Issue 104

Dear friend

The new Land Sector package- action on the land is an exciting part of tthe Australian Government’s the Clean Energy Future package, which complements and builds on our existing natural resource management activities. 

Briefly, this new activity includes the following new measures:

• a Biodiversity Fund ($946.2m) to help build connectivity and resilience in the landscape by promoting biodiverse carbon plantings and revegetation, management of existing biodiverse carbon stores and managing pests in a connected landscape;
• the establishment of a permanent, expert Land Sector Carbon and Biodiversity Advisory Board ($4.4m) to provide advice to ministers and parliament on the implementation of the land sector measures;
• a Regional Natural Resource Management  (NRM) Planning for Climate Change ($43.9m) measure to support regional planning for climate change to guide the most appropriate locations for new projects to store carbon as part of the Carbon Farming Initiative;
• Carbon Farming Futures ($429m) to help farmers and other landholders to benefit from carbon;
• a Carbon Farming Skills (4.2m) package to support green jobs and ensure that landholders have access to credible, high quality advice and carbon services;
• a Carbon Farming Initiative non-Kyoto Carbon Fund ($250m) to purchase Carbon Farming Initiative credits; and
• an Indigenous Carbon Farming Fund ($22.3m) to support Indigenous participation in the Carbon Farming Initiative (CFI).

More details are available at the DCCEE Clean Energy Future website:

http://www.cleanenergyfuture.gov.au/clean-energy-future/land-use/

http://www.cleanenergyfuture.gov.au/clean-energy-future/securing-a-clean-energy-future/#content010

Kind regards,

Wheatbelt NRM

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Events

2011 APEN National Forum

"Hitting a Moving Target - Sustaining landscapes, livelihoods and lifestyles in a changing world"

November 28, 29 , 30 at UNE, Armidale, NSW

The APEN National Forum will deliver a dynamic program and is the catalyst for bringing many like-minded professionals together in a single forum that guarantees an environment of ideas, skill development, networking and information exchange. You will return to your work place with renewed motivation to drive practice change within your community.

This year's forum, 'Hitting a Moving Target - Sustaining landscapes, livelihoods and lifestyles in a changing world', will focus on sharing and building experiences which will assist all delegates in meeting the modern challenges of the extension professional. APEN forums are designed to maximise delegate opportunities to be involved and grow personally and professionally through their participation in the forum.

Click here for downloadable pdf Registration Package

Opportunity to attend as part of the DAFF Fast Tracking the Next Generation of Regional Change Professionals Project.  The information and registration form link is here.

Managing farm forestry sites – why, when, how and how much

Wheatbelt AFG has been fortunate to have been allocated funding from Wheatbelt NRM for some work on 3 Casuarina obesa sites in the Avon NRM region. Included in this funding will be the production of a short ‘how to’ DVD – what equipment there is for which tree crop maintenance jobs and why we do maintenance at all on tree crop sites.

Bob Hingston is now with DAFWA and is leading the work using his many years of experience. You may like to take the opportunity to catch up with Bob again at the following field days:

‘Managing farm forestry sites – why, when, how and how much’

Friday August 19th at Aldersyde from midday

Bob and Dwayne will be spending the week at Ian and Margaret Hall’s place thinning some older Casuarina obesa. During the week InShot Productions will be filming the DVD footage. By Friday August 19th the site will have been set up with control plots and Bob will be ready to talk about what has been done. As part of the Field Day Bob will show the different farm forestry management tools and techniques.

Casuarina obesa provenance trials

Friday October 14th at Goomalling

Bob and Dwayne will have done some work on the provenance trial plots at Goomalling and will be ready to talk about the results. What is the difference between the different provenances, how choosing the right provenance and site limitations can influence your production, and more. We will aim to have the ‘how to’ DVD ready to hand out by this field day.

RSVPs are essential to:

Monica Durcan, Secretary/Treasurer
WAWheatbelt AFG                         

www.afg.asn.au

Ph/fx: 08 9291 8249
Mobile: 0418 934 870

Carbon Farming Week

DUBBO 27 - 29 September 2011

Carbon Farming Week will answer your questions. This year Carbon Farming Week incorporates the Festival of Fertiliser - Healthy Soils and Healthy Food, the 2 - day Carbon Farming Conference & Expo, the Carbon Cocky Awards Gala Dinner and an Introductory course - Carbon Farming 101.

Our theme for Carbon Farming Week this year is 'preparing farmers to trade'. Farmers will talk about their experience in the carbon markets - has it worked for them? Other topics covered will include:

• Advances in carbonfarming techniques
• Advances in measuring carbon
• What is a methedology and how do I get one?
• What is a carbon farm plan, and why would I want it?

For more information please click here

Enquiries call or email Louisa or Michael Kiely on 02 6374 0329 or email: louisa@carboncoalition.com.au

General News

FARMING SEMINAR A SUCCESS

With over 200 people in attendance, and the majority being farmers, the Designing Resilient Farming Systems seminar and field day held in Fremantle last week was deemed a huge success.
Keynote speaker Allan Savory of the Savory Institute, spoke on holistic thinking as an imperative process in developing agricultural systems that generate profit and regenerate the landscape.

Savory, along with fellow speakers General Michael Jeffery, Professor Lynette Abbott and Tony Lovell, emphasised sound decision-making as the key addressing food security while achieving sustainable profits.

While the focus of the day was on building soil fertility by promoting biological processes, livestock were highlighted as an important tool in stimulating plant growth. 
Savory’s work in agricultural-based education around decision-making comes from an African background as both a wildlife researcher and military advisor.

The Savory Institute was awarded the 2010 Buckminster Fuller prize for the proposal with the most significant potential to solve humanity’s most pressing problems, and holistic thing was identified in the 2009 Manchester report as the second best idea for tackling climate change.

The events were hosted by the Bugs and Biology Grower group and through sponsorship by Regional Business Development Corporation, Rio Tinto, South West Catchments Council, Mingenew-Irwin Group, Wheatbelt NRM, Holistic Results and Southern DIRT.  

Follow up events including a farm business workshop to incorporate holistic thinking, and a field day to examine production systems and strategies, will be held in coming months.
More information can be sourced from the Bugs and Biology Grower Group website www.bugsandbiology.org

Special Master TreeGrower Introductory Course for Wheatbelt Farmers

When thinking about including tree crops as part of a farming enterprise, many find there is more to it than they think. It is not just about where to plant which species but also to explore just how much of any tree crop is needed for a local industry to be viable, to what extent can growth and production be influenced, what new technologies are on the horizon?

These and many other questions will be covered during a special 3-day Master TreeGrower Introductory Course being held in late August, specifically aimed at broadacre farmers in the southern part of the Wheatbelt NRM Region (Avon Catchment).

Traditionally an 8-day adult learning course featuring visits to local farms, this Introductory Master TreeGrower course is only 3 days and jam packed with information. Experts and farmers will have ample opportunities to interact, ask questions and visit other properties.

The course will run from Monday to Wednesday August 29th to 31st and is free of charge thanks to generous funding from Wheatbelt NRM, the regional natural resource management body for the Avon Wheatbelt. Find out what new developments there are on the horizon for different tree crops, new bioenergy technologies being developed here in WA, how production can be influenced by genetics and management, the latest on the Carbon Farming Initiative and what it can mean to farmers, and much much more.

Not all presenters are available in person, so Skype will be used to make sure the best possible new information can be brought to participants, no matter where the course is held.

The course is funded by Wheatbelt NRM with funding through the Australian Government’s Caring for our Country Program. For more information or to register, contact AVONGRO on 9291 8249 or email: mdurcan@iinet.net.au

Photo caption: Kingsley Vaux of Ongerup finds niches for tree crops throughout his property. (see Kingsley in action at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ts8HV3icsuU)

Funding

SCIP 6

A Wheatbelt NRM Initiative for individuals and farmer groups to improve soil quality. Farmers annd groups within the Avon River Basin are encouraged to submit an expression of interest.

Grants of between $5 000 - $50 000 are available for farmer groups or individuals to trial and / or demonstrate to their local community recommended farm management practices that protect the soil resource from wind & water erosion, soil acidity and a decline in soil carbon. Three main categories of projects are available from which single or multiple management strategies can be selected. These categories are:

• Integrating tree crops into farm systems
• Recommended grazing management practices
• Recommended cropping management practices
• Projects should aim to increase adoption of the recommended practices by demonstrating appropriate implementation and management to local communities.

Closing Date

Friday 5th of August 2011

Expression of Interest guideline

Click here to download an EOI  (Word Format)

Click here to download an EOI (pdf Format)

For more information on getting started and the best species for your situation contact a Program Partner (see page 9 Guidelines) or visit the AVONGRO website: http://www.avongro.com.au or contact Project Manager Georgie Troup on 9690 2250

http://www.wheatbeltnrm.org.au/funding/scip/scip-round-6

Opportunities

Seedlings available at Wheatbelt NRM.

1500 Atriplex nummularia (Old Man Saltbush)
1500 Casuarina obesa (Swamp Sheoak)
1500 Eucalyptus loxophleba gratiae (Oil mallee)

Seedlings are located at a nursery in Northam.

Contact Georgie Troup on 9690 2258 or email gtroup@wheatbeltnrm.org.au  for details

Executive Support Officer

Salary range: $50,557 - $54,900
Fixed term contract to 30 June 2013

Wheatbelt Natural Resource Management (Wheatbelt NRM) is an independent community-based regional organisation leading natural resource management endeavours within the Avon River Basin.

We are seeking a dynamic person with excellent communication and administrative skills for the role of Executive Support Officer.  This is a challenging role that provides high level administrative support to the CEO and Board of Management. 

To apply, send a covering letter addressing the Essential Competencies of the position and your current CV to Hayley Blakiston, Wheatbelt NRM, PO Box 311, Northam WA 6401, or hblakiston@wheatbeltnrm.org.au

An outline of the Essential Competencies and Responsibilities of the position is available by contacting Hayley on 9690 2291 or below

Essential Competencies and Responsibilities 

Applications close 5.00pm Wednesday 10th August

Publications

Clean Energy Plan (Chapter 9 – Creating opportunities on the land)

Key messages
A carbon price will not apply to agricultural emissions. This means there will be no requirement for farmers to pay for emissions from livestock or fertiliser use.

The Carbon Farming Initiative will create economic rewards for farmers and land managers who reduce pollution or store carbon in the landscape.

An ongoing Biodiversity Fund ($946 million over the first six years) will be established for projects to protect biodiverse carbon stores and secure environmental outcomes from carbon farming.

An ongoing Carbon Farming Futures program ($429 million over the first six years) will help farmers and landholders benefit from carbon farming by supporting research and development, measurement approaches and action on the ground to reduce emissions or store carbon, including support for conservation tillage equipment.

Click here to download the Clean Energy Plan

Focus On

Michale (Mick) Davis

Program coordinator (Biodiversity)/ Landcare Facilitator
Wheatbelt NRM

Mick has been working in the NRM sector for the past 9 years since graduating from Curtin University’s School of Environmental Biology.

He has a passion for photography, critters of all sorts, exploring the Wheateblt landscapes and early Australian exploration.

Previously he has worked with WWF in the north eastern Wheatbelt championing woodland protection and management, and has spent the last four years working with DEC on a variety of biodiversity management projects spanning the Wheatbelt.

He is keen to promote partnerships between individuals and groups to protect the unique landscapes in the wheatbelt, which biologically are considered globally significant.

Mick works from Northam on a regular basis and spends most of his spare time making plans to move to the country permanently!

(in absence of a photo of Mick we thought we'd show one of his great shots)