Catching Up

In the Logan & Albert Catchments

FEBRUARY 2014
LOCAL NEWS and EVENTS

Soil health and grazing field day

Tues 4th March 9.00am - 1.30pm Guest speaker Rodger Savory grassland management specialist. More info over page Rathdowney Hall Free EventLunch included RSVP: Colin Hastie M: 0457 109 122 or chastie@seqcatchments.com.au

Our regions natural assets are important for the economy, lifestyle and wellbeing of our community. Natural assets provide many of the services that attract people to live in the region such as great beaches and clean air, rich forests, productive farmland as well as the wide variety of plants and animals. After five years, the targets in the SEQ Natural Resource Management plan are being updated to consider activities that will better prepare the community and the economy for future pressures such as extreme weather events and natural disasters. Have your say on what actions and investment in natural assets are important for you and your community. This information will be used to update the SEQ NRM Plan so it can better guide community, industry and government support for landholders in the management of their local areas. Beaudesert Community Roundtable, Thursday March 13th, 9.30am -1pm, Logan and Albert Hotel, Beaudesert. Tea and coffee from 8.30am, lunch provided. Logan Community Roundtable, Tuesday March 18th, 9.30am -1pm, Logan Entertainment Centre. Tea and coffee from 8.30am, lunch provided. Please RSVP to Col Hastie: Ph 0457 109 122 or chastie@seqcatchments.com.au Take a look at more confirmed dates in SEQ. You can also provide feedback via the our online community consultation site, which will be launched in the near future. For more information contact nrmplan@seqcatchments.com.au.

Introductory workshop to support Chambers Flat land managers

22nd March Over the coming years a series of workshops and field days will be hosted covering grazing management, pasture, soil health and weed management. Contact Col Hastie for more information 0457 109 122 or chastie@seqcatchments.com.au.

Wyaralong Dam Carp Busters Comp

1st March The Logan & Albert Fish Management Associations annual carp eradication competition. Prizes for registration, most carp and biggest carp caught, and fly fishing. Contact Lloyd Willmann on 0429 614 892. Click here for more info.

Supporting the sharing economy free public lecture and workshop

24-25th Feb, Southbank Building sustainable communities by supporting localised economies such as barter, community trade networks & more. Lecture QCA Gallery Theatre, 24th Feb 6pm-7.30pm. Workshop, Griffith University, Southbank, 25th Feb 9am-12.30pm. To RSVP click here.

Rathdowney grazing field day to look at soil health and stock nutrition
The free field day on Tuesday March 4th will commence at Rathdowney Hall at 9am before moving on to a nearby 142ha mixed poultry and beef cattle farm owned by the Dan and Kym Coaster -Garton and their family. The field day is intended to be the first in an ongoing series that will focus on day to day farm decisions, using the property hosting the day as an example, with expert advice on hand from a guest speaker. This field day will be followed by several others to provide an opportunity for landowners to regularly get together to discuss grazing management strategies on a seasonal basis. We are hopeful that everyone will leave each field day having gained something useful to put into practice immediately and in the longer term, provided through the expertise of the guest speakers, the information on the host farm, and the collective knowledge of the landowners attending on the day. The field day is funded by the Queensland Government and is being delivered through a partnership with Beaudesert Landcare and Croftby Community Group in a 5 year project to address river and land health. RSVP with Col Hastie Ph. 0457 109 122, chastie@seqcatchments.com.au.

Innovating management of sewerage nutrient discharges into the Logan River

Eroding river banks contribute large amount of nutrients and sediment into our waterways, which can have a major impact on the aquatic environment and decrease water quality. Erosion can also lead to loss of land, impacting farms and livelihoods, as well as degraded habitats. Repairing and stabilising eroded banks and planting trees along the banks are important in helping control erosion and thereby reducing sediment and associated nutrient flows into our waterways. A pilot study on a 400 m stretch of the Logan River, just outside of Beaudesert near II Bogan Park, is assessing to what extent restoring eroding banks can reduce sediment and nutrient pollution. This is expected to improve the quality of the Logan River, but also limit further land losses for local landholders and increase biodiversity and habitat along the river banks.

Pre project commencement site photo, II Bogan Park, Nov 2013

Completed works site, December 2013

The study is being funded by Queensland Urban Utilities (QUU), the managers of the Beaudesert Sewerage Treatment Plant. QUU, together with the Department of Environment and Heritage and SEQ Catchments, are investigating whether reducing bank erosion and its associated nutrient loss into the Logan River can counterbalance the release of nutrients into our waterways from the treatment plant. If the pilot study proves successful, QUU may be able to improve the water quality in the Logan River by funding bank stabilisation works, rather than pursuing the more expensive option of building expensive new sewerage treatment plant capacity.

RESOURCES - GRANTS - EVENTS

Logan City Council The EnviroGrants program aims to enhance and protect the natural environment and foster environmentally sustainable practices across Logan City. Up to $5000 is available for Environmental Projects and $2000 for Wildlife Carer Grants. Closes 5 March 2014. Click here for more information. Apanie Wood returns as Regional Landcare Facilitator After 18 months of freshwater research in North Queensland, Apanie is enjoying resuming her work with SEQ Catchments to support community groups and land managers across SEQ to implement sustainable agricultural practices. For more information click here. Agricultural Competitiveness Issues Paper released for public comment The Australian Government is requesting input on the development of an Agricultural Competitiveness White Paper, the governments plan to grow agricultures competitiveness, farm gate profitability and contribute to Australias prosperity. An issues paper identifies the key topics the government would like community input on and will guide the development of the White Paper. To contribute, please make a written submission before April 17th, or arrange an appointment to meet with a government representative in Toowoomba on March 25th. Click here or ring 02 6271 6272 for more information. Weeds of Southern Queensland app The Weeds Society of Queensland released its highly popular publication Weeds of Southern Queensland as a smartphone app in 2013. The app contains information for 132 weeds present in Southern Queensland, along with details of control methods. For more information click here. The National Landcare webinar series These webinars provide a platform for farmers and land managers to participate in discussions with a range of speakers on issues relevant to Landcare. Video broadcasts on topics such as soil health, the use of social media for Landcare groups, Allan Savory on Holistic Management. For more information click here.

GROUPS CORNER Meetings - Functions Events - News

Logan & Albert Catchment Network Group

Tamborine Landcare Association Office: The Piccabeen Bookshop Shop 10/15 Main St North Tamborine P: (07) 5545 1847 secretary@tamborinemtnlandcare.org.au Logan and Albert Conservation Association Anne Page - President P: (07) 3297 0624 Kathy Faldt - Vice President P: (07) 3200 0129 www.laca.org.au Boonah Organisation for a Sustainable Shire Julie Jackson - Secretary P: (07) 5463 4774 M: 0435 992 798 boonahboss@hotmail.com www.boonahboss.blogspot.com Logan Albert River Catchments Association Matthew Arkinstall M: 0429 618 147 Beaudesert Landcare Group Dan Coaster-Garton P: (07) 5541 4353 This newsletter is produced by SEQ Catchments in partnership with the Regional Landcare Facilitator project, an initiative of the Australian Governments Department of Agriculture. Please send information on your groups activities, events, workshops and meeting dates to Apanie Wood at awood@seqcatchments.com.au for inclusion in this newsletter.

Col Hastie
Community Partnerships Manager E : chastie@seqcatchments.com.au M: 0457 109 122

SEQ Catchments Office - Beaudesert

82 Brisbane St, Beaudesert Qld 4285 P: (07) 55412702