|
Welcome to the Murray-Darling Basin monthly e-letter with reports of happenings across the Basin. Contributions are welcome. Please send items (no more than 150 words) to the editor at leone@netspeed.com.au Online html versions are
available at:
Please feel free to pass this e-letter along to anybody who might be interested. To subscribe online go to http://mdbc.gov.au/communications/s-scribe To be removed from the mailing list, please reply to this message with "unsubscribe" in the subject heading. This newsletter currently has 1020 subscribers. (See also The Living Murray website at http://www.thelivingmurray.mdbc.gov.au) In this issue:
Improved understanding of climate change and more reliable forecasting methods are expected from a $7 million investment into a three-year collaborative research program announced recently. The new research will reduce uncertainties for natural resource managers and primary producers. The Australian Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry and Chairman of the Murray-Darling Basin Ministerial Council, the Hon Peter McGauran along with Victoria's Acting Environment Minister, Candy Broad, announced the start of the South-East Australia Climate program today. Minister McGauran said this knowledge is vital for our land and water managers and growers, not only for individual business but to help underpin the sustainability of the region and its industries. "The project will tease out how the climate is changing, particularly in the Murray- Darling Basin, and assess what this will mean for water supply in our country's major agricultural production region," Mr McGauran said. "Climate change is a critical issue for Australia. We need better knowledge of how it will affect water resources and this program will substantially advance our knowledge", he said. Victorian Acting Environment Minister Candy Broad said: "This project also aims to develop reliable methods of forecasting climate 3-13 months ahead for South Eastern Australia, which is critical for decision making in water resource management and agriculture". It is being funded by the Murray-Darling Basin Commission, the Victorian Department of Sustainability and Environment, the Australian Greenhouse Office within the Department of the Environment and Heritage and Australia's Managing Climate Variability program. The research program will be carried out by CSIRO and the Bureau of Meteorology which are the other partners in the initiative. For more information contact:
Allison Hicks on (02) 62790129, mobile: (0417) 219158, email: http://www.mdba.gov.au/contact.au
MDBC seeks comments on Lake
Victoria cultural heritage update
The Consent requires the MDBC to minimise impacts on the significant Aboriginal Cultural Heritage of the area. A review of the existing Consent is underway, and an Issues Paper has been prepared summarising preliminary consultation with direct stakeholders. The Commission now invites other interested people to review and comment on the Issues Paper. Lake Victoria is of high spiritual and cultural significance for the Aboriginal community, especially the Barkindji Aboriginal people. There is extensive evidence of Aboriginal occupation at Lake Victoria spanning the past 18,000 years. The Lake's role in the conservation and management of water resources provides significant socio-economic benefits to communities throughout the Murray Valley. Past operation of Lake Victoria has caused damage to Cultural Heritage. The existing Section 90 Consent, under the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Act 1974, requires MDBC to minimise impacts on Cultural Heritage. The Consent does not permit damage to Aboriginal burials, and all known burials at the site have been protected by extensive protection works. Finding the balance between competing interests has involved many stakeholder groups including government departments, the Aboriginal community, and neighbouring landholders. The existing Consent expires in August 2006. In preparation for a new consent application, the MDBC has engaged with stakeholders directly involved, and an Issues Paper documents the MDBC's compliance with, and stakeholder comments on, the existing Consent conditions. Now is your chance to review the Issues Paper and provide any comment on either this review or the Commission's intention to apply for a new consent. The existing Consent is reproduced in the Lake Victoria Cultural Landscape Plan of Management (May 2002). Both the Cultural Landscape Plan of Management and the consent review Issues Paper are available at the following web address: www.mdbc.gov.au/lake_victoria_sec90 For more information
or to get a hard copy of Plan of Management, contact Toni Brasting at MDBC
on (02) 6279 0151.
Improving the
health of the Chowilla floodplain
Red Gum Watering - 21 sites have been watered on Chowilla and at each site, there has been a rapid response by stressed trees and understorey vegetation to the increase in available fresh water. Across all sites, between 50% and 90% of the stressed trees have responded to watering. The majority of trees have remained healthy since being watered and monitoring is continuing to determine the long-term response and inform future watering requirements. The area watered (including
fringing vegetation) to date is over 800 ha and contains an estimated 7000
Red Gums as well as a diverse range of other flora and fauna.
The key findings of the project to date include:
Information on callop movements in response to flow and water level variations associated with the recent weir pool manipulations will be utilised to determine how to manage flow control structures and protect in-stream habitat, and where to provide fish passage throughout the anabranch. Upgrade of inlet structures for Chowilla - Concept designs are being developed for the repair and modification of critical inlet structures for Chowilla at Pipeclay Ck Weir, Slaney Ck Weir and Bank E. The upgrade of the structures will enable a greater manipulation of water level and flow through the Chowilla floodplain. Significant ecological benefits are anticipated as a result of the upgrade of these structures. Where possible and practicable, the structures will also allow for fish passage. For more information
contact Hollis.Brad@saugov.sa.gov.au
River health
peer teaching models offered to ACT/NSW Teachers
Firestarter Communications developed the innovative "kids teaching kids" concept which uses a multidisciplinary approach to integrating key learning areas into a comprehensive educational model with strong emphasis on practical application. The concept is the core of the successful Riverhealth conference attended by hundreds of children and teachers from around the Basin, Australia and from overseas. The free workshops will explore how the method can be used in the current curriculum to meet "authentic outcome-based learning requirements such as the Essential Learning Standards recently introduced in Victoria." However, organisers say this non-prescriptive approach is ideal in any State curriculum and has been successfully applied at a national scale. Each 90-minute workshop will be conducted by former principal Richard Wood and 2001 Young Australian of the Year for the Environment Arron Wood . They will explore the ideas behind the kids teaching kids concept and examine the benefits of using the technique in the classroom. This workshop can be used to prepare students for the 2006 MDBC Canberra Youth River Health Conference to be held on World Environment Day June 5 and 6 - visit www.riverhealth.com for further information. Arron and Richard are also offering to run a workshop with students in the classroom to put the theory into practice. The workshops for teachers will be held at CSIRO Discovery Centre in Canberra on Monday, 27 March from 4.30pm to 6pm. The school visits will be made in Canberra on Tuesday, 28 March to Thursday 30 March. For more information
or to register for the professional development workshop or for a school
visit email Sasha at Firestarter on admin@fire-starter.com.au
Public
meetings explain environmental flows and Living Murray
Organiser Clare Mason, Environmental Flows Project Manager at Mallee Catchment Management Authority, hopes to find out more about what environmental flows mean to local residents and what they value about Lindsay, Mulcra and Wallpolla Islands. The information sessions and field trip will give interested locals information about the Living Murray Initiative project including the expected impact on native fish, redgums and waterbirds as well as details about the regulator structures being built for water management. For more information
contact Clare Mason on 03 5051-4377
MDBC sponsored environmental art on
show at SheppARTon
The exhibition consists of 64 artworks by 26 artists from the Australian National University's Environment Studio Field Studies program. The artists are undergraduate and graduate students, former students, visiting artists and staff The Environment Studio Field Studies program at the ANU's School of Art helps artists at the school to get out into the world to seek inspiration for making art. The current exhibition which opened in February as part of Shepparton's SheppARTon Festival is showing at Galways Restaurant, SPC Ardmona Factory Sales and Greater Shepparton Council Offices. It runs until 13 March. The works, which emphasise environmental sustainability and a "sense of place", include photographs, paintings, sculpture, textiles, prints, glass, wood, video and ceramics. The works were selected from field art trips to Corowa, Grenfell, Cowra, Gunnedah, Mungo and Wentworth between 2000 and 2005. The exhibition also introduces to the community the Field Study to be undertaken in the Goulburn Broken Catchment throughout this year. In collaboration with the MDBC, the Study will form part of the Goulburn Broken Catchment Management Authority's River Connect Project . The Project aims to raise community awareness of the cultural value of the Goulburn and Broken Rivers. Artwork from the 2006 Field Study will be exhibited in Shepparton as part of National Water Week in October. According to the Environment Studio Field Studies program's coordinator, John Reid, visual art informed by science, indigenous knowledge or local community wisdom and inspired by direct observation of the physical world can be powerful stuff. "When applied in conservation strategies, aesthetic statements that stem from such research can help narrow the gap between knowing what to do and actually doing it. "I hope these exhibitions encourage more people to take a new look at the environment that sustains them." For more information
contact John Reid, Environment Studio, School of Art, Faculty of Arts,
The Australian National University, phone (02) 6125 5809, email john.reid@anu.edu.au
How Lachlan
snaps could earn you money
Under the theme "Land and Life", entries are also expected to reflect the catchment area's lifestyle and living in a rural community. Entry is free and entries will be received up until 4.00pm on Friday 31st March 2006. The Lachlan CMA is a community based organisation that provides information and incentives on natural resource management to land managers. "Our business is to support the communities of the Lachlan Catchment and the photographic competition will help to showcase the land and life that is the Lachlan", Lachlan CMA Chariman, Mr Rob Gledhill said. The competition encourages all ages to participate and will accept digital, black and white and colour entries, all must be submitted in a hard copy (print) format as per the competition rules. Rules are available from all Lachlan CMA offices. It is hoped the competition will highlight the diversity of the catchment and the people who live in it and there is the added bonus of prize money. So if you are a keen photographer or just want to be part of the fun - grab a copy of the competition rules and submit your photograph at any Lachlan CMA Office. "We have allowed competitors unlimited entries" Mr Gledhill said, "and everyone is eligible to enter except the Judges and of course don't forget entry is free". Entrants do need to limit their subject matter to within the Lachlan Catchment, a map is provided as part of the competition rules. More information on
the photographic competition is available from any Lachlan CMA office or
contact: Kathleen Mann on (02) 6862 1255, Mobile: 0428 284252
Harvesting
the next crop of rural leaders
The Young Rural Leaders' Course - now in its sixth year - provides rural men and women aged 18 to 35 with an opportunity to enhance their leadership skills, extend their networks and develop the confidence to become industry and community leaders. Announcing the successful candidates, Parliamentary Secretary for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, the Hon Sussan Ley said the course was "about ensuring the young people involved in our agriculture, fisheries and forestry industries are part of the decision-making process, and that their opinions on key issues and policies are heard." The course - which will be held in Canberra on 26-30 March - includes leadership, planning and communication training, as well as group and team-building activities. The participants will attend presentations to help boost their understanding of how key industry and government decision-makers go about their business. Throughout the course, the participants will be given the opportunity to test their new skills in a variety of activities and situations. They will also get the opportunity to attend functions where they will be able to network with industry leaders and members of the Government. "Young people represent the future of Australia's agriculture, fisheries and forestry industries, and it is vital we continue to foster the development of their skills and abilities. "I look forward to meeting the participants and hearing first-hand their vision for the future of rural Australia." The Young Rural Leaders' Course is part of the Industry Partnerships Programme, which helps rural industries boost their competitiveness and respond effectively to change. To date, more than 200 people have taken part in the course. For more information on
the course phone (02) 6271 6411 or visit www.daff.gov.au/industrypartnerships
Condamine Catchment
plans 'visionary' forums
Organisers say the first forum, to be held on March 8 at the Highfields Taven in Highfields, will provide a picture of the catchment - agriculture, population, natural resources, social trends and economics. It will examine issues, problems and concerns of people, things that need attention, solutions and action and it will challenge people to think about the future and provide feedback on what we should do about some of their concerns. The next forum - the Condamine Catchment Energy Forum - will be held on 31 May. It will inform the catchment communities about the current and emerging energy developments and will examine the social and environmental issues. The forum will cover coal, gas, wind and ethanol. For more information and
to register for these forums contact Larraine Clewett, Condamine Catchment
Management Association on 4639 1541, or email ccma@bigpond.net.au
Boosting no-tillage
and conservation farming practices
The conference is supported by the NSW Department of Primary Industries, University of New England, Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) and the Australian Centre for International Research (ACIAR). Organisers say farmer focus group meetings confirmed the importance of economic, social, technical and managerial constraints that are preventing more farmers adopting conservation farming and no-tillage practices. The information obtained from the focus groups, together with farmer case studies, will set the scene for discussion and workshopping of potential solutions to these problems. It is expected that the recommendations and strategies arising from the conference will be of special interest to rural R&D corporations, catchment management authorities, government agencies, agribusiness and farmers. Christina Hindhaugh, author the best-selling books, Life Wasn't Meant to Be Easy, I Love a Sunburnt Torso, and For Better, For Worse and For Lunch which chronicle the highs and lows of farming life, will facilitate a forum on embracing change. The program has been designed to interest farmers, agricultural advisers, catchment managers and researchers. It will be held at the NSW Department of Primary Industries' Tamworth Agricultural Institute's Tamworth Sustainable Farming Training Centre. For more information contact
Bob Martin on (02) 6763 1100, email bob.martin@dpi.nsw.gov.au
Papers on climate
change and rural communities sought
The papers will be delivered at the National Conference on the Socio-Economic Implications of Climate Change on Regional Communities to be held in Bendigo on 6- 7 September. Papers will be refereed, with selected papers published in a book edited by Dr Maureen Rogers and Prof John Martin. The aim of the conference and subsequent publications is to provide direction for the development of socio-economic strategies to cope with the rural and regional impacts of climate change. Abstracts are required by
the 31st March 2006. They should be sent to: Dr Maureen Rogers, Centre
for Sustainable Regional Communities, La Trobe University, email
For more information on the conference go to www.latrobe.edu.au/csrc ends |
COMMUNICATIONS