Archives for June 2015

Countdown to release of Mackay-Whitsunday waterway health report card

· · Leave a Comment

Members of the Mackay-Whitsunday Healthy Rivers to Reef Partnership tour Dalrymple Bay Coal Terminal facilities at the Port of Hay Point.
Members of the Mackay-Whitsunday Healthy Rivers to Reef Partnership tour Dalrymple Bay Coal Terminal facilities at the Port of Hay Point.

The Mackay-Whitsunday Healthy Rivers to Reef Partnership was launched in October 2014 as a collaboration of 28 partners from across the community, including Traditional Owners, farmers and fishers, industry, science, tourism and government. 

The Partnership is founded on a shared vision for the region’s rivers and reefs – to ensure they are healthy and contribute to a prosperous and iconic region where people visit, live, work and play.

One of the Partnership’s objectives is to produce an annual report card on the health of the region’s waterways, including the catchments and estuaries of the Don, Proserpine, Pioneer, O’Connell and Plane basins, and the inshore and offshore marine and reef areas. The Partnership will release its pilot report card in late 2015.

To develop the report card, the Partnership is using the best available independent science, including results from a range of regional monitoring programs. The report card will help community, industry, science, tourism and government  work together to determine how and where we can do more to look after our waterways. Since the launch of the Partnership, the project team has undertaken a lot of work to develop the report card.

In February 2015, Partners and members of the Technical Working Group came together for a workshop run by the University of Maryland to develop a mock-up of the report card. The group discussed the layout and key elements to be included.

Heath Kelsey, Program Director (Integration and Application Network) at the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, ran the workshop, drawing on his extensive experience to guide the Partners through the process. Participants agreed that the workshop helped them better understand the process of developing a report card.

Kim Delaney, the Reef Catchments Technical Officer, along with the Technical Working Group, has been working hard to pull together the program design for the pilot report card. This has included developing objectives, and comparing existing report card indicators and scoring methods to provide the most relevant indicators for the Mackay-Whitsunday region.

The Reef Water Quality Protection Plan Independent Science Panel (ISP) reviews all scientific products produced by the Partnership. At its most recent meeting on 17 and 18 June, the ISP reviewed and endorsed the program design for the pilot report card.

Ella swims free after time spent in turtle care

· · Leave a Comment

Eco Barge's Turtle Rescue Centre has provided care for nine turtles like Ella so far in 2015.
Eco Barge’s Turtle Rescue Centre has provided care for nine turtles like Ella so far in 2015.
Reef Catchments' coastal officer Olivia Brodhurst and Stefanie Wabnik at the recent turtle release and marine clean-up event.
Reef Catchments’ coasts officer Olivia Brodhurst and Stefanie Wabnik at the recent turtle release and marine clean-up event.

It’s no mean feat moving a 170kg green turtle, but there were smiles all round when ‘Ella Emily Sugar’ was re-released in the Whitsundays.

Reef Catchments was proud to be the financial sponsor of the release event, with Ella emerging refreshed after spending time in care at the Eco Barge Whitsunday Turtle Rescue Centre.

Ella was picked up four weeks previously in Pioneer Bay suffering with float. After a round of worming medication and some TLC from Eco Barge’s fantastic crew, the huge turtle was back to full health and ready to be released back into the seagrass lined bay where she was first picked up.

Ella is thought to be over 80 years old, a fully grown adult green turtle. The cause of her float could have been due to being hit by a boat or illness brought on from other environmental stressors. Eco Barge’s Turtle Rescue Centre has provided care for nine turtles like Ella.

Two Reef Catchments officers together with representatives from the Proserpine Indigenous Reference Group (PIRG) joined Libby Edge and Dave Young from Eco Barge on the release and clean-up trip.

After the turtle release the group headed to nearby beaches and mangrove lined rocky shores to clean up marine debris. The amount of waste collected by the team in a few hours was astonishing. The debris included foam mattresses, boat parts (hatches, cabin doors), rope, buoys, fishing line, cans, bottles and much more.

This project is supported by Reef Catchments, through funding from the Australian Government.

 

Local sea turtles thank the Mackay Coastal Clean Up volunteers

· · Leave a Comment

Volunteers removed 4.8 tonne of marine debris from 12 beaches.
Mackay Coastal Clean Up volunteers removed 4.8 tonne of marine debris from 12 beaches.

Eco Barge Clean Seas in partnership with BHP Billiton Mitsubishi Alliance (BMA) held their sixth Mackay Coastal Clean Up. 

Reef Catchments teamed up as part of the initiative and were out in full force at the Reef Catchments formally adopted clean-up beach, Town Beach.

Event organiser Libby Edge said the event was a massive success, with 4.8 tonne of marine debris was removed from 12 beaches thanks to the 326 volunteers who helped clean our coastline from Shoal Point to Cape Palmerston during the weekend-long event.

The Saturday was World Turtle Day ® and it was very fitting that the Mackay Coastal Clean Up volunteers helped to clean local beaches to ultimately protect our local marine life and sea turtles from marine debris.

Bucasia resident and volunteer Nicola Oliver said her family really enjoyed the chance to spend time together.

“Helping to clean the beautiful beaches and protect our turtles from marine debris, and to see so many people cleaning our beaches is wonderful,” she said.

Libby said the Mackay Coastal Clean Up had now removed 24,806 kilograms of marine debris since October 2012.

“This is a massive amount of litter collected from the beaches of Mackay and Sarina and we couldn’t have achieved this amazing result with our the overwhelming support from the Mackay and Sarina residents especially our Partner BMA and all the supporters who adopted each of the target beaches of Mackay and Sarina over that past three years,” she said.

“This event has been a major success and fills me with pride just how much the Mackay and Sarina Community care for their coastline. Everyone involved should be immensely proud as they have all helped to remove a just under 25 tonne of marine debris from our local marine environment.”

Reef Catchments welcomes new NRM leader to Mackay

· · Leave a Comment

Katrina Dent, has joined the team at Reef Catchments.
Reef Catchments welcomes new manager, Katrina Dent, to the team.

Reef Catchments has welcomed a new NRM (natural resource management) leader to its Mackay office.

Reef Catchments newly appointed manager, Katrina Dent, brings more than 20 years of planning experience to the team and will focus on growing natural resource management outcomes and programs to enhance and protect the region and lifestyle we love.

“The Mackay Whitsunday region and community leads a lifestyle of getting out and about and enjoying our natural resources – whether it be visiting the Whitsunday islands, fishing in dams or offshore, or watching our agricultural industries grow and diversify,” Mrs Dent said.

“We are fortunate to have a rich diversity of natural resources that we rely on, enjoy and are rightfully proud of – a feature that we can show and share with family and friends.”

Mrs Dent has worked previously for both local and state government in the Mackay and Rockhampton regions. She has a strong history in strategic planning for regional growth, having formerly provided direction for Mackay Whitsunday coastal development. She has also been involved in the drafting and release of the Mackay Whitsunday Isaac (MWI) Regional Plan, which outlines a 20-year strategic vision for the wider region.

“I see natural resource management and planning as a key contributor to a sustainable community, and believe my experience and understanding of regional growth pressures will assist me in working with diverse stakeholders across the board to achieve NRM outcomes,” Mrs Dent said.

“I will be working within Reef Catchments to identify new and additional projects that can be undertaken to progress and enhance the natural resources of Mackay, Isaac and the Whitsundays.”

DIY fertiliser a winning concept for Eton cane farmer

· · Leave a Comment

Biofertiliser made on farm by John and Michael Attard
Biofactory: The Attards have been trialling the application of bio-fertilisers, made on-farm.
Improved soil health and structure.
A major anticipated trial benefit is improved soil health and structure.
Participants at a Field Day in Eton.
Participants learn more at a recent Field Day in Eton.

According to Kym Kruse, Director of RegenAG®, for farmers, seeing is believing.

Demonstrations took place on a North Eton cane farm recently (24 June), with local growers invited to take a look and learn more.

For the last 12 months, Eton growers John and Michael Attard have been working with RegenAG® to test a whole systems approach to production, which includes the application of bio-fertilisers, made DIY on the farm.

“The Attard’s have jumped in and are making significant practice change over a 100 hectare crop area. They have created a range of different inputs, and modified equipment to address how these are best applied,” Mr Kruse said.

“We have worked with them to provide support on how to produce their own inputs on-farm, while also creating farm efficiencies. Significantly, the outcomes they are seeing now 12 months in have been achieved at a reduced cost of production.”

Mr Kruse said results to date were encouraging, pointing to production savings; as well as gains in yield and improvements in soil health.

“For example, the water holding capacity of the soil has improved to the point that the growers have saved more than $1500 in pumping costs, thanks to a decreased reliance on irrigation,” Mr Kruse said.

“At this stage, they are also expecting a yield increase. With the cut only just starting, the final results of the first 12 months of the Attard family working with this system are not yet known. However the first 4 hectares cut have shown an increase of 5 tonne/ha. On average, John believes he has approximately a 10 tonne increase in yield, with a two point average sugar content higher than the mill.”

Participants also had the opportunity to observe simple equipment modifications that can be made on-farm for optimal application.

“For example, the Attard’s have modified a spray rig unit to carry three 2000 litre tanks, capable of application over 20 hectares in an hour. They have also been extremely innovative in setting up a mechanism that allows them to fertigate, directly injecting the bio-ferments in with the irrigation water to maintain nutrition to the plants during that period. ” Mr Kruse said.

“In all industries as with cane, margins are getting tighter, so these kinds of savings can make a big difference economically together with having an environmental benefit.”

Mr Kruse said while the Attard’s still used synthetic fertilisers such as N, the trial pointed to a rapidly growing interest from sugar farmers seeking alternatives.

“What we are seeing is a marked increase in interest from typically conventional farmers who want to head a more biological way, but are wondering where to turn.

“There is a real mindset change happening and the reason is being driven by declining yields, declining soil health, the desire to reduce nitrogen inputs and tighter and tighter margins.

“There is a lot of pressure on farmers and the economics are forcing people to look at what they are currently doing and say ‘how can I do this better?’”

Strong interest in soil health from Mackay Whitsunday farmers

· · Leave a Comment

Simon Mattsson, cane farmer, talks about soil health to stakeholders at his Marian property.
Simon Mattsson (cane farmer and Nuffield Scholar) talks soil health to stakeholders at his Marian property.
Simon Mattsson with some of the many different plants on his cane farm.
The trial is focused on introducing plant diversity. including the integration of radish, turnip, chickpea, soybean, common vetch, sunflowers, cereal rye and oats (planted beside the sugarcane stool after harvest).

Farmers across the region are showing an unsurpassed interest in soil health, with more than 100 local growers gathering for this year’s Soil Health Field Day in Marian.

Event coordinator and Marian grower, Simon Mattsson, said the challenge of restoring and improving soil health was one of the biggest issues facing sugar producers in today’s market.

“The bar has been set too low for soil health,” Mr Mattsson said. “While there is a general awareness that soil health is not what it should be, I firmly believe many growers are unaware of just how serious the problem is. What we saw at the field day however is that there is major interest from growers in learning more and we need to make sure that information is available and out there for people to access.”

Presenters on the day included pasture cropping pioneer Colin Seis, and Gerry Gillespie, driver of the City to Soil Project, who looked at how to make compost inexpensively on-farm.

Mr Mattsson said in the Mackay region there were several issues consistently resurfacing as the ‘Big C’s’ of soil health.

“Regionally, what we are seeing across the board is a focus on the ‘Big C’s’ – seriously low levels of soil carbon; seriously compacted soils; and seriously low available soil calcium. These three big issues of soil health are a critical challenge for sugar farmers that will impact the future viability of our industry,” he said.

The day included a breakfast and soil health presentations at Wests Leagues Club, followed by a farm field tour at Simon’s Marian property to view his ongoing soil health trial.

The trial is focused on introducing plant diversity. including the integration of radish, turnip, chickpea, soybean, common vetch, sunflowers, cereal rye and oats, which are planted beside the sugarcane stool after harvest. In similar trials undertaken in the US, increased plant diversity has been shown to increase the spectrum of species within the soil biology populations, in turn increasing soil carbon and nitrogen fixation, as well as the uptake of all nutrients.

“In the Mackay region, a monoculture cropping system has lead to declining levels of soil carbon and reduced diversity in the soil biology – this trial aims to show the benefits of reintroducing plant diversity,” Mr Mattsson said.

“Ultimately, we need to find a multi-pronged approach to address soil health. I don’t think raising soil carbon levels to about 3% is out of reach for our region.”

The event was free for growers and hosted by Mr Mattsson (grower and Nuffield Agricultural Scholar), with funding and support from Reef Catchments, CANEGROWERS, Wilmar, Mackay Sugar, MAPS, Mackay Rural Supplies, North Queensland Tropical Seeds and Superior Fertilisers.

This initiative was supported by Reef Catchments, with funding through the Australian Government.

DIY fertiliser a winning concept for Eton cane farmer

· · Leave a Comment

Eton cane farmer Michael Attard with a spray rig modified for optimal application of bio-fertisers.
Eton cane farmer Michael Attard with a spray rig modified for optimal application.

Demonstrations are taking place on a North Eton cane farm and local growers are being invited to take a look and learn more.

For the last 12 months, Eton cane farmer Michael Attard has been working to test a whole systems approach to production, which includes the application of bio-fertilisers, made DIY on the farm.

“We help train farmers on how to produce their own inputs. The Attard’s have jumped in and are making significant practice change over a 100 hectare crop area. They have created a range of different inputs, and modified equipment to address how these are best applied,” Mr Kruse said.

“What we are ready to present now are the results from the first 12 months of this program.”

He said results to date were encouraging, pointing to potential savings in production cost; as well as gains in yield and improvements in soil health.

“For example, the water holding capacity of the soil has improved to the point that the growers have saved more than $1500 in pumping costs, thanks to a decreased reliance on irrigation,” Mr Kruse said.

“At this stage, they are also expecting a yield increase and the results of yield data will be presented at the field day.”

Participants will also have the opportunity to observe simple equipment modifications that can be made on-farm for optimal application.

“For example, the Attard’s have modified a spray rig unit to carry three 2000 litre tanks, capable of application over 20 hectares in an hour. They have also been extremely innovative in setting up a mechanism that allows them to fertigate, directly injecting the bio-ferments in with the irrigation water to maintain nutrition to the plants during that period. ” Mr Kruse said.

“In all industries as with cane, margins are getting tighter, so these kinds of savings can make a big difference economically together with having an environmental benefit.”

Mr Kruse said while the Attard’s still used synthetic fertilisers such as N, the trial pointed to a rapidly growing interest from sugar farmers seeking alternatives.

“What we are seeing is a marked increase in interest from typically conventional farmers who want to head a more biological way, but are wondering where to turn.

“There is a real mindset change happening and the reason is being driven by declining yields, declining soil health, the desire to reduce nitrogen inputs and tighter and tighter margins.

“There is a lot of pressure on farmers and the economics are forcing people to look at what they are currently doing and say ‘how can I do this better?’”

Mackay and district landholders urged to get serious about controlled burns

· · 1 Comment

The Mt Blackwood branch of the Rural Fire Service Queensland (RFSQ) at a recent controlled burn near Kuttabul. Volunteers can join the RFSQ as junior members from the age of 16.
The Mt Blackwood branch of the Rural Fire Service Queensland (RFSQ) at a recent controlled burn near Kuttabul. Volunteers can join the RFSQ as junior members from the age of 16. PHOTO CREDIT: Fiona Hollingworth Photography.

 

Jake Betros and Chris Perna take part in a controlled burn.
Jake Betros and Chris Perna take part in a controlled burn. Photo Credit: Fiona Hollingworth.

 

Controlled use of fire can reduce long-term risk and deliver environmental benefit.
Controlled use of fire can reduce long-term risk and deliver environmental benefit. Photo Credit: Fiona Hollingworth.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The local Rural Fire Service Queensland (RFSQ) is urging Mackay and district landholders to get serious about controlled burns, as part of Rural Fire Service Week 2015.

RFSQ member (Mount Blackwood) and Reef Catchments Director, Frank Perna, said farmers and landholders in Mackay and surrounding areas were being urged to learn more about their controlled burn options, particularly given an exceptionally dry start to the year.

“Despite some recent rain, 2015 has been a very dry year which obviously increases the local fire threat,” Mr Perna said.

“Controlled burns carefully managed by professionals are the best way to reduce long-term fire risk in our rural, semi-rural and some urban fringe areas.”

Mr Perna said there were some areas in the Mackay region that had not been burned for 15 years or more.

“What happens is these areas become a hazard in terms of build-up of growth – this can be easily managed with regular controlled burning, but left unchecked, becomes a potential fuel source for wildfire.”

Mr Perna said landholders who had never been involved in a controlled burn before did not need to worry about not having skills or resources at hand.

“The Rural Fire Service exists to help and educate all landholders on their controlled burn options.

“The message we want to get out is, if you don’t know how to do it yourself, you can contact your local RFSQ brigade and talk it through with them. We can arrange for someone to come and do an initial assessment of your property, organise a permit and coordinate a team to oversee the burn.”

Mr Perna said while controlled burns did not need to occur every year, they remained an important part of wildfire prevention.

“It might be that in certain areas or properties a controlled burn every five or ten years is enough.

“What we need is active involvement from our local landholders to significantly reduce the threat of fire in the overall Mackay area.”

Jake Betros, Fire Ecology & Ecosystem Repair officer with Catchment Solutions, said Rural Fire Service Week was also an excellent opportunity for landholders to find out more about becoming a Rural Fire Service volunteer.

“The best way to understand and value fire as a useful tool for reducing hazard and risk is to learn more about it and the Rural Fire Service brigades provide an excellent means to do that,” Mr Betros said.

“Simple things can make a big difference, for example, understanding how to light rubbish or vegetation piles at appropriate times.

“Many people also don’t realise that controlled use of fire can also deliver environmental benefit. Catchment Solutions specialises in creating fire guidelines for rural brigades and landholders that focuses on balancing the ‘three pillars’ of good fire use – for hazard reduction, primary production and biodiversity management.”

To contact your local RFSQ brigade visit www.ruralfire.qld.gov.au or call (07) 4965 6641