careers network with a comprehensive series of beach cleanups and volunteer days over 2012. The program actively plans for and encourages local residents to become involved in the care of a particular beach area.

December

  • 12—Meeting of the Healthy Waterways Panel, whose members include key state and regional leaders who have influence over key water and waterway health management actions in the region. The panel meets regularly to hear of the progress toward improved landscape management as it relates to water and waterway health, and to provide strategic advice and direction to Reef Catchments’ Healthy Waterways program.