MACQUARIE VALLEY WEEDS COMMITTEE INC. Established 8Th August 1978
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MACQUARIE VALLEY WEEDS COMMITTEE INC. Established 8th August 1978 CHAIRMAN SENIOR VICE CHAIRMAN JUNIOR VICE CHAIRMAN SECRETARY Roger Smith Andrew Cosier Matthew Anderton Melissa Brennan Phone: 02 6393 8025 Phone: 02 6840 1758 Phone: 02 6378 2939 Phone: 02 6393 8057 Mobile: 0419 011 002 Mobile: 0429 207 791 Mobile: 0419 247 867 Minutes of General Meeting 156 The Cow and Calf Hotel – Wellington Tuesday 13th August 2019 Meeting commenced at 10.00am Present Name Organisation Laurie Thompson Lachlan Shire Council Jodie Lawler Central West LLS Angie Kelly Central West LLS Jacky Wiblin Crown Lands Des Mackey Dubbo Regional Council Matt Croft Dubbo Regional Council Rebecca Balmer Dubbo Regional Council Melissa Gunn Cobar Shire Council Kellie Frost Weddin Shire Council Dean Hambly Brewarrina Shire Council Neil Boyd Cabonne Shire Council Mitchell Townsend Cabonne Shire Council Todd Saxelby Cabonne Shire Council Andrew McConnachie Dept Primary Industries Ashara Patterson Dept Primary Industries Daniela Egli Dept Primary Industries Tina Smart Forbes Shire Council Steve Watts Wentworth Shire Council Archie Harding Narromine Shire Council Matt Anderton Mid-Western Regional Council Brian Bonello Bogan Shire Council Roger Smith Chairman Melissa Brennan Secretary Andrew Cole Orange City Council Craig Bennett Associate Member Kane Davison Parkes Shire Council Guy Marchant Narromine Shire Council Glenn Sloane Parkes Shire Council Cr Rob McCutcheon Narromine Shire Council Russell Tiffen Bourke Shire Council Andrea Fletcher Castlereagh Macquarie County Council Chris Jackson Upper Macquarie County Council The Chairman welcomed everyone to Wellington and thanked those that had travelled for today’s meeting. Rebecca Balmer from Dubbo Regional Council welcomed everyone and mentioned the field trip after lunch at Mount Arthur Reserve. The Chairman spoke about last year being the 40 year anniversary for Macquarie Valley Weeds Committee. Melissa Brennan will put the established date on all correspondence from now on. The Chairman called for apologies. Name Organisation Andy McKinnon Western LLS Andrew Cosier Dubbo Regional Council Peter Dawson North West LLS Joshua Higgs Crown Land Jason Neville National Parks Wildlife Services Luke Hardy Crown Land Tim Nalder Central Tablelands LLS Michael Michelmore Dept Primary Industries Cathy Black Bogan Shire Council Tony Payne Bogan Shire Council Paul Gibb Central Tablelands LLS Erlina Compton Western LLS Matthew Bailey Parkes Shire Council Stephen Johnson Dept Primary Industries Ray Davy Balranald Shire Council Greg Ingham GM Castlereagh Macquarie County Council Mal Leeson LLS Andrew Mulligan Central West LLS Brooke Kirkman Central West LLS Rob Christian Orange City Council Chris Cannard Cowra Shire Council Don McKenzie Life Member Kerinne Harvey Dept Primary Industries Jasmine Wells Western LLS Peta Holcombe Central West LLS Jay Stephenson Associate Member Peter Hutchinson Brewarrina Shire Council Robyn Richardson Dept Primary Industries Bryson Rees Life Member Moved Matt Croft Seconded Craig Bennett Carried Confirmation of previous meeting minutes on 14th May 2019 at Lightning Ridge Moved Melissa Gunn Seconded Steve Watts Carried Business arising from previous meeting held at Lightning Ridge on 14th May 2019 There was none Chairman’s report First of all I would like to say a big thankyou to Mel Brennan for organising this meeting along with Andrew Cosier and Rebecca Balmer from Dubbo Regional Council. It is great to see so many attending the meeting which is obviously appreciated by the numbers here today. Mental Health Workshop A workshop on mental health will be run in Dubbo on the 30 September and the 1 October, 2019. The course will be conducted by Western Health Service rather than Norman Turkington and Associates. The course, Mental Health First Aid, is the same course spoken about at the Lightning Ridge meeting. At this stage we have 24 attending the workshop. Tom Knowles Award We have had 3 nominations for the Tom Knowles Award with the winner to be announced at today’s meeting. The award winner was chosen by the executive with a conflict of interest keeping myself out of the process. NSW Biennial Weeds Conference There was only one nomination for a member of the MWVC to attend the NSW Weeds Conference. The nominated person was Melissa Brennan but due to family commitments Mel couldn’t attend the conference. Weeds Officer Association Grant This committee did submit an application for a $1500 grant available from the Weeds Officer’s Association to help fund the Mental Health Workshop. Unfortunately because the funding had to be linked to WAP activities the application was unsuccessful. In saying that the Weeds Officers Association has now changed the process of how the applications are culled and they don’t necessarily need to be linked to the WAP. Television Campaign The 2019 television campaign will commence in September with the ads to be screened on Southern Cross Austero and Imparja. This is the first time we have engaged Imparja in the weeds campaign and will address the concerns the western LCAs have with not being able to access the campaign through the other networks. There were no questions Correspondence The Chairman noted that there were many emails to go through but all of them have been circulated. The Chairman called for any questions. There were none. Financial Report The Chairman spoke about the WAP reporting and mentioned that Macquarie Valley are doing well at the moment with funds. The Chairman called for any questions. Craig Bennett mentioned MVWC appears to be spending funds rather quickly and if this continues the nest egg of funds the committee has will soon be exhausted. Guy Marchant asked was the last 12 months indicative of annual expenditure with the chairman stating expenditure occurs in waves. During 2018/2019 we had the TV campaign, sending a MVWC member to the Australian Weeds Conference, Aquatic Weeds Workshop, the Mental Health Workshop and the subsidising of the Biosecurity training for some weeds officers. To date this year we have the 2 day mental health training and a contribution to the television campaign which MVWC will contribute funds. Melissa Gunn said there is no use having these funds if we don’t spend them on resources or training/advertising. The Chairman said that we are keeping a close eye on the budget and we are travelling along ok. The Chairman asked if anyone would like to do any training that there is money in the budget to accommodate the training and we can still apply for grants if we wish to do so. The Chairman also mentioned about having a tour down the track up to QLD to look at Parthenium Weed which will be hopefully funded through a grant. Craig Bennett asked a question about the weeds trailer expenses ie registration/maintenance. The Chairman stated that Orange City Council was funding the expenses and will continue to do so as the trailer is now part of its fleet. Macquarie Valley will add in some extra money to go towards the TV ad campaign for 2019. Moved Guy Marchant Seconded Archie Harding Carried Training The Chairman mentioned the Aquatic weeds that was conducted in April this year and Mental Health training will happen in Dubbo late September. The Chairman asked if there was any other training/courses that the committee would like to do. Jodie Lawler spoke about a grasses workshop that is being conducted by the Local Land Services in October with Harry Rose. The Chairman spoke about the drone workshop in Orange and Laurie Thompson mentioned that there is one in Parkes on Thursday. Dept of Primary Industries update The Chairman mentioned that Orange City Council have been dealing with DPI and landowners back in March this year doing a weed risk assessment on Sticky Nightshade, they are currently in the process of putting it on the Regional Weeds Plan list. The Chairman spoke about the WAP reports and asked if everyone had finished them. Delegate Reports discussion Narromine talked about leaving a goodies bag for farmers around Narromine Shire which is working quite well and is a good talking point. Jodie Lawler spoke about the WAP, merchandise, jumping on board for No space for weeds campaign. Jodie also mentioned the grasses/weed identification workshop that Harry Rose will talk at. It is conducted through TOCAL in Forbes 22-23 October and Dubbo on 24-25 October 2019. Will forward information flyer to everyone. Meeting paused at 1030am for Morning Tea Meeting recommenced at 1055am Dubbo Regional Council mentioned that they have been doing property and road inspections, talking to farmers about how they are controlling weeds. Dubbo Regional Council has just finished their Glysophate review, and they have decided to continue using the product. Dept of Primary Industries have been working on Fireweed Bio control and potential insect agents. Daniela Egli who is visiting from South Africa will be going to the Weeds Conference to talk more about Fireweed. Fireweed is still a huge problem along the East Coast. Andrew McConnachie spoke about the new quarantine facility in Orange. It is planned for completion in March 2020 and will enable DPI to take on more Bio Control research. They will be receiving funding from the federal government for African Lovegrass and additional funding for Hudson Pear up North. Laurie Thompson from Lachlan Shire Council mentioned that he has been doing a lot of spraying. Steve Watts from Wentworth Shire Council mentioned that he found Devils Rope Pear and Hudson Pear. Cabonne Council spoke about mapping of the Sticky nightshade within the shire. They have found Chilean needle grass along the highways which is blowing off trucks and they have been doing prickly pear spraying. Jacky Wiblin from Crown Lands mentioned that they have been doing Mother of millions spraying. Angie Kelly from Central West LLS mentioned that they have dealing with Mother of millions, Gal burr and Tiger Pear.