 |
   |
News of our world
Date: 22/1/08
In the role as ACT Natural Resource Management and Landcare Facilitator, I thought it appropriate to give you a bit of an update every month or so. I will keep comments to a minimum and rely on readers contacting me if they wish to know more. In the interests of brevity contributions are not individually acknowledged here. Please notify me of anyone who may wish to be added to the distribution list.
ACT NRM Council – Review of the ACT NRM Plan:
The Council is nearing the end of the drafting stage of the revised Plan and a final draft will be considered by Council at their February meeting. It is anticipated that the Council will release the draft for public comment and review a soon as possible after this meeting.
NRM Regional Funding:
The
ACT like the rest of Australia is waiting for news from the Australian
Government about their intention regarding the roll out of NHT3. In
anticipation that NHT3 or a similar program will proceed the ACT Government is
considering the allocation of matching funding in the context of the development
of the 2008-09 ACT Budget.
Southern ACT Catchment Group:
Contact Steve
Welch, 6296 6400
info@sactcg.org
·
The SACTCG
website is updated and is starting to look good again. Check it out at
www.sactcg.org
For all
SACTCG website requests please contact Rod at
rdickson@sactcg.org
We are now
posting the Catchment & Waterwatch Coordinators reports on the website.
· SACTCG now has a regular appearance every 3rd Tuesday of the month on Radio Landcare. Tuesdays 9-10am on 2XX 98.3FM
· The Southern ACT Catchment Management Strategy is at the publishers and should be available within the next few weeks.
· SACTCG is supporting the establishment of a new Park Care group: Friends of Tuggeranong Hill & Conder Wetlands. A public gathering will be held in February to attract members.
· SACTCG is keen to revamp the Friends of Urambi Hills Park Care group. We will be targeting residents of western Kambah and those with an interest in this reserve to become involved.
· Our Catchment Coordinator, Steve Welch, will be moving to a part-time position with us as from February. Rod Dickson will take up the balance of the position undertaking website management and administration duties every Tuesday morning and Friday morning.
· Work is continuing on the Tuggeranong Homestead Creek-line project with contractors starting in mid January to remove a section of the massive woody weed (orchard regrowth) invasion.
· Stephen Skinner our Waterwatch Coordinator reports that the 2007 schools program went well, with the ‘long term’ project at Stromlo High finishing (and the Dam water held out!);
· Stephen’s work for Research & Monitoring is really helping with getting a full picture of the Murrumbidgee River through the ACT and its recovery since 2003. The R&M team tramped the Gigerline Gorge (actually from Angle Bend to Tharwa Bridge) in December, and found both good and bad signs of recovery! Their work is continuing.
· And if we needed it, it would appear that Soapwort, Saponaria officinalis, has established itself as a major sandbar hummock plant in the Upper Murrumbidgee. Isn’t that nice, another pretty weed!
Natural Resource Talk
newsletter Issue 7:
The
Natural Resource Talk newsletter aims to provide useful and current information
about natural resource management people, projects and happenings:
www.nrm.gov.au/publications/newsletters/pubs/nrm-talk-7.pdf
Distilled:
Distilled
is the monthly newsletter brining you the latest news from the National Water
Commission. For the latest version and links to past editions click on this
link:
www.nwc.gov.au/publications/newsletter/nwc_newsletter_24.html
February
 | 3rd International Solar Cities Congress – to be held at Adelaide, SA, from 17-21 Feb. Visit www.solarcitiescongress.com.au |
March
| 2nd International Salinity Forum – to be held at Adelaide, SA from 31 Mar-3 Apr. Visit www.internationalsalinityforum.org/ |
| WA State NRM Conference 2008 – to be held at Bridgetown, WA, from the 31 Mar-3Apr. Visit www.nrmconferencewa2008.com.au/ |
April
| Sustainable Energy conference – to be held in Melbourne, Vic, on 30 April – 1 May. Email: Alison@bcse.org.au |
ACT Plant Census:
A checklist of
vascular plants of the ACT has been put together by staff at the National
Herbarium. There are a total of 1551 plants on the list which can now be
accessed at:
www.anbg.gov.au/cpbr/ACT-census/index.html.
Resource Consulting Services:
Farmers
interested in “Grazing for Profit” may like to attend a workshop which will be
held in Goulburn from 13th to 20th February. If you would like to
enrol in this course, or find other information regarding courses and training
provided by RCS visit their website:
www.rcs.au.com
Molonglo Catchment Group:
Willows are receiving mixed press lately for being both ‘good’ and ‘bad’ for
rivers, but are all willows the same? A series of free workshops with training
sessions and demonstration sites is being held across the upper Murrumbidgee
River catchment.
Come and learn about:
| why some willows in our local area pose problems and some don't |
| how to identify different willow species and willow sawfly larvae |
| what techniques can be used to control problem willows |
Thursday 7 February
9.30am -2.30pm Lake Ginninderra Scout Hall
Beissel St, Belconnen
(near the Water Police Tower)
Lunch and transport to demonstration sites will be provided on the day.
Places are limited. Contact Tom Nilsen if you would like to register your interest in attending the training and demonstration days.
Tel: 02 6207 1354, or email tom.nilsen@act.gov.au
Rip Rap:
This newsletter
covers river and riparian topics by bringing together science relating to the
topic and linking it to practical management advice.
The articles in this issue of RipRap address the theme of salt, nutrient, sediment and interactions. The findings from the National River Contaminants Program.
www.rivers.gov.au/Publications_and_Products/Rip_Rap/32._River_Contaminants/index.aspx
The Introduced
flora of Australia and its weed status:
The
introduced flora of Australia and its weed status
is an invaluable resource to everyone who cares about the Australian environment
and wishes to ensure that the plants chosen for revegetation projects,
landscaping and gardens are not likely to become weedy and a threat to our
bushland. Every introduced plant species, past and present, in Australia is
listed in this publication, with information on its weedy status here and
worldwide:
www.weeds.crc.org.au/publications/index.html
NLP Sustainable
Practices 2008-09 funding round open:
The National Landcare Programme’s Sustainable Practices (formerly known as
Community Support) will fund activities that significantly increase the uptake
of sustainable production and other NRM practices, enhance the knowledge and
skills of natural resource managers and improve integration of NRM into
management practices at the enterprise level. For funding in 2008-09, projects
will need to be developed and submitted on the project application form to the
relevant regional organisation in each state and territory by 25/2/2008.
(Contact details are included in the guidelines). Further information on
guidelines and application forms can be accessed at
www.daff.gov.au/natural-resources/landcare/national-landcare-programme/sustpracs
Friends of Grasslands (FOG)
website:
Friends of
Grasslands have recently updated their website
www.fog.org.au which is well worth a visit.
The objectives Friends of Grasslands are to:
· increase community awareness and interest in grasslands
· contribute to conservation of grassland species and ecosystems
· and reverse declines in area and quality of grasslands.
FoG, as Friends of Grasslands is known, produces newsletters, lobbies government, organises workshops and field visits, produces the above website and can help you to identify and manage important grassland ecosystems and species.
Engaging small
lifestyle farmers in NRM – report
"Small Lifestyle Farms – Improving Delivery Mechanisms for Sustainable
Land Management" is a new report from the Cooperative Venture for Capacity
Building. It discusses how extension delivery mechanisms can be improved to
increase engagement with small lifestyle farmers. The full report can be
downloaded for free from
www.rirdc.gov.au/capacitybuilding/reports.html
Felicity Grant
ACT Regional NRM/Landcare Facilitator
Parks Conservation and Lands
Territory and Municipal Services
6207 7131, 0439 895 019
felicity.grant@act.gov.au
Regional facilitators are part of a national network funded through the Australian Government's Natural Heritage Trust to support community engagement in natural resource management.
Top
