2016/17
ANNUAL REPORT
NQ DRY TROPICS The Difference We Make
We are a community-based, not-for-profit organisation that supports people in the Burdekin Dry Tropics of North Queensland to sustainably manage natural resources including soil, water and biodiversity. These resources underpin our regional economy and our way of life. Our passionate, committed team delivers high-quality, often innovative projects in partnership with all levels of government, local and national industry bodies, science, landholders, and community groups. We enjoy excellent relationships with all of these partners, forged over more than 12 years. We: •
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work closely with our government, corporate and community partners to improve land condition and water quality, control pest species, and protect biodiversity; have significant expertise and experience across a range of technical areas, including community engagement; extension; strategic planning; sustainable agriculture; managing pests, threatened species and habitat; managing wetlands, and improving water quality; advise and support landowners and land managers striving to introduce more sustainable practices on-property; link individuals and community groups with project funding opportunities; support community and landcare groups through funding support, and helping to build their skills and capacity; provide planning direction for managing our region’s natural resources, helping to ensure that government investment and community effort is directed where it is needed most and can achieve the best value for money; strive to meaningfully involve, consult and negotiate with the Aboriginal community, and in particular the Traditional Owners of the land, regarding key decisions about how we all look after our land and water; and pride ourselves on being a trusted delivery agent for our funders, a source of support, advice and expertise for the community, and a valuable partner for industry.
THE DIFFERENCE WE MAKE ANNUAL REPORT 2016–17
What we do in THE BURDEKIN DRY TROPICS REGION Regional Pest Management: Coordinating a collaborative regional approach to pest and weed management.
Strengthening Communities: Strengthening the capacity of community groups to manage natural resources.
Systems Repair: Working with the community to find solutions to restore the ecological function of wetlands in the Lower Burdekin. Greenvale Townsville Ayr
Charters Towers
Conservation Action Planning: Specialists and community members working together to identify key biodiversity projects.
Reef Alliance: Supporting landholders to implement changes for water quality outcomes.
Sugar Innovations: Supporting innovative farmers and practices that improve water quality.
Landholders Driving Change: Working with graziers to develop solutions to keep soil on the land.
Grazing BMP: Industry-led benchmarking to achieve best management practice for economic, social, and environmental outcomes.
Engaging Traditional Owners: Community-led projects for building capacity and working on-country. Alpha
Saving our Soils: Supporting graziers to demonstrate best management practices that prevent sediment from entering the Great Barrier Reef.
Bowen
Regional Landcare Facilitator: Building networks and providing skills training to support sustainable agriculture.
146,000km² To find out more and view the full list of our projects and programs, please visit www.nqdrytropics.com.au
“It is great to have access to the NQ Dry Tropics knowledge base to get questions answered. It is good to have a regional body that connects groups. I get support and workshop topics that meet my needs, that we would otherwise not be able to access.” LUCY HOLMES, COASTAL DRY TROPICS LANDCARE INC
CONTENTS MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR 04 AND CEO
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SOME NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS IN 2016/17
06 OUR PROGRAM AREAS 08 CORPORATE PARTNERSHIPS 11 BUILDING GRAZING RESILIENCE FOR BETTER ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL OUTCOMES 12 WILLS STREET, TOWNSVILLE 4810 ABN: 18 101 770 601
IMPROVING WATER QUALITY TO 15
PH: (07) 4799 3500 FX: (07) 4799 3593
ENGAGING WITH TRADITIONAL 18
[email protected] NQDRYTROPICS.COM.AU Published by NQ Dry Tropics Ltd trading as NQ Dry Tropics. © 2017 NQ Dry Tropics Ltd The Copyright Act 1968 permits fair dealing for study research, news reporting, criticism or review. Selected passages, tables or diagrams may be reproduced for such purposes provided acknowledgement of the source is included. Major extracts of the entire document may not be reproduced by any process without the written permission of the Chief Executive Officer, NQ Dry Tropics. Photos supplied by NQ Dry Tropics staff, Mark Zie, Great Barrier Reef Authority Image Collection, Graham Armstrong. Please reference as: NQ Dry Tropics 2017, NQ Dry Tropics Annual Report 2016/2017, NQ Dry Tropics, Townsville.
PROTECT THE GREAT BARRIER REEF
OWNERS
ENGAGING AND STRENGTHENING 19 COMMUNITIES
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MANAGING PESTS & PROTECTING
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FINANCIAL INFORMATION
THREATENED SPECIES
Chair Les Tyrell
CEO Dr Scott Crawford
Message from the CHAIR AND CEO It’s been another busy year that has seen us form new partnerships and further strengthen our existing links with communities, government and industry. In September 2016 we expanded from our Townsville base by opening a second office in Bowen. We run a number of projects supporting farmers and graziers in the Bowen,Broken, Bogie, and Don catchments – and having an additional dedicated office is allowing us to better support the local agricultural community. We welcomed our new Chair, Les Tyrell, to the organisation, who replaces Mark Stoneman AM. Les is excited to take on this challenging role, which is making good use of his extensive community connections and regional knowledge. This year we adopted the internationally-recognised Conservation Action Planning framework, which involves the community in proactively developing projects that meet identified strategic objectives. Supported through funding from the Australian Government, this best-practice approach leaves us well positioned to deliver on key national and state conservation objectives. We are now into the second year of our Reef Alliance partnership – facilitated by Queensland Farmers’ Federation – which is a great example of the strong levels of trust and collaboration between the agricultural industry and the NRM sector. We were very excited to begin working with a range of partners on Landholders Driving Change – a new project that is delivering grazier-driven solutions to keeping soil on the land and improving productivity. We were delighted that the Queensland Government committed to piloting this groundbreaking project over the next three years. This year’s Annual Report highlights some of our corporate partners who support our work. Our corporate partnerships are mutually beneficial, and it is gratifying to see how we are helping each other achieve strategic environmental objectives. We would like to acknowledge the 15th anniversary of the Traditional Owner Management Group – an innovative model that has successfully facilitated Traditional Owner engagement, collaboration and involvement in decisions about how natural resources in the Burdekin Dry Tropics are managed. As you will read in this document, we have continued running high-quality projects that support our community to manage our soil, water and biodiversity. We have made great strides, but we are continually working to develop better networks, enhance levels of community knowledge, and deliver more on-ground achievements.
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MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR AND CEO ANNUAL REPORT 2016–17
SOME NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS IN 2016/17 We funded & supported THE DELIVERY OF
79
EVENTS
73 Landholders WE HELPED
TO COMPLETE NEW PROPERTY PLANS TO BETTER MANAGE A TOTAL OF
950,856 HECTARES.
that removed
1,400 feral pigs
THAT PROVIDED NEARLY
2,000 Attendees WITH THE SKILLS, KNOWLEDGE
AND CONTACTS TO HELP THEM BETTER MANAGE THEIR LAND AND WATER.
We supported
54
COMMUNITY GROUPS
WE HELPED
reduce impacts to
FROM PRODUCTIVE AND VALUABLE COASTAL SUBCATCHMENTS IN THE REGION.
AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION AND INFRASTRUCTURE
$838,000
BY AN ESTIMATED BY SUPPORTING AERIAL CONTROL PROGRAMS
We protected and enhanced habitat
FOR THREATENED SPECIES
BY SUPPORTING THE IMPROVED MANAGEMENT OF
46,098 hectares
BUILDING THEIR NRM KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS.
We boosted
ON-GROUND COMMUNITY GROUP PROJECTS WITH MORE THAN
$150,000 IN GRANTS.
WE SPONSORED COMMUNITY EVENTS THAT HELPED
support and strengthen
THE GRAZING AND EXTENSION INDUSTRIES
SOME NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS ANNUAL REPORT 2016–17
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OUR PROGRAM AREAS Sustainable Agriculture
Waterways, Wetlands and Coasts
Our Sustainable Agriculture Program supports and empowers agricultural producers to build resilient and productive businesses while minimising environmental impacts.
Our vision is sustainably managed, resilient and healthy regional waterways, wetlands and coasts; which the community enjoys and respects.
We: •
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assist graziers and cane growers to better understand the links between their land management practices and water quality in the catchments and on the Great Barrier Reef; offer them expert advice and training; and organise workshops, forums and field events that showcase best practices and promote innovation; support them to access funding to adopt best management practices; and help them monitor the results of their efforts.
Our region’s coastal ecosystems support industries such as fisheries and tourism; enhance our living environment; and provide food and habitat for marine and terrestrial life. They also contribute to improved water quality by filtering nutrients and chemicals from runoff. Improving the condition of these habitats will benefit many species that live in, and migrate to the coastal zone, and the Great Barrier Reef. We: •
• Our work is enhanced by strong relationships with industry and NRM partners including Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, Queensland Farmers’ Federation, Farmacist Burdekin, Fitzroy Basin Association, Burdekin Productivity Services (BPS), Agritech Solutions, Sugarfix, Burdekin Bowen Integrated Floodplain Management Advisory Committee Inc (BBIFMAC), AgForce, Growcom, Terrain NRM, Burnett Mary Regional Group, Cape York NRM, and CANEGROWERS.
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work with all levels of government, key industry groups, community groups and land managers to protect, conserve and rehabilitate coastal ecosystems; support the community to deliver projects, learn new skills, access grants, and better understand how farming practices impact wetlands; and monitor how land use changes affect water quality.
NQ DRY TROPICS:
THE DIFFERENCE WE MAKE
“NQ Dry Tropics plays an important role in helping farmers demonstrate to government that financial investment in farmers builds a more profitable, resilient and sustainable agriculture sector.” JOHN QUAGLIATA, BURDEKIN CANE FARMER
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OUR PROGRAM AREAS ANNUAL REPORT 2016–17
Protecting Biodiversity Our Protecting Biodiversity Program supports the community to protect, maintain and restore regional biodiversity. We: •
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work with our community and government partners to strategically tackle priority pest and weed species, and protect threatened native species and ecosystems; aim to build the community’s capacity to protect biodiversity by providing technical and practical support; and provide crucial planning direction to ensure that any investment not only helps to reduce the impacts of existing priority pests, but also prevents the spread of new invasive species.
Strategy and Partnerships Our Strategy and Partnerships team works to establish and maintain community and industry alliances to support delivery of the Burdekin Dry Tropics Natural Resource Management (NRM) Plan. We: •
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work closely with Traditional Owner groups to increase indigenous capacity and participation in NRM; focus on developing the skills and abilities of landcare and community groups to deliver effective on-ground works; are responsible for updating the NRM plan, which provides strategic direction and is based on thorough community consultation; and lead and coordinate NQ Dry Tropics’ monitoring, evaluation, reporting and improvement (MERI) program, which helps program and project managers to judge the impact, appropriateness, effectiveness and efficiency of our work.
OUR PARTNERS & SUPPORTERS Our work during 2016/17 was funded and supported through a number of government and non-government partnerships.
Australian Government • • •
National Landcare Program Reef Program Reef Trust I, II, III and IV
Queensland Government • • • • •
Queensland Regional Natural Resource Management Investment Program Grazing BMP (Best Management Practice) Reef Water Quality Program Drought Assistance Program (feral animal management) Reef Water Quality Science Program
Other • • • • • • • • • • •
Coca Cola Foundation Lower Burdekin Water Evolution Mining Lend Lease Burdekin Shire Council Townsville City Council Bendigo Bank CSIRO Rabobank Central Highlands Regional Resources Use Planning Cooperative Ltd Black-throated Finch Trust
OUR PROGRAM AREAS ANNUAL REPORT 2016–17
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CORPORATE PARTNERSHIPS
We greatly value working with our corporate partners on natural resource management projects across the region. These partnerships bring mutual benefits: •
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We provide expertise, experience, advice and community connections that can assist our partners to meet their strategic environmental objectives, contractual obligations, development approval conditions or sustainability commitments. Private sector partnerships and investment add value to our projects.
LOWER BURDEKIN WATER
Working together to gain efficiencies and support wetland health Our long-term partnership with Lower Burdekin Water (LBW) is a great example of how we can support our partners to drive their dollar further when our priorities align – allowing us both to achieve our strategic objectives. We co-invested with LBW to help it better control how it delivers irrigation water, to improve efficiency and minimise losses. Removing excess irrigation water from the system helped us achieve our objective of allowing shallow coastal wetlands at Kalamia Creek, Spotswoods Lagoon and Sheepstation Creek, near Ayr, to dry down seasonally – a natural and effective form of weed control that has benefited water quality, fish stocks and migratory bird populations.
If you are interested in supporting natural resource management and partnering with a proven, professional and passionate organisation that delivers high-quality projects, please contact our CEO, Dr Scott Crawford, on (07) 4799 3500. Our corporate partnerships are achieving great results – here are some examples of how they are making a difference in our region.
David Sartori
“Partnering with respected organisations such as NQ Dry Tropics helps LBW to better understand and quantify areas for improvement with respect to system health and function, as well as develop strategies and projects to drive improvement.
It is a pleasure working with NQ Dry Tropics who are professional and consistent in their approach and a reliable project partner. LBW’s long-term partnership with NQ Dry Tropics has enabled LBW to fast track infrastructure investment to deliver better outcomes for the environment, LBW and the community.” DAVID SARTORI, EXECUTIVE OFFICER, LOWER BURDEKIN WATER
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CORPORATE PARTNERSHIPS ANNUAL REPORT 2016–17
LEND LEASE
Partnering to achieve environmental outcomes at Elliot Springs Elliot Springs is a major residential development located at the southern entrance to Townsville. Since 2010 we have been supporting developer Lend Lease with advice and solutions primarily around Blackthroated Finch conservation, land management and pest control for a parcel of offset land we are managing at Chisholm Trail, Oak Valley. Working on this project enables us to help safeguard the future of these important environmental areas, as well as strengthen our partnerships and community links with future residents and others involved with the project.
Simon Walker and Scott Crawford
“We aim to create a community at Elliot Springs, and we were attracted by NQ Dry Tropics’ community approach. NQ Dry Tropics also has the knowledge to help us manage our environmental requirements, such as offsets to support Black-throated Finch habitat. It has already supported us to develop our consultation management plan, which was a federal requirement. The site has 476ha of conservation area and creek corridors, so there are huge opportunities for the two organisations to work together on rehabilitation and monitoring activities, and beyond that ongoing management and education opportunities. We want our residents to understand, and get involved with managing, the natural features of our site. We plan to develop trails and signage that enable our residents to connect with their surroundings and understand their environment. I see a big opportunity for NQ Dry Tropics to help with this, and I think it’s a shared mission. Education and demonstration projects will lift the community’s knowledge base and leave a long-lasting legacy.” SIMON WALKER, REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT MANAGER FOR ELLIOT SPRINGS
CORPORATE PARTNERSHIPS ANNUAL REPORT 2016–17
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CORPORATE PARTNERSHIPS CONTINUED
Scott Crawford with Paul Wright and Mark Brown from Evolution
Community clean up event at Aplin’s Weir
EVOLUTION MINING
AURIZON
Joining forces to control weeds and help benefit cane productivity in the Lower Burdekin
Community Giving Fund helps keep local beaches clean
We are partnering with Evolution Mining on an innovative project that will remove aquatic weeds from Kalamia Creek, near Ayr, and investigate ways of using them as a potential nutrient source on local cane properties. Evolution’s contribution of $200,000 will enhance our work in the region as part of our Australian Government-funded Systems Repair project.
“We were looking to support an environmental enhancement project through our Shared Value program, which funds sustainable initiatives that benefit communities. We read about some of NQ Dry Tropics’ initiatives in its Annual Report and it was good for us to find an organisation already doing great work in the area. Partnering with NQ Dry Tropics on this project will allow us to demonstrate responsible land stewardship, protect the environment, and give something back to the community.” MARK BROWN, HEALTH, SAFETY, ENVIRONMENT & COMMUNITY MANAGER, EVOLUTION MINING
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CORPORATE PARTNERSHIPS ANNUAL REPORT 2016–17
We partnered with major freight company Aurizon to help look after Ross River by mobilising the Townsville community to attend three clean up events at Aplin’s Weir. Thanks to a $10,000 donation through Aurizon’s Community Giving Fund, nearly 200 people removed a total of 164kg of rubbish from the river. Local community groups used the event as an opportunity to recruit volunteers and educate participants about the harmful effects of debris on our waterways. An extensive print and radio publicity campaign, as well as on-site branding at the events, helped to increase public awareness of Aurizon’s support.
“North Queensland is one of our operational hubs, so connecting with groups like NQ Dry Tropics through our Community Giving Fund is one way that we can work together to support the needs of this community and give something back. NQ Dry Tropics kept us informed about their planned activities and provided us with promotional materials which led to a number of the team at Aurizon participating in the events we sponsored in Townsville.” SARAH DIXON, GENERAL MANAGER, BULK NORTH EAST, AURIZON
BUILDING GRAZING RESILIENCE
FOR BETTER ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL OUTCOMES Grazing BMP supports landholders to improve productivity and sustainability Graziers in the Dry Tropics face many challenges that can affect the profitability and viability of their enterprise. Two examples – market fluctuations and ongoing drought – are beyond their control, but implementing best management practices can help them build resilience and meet these challenges head on. Better soil, water and stock management, and improving business knowledge are valuable tools that can support producers to enhance their long-term productivity, profitability and sustainability.
responsible stewardship to the industry’s supply chain, consumers, community and government. Jointly funded by the Australian and Queensland Governments, the program was developed in partnership between AgForce, the Fitzroy Basin Association and Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (DAF). More than 1.2 million hectares in Queensland are now Grazing BMP accredited. We deliver Grazing BMP in the Burdekin alongside partners DAF and AgForce. Our Sustainable Agriculture team carries out personalised one on one assessments, and targeted training and extension to address identified knowledge gaps. Some of our Grazing BMP events this year included Low Stress Stock Handling, Advanced Livestock Movement and Management, and a Working Dog School.
The Grazing BMP (Best Management Practice) Program, developed ‘by industry for industry’, works with producers through a series of modules covering grazing land management, soil health, animal health and welfare, animal production, and people and business. To become an accredited producer, a grazing business must complete all modules of the self-assessment, and pass an external audit demonstrating 100 per cent compliance across 56 core competencies. Accreditation highlights
Female pastoralists share knowledge and build networks
FEMALE GRAZIERS SHARE KNOWLEDGE ON BUS TOUR Women are increasingly casting aside traditional female cattle station roles, with increasing numbers found in the saddle as well as playing an integral role in decision making, developing business strategies and driving practice change.
One Grazing BMP event this year was a Working Dog School
The second annual NQ Dry Tropics Women in Grazing Bus Tour gave nearly 60 leading pastoral women from across the North – representing 43 grazing enterprises covering 546,724ha – a chance to come together to learn, share experiences, develop friendships and be exposed to innovative management practices and ideas. This year’s event, held in the Upper Burdekin, was supported through funding from the Grazing BMP Program and the Australian Government Reef Program.
Grazing BMP accreditation is a sign of responsible stewardship
BUILDING GRAZING RESILIENCE ANNUAL REPORT 2016–17
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BUILDING GRAZING RESILIENCE CONTINUED
LANDHOLDERS DRIVING CHANGE tackling erosion from the ground up
Erosion is a big issue in the Burdekin Dry Tropics of North Queensland. It causes valuable topsoil primarily from grazing lands to wash downstream, carrying fine sediment particles that reduce the amount of light needed by coral reefs and seagrass to grow and thrive. This year saw us launch Landholders Driving Change – a project aimed at tackling erosion and improving land management, productivity and reef water quality in the Burdekin region. A program of activities to keep soil on the land – designed by graziers and tailored to their needs – will roll out over the next three years in the high-priority Bowen, Broken, Bogie (BBB) catchment near Bowen and Collinsville (see map on opposite page). The BBB produces almost a quarter of the total fine sediment load that ends up on the Reef.
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INVOLVING GRAZIERS FROM THE START Graziers from more than half of all grazing properties in the BBB attended a series of workshops earlier this year where they had the opportunity to propose ideas on what the project should focus on. They suggested gully remediation; improving pasture cover; education and training; incentives to support better practices; and forging closer links between landholders and policy makers. They also stressed that gully erosion isn’t just a grazier issue, and other land users should be involved. Their ideas were collated, developed and prioritised into an action plan.
BUILDING GRAZING RESILIENCE FOR BETTER ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL OUTCOMES ANNUAL REPORT 2016–17
BUILDING GRAZING RESILIENCE CONTINUED
Landholders Driving Change is one of two Major Integrated Projects (MIPs) recommended by the Great Barrier Reef Water Science Taskforce. The other MIP aims to reduce nutrient and pesticide runoff from cane and banana farms in the Wet Tropics region. The Queensland Government has committed a total of $33 million to fund both MIPs, which aim to concentrate efforts at a catchment scale, and evaluate how effective they are. Scientist Jane Waterhouse and grazier Jessie Gooding
GRAZIERS AND SCIENTISTS working together
Over the following months, a group of local graziers, scientists, government officers and technical specialists met regularly to design activities that would: • • •
reflect the advice of the local community; reduce levels of sediment runoff to the Reef; and help achieve enduring sustainable and productive land management in the BBB.
Landholders Driving Change combines graziers’ knowledge with the latest scientific research. It will trial and develop solutions designed to remove the social, financial and technical barriers to practice change.
The Bowen, Broken, Bogie catchment
NQ Dry Tropics is working with a consortium of partner organisations on this project: AgForce, Alluvium, Bowen and Collinsville Landcare Group, C20 Consulting, CSIRO, Eberhard Consulting, Greening Australia, Griffith University, James Cook University, Natural Decisions, Resource Consulting Services, Reef Alliance/Queensland Farmers’ Federation, River Consulting, and Verterra.
BUILDING GRAZING RESILIENCE FOR BETTER ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL OUTCOMES ANNUAL REPORT 2016–17
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BUILDING GRAZING RESILIENCE CONTINUED
Participants gained knowledge to help build resilience
Our Regional Landcare Facilitator supports the community to adopt sustainable farm and land management practices by building partnerships, organising community and farm-based events, and providing access to funding, training and information. One event held in December focused on building grazing resilience and improving landscapes.
CHARTERS TOWERS WORKSHOP FOCUSES ON LANDSCAPE REGENERATION More than 30 graziers attended a workshop at Wambiana Station near Charters Towers run by agrarian expert Darren Doherty of Regrarians Ltd, that focused on regenerating and restoring production landscapes. The Regrarians Platform is a holistic approach to land management that incorporates social and economic considerations. The event addressed key issues such as the importance of long-term planning, taking advantage of technology, and diversifying production. “Question your operation and your role in it,” Darren said. “That’s the main takeaway. “We want people to be able to ask the right questions about what they want out of their life on their farms – how they want their landscape to perform, not just financially but also ecologically and for future generations of their family,” he said. The event was supported through funding from the Australian Government’s National Landcare Program.
Darren Doherty of Regrarians Ltd ran the two-day workshop
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BUILDING GRAZING RESILIENCE FOR BETTER ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL OUTCOMES ANNUAL REPORT 2016–17
“Workshops such as these are a great way to support graziers to build networks and learn from each other.” NQ DRY TROPICS REGIONAL LANDCARE FACILITATOR PETER ARTHOFER
“Today has been great food for thought. It was good to expose the old generation to new things, and show that these new things can be successful. The new generation of grazing is evolving.” DR CAMPBELL COSTELLO, FANNING DOWNS STATION
“This workshop helped us look at the big picture about how we develop a plan for our property that fits for our family and the environment. The last four or five years have brought significantly lower rainfall than usual, so we need to make better use of the rain we do have to benefit pasture growth and water supply.” MICHAEL AND MICHELLE LYONS, WAMBIANA STATION
IMPROVING WATER QUALITY TO PROTECT THE GREAT BARRIER REEF REEF TRUST PROGRAM SUPPORTS GRAZIERS AND CANE FARMERS We are a proud member of the Reef Alliance, a partnership between 12 industry and NRM groups, facilitated by the Queensland Farmers’ Federation. Together we are delivering the $45.6 million Growing a Great Barrier Reef project, funded through the $210 million Australian Government Reef Trust Program. This project supports farmers and graziers to reduce levels of dissolved inorganic nitrogen, pesticides and sediment runoff, to improve Reef water quality. Reef Alliance partners provide support through extension, training, small grants, on-ground technical advice, and opportunities to implement on-farm innovations. By mid-2019, this project aims to work with nearly 1200 farmers and graziers – covering approximately 1.8 million hectares across 33 Great Barrier Reef catchments – to achieve a five per-cent-(169kt) reduction in sediment load, 10 per cent-reduction of dissolved inorganic nitrogen, and a continued reduction in pesticide load. At the end of year one, the Reef Alliance partners had engaged with more than 500 land managers, 107 of which were contracted to undertake works across more than 65,000ha.
GRAZING: FENCING HELPS EXCLUDE STOCK FROM RIPARIAN ZONE As a Reef Alliance partner, we supported graziers Damien and Fran Lyons, of Basalt River Station, Charters Towers, to install fencing and water infrastructure that reduced sediment loss and helped them gain better control of grazing distribution across the property. We provided on-ground technical support as part of the $70,000 project, partially funded by the Lyons family through financial and in-kind contributions. The work took place on a 5,358ha paddock with a creek intersecting through the middle. The fencing enabled the Lyons to reduce grazing pressure along a creek bank, introduce annual wet season spelling in the area, and match stocking rates to available forage. This will promote increased vegetation cover along the creek; stabilise soils to reduce sediment loss, and encourage the return of palatable, productive, perennial (3P) grasses. Installing water infrastructure centrally in the upper paddock will more evenly distribute grazing pressure, helping to improve overall land condition.
“With the help of a grant and the expertise from NQ Dry Tropics, we’ve been able to make management practice changes to improve productivity and demonstrate environmental credentials to our consumers.” DAMIEN LYONS, BASALT RIVER STATION
The Lyons Family
IMPROVING WATER QUALITY TO PROTECT THE GREAT BARRIER REEF ANNUAL REPORT 2016–17
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IMPROVING WATER QUALITY CONTINUED
CANE: COMBINED FUNDING STREAMS HELP BURDEKIN FARMER SAVE MONEY AND REDUCE NUTRIENT RUNOFF With support from three different projects, Burdekin cane farmer Charles Quagliata has reduced his nitrogen use and improved irrigation efficiency – saving money and minimising runoff. Under the Reef Alliance Growing a Great Barrier Reef project, we supported Charles to better match irrigation volumes to crop requirements through extension, training and a Reef Water Quality Grant. He installed 70m of pipeline and a surface water pump with variable speed drive, allowing him to adjust flow rates to suit sets. He developed an irrigation management plan to help him continue improving his practices.
Pump & pipe installation has significantly improved water irrigation efficiency
Charles also submitted a successful funding bid through the Reef Trust Burdekin Tender project. This supported him to reduce his nitrogen application rates to an average of 190kg per hectare across the farm, a reduction of more than six tonnes over the life of the project. He also benchmarked his farming practice in accordance with Smartcane BMP and will achieve accreditation by the end of the project. Under the Queensland Government’s Complete Nutrient Management Planning for Cane Farming project, agronomic solutions provider Farmacist helped Charles develop a nutrient management plan that details his application rates. This is being continuously amended according to regular soil tests to ensure appropriate nutrient application rates are applied.
Charles with NQ Dry Tropics’ Jana Hazelman and Farmacist agronomist Billie White
Burdekin Tender “Thanks to NQ Dry Tropics, Farmacist and government funding I have been able to access knowledge that has helped me implement practice change to provide on-farm efficiency as well as help the health of the land. Farmers have to get smarter and adopt farming practices that result in efficiency across the farm.” CHARLES QUAGLIATA, BURDEKIN CANE FARMER
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IMPROVING WATER QUALITY TO PROTECT THE GREAT BARRIER REEF ANNUAL REPORT 2016–17
•
This year, $7.3 million of Australian Government Reef Trust funding supported Burdekin and Wet Tropics sugar cane farmers to reduce levels of nitrogen runoff leaving their farms, by better matching fertiliser application to crop requirements.
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A tender process enabled farmers to bid for funding of up to $500,000 to undertake projects they designed themselves to improve the efficiency of their farming operations.
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We supported 39 Burdekin cane farmers with the information and advice they needed to develop tender bids, 29 of which were successful.
IMPROVING WATER QUALITY CONTINUED
WETLANDS AND WATERWAYS: nature’s greatest filters
Wetlands act as nature’s kidneys, filtering out toxins and sediment before they reach the ocean. Our Waterways, Wetlands and Coasts (WWC) program helps protect the Reef by improving the health and ecological function of coastal wetland ecosystems and the species that rely on them. Here we focus on two key WWC projects that support improved wetland health – Systems Repair, funded by the Australian Government Reef Program, and Landscape Resilience, funded by the Queensland Regional Natural Resource Management Investment Program.
LANDSCAPE RESILIENCE Our Landscape Resilience project used real-time monitoring techniques to provide farmers located around Horseshoe Lagoon, Giru, with detailed information on how much water was leaving their farms and what nutrients it contained. This helped them identify areas where they could amend their irrigation and nutrient practices to gain efficiencies in their farming systems. The project also helped farmers better understand how their farms are connected to local wetlands and the Great Barrier Reef lagoon, and in particular how nutrient-rich tail water leaving a farm can promote weed growth downstream. These outbreaks can reduce bird and fish habitat, and become a haven for crop-damaging pests such as coots and pigs. We delivered the project in partnership with Burdekin Bowen Integrated Floodplain Management Advisory Committee Inc (BBIFMAC).
An automated flow gate and fishway is good news for fish and water delivery
SYSTEMS REPAIR Under our Systems Repair project, we work in partnership with Lower Burdekin Water, Burdekin Shire Council, landholders and community groups in the Lower Burdekin to strategically improve water quality by restoring ecological function to priority wetlands Sheepstation Creek, Spotswoods Lagoon and Kalamia Creek, near Ayr. Priorities for this project include: •
• •
controlling weeds naturally by reducing excess water leaving the irrigation delivery areas, to enable the shallow coastal wetlands to dry down seasonally; revegetating waterway and wetland riparian areas; and increasing fish stocks by removing barriers such as culverts, weirs and dams that prevent them moving between freshwater lagoons and the sea to complete their life cycles.
This year, we worked with Lower Burdekin Water to install fishways and automated flow control gates at Lilliesmere Lagoon, designed to increase the habitat extent of fish communities, and also help deliver irrigation water to farmers more efficiently.
Robert Stockham
“The water samples and data from the monitoring are beneficial for my record keeping, and if my farm can contribute to the greater whole and add facts, then that’s a good thing too.” ROBERT STOCKHAM, CANE FARMER
“The gates will help us deliver water more efficiently to our customers, improve control of water flows downstream, and reduce excess water flowing out into the mangrove environment.” DAVID SARTORI, EXECUTIVE OFFICER, LOWER BURDEKIN WATER
IMPROVING WATER QUALITY TO PROTECT THE GREAT BARRIER REEF ANNUAL REPORT 2016–17
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ENGAGING WITH TRADITIONAL OWNERS Celebrating 15 years of the Traditional Owner Management Group Traditional ecological knowledge and land management techniques, developed over tens of thousands of years, can play a key role in protecting our natural resources. Ensuring that this knowledge is incorporated into current and future strategies requires effective ongoing Traditional Owner engagement – not an easy task in a region that covers eight per cent of Queensland and incorporates 17 Traditional Owner groups! For 15 years, the Traditional Owner Management Group (TOMG) has played an important role in facilitating Traditional Owner engagement, collaboration and involvement in decisions about how natural resources in the Burdekin Dry Tropics are managed. The TOMG features members from every Traditional Owner group in the region. Meetings are held twice a year, however, further discussions happen via phone and email. Phil Rist is CEO of Girringun Aboriginal Corporation, and sits on the NQ Dry Tropics board. As a founding member of the TOMG, he reflected on how far it has come over the years, and why he thinks this model has stood the test of time.
“The TOMG provides a platform for Traditional Owners to voice their concerns, aspirations and opinions around managing natural resources. Without the TOMG, it would be extremely difficult to meaningfully involve regional Traditional Owner groups in decision making. This is about securing our future and looking after our country for our young ones. When we meet it’s like a family getting together, and we talk about issues in each other’s country and how we can support each other to make things better. Issues such as where funding is spent, and prioritising projects, can be very complicated and divisive, but there’s a real understanding within the group that by working strongly together we can overcome them and continue to move forward. Leadership of the TOMG has grown organically over the years. Initially I was given the responsibility of chairing the group, driving the discussions, and providing the link with the NQ Dry Tropics board. But now the leadership is a lot broader – everybody has a part to play. Leah Saltner from Gudjuda Reference Group does a great job facilitating the meetings.” PHIL RIST, CEO GIRRINGUN ABORIGINAL CORPORATION
Phil Rist
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ENGAGING WITH TRADITIONAL OWNERS ANNUAL REPORT 2016–17
ENGAGING AND STRENGTHENING COMMUNITIES We work with communities to build skills, enhance knowledge and increase voluntary activity. This year we supported more than 50 regional community groups to carry out vital work such as removing weeds, planting trees, cleaning beaches, and protecting important habitat. Most group members are volunteers who are passionate about land care and want to protect our natural assets for future generations. This year, thanks to funding from the Australian Government’s National Landcare Program, we allocated 13 Community Landcare Grants worth $111,000 to 10 community groups. These projects involved more than 480 community volunteers and generated $182,000 of in-kind support. Here’s an example of how our grants program is supporting community groups to make a difference.
Lower Burdekin Landcare Association Chairman Keith Kiloh
COMMUNITY REVEGETATION EFFORT IN AYR CREATES IMPORTANT NATIVE ANIMAL HABITAT Community group Lower Burdekin Landcare Association planted more than 2,500 trees at Morratt’s Pitt, Ayr, thanks to an $11,000 NQ Dry Tropics Community Landcare Grant 2016-17. Before they could start revegetating, the volunteers needed to slash and spray a large volume of weeds on-site, which they completed with support from Burdekin Shire Council. In all, the group removed around five tonnes of woody weeds and other material. Tree planting at Morratt’s Pitt
“We have a dedicated group of volunteers who give their time to look after the local environment, but without the funding opportunity from NQ Dry Tropics we would not have been able to achieve what we set out to do. These new trees will create important habitat for native animals in an urban location, and hopefully provide somewhere for local residents to come out and enjoy their environment.” KEITH KILOH, CHAIRMAN, LOWER BURDEKIN LANDCARE ASSOCIATION
ENGAGING AND STRENGTHENING COMMUNITIES ANNUAL REPORT 2016–17
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MANAGING PESTS & PROTECTING THREATENED SPECIES Our Protecting Biodiversity team has implemented Conservation Action Planning, an internationally-recognised, best practice planning framework that ensures community involvement in identifying natural assets in the landscape, determining the threats they face, and developing specific, measurable strategies to conserve them. Our team has brought together the Burdekin Dry Tropics community to prioritise and plan how to manage, protect, maintain and restore our regionally-important biodiversity. This collaborative approach generates strategic priority projects that can direct available funding where it is needed most. This work is supported through funding from the Australian Government’s National Landcare Program. Here is a snapshot of achievements this year:
Feral pigs cause significant damage
Prickly Acacia is a major threat to agriculture
REGIONAL PEST MANAGEMENT Pest plants and animals threaten our region’s economic, social and environmental sustainability. As a leading member of the Burdekin Dry Tropics Regional Pest Management Group (RPMG), we work alongside partners including Biosecurity Queensland, Queensland Department of National Parks, Sport and Racing, and local councils to determine the region’s priority pest plants and animals, and how best to manage them. This work is funded through the Queensland Regional Natural Resource Management Investment Program. This year saw a continued focus on mitigating threats posed by animals such as chital deer and feral pigs, and weeds including Siam Weed, Sagittaria and Prickly Acacia. • •
• • •
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A combination of control techniques removed 1203 deer from five properties in the Upper Burdekin, resulting in a 70 per-cent-reduction in numbers. A $35,000 contribution to the coastal feral pig management program removed 1421 pigs from the landscape, preventing an estimated $838,390 of impacts to agricultural production. These efforts saw a $1.2 million reduction in pig impacts to the Ramsar-listed Bowling Green Bay wetlands. A workshop supported Girringun Aboriginal Corporation Green Army participants to identify and report Siam Weed in the Upper Burdekin Basin. Fifteen grants delivered on-ground weed control for Prickly Acacia, Bellyache Bush, Parkinsonian and Parthenium across 9,263ha, reducing the spread of weeds across 58,110ha. Targeted control of Sagittaria in the Baratta subcatchment benefited 226,226ha of agricultural land as well as Ramsar-listed wetlands.
MANAGING PESTS AND PROTECTING THREATENED SPECIES ANNUAL REPORT 2016–17
PROTECTING DRY RAINFOREST We supported four landholders located in the Upper Burdekin Rangelands to improve the condition and extent of dry rainforest across 10 sites on their properties. More than 6000ha of dry rainforest are being targeted for the removal of Rubber Vine, Parthenium and Bellyache Bush – all Weeds of National Significance. Black-throated Finch
CONSERVING BLACK-THROATED FINCH HABITAT The long-term survival of the Black-throated Finch (southern subspecies) depends on efforts to conserve one of its largest known populations located on the Townsville Coastal Plain. Nearly $85,000 is going towards managing Lantana and Chinee Apple, and installing fences on four grazing properties in the Townsville area to both restore finch habitat and benefit pasture cover and grazing productivity. It is a happy coincidence that introducing best management practices on grazing properties can also support finch communities!
CONNECTING COMMUNITY – HEALTHY HABITATS Our Healthy Habitats project brings together land managers, Traditional Owners, community groups and local councils to protect biodiversity through workshops and on-ground projects. Highlights this year included: • • • •
reducing pest weeds on Magnetic Island, the Burdekin Delta and Majors Creek; a Google Mapping workshop; a Fire as a Tool for Conservation workshop; a Native Plants in the Garden Bus Tour.
NQ DRY TROPICS:
THE DIFFERENCE WE MAKE
The team takes a break from protecting beach scrub on Magnetic Island
PROTECTING BEACH SCRUB This project protected endangered beach scrubs and coastal vine thickets across 14 sites between Crystal Creek in the north and Bowen in the south, by managing more than 40ha of weeds – including Weeds of National Significance Lantana, Prickly Pear and Rubber Vine – and removing more than 2000kg of rubbish. We contracted Conservation Volunteers Australia to carry out on-ground works.
“Partnerships that we have with specialist agencies like NQ Dry Tropics are critical to us being able to educate the broader community about appropriate use of fire in land management and conservation.” GORDON YORKE, SCOTT RURAL FIRE SERVICE
MANAGING PESTS AND PROTECTING THREATENED SPECIES ANNUAL REPORT 2016–17
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FINANCIAL INFORMATION FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE SUMMARY INCOME
$10,299,970
EXPENDITURE
$105,860
$5,646,806
AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT
$199,485
Less
DIRECT PROJECT COSTS
MISCELLANEOUS INCOME INTEREST
INDIRECT PROJECT AND SUPPORT COSTS
$7,826,873
$10,117,125
$1,355,328
Equals NET PROFIT
$182,845
INCOME SOURCES
EXPENDITURE ANALYSIS
QUEENSLAND GOVERNMENT
$2,167,751
EMPLOYMENT EXPENSES
$3,114,991
FINANCIAL POSITION SUMMARY ASSETS
–
LIABILITIES
=
EQUITY $10,000,000
$9,125,566
$8,000,000 $6,000,000 $5,091,784
$4,000,000 $2,793,647
$2,000,000
CASH
$363,620
$564,723
OTHER CURRENT ASSETS
NONCURRENT ASSETS
UNSPENT PROJECT FUNDS
$396,648
$851,324
$21,246
EMPLOYEE BENEFITS PROVISIONS
OTHER CURRENT LIABILITIES
NONCURRENT LIABILITIES
$899,260 RETAINED EARNINGS
RESERVES
NQ Dry Tropics’ complete, audited financial statements for the year ended 30 June 2017 are available from our website at www.nqdrytropics.com.au, or they can be viewed at our office at 12 Wills St Townsville (07 4799 3500).
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FINANCIAL INFORMATION ANNUAL REPORT 2016–17
Among many highlights this year, we strengthened our community links by opening an office in Bowen; welcomed former mayor of Thuringowa and Townsville City Councils Les Tyrell as our new Chair, held many successful and well-attended workshops and field days to build knowledge and networks, and continued working with our community, industry and NRM partners to support our region’s prosperity and sustainability.
12 WILLS STREET, TOWNSVILLE 4810 PH: (07) 4799 3500 FX: (07) 4799 3593
[email protected] NQDRYTROPICS.COM.AU @NQDRYTROPICSNRM @NQDRYTROPICS
NQ Dry Tropics is supported by the Australian and Queensland Governments
