NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT, PARKS AND INDIGENOUS AFFAIRS PORTFOLIO REPORT 13 December 2017

Portfolio Update

Natural Resource Management Saleyards • Saleyard staff inspected 610 head and dipped 945 cattle in November. The store & breeder sale held on the 17th November saw 716 head sold. The cream of the crop Droughtmaster female sale attracted 52 head with 46 sold and the fat & store sale held on 28th November attracted 156 head. • Tenders for the lease of Coolabunia Saleyard and dip facilities closed on 17 November and the tender assessment process is complete. Weed Control • Councils NRM Officer and contractors are inspecting properties for the presence of Groundsel and assisting landholders with treatment advice. Council staff assisted Biosecurity Officers to inspect properties on the Stuart River for Honey Locust. Parthenium inspections will commence on Barambah Creek in December. • Contractors have been treating Groundsel on Council roads, Parthenium and Water Hyacinth in and Lantana in Taabinga. Feral Animal Management • Landholders in Ironpot, Proston, , East , Brooklands, Cherbourg and Goodger participated in wild dog baiting programs over an area of approximately 12,700 hectares. Council is working in partnership with Cherbourg to undertake an extended baiting program in the Cherbourg area using PAPP baits. Equipment loan • Landholders in Cloyna, Boat Mountain and Hivesville hired wild dog and pig traps with six dogs trapped at Boat Mountain. Quick spray trailers and splatter guns were loaned by landholders to assist with weed control in Wattlecamp, Blackbutt, Burrandowan, Ellesmere and Taabinga. Wandering livestock • Council’s Stock Route Officer attended to reports of wandering pigs, goats and cattle at Fairdale, Cushnie, , Booie and Ballogie. Works 4 Queensland Dam Drainage – Excavation and site preparatory works have been completed and the contractors have laid multiple pipes with the most recent being installed below the camping area near the kiosk. This work is now in the completion stage.

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NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT, PARKS AND INDIGENOUS AFFAIRS PORTFOLIO REPORT 13 December 2017

Portfolio Update

Parks & Gardens Staff have been putting up Christmas banners and the Christmas trees in Kingaroy and Wondai. They have sprayed CBD for weeds, continued our mowing and weeding program. Memorial Park saw the completion of the Rotunda renovations with contractor just needing to come back and do the stairs and any touch ups. Staff have been working their way through all street gardens and park gardens, weeding and pruning and attending to CSR’s. All cemeteries have been mowed and due to be mowed again before Christmas. We have also gurneyed the forecourt, pruned the trees and cleaned up for the High School formals. Proston & Dams Mowing maintenance is high on the schedule with the expected increase in visitors to our caravan parks and dams during the school holidays. Nanango & Blackbutt & Murgon & Wondai Mowing has been the main priority in all towns, with the concentration on key areas such as parks, entrances, cemeteries and open spaces. Christmas trees have gone up in all areas and there has been cleaning of town entrances and parks in preparations for the Christmas Period and Carnivals.

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