July 2006 An electronic update for Local Government on NRM and environmental policies, projects and events in Tasmania

In this update… If you have any queries about the content of this newsletter, or ideas for contributions to future  Funding Opportunities newsletters, please contact me on the details below…  Workshops Jenni Rigby Local Government NRM Facilitator  News [email protected]  Resources and Tools www.lgat.tas.gov.au  Conferences (03) 6233 5962 or 0419 567 245

 Funding Opportunities

Environmental Protection Fund – Grants Now Available! The Environmental Protection Fund Grants of up to $15,000 open next week! Funding is available to projects that are designed to protect the environment or prevent pollution through resource recovery, capacity building, community education and training. The funding is largely drawn from fines and penalties collected from legal action under EMPCA, and are available to local government, community groups, and not-for-profit organisations. For more information see the Environment Division website.

Grants Program for Community Greenhouse Abatement The Australian Greenhouse Office is seeking expressions of interest from local government, industry and community groups for the Low Emissions Technology and Abatement – Strategic Abatement Grants (LETA-SA). The grants programme aims to achieve cost effective abatement at the community level by funding activities that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and demonstrate innovation in delivery. Grants total up to $100,000 over two years. Applicants are requested to submit an expression of interest by 5pm Tuesday 15 August. Further details can be accessed on the AGO website.

Don’t forget… CWGs Increased Grants of up to $250,000! Round 2 of the Community Water Grants is now open for submissions, with the chance for additional funding (up to $250,000) for projects that meet certain criteria. All details of the Community Water Grants are available on the website, with further information about the additional funding accessible through this link. And even if you don’t have a project ready for this round, which closes on August 25, look over the criteria so you can be ready for future rounds of funding!

Australia Post Community Development Grants NRM community groups can now apply for the second round of the Australia Post and Landcare Australia Community Development Grants. Grants of up to $3000 are offered to community groups to help improve their local community and environment. Please make sure community groups in your area are aware of this opportunity! Applications close 29 September 2006. Full details are available on the Landcare website.

 Workshops

Second Round of CVA Risk Assessment Workshops Conservation Volunteers Australia is conducting a second round of risk assessment workshops in Tasmania on October 18 and 20. The workshops aim to provide leaders of community groups with simple but effective strategies for assessing and combatting risks associated with their activities. If you missed out on the first round of workshops, or if you know of a community group who might benefit from this free training, visit the CVA website to find out more.

More than 9 out of 10 Australian farmers reported undertaking some form of NRM activity during 2004 – 2005.  News

Feral and Unwanted Cat Management Local councils are seeking to work with the State Government and other stakeholders on the issue of feral and unwanted cats. Newly elected LGAT President is recommending that basic legislative amendments be considered to enable more effective cat management. The feral cat population in Tasmania is estimated to be as high as 300,000, which presents a significant threat to native fauna.

UTas to Establish Research Hub for Landscape Logic The University of Tasmania will receive $7.9 million to establish a research hub for the development of tools to enable improved natural resource management practices. Under the title ‘Linking Land and Water Management to Resource Condition Targets’, the research will identify links between land management at the on-site level and landscape health at catchment and regional levels. The research hub incorporates 24 researchers across seven institutions, and represents a partnership that extends across six NRM regions.

Installation of an Air Quality Monitoring Station at George Town The Tasmanian Government, local government and a number of local industries have undertaken a collaborative project to install an air quality monitoring station at George Town. At a cost of round $200,000, the station will monitor key air quality parameters, including nitrogen oxides, sulphur dioxides and particulates to better understand domestic, industrial, transport, agricultural and natural impacts on air quality. The station will be located on the southern outskirts of George Town and will provide data for comparison to national standards on a bi-monthly basis.

Amendments Proposed to Tasmanian Nature Conservation Act & Forest Practices Act The Tasmanian Government is introducing legislative amendments to govern the clearing and conversion of threatened non-forest plant communities in Tasmania. The proposed legislation, required by the Tasmanian Community Forest Agreement, will build on the existing regulatory framework to provide for non-forest communities. The new system will include a mechanism for formally listing threatened communities under the Nature Conservation Act, and a regulatory framework for controlling clearance and conversion of threatened communities under the Forest Practices Act.

Australian Government Weed Funding to Tackle Gorse in Tasmania The Tasmanian Institute of Agricultural Research (TIAR) has received $600,000 to fund continuing biological control of gorse under the Australian Government’s Defeating the Weed Menace Programme. TIAR, based at the University of Tasmania, are attempting to combat gorse – one of Australia’s twenty listed weeds of national significance (WoNS) by rearing and releasing masses of gorse thrips and moths.

ALGA Report on Local Government NRM Facilitators A report documenting the activities of the national network of local government NRM facilitators is now available on the ALGA website. The report details many of the network’s achievements over the past three years, and outlines future directions for the facilitators. The local government NRM facilitator positions are a partnership between the Australian Government and local government associations to work toward improved engagement of councils in regional NRM activities.

NSW Councils Now Required to Enforce New Environmental Building Standards As of July 1 councils’ assessments of development applications in NSW have to enforce stringent energy-efficiency standards for new homes. The new standards include energy reduction targets, as outlined in the State Government’s Building Sustainability Index (BASIX) system. The energy-efficient standards focus on increasing environmentally-friendly features, such as energy-efficient hot-water systems and lighting. More information about the NSW reforms can be found on the BASIX website.

Funds Provide for Extensions to National Reserve System This month the Australian Government announced an additional $6 million in funding to extend high conservation land areas protected under the National Reserve System. The nation-wide network of reserves represents a partnership between the Australian Government and local and State governments, private industry, community groups and not-for-profit conservation groups, to protect Australia’s unique natural environment. The funding provides for the purchase of high priority and poorly reserved land to establish private or publicly managed protected areas, or to provide for a protection in perpetuity over an area of already owned land. Applications are now open for groups wishing to acquire properties for protection under the scheme. For more information, visit the National Reserve System website.

Weed and pest management are the most common natural resource management activities farmers undertake nationally.  Resources and Tools

Environmental Management Systems in Agriculture – Free CD The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry have released a free CD on developing Environmental Management Systems (EMS) for farming enterprises. It provides practical advice to primary producers on achieving sustainable practices through the development of an EMS. For more information, or for copies of the CD, e-mail Jenni Rigby at LGAT.

New Toolkit to Assist in Revegetation Planning A new toolkit for land managers, including local government and NRM regions, has been developed by Ensis as part of a collaboration between CSIRO and New Zealand forest research group Scion. The toolkit provides information to help maximise environmental outcomes and identify the different impacts of revegetation on salinity, sedimentation, water availability, carbon sequestration and biodiversity. This new resource can be downloaded from the Commercial Environmental Forestry section of the Ensis website, or as hardcopies (CD with website and printed material) by e-mailing Indra Tomic.

 Conferences

Local Government Sustainability Beyond 2030 – Solutions, Directions and Trends This conference and exhibition aims to assist local government staff identify, plan and implement best practice in sustainable development solutions by showcasing examples of outstanding environmental initiatives undertaken by local governments around Australia. Core themes for this inaugural environmental policy conference for local government include; integrating sustainable development into planning strategies and operational activities, measuring progress toward sustainable outcomes, positioning local government in a leadership role for sustainable development, and harnessing community energies to achieve environmental goals. The conference, in Sydney from 14-15 September will seek to provide a practical level of information, rather than be academically based. Click here for more information on the conference.

PPAMcon - Parks & Protected Areas Management Congress The PPAMcon will be held in Queanbeyan, NSW on the 2-3 August. The congress will include three workshops, which can be attended as a part of the congress, or for a single day. The workshops elaborate on the themes of: Tourism partnerships in parks and protected areas, Partnerships – the government and community, and Public and private protected area managers, partnering for collective outcomes. For a copy of the program and registration details visit http://www.ppamcon.com.au/.

15th Australian Weeds Conference The 15th Australian Weeds Conference will be held in Adelaide on 24-28 September this year. The conference theme is Managing Weeds in a Changing Climate, and will explore the political, social, economic and environmental climates of weed management. For a full rundown of the conference programme, visit the Conference website.

International Biennial Forest Growers Conference 2006 The International Biennial Forest Growers Conference will this year be held at the Tram Sheds in Launceston from 22 – 25 October. The conference offers an outstanding social and business programme, including over 55 speakers, four full day and three half-day technical tours. Further details on the programme and how to register are available from the Australian Forest Growers website.

Governments & Communities in Partnership: From Theory to Practice The Centre for Public Policy at the University of Melbourne, with support from the OECD, the Victorian State Government, and The Age newspaper will be holding this international conference from 25-27 September in Melbourne. The conference will bring together community leaders and key policy makers from Australia and beyond, with the aim of broadening the debate on the impact and value of efforts to form partnerships between governments and community. Follow this link for more details on the conference.

If you no longer wish to receive this electronic newsletter, please e-mail Jenni at the Local Government Association of Tasmania. [email protected]